EAZIPLAY BASS GUITAR PART 1 - 2019

Bass

Instantly Play Bass Guitar

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

High String

Bass

Low String

Simple, fast and fun approach to learning bass



Instantly Play Bass Guitar

INDEX 3 ➢ Principles of Tuning 20 SONG LIST 28
➢ Introduction 4 ➢ Tuning Your Bass 22 ➢ Happy Birthday 29
➢ Bass Instrument Family 5 ➢ Labeling Your Bass 24 ➢ Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star 30
➢ Instrument Posture 6 ➢ Happy Birthday 28 ➢ Alphabet Song 31
➢ Left Handed vs Right Handed 7 ➢ Twinkle Twinkle Little Star 29 ➢ Brahm’s Lullaby 37
➢ Picking Styles 7 ➢ Alphabet Song 30 ➢ He’s Got The Whole World 38
➢ Fretting the Strings Correctly 8 ➢ Brahm’s Lullaby 31 ➢ My Bonnie Lies Over The Ocean 39
➢ What Size Bass? 9 ➢ Let’s Clap To Rhythm 32 ➢ Hungarian Dance No.2
➢ The Bass Fretboard 9 ➢ Legato, Staccato & Rests 33
➢ String Reference Guide 10 ➢ What Is A Root Note? 34
➢ Finger Letters 10 ➢ He’s Got The Whole World 37
➢ What is Fingerpicking Style? 11 ➢ My Bonnie Lies Over The Ocean 38
➢ Let’s Clap To Rhythm 12 ➢ Hungarian Dance No.2 39
➢ Eaziplay Pulse Strip 12 ➢ Note Values 40
➢ Bars of Music 13 ➢ Write Your Own Song! 41
➢ Your Music Stand 14 ➢ Guitar Accessories 42
➢ Why Do My Fingers Hurt? 15 ➢ Major Scales for Bass 44
➢ Black & White Notes in Music 16 ➢ Teachers Practice Schedule 46
➢ Range Of Your Instrument 17 ➢ Blank Sheet Music 49
➢ What is Frequency? 17 ➢ Course Certificate 51
➢ What is Perfect Pitch/Frequency? 19
➢ Range of Bass

Published by Eaziplay
Web: www.eaziplay.ie

This book © 2017 by Eaziplay

While every effort has been made to trace the owners of copyrights, in a few cases this has proved impossible, and we take this
opportunity of tendering our apologies to any owners whose rights may have been unwittingly infringed. Suitable arrangements will
be made with those holders of copyright whose permission had not been obtained at the time of going to press.

Eaziplay Bass Guitar Series

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

www.eaziplay.ie

Introduction

WELCOME to the exciting world of playing bass. This course will help you get the best out of your
bass whether it be an Acoustic Bass or an Electric Bass.

This complete self teaching programme will enable anyone to pick up a musical instrument and play it within a matter of weeks. Our
4 part series of books dedicated to each instrument, help guide the student through the most difficult parts of learning and playing a
musical instrument. Our ultimate goal is that everyone enjoys playing music, and with Eaziplay™ they will explore an alternative side to
playing a musical instrument. The journey will be fun, easy and extremely beneficial to a person’s intelligence, motor skills and self
confidence levels. This book is Part One in the Eaziplay Series. Before commencing Part Two, it is advisable to complete Part One so as
you will have a better understanding of the topics covered in Part Two. By the end of this book you will be skillful in:

❑ Reading Sheet Music (All Black & White Notes)
❑ Playing Popular Melodies (7 Songs)
❑ Playing All Major Scales
❑ Learning to Write Your Own Song! (Part 1 of 2)
❑ Music Theory (Bars of Music, Rhythm, Rests, Legato & Staccato)

Although written primarily as a ‘teach yourself’ system, The Eaziplay Series books have been taken up eagerly by teachers especially at
elementary and high school level. The course is equally beneficial to special needs centers' and hospitals that deliver music therapy
programs to individuals.

If you are teaching yourself to play, two helpful features are available to budding musicians – stickers for your instrument (located at the
back of book) – which remind you of the reference for the musical notes and audio files of the songs which can be downloaded
from our website @ www.eaziplay.ie so you can play along. The audio files enable you to learn about playing in time to a metronome
which is a clever device that measures timing in music. Our website contains lots more songs to
play and registration is free. So let’s begin.

Good luck!

Eaziplay

3

Bass Instrument Family

The first thing we are going to do is introduce you to ‘Perri’! He will always be there to help you as you begin
your journey to play music. Your journey will be fun and full of wonderful mystery, and Perri will give you tips to
make things easier. So without further ado, say “HELLO’ to Perri!

HELLO!

Acoustic Kala The most expensive bass
Bass U-Bass guitar in the world is called
Guitar Guitar the ‘The Ritter Royal Flora

Electric Fretless Semi-Acoustic Aurum’. The $250,000
Bass Bass Bass Guitar bass guitar was built by
Guitar Guitar Jens Ritter, a luthier, or
stringed instrument maker,

from Germany. This
luxurious bass has a body
carved from a rare, solid
piece of maple while the
nut is carved from 10,000-
year-old mammoth ivory!

The fingerboard is
decorated with a floral
inlay pattern made of

24-karat gold.

As you can see from the images above, there are several types of bass guitars. They are: 1) Acoustic Bass Guitar, 2) Electric Bass
Guitar, 3) Fretless Bass Guitar, 4) Semi-Acoustic Bass Guitar, 4) Kala U-Bass. Each type is used within specific styles of music i.e.,
the Acoustic Bass Guitar (aka Mexican Guitarrón) is used in Jazz or Mexican styles of music. The Electric Bass is used as the
dominant type among a wide variety of musical styles. It replaced the Double Bass in most popular styles of music as it can be
connected to an amplifier. The Fretless Bass Guitar is used in a wide variety of styles also and enables the player to slide across
musical notes with ease similar to a double bass. The Semi-Acoustic Bass Guitar just like a Semi Acoustic Guitar can be played with
or without amplification. The Kala U-Bass Guitar is a remarkable instrument with specialized strings that provide the real sound of a
Double Bass as well as the sound of a standard Electric Bass Guitar. It is much smaller than all the other bass guitar types.

4

Instrument Posture

The type of bass guitar and its overall weight (bass guitars are quite heavy) determine what type of posture you take when playing the
bass guitar. The posture types are, 1) Standing Posture 2) Sitting Posture, 3) Floor Posture. You can see from each of the images
below how each posture holds the bulk of the instrument differently. This chapter is very important before you begin to play bass.
Posture is vital to your playing technique.

Floor Posture

Standing Posture Sitting Posture

The most important aspect to posture is keeping your back straight. After all, if you are sitting uncomfortably with your instrument for
long periods of time your back will suffer in the long run. If you feel pain in your back while playing the
instrument this is a sign that your posture needs to be corrected.

The adjustable bass guitar foot stool is an optional requirement as it is used to raise the leg at a more
upright position. It is especially beneficial to young children beginning to play bass. Once you are
comfortable in the position you decide, this is fundamental in progressing in the bass guitar.

Bass Guitar Foot Stool

5

Thumb Position The most used position to hold a bass is shown in
the image to the left. Your thumb finger should sit
firmly atop the neck, while the other four fingers
should be loose so as they can navigate freely
across all areas of the fretboard.

Hand Grip Your hand grip on the bass neck should be similar
to how you would hold/grab a wrist i.e., your
thumb and palm press against the wrist while the
fingers collapse in from the other side.

Beginners by default place their thumb not atop

Guitar Neck the neck, but incorrectly below center and
sometimes near the bottom of the neck. This

creates severe strain on your wrist while playing.

Left Handed vs Right Handed

As there are many ways for holding the bass guitar neck with one hand, there are also many ways to pick

the bass guitar with your other hand. Right handed people play right handed basses, while Left handed

people play left handed basses. Around 10/15% of the world’s population are left-handed. Studies

show that mathematicians, musicians, architects and artists are more commonly left handed than

would be expected. Let’s look at bass left handed people, some obvious, but others you’d never

even known. Paul McCartney (pictured), Paul Gray, Gerald Johnson, Alan Longmuir, Ed Gagliardi ,

Paul Wilson, Lee Pomeroy to name a few, and it wasn’t always easy for some of them.

Modern basses can be constructed to suit both left and right handed players. Normally,
the dominant hand (in most people, the right hand) is used to pluck or strum the strings. This is
similar to the convention of the violin family of instruments where the right hand controls the bow.
Left handed basses have been available through special order from the major manufacturers since
the 1950's.They just cost more because of additional tooling costs and you usually had to wait
quite a while for them.

In his autobiography about Paul McCartney, Phillip Norman wrote "Paul, strangely, made little progress at the guitar and bass. His left

hand fingers found it irksome to shape the patterns of black dots shown in the tuition book, and his right hand, somehow, lacked the

bounce necessary for strumming. Then he made the discovery that, although right handed for every other purpose, he was left
handed as a guitar and bass player”.

So in the end when you first pick up the bass it will feel natural when you begin to play it with one hand. If it feels awkward in right hand
mode, switch to left hand mode to see if it feels more natural.

6

Flatpicking Style Fingerpicking Style Slap Style

Bass Guitar Picking Styles
There are three main styles in plucking the strings of a bass guitar. The styles are called 1) Flatpicking Style, 2) Fingerpicking Style,
3) Slap Style. Professional players can combine all three of which are sometimes required when playing complex pieces. The First style
uses a plectrum or pick to strike the strings. The Second style uses the fingers of the strumming hand to strike the strings, while the
Third style involves striking the strings with the bony part of the thumb or popping notes by pulling a string until it snaps against the
fingerboard. It is often used in disco, funk, and other genres. One of the most prolific ‘slappers’ is Flea from the Red Hot Chilli Peppers!

Fretting the Strings Correctly
Another important aspect of playing bass is making sure that you are fretting the strings correctly while you play. As a beginner your
fretting hand and wrist maybe weak so when you press down on the string it may not play correctly or it makes a buzzing sound.

Holding the Pick Hand / Wrist / Finger Posture on Bass Wrist / Finger Posture on Bass
7

This buzzing sound occurs when the string is not being pressed hard Fretting Finger
enough to ensure it makes contact with the fretboard. In reality by Bass Guitar String
pressing down on the string you are either lowering or raising the pitch
of the note. If the string does not make contact with the fretboard the
string will buzz and you will not hear a clean pure sound.

The trick to prevent a buzz is to place your thumb on the opposite side Bass Fretboard
of the bass guitar neck as shown in the image to the right and squeeze Bass Neck
really hard. It does not matter how hard you pluck or strum the string, if Bass Guitar String
the string does not make contact with the fretboard it will buzz. So, if
you hear a buzz when you play a note, squeeze harder upon the
string. It maybe painful on your finger at the beginning but this will ease
off in a few weeks of playing guitar due to callus buildup.

What Size Bass Guitar?
One of the biggest mistakes when starting to play bass is buying a bass that is too big for you. When you go and buy a bike you sit up
on it, try it out and then ensure that when you are sitting on the saddle that your feet touch the ground. If your feet do not touch the
ground the chances of injuring yourself is far greater. In other words the bike feels comfortable to cycle and not awkward. The same
theory applies to when you buy your first bass guitar! Use the chart below to work out the correct size bass for you, then try it out.

Your first bass guitar!... If you have found a bass that Age Guitar Type Guitar Size
you or your child likes, check over the instrument. Look at 4-6 years Acoustic 30” or 1/4
the neck, make sure it is straight and not warped. Check 6-9 years Acoustic 34” or 1/2
Classical 34” or 1/2
how well your child’s hands fit around the neck, make 9-12 years Electric Mini Size
sure it isn’t too wide. Have them hold it while they are Bass Mini Size
sitting down as well as standing up, make sure it isn’t too 12 - Adult Acoustic 36” or 3/4
heavy Ask them if it feels right for them. If you are buying Classical 36” or 3/4
for a child in the 8 to 12 year old range you should be Feet Touch Electric Full Size
The Ground Bass Short Scale
looking for either a short scale or a 3/4 size bass. Acoustic 40” or Concert Size
It is very important that you check the scale length Acoustic 41” Dreadnought
because if you buy one too long it will be much too Classical 40” or Concert Size
Electric Full Size
difficult to learn on. Bass Full Size

8

Tuning Pegs Head Tuning Pegs Head
Fretboard Stock Fretboard Stock

Frets Nut Body Nut
Neck Electric Bass Guitar
Body Neck

Sound Hole

Pickguard Bridge Volume & Tone
Pickup Switch Controls
Bridge Output Connector
String Reference Guide
Acoustic Bass Guitar
Higher the pitch Lower the pitch
The Bass Guitar Fretboard
The Bass Guitar Fretboard lies underneath the strings. 1st String
The size and type of bass will determine how many
frets are on the fretboard and also how many are 2nd String
feasible by the fretting hand. Standard size fretboards 3rd String
have 22 frets for both acoustic and electric. When
these frets are depressed by a finger at different
positions along the fretboard the note is either lower or
higher in pitch. To lower the pitch we position the finger
near the top of the instrument. To higher the pitch we
position the finger near the center of the instrument.

4th String

String Reference Guide
The Strings of the Bass are referenced according to their gauge (thickness). The 1st String is the thinnest and the 4th String is the
widest gauge. You can see from the image above how each string is referenced 1st String, 2nd String, 3rd String, 4th String.

9

Finger Letters BC D g hi
A j
Your fingers are given a letter from left to right A, B, C, D, E, f, g, h,
i, j. This will make a lot more sense later on in the series when we E f
start playing lots of different songs.

What Is Fingerpicking Style?

Fingerpicking the guitar is a technique of playing the guitar by plucking the strings directly with the fingertips, fingernails, or picks attached
to fingers, as opposed to flatpicking (plucking individual notes with a single “plectrum” or “pick"). Music arranged for fingerpicking can
include chords, arpeggios, or using the body of the guitar percussively (by tapping rhythms on the body) etc. This enables singer
guitarists to accompany themselves, and it enables smaller groups which have only a single guitarist, to provide all of these musical
elements. Our Sheet Music provides full hand and finger coordination to play any song!

When fingerpicking is applied to the Sheet Music the fingerings for both hands are assigned a letter as indicated in the above image:
A, B, C, D, E, Left Hand - Pinkie Finger, Ring Finger, Middle Finger, Index Finger, Thumb. f, g, h, i, j, Right Hand -Thumb, Index
Finger, Middle Finger, Ring Finger, Pinkie Finger. The notation for fingers is indicated in the music.

Notes On Bass Guitar Left Hand Fretting Finger

26 22 23
23

18 18 19

6 String Bass Guitar

Right Hand Plucking Finger
10

Let’s Clap To Rhythm
(Whole Note, Half Note)

If you look below you will see a simple representation for the rhythm of music. Rhythm is basically the timing of music. If we don’t have
timing to the music that we play, those who are listening will not know what the song is. The first thing we see is Beat 1, Beat 2, Beat 3
and Beat 4. Say the words one, two, three, four slowly. This is the beat of music and in this example there are four beats in
a full bar of music.

Bar Of Music

Beat 1 Beat 2 Beat 3 Beat 4

In the next example below there is a large dot at beat one. The first rhythm we are going to clap to is called a ‘WHOLE NOTE’.
Whenever you see a black dot you clap. Where there is no black dot we do not clap. So are you ready? Say the words one, two, three,
four. Now the next time around clap when you say one, but do not clap when you say two, three and four. Well how did you do?

Bar Of Music

Beat 1 Beat 2 Beat 3 Beat 4

WHOLE NOTE

(Semibreve)

CLAP! The next example below is called a ‘HALF NOTE’. In this example when do you think
you clap? That’s right you clap when you say one and you clap when you say three.

You do not clap when you say two or when you say four. That’s because the black dot

is on one and not on two, is on three but is not on four. `Congratulations!

HALF NOTE
(Minim)

CLAP! CLAP!

11

Note Value Identification

To aid with the identification of Note Values let’s see how each value is represented within a circle. The red and blue dots indicate beats
or pulses within one bar i.e., in this case there are four beats in each bar. We are going to divide up the circle into various sizes
according to their note value. Count to four in all cases but only clap where indicated with the LARGE & SMALL RED DOTS. You can
also clap harder on large red dots, softer on small red dots. DO NOT CLAP ON BLUE DOTS.

12 12 12
43 43 43

WHOLE NOTE HALF NOTE QUARTER NOTE

(Semibreve) (Minim) (Crotchet)
1
4 1 4
3 2 2

3

12 EIGHT NOTE (Quaver) SIXTEENTH NOTE (Semi-Quaver)

Eaziplay Pulse Strip

WHAT IS THE EAZIPLAY PULSE STRIP? The Eaziplay Pulse Strip is used to aid you when playing songs. It specifically

represents the timing of each beat within each bar, thus visually showing you when to play and release notes on your Bass. There are
two aspects to the aid 1) The Strip is a BLUE HORIZONTAL LINE support, 2) Each beat is indicated with a GREEN DOT upon that line.
The Eaziplay Pulse Strip is used in the Band Orchestra Section.

Beat One Beat Two Beat Three Beat Four

Blue horizontal line supports the
green dots that indicate beats in a

bar of music.

Bars of Music

Before we start playing songs we need to understand what a bar of music is. Bars of music can be all
Bars of music divide a song into sections. They are identified by a vertical line. different sizes depending on
Without bars in music we would get lost in playing a song. The music would how many notes we need to
just be lots of notes put together that make no sense to who is
listening to the music. fit into them.

Bar of Music Bar of Music Bar of Music Bar of Music Bar of Music Bar of Music

13

Your Music Stand

As a bassist, it is good advice to invest in a ‘Music Stand’. It does not need to be an expensive
stand when you are a beginner. Once the stand is sturdy, can be raised or lowered, and is wide
enough to hold your sheet music. This is more than sufficient.

A music stand is a pedestal or elevated rack designed to hold a paper score or sheets of music in
position for reading. Most music stands for orchestral, chamber music or solo orchestra family
instruments (violin, oboe, trumpet, etc.) can be raised or lowered to accommodate seated or
standing performers or performers of different heights.

Music stands enable musicians to read sheet music or scores while playing an instrument or
conducting as it leaves the hands free. Music stands are sometimes used by singers. For choirs,
singers typically hold their sheet music in a folder and singers doing solo recitals or opera
performances typically memorize the lyrics and melodies.

Why Do My Fingers Hurt?

One very common complaint made by new bass players is that the tips of their fingers get sore Points of
when playing. This is totally natural. The soreness will usually last from 4 to 6 weeks depending contact for
largely on how much practice you put into your instrument. The good news is however that strings on tips
once callus (hard skin) forms on the tips of the fingers, the soreness will disappear. Building of fingers
callus for bass is going to be important, because everything you play will be easier once you
have developed callus on your finger tips.

The quickest way to build callus up on the tips of your fingers is to try and place your fingers
upon the strings at the exact same position every time you play a note. This way the hard skin
(callus) will build up at that position rather than at several positions around the tip of your
finger. Take note of the reference points you need to press down on the string with each finger.

14

Black & White Notes

In music the foundation for all musical instruments including Bass is the piano. A full length piano contains 88 keys, so in music there are
88 natural notes in music. Every instrument falls within a certain range within these 88 natural notes. There are many instruments that
can create additional natural, artificial and tapped harmonics above these natural 88 notes, but we will just deal with the natural musical
range of instruments for the time being. The range between the lowest note and highest note on an instrument is called the instrument’s
range i.e., bass range.

A piano has a collection of black and white keys. The black keys are divided into groups of twos and threes, and these same groups
repeat all across the keyboard. These groups form a collection of twelve notes which are called an octave. So a piano is divided into
several octaves ranging from one to seven octaves depending on the size of your keyboard.

Middle C Octave

Group of two black EAZIPLAY
notes and a group of
three black notes all

across the piano

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88

1st Octave 2nd Octave 3rd Octave 4th Octave 5th Octave 6th Octave 7th Octave

15

Range Of Your Instrument

The natural musical range of a bass guitar depends primarily on the various sizes of the Acoustic Bass Guitar, Electric Bass Guitar,
Fretless Bass Guitar, Semi-Acoustic Bass Guitar or Kala U-Bass. This family of instruments have a very wide musical range usually
going from E1 all the way up to F4. Take a look below how Basses fall within the range of a piano i.e., all the natural notes in music.

Middle C Octave

EEAAZZIIPPLLAAYY

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88

Bass Guitar Range (E1 – F4)

The late and great Jane Little was 87 years old, under five feet tall and for 71 consecutive years — a
Guinness World Record — she played double bass with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Jane Findley was
a native of Atlanta, Georgia. Her mother was a self-taught pianist, and one of her aunts ran a dancing school.
As a young girl, Jane dreamed of becoming a ballerina, but was told that her feet "weren't right". Instead, she

taught herself to play the piano (on a neighbour's piano, as her family did not own one). Although small in
stature, Findley took up the double bass, a 6-foot-tall (1.8 m) instrument and the largest of the string

instruments, while attending Girls High School in Atlanta. She joined the local youth orchestra after studying
the instrument for two years. After high school, she attended the University of Georgia. According to
Guinness World Records, Little holds the world record for longest tenure with a single orchestra!

16 Jane Little

Eaziplay is a new language in music in which every note in music is given its own identity. As discussed earlier there are eighty-eight
notes on a piano which represents the foundation for all notes in music. So Eaziplay assigns a numeric value from 1 through to 88 to all
the notes/keys on a piano. Thus each note has its own individual identity the same as it has its own individual frequency or pitch. Pitch
and frequency are very important because players only know they are creating the correct pitches/notes through note memory.

Lower Frequencies Higher Frequencies

What is Frequency?

A musical note is a sound wave that vibrates at a certain frequency of which is measured in Hertz (Hz). Humans can hear from a range
between 20Hz – 20,000Hz. At opposite ends of this range are 1) the sound of thunder has a low frequency while 2) the sound of a child
screaming has a very high frequency. So the lower notes on a piano (left side) are lower in frequency, while the higher notes (right

side) are higher in frequency.

What is Perfect Pitch/Frequency?
Perfect Pitch is basically heard when we play all the notes on an electronic piano or on a perfectly tuned acoustic piano. Because Bass
Guitars are tuned by hand, identifying musical notes that are off pitch is very important. When we sing or play a note in perfect pitch it
means that we are playing / singing the note at the EXACT FREQUENCY assigned to it. Performing it off pitch means not hitting or
singing the EXACT FREQUENCY assigned to it.

17

The image below shows the pitch/frequency of each individual note in music. So the full range of natural musical notes (excluding
harmonics) are from 28Hz through to 4,186Hz. When playing a note on a Bass Guitar, if it does not resonate (vibrate) at one of
the frequencies stated below, the ear will determine that it is out of tune, or out of pitch. Learning correct pitch as quick as possible is
essential to learning to play Bass. Those already accustomed to conventional sheet music will recognize how the white notes from
Middle C contain the letters C, D, E, F, G, A and B. These letters are then repeated across the keyboard.

Pitch Range of Notes in Music (28Hz through to 4,185Hz) Middle C Octave

CD EF GAB C

1 3 4 6 8 9 11 13 15 16 18 20 21 23 25 27 28 30 32 33 35 37 39 40 42 44 45 47 49 51 52 54 56 57 59 61 63 64 66 68 69 71 73 75 76 78 80 81 83 85 87

Eaziplay Note Assign from 1st key through to 88th key

When we play music there are 3 important elements we must have in order to become a great musician. The 3 elements are
1) Emotion, 2) Dynamic, 3) Tempo. Dynamic is how loud or soft we play musical notes, while Tempo is how fast or slow we play
musical notes. The 1st element EMOTION is of the utmost importance. When we play music it can make us happy or sad along with
other feelings. While we may only know a few feelings/emotions there are many. Here are just a few we can experience. A good

musician can make or play music that expresses any of the following feelings. Did you know there were so many!!!

Affection, Anger, Anguish, Annoyance, Anxiety, Awe, Boredom, Confidence, Contempt, Contentment, Courage, Curiosity, Depression,
Desire, Despair, Disappointment, Dread, Ecstasy, Embarrassment, Envy, Excitement, Fear, Frustration, Gratitude, Grief, Guilt,

Happiness, Hatred, Hope, Horror, Hostility, Hurt, Jealousy, Joy, Loathing, Loneliness, Love, Outrage, Panic, Pity, Pride, Rage, Regret,
Relief, Remorse, Sadness, Satisfaction, Self-Confidence, Shame, Shock,
Shyness, Sorrow, Surprise, Trust, Wonder and Worry.

18

Range of Bass

Using the basic guide below, we can now assign a set of music notes to the full range of the Bass and begin tuning and labeling the
instrument. Because the Bass does not cover the entire range of a piano, we only need a portion of the piano to explain this principle.

8 9 11 13 15 16 18 20 21 23 25 27 28 30 32 33 35 37 39 40 42 44 45 47 49 51 52 54 56 57 59 61 63 64 66 68 69 71 73 75 76 78 80 81 83

E1 String (Low Pitch) A1 String D2 String G2 String

The Bass Guitar
The complete natural music note range of Bass goes from E1 through to F4 (8th note / 45th note). So we need to label the bass with a
collection of musical notes to ensure that when the player depresses the string at a certain point, the note resonates at the exact pitch its
supposed to. You can see from the colored dots upon the image above how each of the four strings of the BASS are tuned to a certain
pitch i.e., 8th note, 13th note, 18th note and 23rd note. We call these four notes the open string notes on the BASS. This means that
no fingers are placed on the fretboard to play these notes. Take note how these FOUR notes are identified on the BASS notation chart
below. This notation chart shows the complete note range (excluding harmonics) of all the strings of a BASS.

30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 E1
35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 A1
40 39 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 D2
45 44 43 42 41 40 39 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 G2

19

Principles of Tuning

Bass Guitars along with bowed instruments are unique to all other musical instrument categories. Why do you think this is so? Well the
reason they are unique is because they are the only type of instrument that can imitate what a singer can do with their voice. A singer can
start off on one specific note and then gradually raise the pitch into another note whether it be in one octave or across several octaves.
This raise in pitch can be heard from the first note to the next.

This means the bassist can play not only all the notes from the 8th note to the 45th note, but all pitches between these notes with a slide
for example. This is why beginners who pick up a String Instrument have difficulty playing specific natural notes that are in music i.e.,
35th, 36th, 37th , 38th note etc. Just like a singer can sing out of tune, a bassist can play out of tune without even realizing it. You can see
from the image below what we are talking about! To explain further we are going to firstly use a Singer as the basis for this analysis.

52 629Hz Singing In Tune
53 When a singer sings in tune, they are creating
523Hz 54 frequencies that match those created on the keys of a
piano. For example the blue note indicated in the left
622Hz 55 image is the 61st note and resonates at exactly 880Hz.
55
52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63
56

57

698Hz

784Hz 58 523Hz 587Hz 659Hz 698Hz 988Hz
59 554Hz 784Hz 932Hz
880Hz
59

60 622Hz 739Hz 830Hz

61 801Hz Singing Out Of Tune
881Hz When a singer sings off tune, they are creating
880Hz 62 61 frequencies that are not matching those created on the
63 keys of a piano. The red note indicated in the same
20 image is the 61st note resonating at exactly 881Hz.

Using the previous image we can see how important it is to understand what frequency is, and how
it applies to specific notes. Each note in music from the 1st note to the 88th note has been assigned
a specific frequency. If we do not play this EXACT frequency when we play an instrument, we say
we are playing the note ‘out of tune’. Only through lots of practice do you get to the point where
you can confidently play a note on a Bass (blindfolded), and it sounds in perfect pitch tuning! Take a
look at professional players and how they do not need to look at their instrument while playing, they
know EXACTLY where every note is on the fretboard.

So how do we quickly remedy this excruciating problem? The simple answer is, we learn to play
notes in pitch as quick as possible. The following items are required to successfully learn a bass,
1) ‘Bass’, 2) ‘Chromatic Bass Guitar Electronic Tuner’, 3) ‘Plectrum / Pick’.

The 2nd item will be your best friend until such time as you can clearly play notes in PERFECT
(correct) pitch. Do not think you know them already even if you have been playing a Bass for a
while. You would be quite surprised how many seasoned players do not play their bass in perfect
pitch. When you can play all the notes in perfect pitch, you then know how to control the pitch of
each note. It is very similar to a singer who never properly learned how to sing in perfect tunings.

You can attach the electronic tuner at various positions on the Bass including the position shown
below. Once the tuner is attached to a point where it gets a good vibrational reading from the bass
is more than sufficient.

E1 A1 D2 G2

Electronic Tuner
Placement

21

Tuning Your Bass

BE VERY CAREFUL WHEN TURNING THE TUNING PEGS OF THE BASS GUITAR. THEY ARE VERY DELICATE AND YOU CAN
EASILY BREAK THE STRINGS IF YOU USE TOO MUCH FORCE.

Tuning Pegs
There are two areas we tune the bass guitar with: 1) Standard Tuning Pegs, 2) Machine Head Tuning Pegs. Beginner &
Intermediate Bass Guitars do not come with machine head tuning mechanisms attached to each string, they only have the standard
tuning peg mechanism. More expensive bass guitars contain machine head tuning pegs attached to each string. Expensive and custom
bass guitars have these features as well as custom locking systems to ensure the bass remains in tune for longer periods.

Tuning Pegs Machine Head
22 Tuning Peg

The Tuning Pegs on a standard bass are used to quickly turn the strings lower or
higher in pitch. Be very careful when turning them while tuning the bass. It is
advised to start with the top E1 string when tuning the bass to avoid snapping the
other strings which are of a smaller gauge (thickness).
Machine Head Tuning Pegs contain a cog wheel upon which the tuning peg lowers
or highers the pitch of the bass. They are also found on large double basses and
cello instruments.

Step One: Tuning Four Open Strings (E1, A1, D2, G2) Clockwise (lower
The first step is to tune the open strings of the Bass Guitar. Make the pitch)
sure you have the Electronic Tuner attached to your Bass. Place
the Bass Guitar on your lap as indicated (right) with the Tuning Anti-Clockwise
Pegs to your left. Note that each string is controlled by a specific (higher the pitch)
tuning peg at the top. When turning the pegs make sure and turn
the correct peg for each string.

Throughout the process you will pluck each string with the
Right Hand and operate the Tuning Peg with the Left Hand.
Turning the Tuning Peg anti-clockwise (away from you)
normally raises the pitch of the string, while turning the Tuning Peg clockwise (toward you) lowers the pitch. This may vary across bass
guitars and really depends on which way the strings were wound on to the tuning peg. Start with the Lowest String at the top of the bass
(E1). Pluck the E1 string while looking at the Electronic Tuner. You are looking to tune the string to the exact pitch of E1 (greater than
and less than indicators guide you to the center). Look at the instructions for your Electronic Tuner for additional information on using
your Tuner.

After successfully tuning the E1 string, you then move on to the next string and tune it to A1 using the electronic tuner. Then move on to
the next string and tune it to D2 using the electronic tuner. Then move on to the next string and tune it to G2. Congratulations, you have
completed the first step! N.B. Irrespective of the standard of player it is advised to tune the High String first and work your way down as
indicated above. This prevents extra strain on the higher pitch strings which prevents string breakages.

Higher pitch notes Fretboard Lower pitch notes

E1
A1
D2
G2

1st String

3rd String 2nd String

4th String

23

Labeling Your Bass

Step Two: Label Sections of Your Instrument
The second step is labeling specific sections of your Bass so as you can quickly locate these notes when playing the instrument. When a
bass is tuned all the other frets on the instrument have a direct relationship with each other. The bass frets indicate specific points for
placing each label. Take your time doing this procedure and get help if you need to. You only need to do this procedure once and there
are just seven labels to place underneath the strings of the bass. At the back of this book are a set of labels for your bass. They will look
like the image below. There are seven sets of labels (one octave) which need to be applied to various parts of your Bass. You can see
from the image of the Bass Guitar fretboard how each set is placed at various positions underneath the strings of the Bass.

Set Set Set Set Set Set Set
One Two Three Four Five Six Seven

23 24 26 28 30 32 35
18 19
13 14 21 23 25 27 30

89 16 18 20 22 25

23 24 11 13 15 17 20
18 19
13 14 26 28 30 32 35 G2
89 21 23 25 27 30 D2
16 18 20 22 25 A1
11 13 15 17 20 E1

E1 F1 G1 A1 B1 C#2 E2

24

Because each of the seven labels have a relationship with each other, we only need to identify seven notes on the E1 string. At each
specific point on this string a label is placed underneath the strings. These seven notes are: E1, F1, G1, A1, B1, C#2, E2.

Label Set One
From here, you do not need to touch the Bass as it has been tuned correctly. You can choose to hold the instrument in your lap if it suits,
however the best way to apply the labels is to have the bass guitar flat on its back on a table. Once you have located the E1 position
(1st fret left side) on the Low String (1st string) of the bass, place the 1st set of labels underneath the string at this first reference point.

23 24 26 28 30 32 35 G2
18 19 21 23 25 27 30 D2
13 14 16 18 20 22 25 A1
89 11 13 15 17 20 E1

E1 F1 G1 A1 B1 C#2 E2

23 Desired Musical Note
18 Right (too high in pitch)
13
8 Left (too low Electronic Tuners measure
in pitch) vibration and allow you to
Lie the Bass Guitar on a Table to Apply Labels VISUALLY see how close your
Electronic Tuner are to tuning the string to the
exact pitch of the desired musical
note. A reading to the left of
center means (higher the pitch),
while a reading to the right means
(lower the pitch). You need to get
the needle right in the center for

the exact pitch.

25

Label Set Two E1 F1
Next locate the F1 note position on the bottom E1 string and place the 2nd set of labels underneath
the string at this second reference point. Make sure and place all the labels right beside the fret Low String
steel marker because you need to be able to see the labels once you fret the notes with your finger.
Placing the label in the center of the fret will block your vision of all the notes on the label.F1 G1

High
String

Label Set Three
Next locate the G1 note position on the bottom E1 string and place the 3rd set of labels
underneath the string at this third reference point.
24 26 G1 A1 B1 C#2 E2
19 21
14 16
9 11

Label Set Four A1
Next locate the A1 note position on the bottom E1 string and place the 4th set of labels
underneath the string at this fourth reference point.

Michael Peter Balzary (born 16 October 1962), better known by his stage name Flea, is an
Australian-American musician and actor best known as bassist and founding member of the rock
band Red Hot Chili Peppers. In 2009, Rolling Stone readers ranked Flea the 2nd best bassist of all
time, behind only John Entwistle. In 2012 he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with

the other members of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
26
28
23
18
13

Label Set Five E1 F1
Next locate the B1 note position on the bottom E1 string and place the 5th set of labels underneath the
string at this fifth reference point. Make sure and place all the labels right beside the fret steel marker Low String
because you need to be able to see the labels once you fret the notes with your finger. Placing the label
in the center of the fret will block your vision of all the notes on the label.

High
String

Label Set Six
Next locate the C#2 note position on the bottom E1 string and place the 6th set of labels
underneath the string at this sixth reference point.
B1 C#2 E2 G1 A1 B1 C#2 E2

30 32 35
25 27 30
20 22 25
15 17 20
Label Set Seven
Next locate the E2 note position on the bottom E1 string and place the 7th set of labels
underneath the string at this seventh reference point.

Congratulations!
You have just completed the final step before you start playing lots of
songs on your bass guitar. You are now on the road to playing songs on
your bass in tune and the quicker this happens the quicker your ears
and brain will learn the exact pitches of your bass.
Let’s now start to play some songs!

27

45 44 43 42 41 40 39 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23

BC D Fretboard Markers
A
The first song you will learn how to play is ‘Happy Birthday’. We are going to play all these notes on the G2
E String. To play simply follow the notes below, pick in the correct direction (downward or upward) and press
the matching notes on the fretboard of your bass with the correct Left Hand Fingers (A, B, C, D, E).
1
For example the first note for Happy Birthday is the 23rd note. This is an open string so you simply pluck
3 the 1st string downward without depressing the fretboard. Next is the 23rd note, so pluck the string upward
4 without depressing the fingerboard. Next is the 25th note. To play this note you use your Left Hand Index
Finger (D) to press down on the fretboard on the 25th note while you pluck the string downward. Next is the
23rd note, so pluck the string upward without depressing the fretboard. Next is the 28th note. To play this
note you use your Left Hand Ring Finger (B) to press down on the fretboard on the 28th note while you
pluck the string downward. Follow the sequence until the end. When you see a note without a letter
above it, it simply means play the open string (23rd note) of the guitar. Take note of each bar and how
each bar is identified. So in total there are 10 bars of music in Happy Birthday.

Happy Birthday

Words & Music by M.J. Hill & P. S. Hill

DB C D AC

23 23 25 23 28 27 23 23 25 23 30 28 23 23

˄˅ ˄˅ ˄ ˅ ˄ ˅˄ ˅ ˄˅ ˄˅
Hap __py Birth____day To
You Hap____py Birth___day To You Hap___py

6A B C D D AA B DC D

35 32 28 27 25 33 33 32 28 30 28

˄˅ ˄ ˅˄˅ ˄ ˅ ˄˅ ˄ ˄ = Down stroke with Pick
Birth____day Dear ___ ___ Hap__py Birth__day To You ˅ = Upstroke with Pick

28 © 2017 by Eaziplay - All rights reserved.

45 44 43 42 41 40 39 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23

BC D Fretboard Markers
A The next song you will learn how to play is ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’. As before, we are going to play all these notes
on the bottom G2 String. To play simply follow the notes below, pluck in the correct direction and press the matching
E notes on the fretboard of your bass with the correct Left Hand Fingers (A, B, C, D, E).

For example the first note for Twinkle Twinkle Little Star is the 23rd note. This is an open string so you simply pluck
the string downward without depressing the fretboard. Next is the 23rd note, so pluck the same string upward without
depressing the fretboard. Next is the 30th note. To play this note you use your Left Hand Middle Finger (C) to press
down on the fretboard on the 30th note while you pluck the string downward. Follow the sequence until the end. Take
note of each bar and how each bar is identified.

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

Words & Music by Jane Taylor

1 CC AA C A ABB DD 23

4 23 23 30 30 32 32 30 28 28 27 27 25 25
4

˄˅˄˅ ˄˅ ˄ ˅˄˅˄ ˅˄ ˅
Twin___kle Twin____kle Lit_____tle Star, how I won____der what you are

3 A A B B CC D AA BB CC D CC AA C

30 30 28 28 27 27 25 30 30 28 28 27 27 25 23 23 30 30 32 32 30

˄ ˅ ˄ ˅ ˄˅ ˄ ˅ ˄ ˅ ˄ ˅˄˅ ˄ ˅ ˄ ˅ ˄˅ ˄
Up a____bove the world so high, like a dia__mond in the sky. Twin__kle Twin__kle Lit__tle Star,

6A A BB D D

28 28 27 27 25 25 23

˅ ˄ ˅˄ ˅ ˄ ˅
what you are.
how I won_________der
29
© 2017 by Eaziplay - All rights reserved.

40 39 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18
45 44 43 42 41 40 39 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23

BC D Fretboard Markers
A
The next song you will learn how to play is the ‘Alphabet Song’. With this song we are going to play all the
E notes on two strings of the bass i.e., the 23rd string (G2) and the 18th String. To play, simply follow the notes
below. Pluck in the correct direction and press the matching notes on the correct strings upon the fretboard
of your bass with the correct Left Hand Fingers (A, B, C, D, E).

For example, the first note for the Alphabet Song is the 23rd note. To play this note you use your Left Hand
Index Finger (D) to press down on the 2nd String on the 23rd note of the fretboard while you pluck the string
downward. Next note is the 23rd note on the 2nd String again. This time pluck the string upward. The next
note is the 30th note. To play this note you use your Left Hand Middle Finger (C) to press down on the
1st String on the 30th note of the fretboard while you pluck the string downward. Make sure in all cases that
you pluck the correct string. Follow the sequence until the end taking note of each bar and note timing.

Alphabet Song

Traditional

41 D D C C A A C C CDD CC D AA C
28 28 27 27 B B B B C
30 30 32 32 30 30 30 28

23 23 25 25 25 25 23 27 27 25

4

˄ ˅˄˅˄ ˅ ˄ ˅ ˄ ˅ ˄˅ ˄ ˅ ˄ ˅ ˄˅ ˄ ˅˄ ˅
A B CD E F G H I J K L M N OP Q RS TU V

4 CC D AA C D D C C A A C C CDD
28 28 27 27 B B C
30 30 28 30 30 32 32 30
25 25 23
27 27 25 23 23

˄˅˄ ˅˄˅ ˄ ˅˄˅˄ ˅ ˄ ˅ ˄ ˅ ˄ ˅˄ ˅
W____ X Y and Z
Now I know my A B C's Next time won't you sing with me?

30 © 2017 by Eaziplay - All rights reserved.

40 39 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18
45 44 43 42 41 40 39 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23

BC D Fretboard Markers Lullaby and good night
A In the sky stars are bright
To play, simply follow the notes below. Pluck in the correct direction and 'Round your head, Flowers gay
E press the matching notes on the correct strings upon the fretboard of Set your slumbers till day
your bass with the correct Left Hand Fingers (A, B, C, D, E).
Remember the notes that do not have a letter above them, they are
played as an open string. Take your time as you go through the music.

Brahm’s Lullaby Traditional & Johannes Brahms

1 23 23 D D D AB C C D
26 B 23
3 ˄˅ 26 23 23 26 23 26 31 30 28 28
4
21

˄ ˅˄ ˅˄ ˅ ˄˅ ˄ ˅˄ ˅ ˄

6 D D D A C DB A AB D C D
24 B B 23 C 24 31 D D
24 30 28 26 30 31 28 24 26 23

21 21 21 19 19 19

˅ ˄˅ ˄ ˅ ˅ ˄ ˅ ˄˅ ˄˅ ˄ ˅˄ ˅ ˄˅ ˄
˄

12 D C D DC AB D C D CD
24 26 24 23 24 26 D D 24 26 24 23 B D
31 28 24 26 23 D

19 19 19 21 19

˅ ˄˅˄˅ ˄ ˅ ˄ ˅˄ ˅ ˄˅ ˄ ˅ ˄ ˅ ˄˅ ˄

© 2017 by Eaziplay - All rights reserved. 31

Let’s Clap To Rhythm (Quarter, Eighth, Sixteenth)

As in the previous lesson when we clapped to the WHOLE NOTE and the HALF NOTE, we are now going to clap to the QUARTER
NOTE, EIGHT NOTE and SIXTEENTH NOTE. Remember from earlier we say one, two, three, four. With the WHOLE NOTE we
clapped on beat one, but not on beat two, three or four. With the HALF NOTE we clapped on beat one, not on beat two, on beat three
but not on beat four. With the QUARTER NOTE we clap on beat one, two, three and four. With the EIGHT NOTE we clap 2 times on
beat one, two, three and four. With the SIXTEENTH NOTE we clap 4 times on beat one, two, three and four.

Bar of Music

Beat 1 Beat 2 Beat 3 Beat 4

WWHHOOLLWEE hNNoOOleTTEENote
(Semibreve)

HALF NHOaTlfENote
(Minim)

QUARQTuEaRrtNerONToEte
(Crotchet)

EIGHTENigOhtThENote
(Quaver)

SIXTESEixNteTeHntNhONToEte
(Semi-Quaver)

Legato, Staccato & Rests

Legato is an Italian word that means ‘smooth, joined up’. As you play notes in legato you play the melody smoothly in which you release
the old finger exactly as the new finger goes down on a note. There should be no breaks in between each note and each note should be
heard clearly. In other words do not play one note at the same time on top of another note. The legato symbol is a curved line called a
slur and is shown below. It groups a selection of notes into a family of notes. Anywhere you see this symbol over musical notes you play
them smoothly.

This is the
‘LEGATO’ symbol..

D BC D AC

3 23 23 25 23 29 30 23 23 27 23 24 25 23 23

4

The opposite of ‘LEGATO’ is ‘STACCATO’ which means ‘cut short’. To play Staccato, release the note as soon as it has been played,
using a sort of pecking movement of the hand. Notes which are to be played Staccato are indicated on the sheet music by a black
triangle above or below the note.

This is the
‘STACCATO’ symbol..

D BC D AC

3 23 23 25 23 29 30 23 23 27 23 24 25 23 23

4

33

Silence is often called for in music. Silence used in music can be extremely powerful. Take for example when someone comes up behind
you in silence and gives you a fright! Silence is also used to create a small delay before you play certain notes in music. ‘RESTS’ are
used to identify silence in music. We mentioned earlier five words called ‘WHOLE NOTE’, ‘HALF NOTE’, ‘QUARTER NOTE’, ‘EIGHT
NOTE’ and ‘SIXTEENTH NOTE’ These are called ‘NOTE VALUES’ and tell us how long to hold notes down for. As with playing notes
the symbol for silence has its own value or length, example, how long the rest or ‘sleep’ lasts for!!! For the moment we are just going to
look at the ‘QUARTER NOTE REST’ indicated below.

Beat 1 Beat 2 Beat 3 Beat 4

This is a Quarter Note
REST and it lasts for

one beat in a bar
of music.

In the above example the REST occurs not on beat one,
occurs on beat two, is not on beat three or beat four.

Beat 1 Beat 2 Beat 3 Beat 4 Music is an art form and is
created through sound and silence. Did you know
that the creation of music goes as far back as 43,000
years ago! The Divje Babe Flute (pictured below)

is possibly the world's oldest known musical
instrument. It was found in 1995 at the Divje Babe

Archeological Park located near Cerkno in
northwestern Slovenia.

Sometimes another rest can appear in the same bar of music.
This only indicates that there are two beats of silence in the bar
of music. So in the above example the rest does not occur on

beat one, does occur on beat two and on beat three
but does not occur on beat four.

34

What is a Root Note?

In the next lesson you are going to begin playing with your left hand. The piano is an instrument that allows you to play melody (Right

Hand) and a bassline using root notes (Left Hand). If you sing Happy Birthday the words that you sing are called melody. Underneath

the melody, root notes are played at certain points. These are normally played by a bass guitar, but the piano having such a wide range
of notes let’s us be the bass player also! Along with a part for you to play, there is also a part for a teacher to accompany you in the
music, for example, if you are learning the book with a teacher they can play along with you.

So what is a root note? There are 12 root notes in music. They each fall between one octave on the piano. The roots in music are similar
to that of a tree growing in a field. The roots of a tree serve to anchor it to the ground, gather water and nutrients to transfer to all parts
of the tree. They are used for reproduction and many other purposes.

Arpeggios Similarly roots in music give music a groundwork of which from its branches give us things like ‘CHORDS’
(playing more than one note together), ‘SCALES’ (sequence of notes that are in harmony with the main

root note), ‘ARPEGGIOS’ (notes from a broken chord) and finally ‘MODES’ (sequence of notes that create
exciting melodies). For example ‘The Simpsons Theme’ music has melody that comes from a mode in music!

Chords Scales 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51
Modes
C# D# F# G# A#
C DE F G A B

The 12 roots in music are called How many types of
C, D, E, F, G, A, B (White Notes) and C#, D#, F#, G#, trees can you name?
A# (Black Notes). This ‘#’ symbol is called a sharp, so There are oak trees,
we say C Sharp, D Sharp, F Sharp, G Sharp, A Sharp.
there are ……
Once we know the names we can use these
roots anywhere on the piano! 35

Let’s play all 12 root notes on the piano if you have access to one. Play them slowly. Start with the 40th note, then the 41st note, 42nd key,
43rd key, 44th key, 45th key, 46th key, 47th key, 48th key, 49th key, 50th key and finally the 51st key. Well done!

48 49 50 51

40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 G# A A# B See how they match
up with one another!
C C# D D# E F F# G

These are the ‘C’ root
notes on this full
length keyboard.

EAZIPLAY Full Length Keyboard (88 keys)

1st Octave 2nd Octave 3rd Octave 4th Octave 5th Octave 6th Octave 7th Octave

C# D# F# G# A#
C DE F G A B
36

BC D He’s Got The Whole World
A

E

Traditional

4 23 23 C CD B 23 23 C B
20
23 20 23 25 23 20 21 18 D

4 16 15

˄ ˅˄ ˅ ˄˅ ˄˅ ˄ ˅ ˄ ˅ ˄ ˅˄
He’s got the whole wor___ld in his hands, he’s got the whole wor__ld

C 23 23 23 C 23 C B 23 23 23 C
20 D
23 25 23 25 20
16
˅˄ 20
in his ˄˅
˅ ˄ ˅˄ ˅ wor___ld ˄˅ ˄ ˅˄ ˅
in his hands, he’s got the
hands. He’s got the whole

23 23 B 18 D

˄ ˅ 21 ˅ 16
whole world his
˄ ˄
in hands.

© 2017 by Eaziplay - All rights reserved. 37

My Bonnie Lies Over The Ocean

Traditional

4 A C DC D C D 23 23 A B C CD C B
D 35
D 35 33 31 33 31 33 31 31 30 31 33 33

26 28 26 26

4

˅˄ ˅˄ ˅ ˄ ˄ ˅˄˅˄˅˄ ˅ ˄
˄ ˅

My Bon__nie lies o____ver the o___ce____an, my Bon_nie lies o___ver the se__a

A BCB C B DC B CD DC •31 D
D 35 33 31 33 D 23 B 26
31 23 26 28 33 31 30 30 31

26 28 26 28

˅ ˄ ˅˄˅ ˄ ˅ ˅ ˄˅ ˄ ˅˄ ˅ ˄˅ ˄
˄ to me____. Bring

My Bon_nie lies o___ver the o____ce___an, Oh bring back my Bon__nie

D D D C DD DD DCB A D D
B30 30
31 31 28 28 33 31 30 30 30 31 33 35 35 31
26 26
28 26

˄ ˄ ˄ ˄ ˅˄ ˅˄˅ ˄ ˅ ˄ ˅ ˄˄
me______ . Bring___ back
______ back___ Bring___ back Oh, bring back my Bon__nie to me, to

A D CD D D D B D C •31

31 33 31 30 30 30 30 30 31
28
28 ˄ ˄˅ ˄ 28
back Oh bring back
˄ ˅ ˄ ˅˄ ˅
_________ Bring_____
my Bon____nie to me________ .

38 © 2017 by Eaziplay - All rights reserved.

Hungarian Dance No. 2

Words & Music by Johannes Brahms

D D A • D AD C C • C A D

4 23 28 31 28 28 30 28 28
4 27
24 26
˄
˅ ˄˅ ˄˅ ˄˅ ˄ ˅˄
D•
D A D D
23 C 23
21 B BC 16 D AA 28
˅ 18
BA 19 19 18 ˄ 16 23 23

31 35 ˄ ˅ ˄˅ ˄˅ CA ˅ ˄ ˅˄

CDC B C • 24 26 D D C A D

31 30 31 33 31 28 C • 23 24 26 23 •

24

˅˄ ˅˄ ˅ ˄˅ ˄ ˅ ˄˅ ˄˅ ˄˅
CC
DD B B • C A
18 18 23 D
23 21 19 19 18
˅˄ 16
˄ ˅ ˄˅˄
˅˄

© 2017 by Eaziplay - All rights reserved. 39

Note Values

In this section we are going to learn a bit more about timing in music. Timing in music is represented by note values. What are ‘NOTE VALUES?
In simple terms for ‘Happy Birthday to sound like Happy Birthday to a listener, each note must be played at a certain moment in time. This
‘certain moment in time’ is determined by a note value. Each note of Happy Birthday is given a value that tells you how long you hold down each
note or when you release it. The note values mentioned earlier in this book are WHOLE NOTE, HALF NOTE, QUARTER NOTE, EIGHT NOTE,
SIXTEENTH NOTE. Using just one note (open string 44th note on the guitar) we will pluck and stop played the note according to each note value.

Take note how there are four green dots in each section. These indicate the 4 beats in each bar. While playing the 44th note on the guitar, at the
1st green dot say one, the 2nd green dot say two, the 3rd green dot say three and the 4th green dot say four. Are you ready!

4 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44
4

WHOLE NOTE = Pluck HALF NOTE = Pluck the 44th QUARTER NOTE = EIGHT NOTE = Pluck up
the 44th note while you note for two beats, stop, then Pluck and stop the 44th and down on the 44th note
pluck on 3rd beat for another
say one, two three, note on each beat. on each beat.
four. two beats.

44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44

SIXTEENTH NOTE = Pluck
up, down, up and down on the

44th note on each beat.
40

Write Your Own Song!

Now that you have gone through the book you are now ready to write your own song. The first song ever written was
called the ‘Hurrian Hymn No.6’ and was originally composed by Syrians about 3400 years ago! By playing songs from
the book your brain has began to analyze harmony. ‘Harmony’ occurs when a note or group of notes blend in pitch with

a root note. Have you ever heard someone singing a song out of tune? The singer has basically sang a note that is not

blending with the other notes in the song.

So to begin we are going to give you a basic guideline. The guideline will be a group of notes that you play to create

your own melody. You can play any of the natural white piano notes on your Bass that you wish when coming up with

your melody. These natural white notes are: 23rd note, 25th, 27th, 28th, 30th, 32nd, 33rd, 35th, 37th, 39th, 40th,
42nd, 44th or 45th note. So let’s begin!!

Melody played

Here is an example of what you are to do. Play the following passage to hear what this sounds like. The notes in on instrument.

the box are melody played on any part of your Guitar.

1 23 4

23 25 35 25 23 37 40 23 35 40 37 37 35 23

Now create your own melody using any of the following notes: 23rd note, 25th, 27th, 28th, 30th, 32nd, 33rd, 35th, 37th, 39th, 40th,
42nd, 44th or 45th note. When you are happy with your melody, write in your music notes with a pencil in the melody box provided
below. Keep it simple. You are not going to write a magnificent masterpiece as of yet, but the main thing is that you are writing your own
song! This is truly an amazing achievement. Well done!

1 23 4

5 67 8

41

Guitar Accessories

There are lots of Guitar Accessories available to musicians. Here we will discuss and summarize the basic ones that you would use as a
beginner starting off. They are: a) Amplifiers, b) Effect Boards, c) Capos, d) Glass Slides, e) Strings, f) Metronome, g) Plectrums / Picks,
h) Pick Dispenser, i) Flamenco Mute.

Amplifiers

An amplifier is an electronic device that can increase the power of a signal. They come in all shapes

and sizes and are used with Electric Guitars.

Pedal Board

Effect Boards Effects Unit

An effects unit or pedal is an electronic or digital device

that alters how a musical instrument or other audio

source sounds. Some effects subtly "colour" a sound, Guitar
Amplifier
such as a reverb unit used on a low setting, while others

transform it dramatically, such as a distortion pedal set Stomp Box
Effects Unit
to its maximum level.

Capos
A capo is a device used on the neck of a stringed (typically fretted)
instrument to shorten the playable length of the strings, hence raising the pitch.

Glass Slides

Slide guitar is a particular method or Capo Capo on a
technique for playing the guitar. Instead Guitar
of altering the pitch of the strings in the Guitar Slide
normal manner (by pressing the string Slide on Ring Finger

against the fingerboard close behind the frets), an object called a "slide" is placed upon the string to vary its vibrating length, and pitch.

Strings Pack of Guitar
Strings
Strings are lengths of flexible material that a guitars hold under tension

so that they can vibrate freely, but controllably. Strings may be "plain"

(consisting only of a single material, like steel, nylon, or gut). Their
thickness is referred to as the ‘gauge’ of the string.

Set of Guitar
Strings

42

Metronome
A metronome is a device that produces an audible beat a click or other
sound at regular intervals that the user can set in beats per minute (BPM).
Musicians use the device to practice playing to a regular pulse. Metronomes
typically include synchronized visual motion (e.g., swinging pendulum or
blinking lights).

Plectrums / Picks Metronome
A plectrum is a small flat tool used to pluck or strum a stringed
instrument. For hand-held instruments such as guitars and Digital Metronome
mandolins, the plectrum is often called a pick, and is a
separate tool held in the player's hand. A plectrum (pick)
for electric guitars, acoustic guitars, bass guitars and
mandolins is typically a thin piece of plastic or other material
shaped like a pointed teardrop or triangle. The size, shape
and width may vary considerably.

Plectrum

Pick Dispenser Box BOofxPoicf kPsicks
The pick holder/dispenser is a handy tool that attaches to your guitar
either by adhesive or other material. It can hold up to five or
more picks depending on the size of the dispenser. It is an
invaluable tool for ensuring that you do not loose your plectra / picks.

Flamenco Mute or TremeloMute Pick Dispenser Pick Dispenser
The Flamenco Mute is a device that fits underneath the TremeloMute TremeloMute Device on a Guitar 43
Flamenco Guitar strings to enable beginners to practice
with almost muted strings. It basically reduces string
movement and creates more resistance to help develop
a smoother approach to your playing. The device slides
quickly under your guitar strings and rests right in front of
the bridge. The multi-layered material is safe for any guitar
finish. The closed cell top strip adjusts to your string height.
It has a hollow core that allows just the right amount of
contact against the strings.

Major Scales for Bass

What is a Scale? Put simply ‘a scale is a set of musical notes that are in harmony with one of the twelve root notes in music’. Scales allow

us to 1) Learn about harmony, 2) Improve our motor skills and hand dexterity 3) Gives us the tools to write our own songs. At this moment
in time, that’s all you need to know about scales. To get started do you remember the tree from earlier?

Every scale has 12 types (or branches) because every scale has 12 roots. Each scale is given a reference like

Major Scale, Minor Scale, Major 7th Scale. So take for example within the Major Scale there are 12 types for the

Major Scale, C, D, E, F, G, A, B (using the White Notes on a piano) and C Sharp, D Sharp, F Sharp, G Sharp, A
Sharp (Ref: C#, D#, F#, G#, A# - using the Black Notes on a piano). So let’s try the 1st type. Its called the A Major

Scale. With scales, notes are played one by one in ‘legato’ (play the first note then play the next note while

releasing the previous note, no breaks in between but each note can be heard when played).

Scales D C BDCB A

A1 13 15 17 18 20 22 24 25

BC D 3
A
To begin each finger of your left hand is assigned a letter. The Left hand
is A, B, C, D, E. We will use LEFT HAND fingers to depress the frets on
the strings of our Guitar and pluck the string where applicable. The
numeric indent beside the note is the string the note is played on i.e., this
first scale is all played on the 3rd string of the Bass. So take note of the
finger, the string and the note that is played when playing the scale.

C# D# F# G# A# E ▪ 13th note is the open 3rd string is plucked.

C DE F G A B ▪ 15th note is depressed with the D finger on fretboard and plucked.
▪ 17th note is depressed with the C finger on fretboard and plucked.
A, B, C, D, E are letters ▪ 18th note is depressed with the B finger on fretboard and plucked.
assigned to your left ▪ 20th note is depressed with D finger on fretboard and plucked.
hand fingers! ▪ 22nd note is depressed with C finger on fretboard and plucked.
▪ 24th note is depressed with the B finger on fretboard and plucked.
44 ▪ 25th note is depressed with the A finger on fretboard and plucked.

All notes are played one at a time in sequence with the correct fingers.
We call this an A Major Scale!
The following pages contain all 12 types of scales.

Scales A Major D C BDCB A
A# Major
A1 13 15 17 18 20 22 24 25

3rd String

DC B AD C B A

A#1 14 16 18 19 21 23 25 26

C# D# F# G# A# B Major 3rd String
C DE F G A B C Major
C# Major DC B AD C B A

B1 15 17 19 20 22 24 26 27

3rd String

DC B AD C B A

C2 16 18 20 21 23 25 27 28

3rd String

DC B AD C B A

C#2 17 19 21 22 24 26 28 29

BC D D Major 3rd String
A
D C BDCB A

D2 18 20 22 23 25 27 29 30

2nd String

E

35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13

40 39 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18

45 44 43 42 41 40 39 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23

Scales D# Major DC B AD C B A
E Major
D#2 19 21 23 24 26 28 30 31

2nd String

DC B AD C B A

E2 20 22 24 25 27 29 31 32

C# D# F# G# A# F Major 2nd String
C DE F G A B F# Major
G Major DC B AD C B A

F2 21 23 25 26 28 30 32 33

2nd String

DC B AD C B A

F#2 22 24 26 27 29 31 33 34

2nd String

D C BDCB A

G2 23 25 27 28 30 32 34 35

BC D G# Major 1st String
A
DC B AD C B A

G#2 24 26 28 29 31 33 35 36

1st String

E

35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13

40 39 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18

45 44 43 42 41 40 39 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23
46

Teacher’s Practice Schedule

This practice schedule sheet can be used by teacher’s who are using this book to teach children bass. On the left side the teacher fills in
date of the lesson / right side they fill in what the student is to complete until their next music lesson. Students who are organized will
progress in at a much faster pace. While this sheet is aimed at teachers it can also be used by parents with their children.

Date of Lesson Material to be practiced, revised or memorized etc.

47

Date of Lesson Material to be practiced, revised or memorized etc.

48