ThesisTo create a better understanding of the

elements and techniques of bass guitar, and explore the mechanics and development of the bass guitar and how it correlates to role models and music itself.

Why I Chose Bass?

Importance Of Music• Music is something that can be taken from the

soul making it unique and meaningful to many.

• Not only can music trigger emotions and feelings in the musician him/herself, but it can change the listener in their own unique perspective.

“Music is the mediator between the spiritual and the sensual life”.

~Ludwig van Beethoven

Presentation Overview• Parts/Accessories– Head, tuning machines, tuner, nut, frets, fingerboard,

back of neck, pickups, bridge, control knobs.• What Are The Basic Techniques– Music theory– Understanding the sound– Performing right hand warm-ups/ same-string stroke– Coordinating left hand with right hand– Fret/finger placement

• Cleaning/Maintenance

Presentation Overview Contd.

• Reading Tablature– Song• Stone Love

• Where Did The Bass Originate• Who is Cliff Burton• Special Thanks To…• Conclusion– Application, works cited & class activity

HEAD

(Pfeiffer and Patrick 13-15)

TUNING MACHINES

(Pfeiffer and Patrick 13-15)

Electric Tuners

NUT

(Pfeiffer and Patrick 13-15)

FRETS

(Pfeiffer and Patrick 13-15)

Flat

Sharp

FINGERBOARD

(Pfeiffer and Patrick 13-15)

BACK OF NECK

(Pfeiffer and Patrick 13-15)

PICKUPS

(Pfeiffer and Patrick 13-15)

BRIDGE

(Pfeiffer and Patrick 13-15)

CONTROL KNOBS

(Pfeiffer and Patrick 13-15)

What Are The Basic Techniques?

• Musical Basics (Melody, Harmony, & Rhythm)• Understanding the sound• Performing right-hand warm-ups/same-string

strokes• Coordinating your left hand with your right

hand• Fret/finger placement

(Pfeiffer and Patrick)

Rhythm

• The underlying pulse of a piece of music• Rhythm patterns are prominent in– Dance music– Rock music– Pop music

• Groups of repeating beats

(Freeth and Nick, 46-47)

Melody

• Pitches presented in some orderly arrangement in time

• Tunes built up from successions of single notes

• Pitch and rhythm apply to a single line• Everything supports the melody• The melody is the starting point of the music

(Thaddeus Jones and George, 87-88, 138-139)(Freeth and Nick, 46-47)

Harmony

• The chords that support a melody• The simultaneous combination of chords– Blend well to the ear

• All parts move together in time• Emphasizes vertical or horizontal aspect of

music

(Freeth and Nick, 46-47)Harmony, Dictionary.com

Understand The Sound

• The vibration is the sound one hears as the pitch or tone.– This is the note

• The speed at which each note vibrates– This is the frequency

• The more tension a string has, the higher the pitch and vise versa

(Pfeiffer and Patrick 71-72)

Performing Right-Hand Warm-Ups/Same-String Strokes

• A few minutes a day of proper exercising helps!

• Use right hand as striking/plucking hand• Place thumb on pickup for support• Use your index finger and middle finger

alternating• Go up and down the strings switching off

fingers

(Pfeiffer and Patrick 72-74)

Performing Right-Hand Warm-Ups/Same-String Strokes Contd.

• Don’t lift fingers or slap them down– When strings are

slapped, unwanted noise is acquired

• Pluck into the instrument to receive full and round tone

• Once calluses are formed one can pick/strike strings all day

(Pfeiffer and Patrick 72-74)

Coordinating Your Left Hand With Right Hand

• Press down the string on the appropriate fret• Spread your fingers one on each fret and play

them one at a time: 1 2 3 4 while the right hand strikes the string to sound each note

• When you mastered this try doing it backwards: 4 3 2 1

(Pfeiffer and Patrick 77)

Coordinating Your Left Hand With Right Hand Contd.

• Next try jumping combinations: 1 2, 1 3, and 1 4

• When you can do this properly try doing this backward 2 1, 3 1, and 4 1

(Gallagher, Mike)

Fret/Finger Placement

• Keep thumb back behind the neck• While playing a note keep finger as close as

possible to metal fret for better sound quality• Try not to let the note play longer than

needed, for if it is left to ring out an unwanted ringing noise will sound

(Gallagher, Mike)

Cleaning/Maintenance

• Always play with dry and clean hands• Wipe oils off strings with t-shirt• Clean fingerboards and frets of dirt• Don’t use steel wool, for bits of “wool” can

affect the magnetic pickups• If action is too high or the strings are too far

from the fingerboard adjust saddles or nuts where you can adjust the built in truss-rod

(Pinksterboer and Hugo 107-109, 144-157)

You Can Read Tablature Too!

• Your probably thinking what the heck is this?

==============• Well let me break this

down for you.

Stone Love Bass Tab

Pepper- Stone Love

Where Did The Bass Originate?

• The original bass guitar was the violin bass– This type of bass was used for more classical, jazzy

music• After 8 different versions of the solid-body

guitar, the bass guitar was created– Leo Fender realized he could make bass guitars

the same way that solid-body guitars were made • This freed the bassist form a bigger “doghouse” style of

bass • This also provided loads of extra volume too

(Pinksterboer and Hugo 159-162)

Where Did Bass Originate? Contd.

• Double basses don’t have frets, but Fender used frets on their first electric bass guitars

– The name of this electric bass was Precision• Precision referred to “precise” intonation of a fretted instrument

(Pinksterboer and Hugo 159-162)

Who Is Cliff Burton?

• Was born on February 10th, 1962 and died September 27th, 1986

• Started playing bass for a band named Trauma• Left Trauma and joined Metallica soon after– Helped create albums “Kill ‘Em All”, “Ride The

Lightning”, and “Master of Puppets” • Was recognized for his lead bass approach, odd jazz

timings and psychedelic melodies

(http://www.metallicaworld.co.uk/Cliff%20Burton.htm, Beller and Bryan pg.50,51)

Who Is Cliff Burton? Contd.

• Burton died when his tour bus flipped and he was pinned under it

• Was an inspiration to me so I learned the songs “Seek & Destroy” and “(Anesthesia)-Pulling Teeth” on the “Kill ‘Em All” album.

(Beller and Bryan pg.50,51, http://www.metallicaworld.co.uk/Cliff%20Burton.htm )

Special Thanks To…

Mike Gallagher

• First picked up a guitar at the age of 13 when inspired by Van Halen

• Attended Berklee College of Music• Currently plays in the band Midnight Angel• Many of Mike's songs have been placed in

shows on ABC, FOX, VH1, MTV2, ESPN, Nickelodeon and E! Entertainment, as well as Touchstone and Disney movies.

http://www.mikegallagheronline.com/bio.htm

Mike Gallagher Contd. • Currently Mike teaches guitar and bass in the

Philadelphia area• Also, offers weekly lessons right out of his household• Find our more at

http://www.mikegallagheronline.com/bio.htm

“Music doesn't lie. If there is something to be changed in this world, then it can only happen

through music.”

~Jimi Hendrix

I Did It!

Works Cited

• "Cliff Burton." Metallica World - The Most Interactive Metallica Fansite on the Web! Web. 2010. <http://www.metallicaworld.co.uk/Cliff%20Burton.htm>.

• Freeth, Nick. "Chapter 3: Theory and Practice." Teach Yourself Guitar. New York: Barnes & Noble, 2005. 46-49. Print.

• Beller, Brian. “Beyond Brutality.” Bass Player 19 Dec. 2008: 50-51, 84. Rpt. in Beyond Brutality. N.p.: n.p., 2008. 50-51, 84. EBSCO Eldercare. Web. 23 Nov. 2009.

• Pfeiffer, Patrick. Bass Guitar for Dummies. Illus. Rich Tennant. Ed. Allyson Grove and Tracy Boggier. 2003. IndianapolisA: Wiley Publishing, Inc., 2003. Print.

Works Cited Contd.

• Pinksterboer, Hugo. Tipbook Electric Guitar and Bass Guitar. 3rd ed. 2002. Milwaukee: Hal Leonard, 2008. Print. Tipbook.

• "Mike Ghallagher Bio." Mike Ghallagher Online. Web. 2010. <http://www.mikegallagheronline.com/bio.htm>.

• "Tablature." Def. 1. Dictionary.com. Random House Dictionary, Inc 2010. Web. 2010. <http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/tablature>.

• Stone Love Bass Tab. Digital image. Ultimate-guitar. Web. Mar. 2010. <http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/tabs/p/pepper/stone_love_btab.htm>.

Works Cited Contd.

• Jones, George Thaddeus. Music Theory. New York: Barnes & Noble, 1974. 87+. Print.

• Beller, Brian. "Beyond Brutality." Bass Player 19 Dec. 2008: 50-52. Proquest. Web. 2010.

• Gress, Jess. "10 Things You Gotta Do To Play Like." Guitar Player July 2009: 78-86. Proquest. Web.

• Compton, George S., and Grove G. Fields. Electric Bass Guitar and Bridge Therefor. Patent 3538233. 3 Nov. 1970. Print.

Works Cited Contd.

• "Harmony." Def. 3. Dictioanry.com. Random House Dictionary. Web. 2010. <http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/harmony>.