Get to know the note names on the bass.
One of the first lessons for a beginner bass guitarist is how to learn the names of the notes on a bass. You can play by ear, follow bass tabs, or mimic a lead guitarist, but at some point, you really need to know the notes to advance your skills. Fortunately, they are very easy to learn.
Name basics
The extensive range of musical pitches is split into units called octaves. An octave is the distance between two notes that have the same pitch (such as A and the next A). For example, play an open string on your bass guitar and then play the note you get by pressing a finger down on the 12th fret (marked with a colon). That tone is an octave higher. Each octave is divided into twelve tones. Seven of these notes, called the 'natural' notes, have the letters of the alphabet, A to G. These match the white keys on a piano. The other five tones, the black keys, are named with a letter and a sharp or flat board. A sharp sign, ♯, indicates one note higher, while a flat board, â™, indicates one note lower. For example, the tone between C and D is called C ♯ (pronounced C-sharp) or D â™ (D plane).Â
