Bass Guitar

Inspiration & Exploration

The bass guitar is the hidden engine of almost every song you love — you just haven't been listening for it yet. Start by training your ears. Pull up "bass boosted" versions of your favorite songs on YouTube and focus only on the low rumble underneath everything else. Then watch Scott's Bass Lessons on YouTube (it's free and it's the best bass channel on the internet). Search "what does a bass player actually do" and "best bass lines for beginners." Notice how the bass locks in with the kick drum. Listen to classic SLC-area rock and try to pick out the bass in each song. You're ready for the next step when you can hear the bass line separately from the rest of a song in at least three different tracks.

Tools & Techniques

Get your hands on a bass and learn how it works. If you don't own one yet, check if your school music program has a loaner bass, or look at Craigslist SLC for starter basses under $100. Learn the names of the parts: body, neck, frets, strings (E, A, D, G from thickest to thinnest), tuning pegs, and pickups. Download the free GuitarTuna app to tune your bass. Learn proper left-hand fretting technique: press just behind the fret, not on top of it. Practice the open strings one at a time with a slow, even pluck using your right thumb or index finger. You're ready for the next step when you can tune your bass by ear with GuitarTuna and name all four strings from memory.

First Creations

Play your first real bass lines. Start with the most beginner-friendly bass line in rock history: "Seven Nation Army" by The White Stripes — it's just single notes on the low E string. Search YouTube for "Seven Nation Army bass tutorial for beginners." Then learn "Another One Bites the Dust" by Queen, which teaches you to lock in with a drum pattern. Use a free metronome app (search "metronome" in your app store) and start slow — 60 BPM — before speeding up. Record yourself on your phone after every practice session and listen back. You're ready for the next step when you can play both bass lines cleanly at the correct tempo without stopping.

Style Development

Start building your own bass style. Learn what "slap bass," "fingerstyle," and "pick playing" sound like by watching YouTube comparisons. Try all three and see what feels most natural to you. Learn a bass line in a genre outside your comfort zone — if you like rock, try a funk bass line; if you like hip-hop, try a classic R&B groove. Look up "bass scales for beginners" and learn the pentatonic minor scale — it fits over almost any song. Practice it in at least two different positions on the neck. You're ready for the next step when you can play the pentatonic minor scale cleanly and have tried at least two different playing styles.

Refine Your Craft

Push your technique deeper. Learn to "walk the bass" — a jazz technique where you connect chord tones with smooth, flowing notes. Search "walking bass line tutorial for beginners" on YouTube. Practice playing along to full songs, not just isolated riffs — find backing tracks on YouTube by searching "[song name] bass backing track." Start learning to read basic music notation or tab using the free website Ultimate-Guitar.com, which has thousands of bass tabs. Record a clean, two-minute video of yourself playing a full song. You're ready for the next step when you can play through a complete three-to-four minute song from memory with consistent tone and timing.

Portfolio Piece

Create your bass showcase. Choose one song that best shows your current skills and record a split-screen video: phone propped up to show your fretting hand on one side and your plucking hand on the other. Use the free CapCut app to edit your video. Then write a short bass line of your own — even four measures — over a free drum loop from BandLab. Record it, mix it, and share it online. Post to YouTube, Instagram Reels, or TikTok with the hashtag #SLCmusic to connect with Utah's music community. You're ready for the next step when you've published a performance video and an original bass line for a public audience to hear.