Week 5 – Music

Hi,

This week we are focusing on music. This is a fun one for me because I play the electric bass guitar. A electric bass is similar to an electric guitar in that it is a guitar and it is amplified. The most common bass has only 4 strings though, E-A-D-G. These strings are the same as the four lowest strings on a guitar, but they are an octave lower. There are some basses with 5, 6, 10 or 12 strings. The bass has a distinctive sound and is used in music in many different ways. It can be used to set the tone of a song, like funk (think 1970’s music), or to set the rhythm and imitate the percussion (drums) in a song, or as the main sound in a song (think Seven Nation Army by White Stripe). Because most people who play guitar want to play the traditional electric guitar, there are fewer bass guitar players. The good thing about this is you are in high demand as a bass player. My bass is a Washburn bass. I have added a photo of it below.

 

So to add a little bit of fun, I am going to give you some clues below and I would like you to try to guess the band and the song with a strong bass line I am talking about. Put your guess in the comments section.

  1. The bass line starts the song
  2. The band started in 1970 but their music is still popular today
  3. The original lead singer is dead
  4. The band name is royal
  5. The song name could also make diamonds
  6. It is also given by peers

I am going to end with another audience participation request. In the comments, after you have guessed which song and band I am describing above, answer these questions about your opinion about the bass.

Would you rather:

  1. Listen to electric bass or acoustic bass?
  2. Classic music with bass or popular music with bass?
  3. Give it Away – Red Hot Child Peppers or Another One Bites the Dust – Queen

 

4. I Want you Back – Jackson 5 or Billie Jean – Michael Jackson

5. Queen or AC/DC

Thanks for participating in my blog this week and I hope you learned something about the bass.