Basics: Notes of the Neck (for 4-string basses)
Here are a few basic concepts which will help us when we move on to scales, chords,
and theory. Here are the natural notes of the bass neck from the open notes up to
the 12th fret (assume that your bass is laying on a table in front of you and you're
looking down on it):
G| | A | | B | C | | D | | E | F | | G | (G string)
D| | E | F | | G | | A | | B | C | | D | (D string)
A| | B | C | | D | | E | F | | G | | A | (A string)
E| F | | G | | A | | B | C | | D | | E | (E string)
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 (fret number)
The E string is the thickest string on your bass (assuming
you have a four-string bass). It is the string closest to your face when you are
playing. The zero (given as a fret number) indicates the note you get when you
play a string open (i.e. without fretting a note).
You will notice that I've left some blank spaces on our chart
(like the one at the second fret of the E string, between F and G. The notes which
are in between the natural notes are called accidentals, and each can be named two
ways. The note between F and G can be called F# (F sharp), meaning that it is one
half-step (one fret) higher in pitch than F. We could also name it Gb (G flat)
meaning that it is one half-step lower in pitch than G. There is a long tradition
in music which determines whether a given note will be notated as a flatted or sharped
note, but if you're just trying to communicate with a friend, you can use either
term and he or she will understand you.
Starting at the 12th fret, our entire diagram starts over. Notice that the
notes at the 12th fret are the same as the notes of the open strings. This
principle applies for every fret above the 12th (13th fret = 1st fret, 14th
fret = 2nd fret, etc.).
If you look closely at the chart, you'll notice a few more things. First, that
the letters go from A up to G and then start over with A again. The musical
alphabet goes A-G. You probably knew that already. But you might not have known
that most of the notes are a whole step apart (that is, they have a blank fret
between, as F and G do above) but two combinations of notes are only a half-step
apart (i.e. they have no fret between them). These two combinations are B-C
and E-F. Because there is no note between B and C, we do not generally refer
to B# or Cb (even though B#, according to our rules, would be C and Cb would be B).
Likewise, we don't refer generally to E# (i.e. F) or Fb (i.e. E). These are
just a few of the many conventions of talking about music.
Here are two more neck diagrams--one showing all the accidentals named
as sharps, and one showing all the accidentals named as flats. I'll trust
you to remember that F# and Gb are the same note (i.e. produce the same sound),
regardless of what name we give them.
G| G#| A | A#| B | C | C#| D | D#| E | F | F#| G | (G string)
D| D#| E | F | F#| G | G#| A | A#| B | C | C#| D | (D string)
A| A#| B | C | C#| D | D#| E | F | F#| G | G#| A | (A string)
E| F | F#| G | G#| A | A#| B | C | C#| D | D#| E | (E string)
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 (fret number)
A| Ab| A | Bb| B | C | Db| D | Eb| E | F | Gb| G | (G string)
G| Eb| E | F | Gb| G | Ab| A | Bb| B | C | Db| D | (D string)
F| Bb| B | C | Db| D | Eb| E | F | Gb| G | Ab| A | (A string)
E| F | Gb| G | Ab| A | Bb| B | C | Db| D | Eb| E | (E string)
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 (fret number)
Notes of the Neck (for five strings with low B)
If you're fortunate enough to have a five string bass (or if you're at all curious
about them) here's a diagram including the notes on the low B string (I'll trust
you to fill in the sharps and flats for yourself).
G| | A | | B | C | | D | | E | F | | G | (G string)
D| | E | F | | G | | A | | B | C | | D | (D string)
A| | B | C | | D | | E | F | | G | | A | (A string)
E| F | | G | | A | | B | C | | D | | E | (E string)
B| C | | D | | E | F | | G | | A | | B | (B string)
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 (fret number)
Notes of the Neck (for five string with high C)
It's considerably less common, but some players (e.g. Steve Swallow) prefer to
string their fives with a high C instead of a low B. Here's what that tuning
looks like:
C| | D | | E | F | | G | | A | | B | C | (C string)
G| | A | | B | C | | D | | E | F | | G | (G string)
D| | E | F | | G | | A | | B | C | | D | (D string)
A| | B | C | | D | | E | F | | G | | A | (A string)
E| F | | G | | A | | B | C | | D | | E | (E string)
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 (fret number)
Notes of the Neck (for six string with low B and high C)
Since the mid 1980s the six string bass guitar, sometimes called the
"contrabass guitar," has become an increasingly popular instrument. It is
generally strung like the five string but with a high C in addition to the
low B, so it has the advantage of an increased high range and an increased
low range (the only real disadvantage is the necessarily wider neck to accomadate
both and the occasional sneers you'll get from certain old-school bassists).
C| | D | | E | F | | G | | A | | B | C | (C string)
G| | A | | B | C | | D | | E | F | | G | (G string)
D| | E | F | | G | | A | | B | C | | D | (D string)
A| | B | C | | D | | E | F | | G | | A | (A string)
E| F | | G | | A | | B | C | | D | | E | (E string)
B| C | | D | | E | F | | G | | A | | B | (B string)
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 (fret number)
I've also heard of six string players who skip the low B in
order to add a high C and a high F. This is an exceedingly rare practice, but
it might be a lot of fun for anyone who likes chords on the bass. Conklin Guitars
currently produces a seven-string bass which facilitates this extended high
range while still keeping the low B string (i.e. B, E, A, D, G, C, F).
BEAD Tuning on the Four String
Quite a few players who want access to the low notes usually found only on five and
six string basses but who prefer the feel of a four string (and don't much care for
the upper register anyway) eventually try the BEAD tuning, which is identical to
the tuning of the lowest four strings on a typical five or six string bass:
D| | E | F | | G | | A | | B | C | | D | (D string)
A| | B | C | | D | | E | F | | G | | A | (A string)
E| F | | G | | A | | B | C | | D | | E | (E string)
B| C | | D | | E | F | | G | | A | | B | (B string)
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 (fret number)
Using this tuning may require you to increase the width
of the string slots in your nut and does require that you buy strings designed
for a five string. You'll probably have to intonate you bass too if you intend
to use this tuning extensively. Many players fear that adding the thicker B
string will hurt the neck of their four-string bass. This is not true. The
B string, strangely enough, exerts less pressure on the neck than the E string.
So the total pull on your neck will be less. But since it definately will
change, a truss rod adjustment is surely a necessity. The bassist from Tool
popularized this tuning. I tried it once and liked it but missed the high
range too much.
An odd alternative: BEGC
Finally, here's a tuning that was suggested to me by a person at ActiveBass.
For those of you who want the extended high and low range of the six-string
bass but who, for whatever reason, prefer to play a four-string instrument,
you can try this rather strange but useful tuning, which leaves out the
A and D strings of a typical six-string configuration.
C| | D | | E | F | | G | | A | | B | C | (C string)
G| | A | | B | C | | D | | E | F | | G | (G string)
E| F | | G | | A | | B | C | | D | | E | (E string)
B| C | | D | | E | F | | G | | A | | B | (B string)
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 (fret number)
