Range of the Bass Guitar?

Whats the normal note range for a Bass Guitar, for an average player. I am making a piece and have no idea.:blush:

Trevor, I think you should have asked that in your previous thread. There is no need to create additional threads. Besides, if you had made a simple search on Google, you would have found the ranges for every instrument you need...

Alexandros

Well, for an average bass part, you'd probably write it for the notes that are located on the lower 12 frets. This leaves you with a range between the open E string, which is the E on the first ledger line under the staff, and the high G, which is on the third ledger line above it.

That's just a guide for your standard kind of part. Most basses these days have enough frets to play an octave above that G, if not at least another fourth or fifth, so don't be scared of writing higher than I suggested, I was just thinking in terms of what you'd want from a normal kind of bass line.

Also, don't forget, all the notes actually sound an octave lower than where they're written.

Hope that helps,

Michael.

Think one octave lower than a guitar.

Although, as a bass player, I'd highly advise against written-out parts for the bass. It's traditional role as a groovemaker makes writing parts extremely difficult to do accurately, and squelches your bassist's ability to "fill the gaps" in the lead line.

Although, as a bass player, I'd highly advise against written-out parts for the bass. It's traditional role as a groovemaker makes writing parts extremely difficult to do accurately, and squelches your bassist's ability to "fill the gaps" in the lead line.

Which I believe is half the reason a lot of pop and rock music has some really simple, sucky, and boring bass parts - because bassists are too lazy to learn anything that's actually cool or interesting. Don't get me wrong, I know there's some good grooves out there too, I'm just sayin'.

Ok, boss; how would you notate a second-line bass, which is a must in my area? Or how would you differentiate a street beat from a straight eighth rhythm? Or a decent walking line, with all the little rhythmic things that a good (not me) bassist will do?

Or a bass line like this one: http://tchoupchup.com/Documents/02%20Teacake.mp3

You could, but your time would be better put into learning it by ear.

Parts blow in songs because songwriters and bassists blow, not because of notational technique. A lot of times an electric bassist reading won't have the same groove as a bassist just playing, simply because he's reading what's notated and not meant.

Well, generally a bassist can play anywhere from open string on the E to the twelfth fret on the G with little difficulty so a practical range would be from E1 - G3. Bassists can play an octave higher than that but after the twelfth position, the bass can begin to sound rather thin and tingy. Unless you're doing it for special effect, I wouldn't recomend making too much use of it. The range can also be increased further down to D1 in drop D tuning which is also fairly common and practical. It CAN be increased as far as C0 or so but I wouldn't recomend it except in very extreme cases.

Nah, C0 is killer!!! Great way to get a really natural overdrive, since you actually OD the bass since the strings as so slack an produce such a huge voltage.

Kyuss did it; Sabbath went to a slightly flat c#0 on Vol 4 to i think Sabotage (pretty sure Tech. ecstasy is eb, dunno past ozzy); hell, even 'Tallica did a hard c#0 on St. Anger.

The tingy-ness? Eh. That's why I really don't suggest writing out parts for the bass. My bass sounds great above the 7th fret and 12th, and really full and bright in the 19-24th fret range, but a bit too muddy in the 1st, so I tend to avoid the range you're talking about. But I can't really hit certain frets because I haven't set up the bass in years. So because of a lot of factors that are not easy to understand if the equipment's not yours, certain notes won't sound good even if they're "right."

sorry if i'm pouncing on this thread hxcx, for once I can talk with a bit of knowledge :)

hell, even 'Tallica did a hard c#0 on St. Anger.

:)

And we all know how well that album turned out...:P

~Christian

Which I believe is half the reason a lot of pop and rock music has some really simple, sucky, and boring bass parts - because bassists are too lazy to learn anything that's actually cool or interesting. Don't get me wrong, I know there's some good grooves out there too, I'm just sayin'.

There's a quote in one of the books I have out in storage by Henry Mancini which basically posits the theory that writing the bass line is the composer's duty, not the bassist's. With just a few genres in exception, it's incredibly lazy/stupid for the composer to not clearly indicate the bass line, as it's one of the fundamental structures of the music. And if it's not... such a composer probably needs a lot more training.

I think it's only acceptable to leave the bass line to the bassist's imagination in improvisational jazz.

If I find the book this week when I'm putting away Xmas crap, I'll post the quote.

Although, as a bass player, I'd highly advise against written-out parts for the bass. It's traditional role as a groovemaker makes writing parts extremely difficult to do accurately, and squelches your bassist's ability to "fill the gaps" in the lead line.

I think it depends on the piece. In the kind of music where none of the parts would be notated, obviously it doesn't make sense to write a bass part, either. And, in a your standard "walking" situation, handing a bassist a chord chart works just fine.

But, there are lots of situations where the composer wants specific things. For instance, I played bass with an orchestra reasonably recently for a concert, and in some parts, it'd be free to my interpretation, but for other parts, I couldn't do the same kind of thing because I was doubling a trombone line or double bass part so it would sound messy.

Also, keep in mind that any music sounds bad if it's played exactly as it's written. If a bassist is given some notated music, it's up to them to interpret it so it has the right feel to it.

Also, keep in mind that any music sounds bad if it's played exactly as it's written.

This is nonsense.

If you play a piece exactly as it's written and it's bad... that's the composer's fault for writing bad music.

*shrug*

This is nonsense.

If you play a piece exactly as it's written and it's bad... that's the composer's fault for writing bad music.

*shrug*

I meant more in terms of performers who play everything as if they're some kind of human MIDI playback, not as in performers who play exactly as the composer actually intends.

Well, that's a different issue (technique).

Yes, but that's part of what makes a good player, and a good player should know what technical aspects are insinuated in the writing. But, again, it all depends on the style of music being written. If I wrote a chamber piece for bass, I'd be very disappointed if it wasn't played how I'd written it. If I wrote a funk tune, I'd be happy to hear the bassist elaborate on what I'd written in ways he/she felt was appropriate.

Don't forget: bass≠bass guitar; it's just shorthand. I'm a bass guitarist. Put a bass in front of me? I barely have the hand strength to make a clear note. Using an electric instrument throws you into a certain genre set already (or an attempt to break out; see Glenn Branca, Bond.)

My point was that for what is typically used with bass guitar, there's already a stylistic convention.