Bass Exercise: Quarter and Eighth Notes

This week, I'm posting an exercise in quarter and eighth notes. A quarter note counts as one beat, while there are two eighth notes per beat. Play the first exercise through, getting it under your fingers, then try the second exercise, getting a feel for the difference in how the beat is expressed. Take your time, and have fun.

Bass for Beginners: Half and Quarter Notes

For this week's post, I'm going to start with some simple bass exercises. We'll start with an exercise in the key of C. I've sort of based the chord progression on Pachelbel's Canon in D, but transposed the exercise to C.

These are exercises in the first position (the open strings through the fourth fret) on the third and fourth strings, or A and E strings. The dotted double bar means you play the exercise through a second time before moving on to the next section. Start playing these slowly, with a metronome. As a bass player, it is essential that you develop good rhythm and meter. Playing in time is essential for bassists, because they are the real cornerstone of any good band.

When you are playing measures 9 through 16, notice how the feel of the rhythm changes. Take your time with these, get a good feel for the rhythm, and have fun. See you next week.

Guitar: One octave Intervals: Fourths in C Major

Today's posting is an exercise in Fourths. By now, you may have noticed that when played in descending order, the intervals shorten, 3rds become 2nds and fourths become 3rds. The tablatures shown here are generally written in first position, but you can transpose these to higher positions on the neck as shown in this example. Get these under your fingers first, then transpose them into the same key in different positions on the fretboard, and then into different keys. Take your time and have fun!

Guitar: 1-octave exercises - 3rds in C Major

In this first exercise, we'll explore thirds based on the C major scale. All of the forms shown in this first series are in key of C, but are meant to be movable forms, transposable to any key. I'm including the notation in tablature as well as standard notation. The intervals are meant to be played in ascending and descending order. The letters shown beneath the upper staff are fingerstyle directions of my own devising. The "p" is for thumb and "i" is for index finger. If, like me, you're just starting out on the instrument, take your time, work slowly, don't overdo on practice. Give your hands and fingers a chance to gain strength and facility. It will happen over time. Enjoy! -- GG

Introducing...Guitar and Bass for Beginners ... like me

Hi everyone,

Welcome to "Guitar and Bass for Beginners Like Me." This blog purposes to be a forum where I'll share what I'm learning on my own on guitar, what I've learned on bass, advice on equipment, gear, axes, and other fascinating subjects relating to the making of music. Introductions are in order, so allow me to explain myself:

My name is Glen Garcia. I've been a bass player for over thirty-six years. I didn't have the instrument "chosen" for me in some impromptu post-rehearsal meeting in a garage in my teens. I chose to play the bass because I thought it looked cooler, and fortunately for me, it turned out that I was a natural at it. I am a self-taught musician. Everything I learned was completely informal, so let me warn you at this point that I do not consider myself an "expert" in any way, but I have a love for playing music, and after thirty-six years of playing and learning, I have built up a knowledge base of sorts, and a strong desire to share it with others.

So if I have so many years of playing bass behind me, why do I call myself a beginner? Well friends, I'm a big believer in the idea that you never stop learning, and you should always strive to learn something new. I remember reading a book about the art of Aikido, in which the author urged his readers to cultivate a "beginner's mind." And it was with that idea in mind that I started learning guitar recently. In fact, you'll find that the first postings on this blog - and a big chunk of them, in fact - are and will be related to learning some basics on guitar. So, let's explore learning new things together, step out onto the mat, bring your "beginner's mind" with you, and let's have fun. Let's jam!