[MissYasuri]

hehe, this is an interesting article, I play guitar but I'm learning to play bass and it helped me to get into it!

Techniques

Sitting or standing

Most bass players stand while playing, although sitting is also accepted, particularly in large ensemble settings (e.g., jazz big band) or acoustic genres such as folk music. It is a matter of the player's preference as to which position gives the greatest ease of playing, and what a bandleader expects. When sitting, right-handed players can balance the instrument on the right thigh, or like classical guitar players, the left. Balancing the bass on the left thigh positions it in such a way that it mimics the standing position, allowing for less difference between the standing and sitting positions.


Pick vs. fingers (or thumb)

The electric bass, in contrast to the upright bass (or double bass), is played in a similar position to the guitar, held horizontally across the body. Notes are usually produced by plucking with the fingers or with a pick or plectrum.

There are bass players who play with a pick from a number of different musical styles, including pop, hard rock, punk rock and metal. Using a pick typically produces a "brighter" or "punchier" sound, while playing with fingers produces a softer and rounder sound. Some bassists use their fingernails flamenco-style to provide some compromise between playing fingerstyle and using a pick.

Instead of alternating downstrokes and upstrokes, players can perform all downstrokes, which provides a more consistent attack to each note. Bassists trying to emulate the sound of a double bass will often pluck the strings with their thumb or fingers rather than a plectrum, and use palm-muting to create a short, "thumpy" tone.

James Jamerson, an influential bassist from the Motown era, played the bass with only his index finger (which gained him the nickname "The Hook"). He created intricate bass lines using this technique. In contrast to Jamerson, some bass players such as Billy Sheehan may use all four fingers.

Right hand support and position

Variations in style also occur in where a bassist rests his right-hand thumb (or left thumb in the case of left-handed players). A player may rest their thumb on the top edge of one of the pickups. One may also rest their thumb on the side of the fretboard, which is especially common among bassists who have an upright bass influence. Also, bassists may simply anchor their thumbs on the lowest string (and move it off to play on the low string). This technique is known as the "floating thumb", and was previously popular mainly with bassists who played five or more string basses, but is now common for all bassists. Early Fender models also came with a "thumbrest" attached to the pickguard, below the strings. Contrary to its name, this was not used to rest the thumb, but to rest the fingers while using the thumb to pluck the strings. The thumbrest was moved above the strings in 1970s models, and eliminated entirely in the 1980s.

Striking or plucking position

Depending on where the string is plucked, a different timbre is produced. Jaco Pastorius generally plucked close to the bridge, producing a bright and "punchy" sound. Geezer Butler, on the other hand, typically plucks closer to the neck, near the neck pickup, which gives a darker sound with a stronger fundamental.


"Slap and pop," tapping, and related techniques

The slap and pop method, in which either tones or percussive sounds are achieved by thumping ("slapping") a string with the thumb and snapping a string or strings usually with the index or middle fingers ("popping"), was pioneered by Larry Graham of Sly and the Family Stone in the 1960s and early 1970s. Stanley Clarke and Louis Johnson further developed Graham's technique. Slap bass remains a mainstay of funk and is also played by many bassists in other genres, such as rock bassists Flea, JJ Burnel, and Les Claypool, and jazz-fusion bassist Victor Wooten. Wooten helped to develop and popularize the "double thump," in which the string is slapped twice, on the upstroke and a downstroke (for more information, see Classical Thump). Examples of the slap and pop technique can be seen at HowToSlapBass.com

In the two-handed tapping style, both hands play notes by rapidly pressing and holding the string to the fret, which makes it possible to play contrapuntally, and perform chords and arpeggios. Players noted for this technique include John Entwistle, Stuart Hamm, Billy Sheehan, Victor Wooten, and Michael Manring. The Chapman Stick and Warr guitar are many-stringed instruments that are designed to be played using two-handed tapping.