Tapping on Bass Guitar Lesson #2
================================
Ian Stephenson
ian@ohm.york.ac.uk
At the end of the last lesson you should have played the following
riff from "All Along the WatchTower":
e e e e e e e e e e e e s s s s s s s s
|--------14----------12----|------10--------10-------12----|
|o----14----14----12----12-|---10----10---10--10---12--12-o|
|o-12----------10----------|-8----------8--------10-------o|
|--------------------------|-------------------------------|
While that's all very pretty, we need to get a little more intense as
the song progresses. This lesson looks at two variations of this
riff.
The technique we can apply to this riff is "Double Stopping" -
playing more than one note at once.
Previously we brought two fingers of the right hand down separately.
Now bring them down in exactly the same way, but both together.
O
---
-O-
---
__
|-----14----------| |--/--\--------------------
|-----14----------| | \ | .
|-----------------| |---@--|-------------------
|-----------------| | / .
T |-----/--------------------
| /
|---/----------------------
|
|--------------------------
You should find this fairly easy, and should be able to play:
q q e e q q q e e e e
|-------14-----------12----|------10--------10-------12----|
|o------14-----------12----|----------------10-------12---o|
|o-12----------10-10-------|-8----------8--------10-------o|
|--------------------------|-------------------------------|
H3 T12 H1 H1 T12 H1 T12 H1 T12 H1 T12
Note I've marked an alternative left hand fingering here, using the
third finger to fret the A at the 12th fret. This reduces the
necessary hand movement, but you should make sure that you get the
sound consistent between both fingers.
I've only notated the most basic of rhythms here. Playing it straight
will give the heaviest sound, but the riff may be looped indefinitely
so try shifting the rhythm around. You should be able to make the two
hand parts "bounce off each other".
The notes we're playing are taken from the chords Am, G and F as
follows
O
--- -O-
O
-O- --- ---
O
-o- --- -O-
__ o
|--/--\----------O---|--------|----o----||
| \ | . | O | ||
|---@--|-------------|--------|----O----||
| / . | | ||
|-----/--------------|--------|---------||
| / | | ||
|---/----------------|--------|---------||
| | | ||
|--------------------|--------|---------||
| | | ||
| Am | G | F ||
| | | ||
| | | ||
|----------------14--|---12---|---10----||
|----------------14--|---12---|---10----||
|----------------12--|---10---|---8-----||
|--------------------|--------|---------||
(The Major and minor chords are differentiated by the notes I've
indicated as "o" (little "o") - we're not playing those yet. You may like to
analyse how this works)
Double Stopping will help to thicken the sound, but the basic problem
with this riff is that if you play this, then nobody is playing the
bass part! That's fine for a while, but not exactly great for the big
intense ending.
The answer of course is to split your hands, and use the left hand to
play the bass line one octave below where we've being playing it:
O
---
-O-
---
__
|-----14----------| |--/--\--------------------
|-----14----------| | \ | .
|-----------------| |---@--|-------------------
|--5--------------| | / .
H T |-----/--------------------
| /
|---/----------------------
| O
|--------------------------
That's pretty easy in itself, and gives a much fuller sound.
Unfortunately you may find it a little harder when used in context.
q q e e q q q e e e e
|-------14-----------12----|------10--------10-------12----|
|o------14-----------12----|----------------10-------12---o|
|o-------------------------|------------------------------o|
|--5-----------3-----------|-1----------1--------3---------|
H2 T12 H1 H1 T12 H1 T12 H1 T12 H1 T12
This is will take some getting used to - particularly those of you
who have been looking at the fretboard, as you can't watch both hands
at once (I did warn you!). The only answer is familiarity with the
bass - learning to feel your way round. Don't worry if you can't get
this right now, but keep it in mind as something to practise,
alongside future lessons.
The new chords may be written:
O
--- -O-
O
-O- --- ---
O
-o- --- -O-
__ o
|--/--\----------o---|--------|----o----||
| \ | . | o | ||
|---@--|-------------|--------|----o----||
| / . o | | ||
|-----/--------------|---o----|---------||
| / o | | o ||
|---/----------------|---o----|---------||
| O | | o ||
|--------------------|---O----|---------||
| | | O ||
| Am | G | F ||
| | | ||
| | | ||
|----------------14--|---12---|---10----||
|----------------14--|---12---|---10----||
|--------------------|--------|---------||
|----------------5---|---3----|---1-----||
(Again I've marked notes that are implied as "o", played notes as
"O"). Its pretty obvious why it sounds better.
Once you have mastered the splitting of your hands, you may like to
try the first riff again with the bass line an octave down:
e e e e e e e e e e e e s s s s s s s s
|--------14----------12----|------10--------10-------12----|
|o----14----14----12----12-|---10----10---10--10---12--12-o|
|o-------------------------|------------------------------o|
|--5-----------3-----------|-1----------1--------3---------|
Particular effort must be put into playing the F at the first fret of
the E string - Hammering on requires a little more effort close to
the nut, as there is less available movement from the string (it
being anchored not very far away). You may have to hit the string
just a little harder (or those with rapid detuning machanisms may
take the string down a tone - Kubickis are great for this, as the nut
is moved while the note remains in the same place).
While very basic, these riffs are in fact quite hard, and should be
enough to keep you occupied for quite a while.
More Hendrix stuff next time...
Ian
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