It is important for a person to learn how to handle the guitar properly while learning to play. As a beginner, he must understand that it is not advisable for him to learn to play while he is standing. He must make himself comfortable with his position so that he will be able to execute correctly while playing his guitar. He must learn that the first technique to learn is how to hold the guitar before attempting to play it. Here are some guidelines you need to know to hold the guitar properly:
1. Find an armless chair where you can sit comfortably and place your back against the back of the chair. Remember not to repeat any mannerism such as slouching.
2. When holding the guitar remember to have contact from the chest and stomach with the back part of the guitar. Make sure that a parallel position of the lower neck of the guitar to the floor is maintained.
3. He should place his face near to the first string of the guitar- which is the thickest one. With the other hand, the sixth string, which is the thinnest one, should be vertically aligned with the floor.
4. A right-handed person holding the guitar will point the headstock to the left (this is the normal position); while the left-handed player will let the headstock point to the left.
5. A person who is left-handed must find a guitar especially designed for left-handed people as most guitars are designed for right-handed guitar players.
6. If a person is seated on a chair, he must make sure that the entire body of the guitar rests on his laps; holding the face of the guitar with the right hand while the left hand supports the bottom neck part.
7. Now that the left hand is ready on the frets, he must concentrate on the positioning of the fingers on the frets before executing the chords. The thumb will rest at the back of the fretting hand supporting the fingers on the front.
Holding the guitar properly is an important factor. If he holds the guitar in the proper way when playing, he will have the confidence to execute well.
Playing bass is plain and simple, just play the music from the heart, feel the piece and let the listeners enjoy the melody. Here are a few basic tips that could help beginners.
Make a decision about the bass sound to be played. Will it be like a real smooth bass player or just a machine going wild over the sound? It will depend on the rhythm you want to use.
It’s not against the rule to do some personal experiments. Move the track forwards or backwards to see which sounds better. A 2 or 3 millisecond in increments can be used in audio. When the bass is ahead, the drums can sound far behind but if the bass is left behind, the drums may sound “burning”.
Shorter notes sound better than the long ones if a bass part of the audio is “pitched”. Edit some notes taken from other parts of the song to fit them into a totally different phrase. The melody is still familiar but with a different cut because it was inserted on a different line.
Leave some space in the bass part of the song. Notice that famous bass players put emphasis on holes when they try to emphasize a feeling of pressure into the sound. It leaves the listener’s ear hanging in anticipation and then satisfying them just a few beats later.
Avoid making bass melodies that can cause difficulties when playing and playing will not be as enjoyable. Some parts of the bass can be very attention grabbing especially if the rhythm is extremely fast. The trick is keeping the frets static until the melody changes. Like playing drums, bass can be recurring as well, so manage to break lines and chords for some variety. It is not bad to go back to the first simple bass chords just to avoid having a “wreck” with the sound at the end.
The inspiration for playing to suit the bass chords depends on the way the song is played. Sounds with more bass melodies are best heard when the notes are kept higher. Never hesitate to edit notes so that they are comfortable to play. The best advice is to listen to the edited bass chords and be decisive on the good and/or the bad timing. Remember that too much of a good thing can turn out badly, the same with playing bass, when exaggerated, it could ruin the whole piece. A little highlighting on the initial beat of a song’s phrase can do the trick. Enjoy playing!