Guitar and ukulele play chords – several notes at once. The bass almost always plays just one note: the root of the chord, the note the chord is named after. For C you play a C, for Am an A, for G7 a G. That’s all you need to know to start playing along with a song.
One finger per fret
In first position your hand sits near the nut: index finger for the 1st fret, middle finger for the 2nd, ring finger for the 3rd and little finger for the 4th. Your thumb rests behind the neck, roughly behind the middle finger. That way you reach all twelve notes without moving your hand.
The first notes
- E, A and D are open strings – just pluck.
- G is on the E string at the 3rd fret, C on the A string at the 3rd fret – both with your ring finger.
- F is on the E string at the 1st fret, with your index finger.
With C, F and G you can already play along with Alle meine Entchen. Pluck the root on the one of each bar and let it ring. Bruder Jakob needs just a single note: F.
Play songsThe next step: the fifth
The fifth always goes with the root. On bass it’s easy to find: one string higher, two frets further. For C (A string, 3rd fret) that’s the G on the D string at the 5th fret. Root on beat one, fifth on beat three – and it already sounds like a real bass line. In the app, choose “Root and fifth” in a song.
All notes