I am not a musically inclined person but my husband and his family are very much into music. Because of that I was exposed to rock music since my husband and his brother often have jamming days at home. My son Heinel, is also showing interest in music, which I am very proud of. He has his own drum set. Eventually, we will introduce him to strings so he and his dad can jam. Since my husband is a lead guitarist, I am thinking it might be a good thing to have my son learn bass guitar to compliment his dad.
So before we get Heinel to take on some classes, here are the basic things we need to know about bass guitars:
1. Bass guitars usually have four strings, unlike the usual acoustic guitars with 6 strings. Its strings are thicker than other guitars too
2. The bass is longer than the guitar. Thus, we intend EA to practice strings with the acoustic guitar first. Once he gets familiar with the grip and feel of holding a guitar, we can switch him to bass.
3. Bass guitar has lower pitch.
4. Bass are usually electric guitars.
5. Unlike other guitars, bass are plucked rather than strummed. Just like any skill, bass guitar playing can only be perfected through regulars practice. Since Heinel has school, we might consider enrolling to a twice a week strings class, one weekday and a Saturday, just so he will be familiar with notes and other basic string lessons. Then, during summer he can have a 3 days week class plus more jamming session with his dad so he can apply all he has learned.
Getting a bass guitar and its accessories can be tricky since there are a few things to consider before buying them. Good thing there is an online store which has authentic bass guitars and parts. I even browsed through some bass bridges, which I expect to that Heinelwill get eventually to improve the sound of his bass. It is great that the prices at www.musiciansfriend.com are in local currencies already so we will not have a hard time converting the prices.
When it comes to developing their talents, it is never too early to expose our kids. It is even advisable that they start early because young minds are like sponge in absorbing new information. What are the musical instruments you want your kids to learn? How early did they star?