Decoding The Bass Guitar

Decoding The Bass Guitar

I remember when I started my first job working in a music store (actually that was the only 'real job' I ever had); my work consisted of approximately 60% teaching and 40% instrument sales

As a sales assistant I was often amused and perplexed at the number of customers who would come in to the music store and ask for a 'lead' guitar or a 'rhythm' guitar; amused because to me a guitar was just a guitar, you could play anything on it.

The problem was how to deal with the customer who had his/her mind set on buying a 'lead' guitar, no matter how I tried to explain things to them I couldn't seem to get through to them; I know a heap of them left the shop more confused than ever before and most of them simply went to another store where they did sell 'lead' guitars!

Desperately searching for a solution to my dilemma, I stumbled across a musical instrument catalogue that listed 'lead' and 'rhythm' guitars... hallelujah... I'm saved! It gets even better these guitars were available in a variety of colors.

I couldn't wait for the next guitar customer to come into the store, when they asked for a 'rhythm' guitar, I smiled and opened the catalogue and simply asked what color they would they like the guitar in... problem solved!

Seriously, I was so thankful to stumble that catalogue... guitar players have their own 'guitar talk' language which makes it hard to explain even the most basic musical concepts; I mean have you ever heard of someone asking for a 'lead' piano or a 'rhythm' piano... of course not it's just a piano, it's what you play on the piano that functions as melody or harmony.

Pick up any guitar magazine and you will see what I mean...guitar players regularly talk about lead guitar and rhythm guitar but only a handful truly understand the musical function of each player and how they blend together with the bass and drums in a professional group.

I'll try to shed a little light on this confusing area of guitar playing...

Lead guitar players play melody (single notes).
Rhythm guitar players play harmony (chords).

The basic elements of music are rhythm, melody and harmony.

The sonic sandwich approach: It helps to think of music as a sonic sandwich with the rhythm at the bottom, harmony in the middle and melody on top!

Rhythm is the beat, it's the dancing part.
Melody is the tune you whistle or hum, it's the singing part.
Harmony is the musical glue that holds it all together.

I've written about rhythm and melody in previous articles today I'll focus on harmony

 Decoding The Bass Guitar NOW