Frankly, the 4003S isn’t everyone’s cup of Lapsang Souchong, but bassists who become smitten will go to the ends of the earth and beyond to buy a good one. Which is just as well, because the 4003S is made in small, seemingly inconsistent batches, which plays havoc with both supply and pricing. For a lot of people – especially new bassists – four strings is enough. For honing your chops, and getting used to the larger size of the bass guitar, the standard four-stringed approach is what we'd suggest you go for. You can also use these shapes while improvising or composing. This is why additional notes outside of the octaves are provided. Using them you can extend the single-octave scales so that your lines don’t have to end on a tonic note.

Here at MusicRadar, we are experts in our field, with many years of playing, creating and product testing between us. We live and breathe everything music gear related, and we draw on this knowledge and experience of using products in live, recording and rehearsal scenarios when selecting the products for our guides. Traditionally a bass guitar has four strings, tuned E, A, D, G. However, you can get 5 and even 6 string basses (and more!) that extend your frequency range. Basses with additional strings have a lower bottom string, so a 5-string will usually be tuned B, E, A, D, G, though of course you can pretty much tune it how you want. Position the green notes over the correct notes on the bass fretboard to play the scale with that tonic note.

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Extended range basses are great for metal, or other genres of music that require lower notes. If you’re playing in a band with detuned guitars, then having a 5 or 6-string bass will mean you don’t need to tune lower - you’ve got the low notes there, and you don’t have to sacrifice the notes up top either! Many jazz players like 5-strings too as they allow for more movement in basslines. Weight and comfort When it comes to which wood your new bass is made of, there are so many different options available to you. Bass manufacturers have been some of the early adopters of alternative tonewoods to the ash/alder/mahogany paradigm. Obviously, these standard wood types are popular for a reason, but the more exotic choices such as ovangkol, bubinga, and panga panga each offer their own frequency response and tonal characters. So it’s worth trying a few out to see what is right for you.

Once you are comfortable try switching between the various ideas within one blue sequence. I do this all the time!

If the switching and EQ controls seem a little esoteric at first – and you’ll have a fun time finding the sweet spot – the performance of this modestly priced four-string puts it firmly in the workhorse category. Funny how time works isn’t it? Even now, after all these years, figuring out Einstein’s theory of relativity still makes our temples hurt, but we are sure of one thing – things ain’t what they used to be.

Here at Guitar World, we are experts in our field, with many years of playing and product testing between us. We live and breathe everything guitar related, and we draw on this knowledge and experience of using products in live, recording and rehearsal scenarios when selecting the products for our guides. A travesty of design? Not at all. The Aerodyne Special, in Dolphin Gray or California Blue, is a pared-down, minimalist triumph. Obviously, it’s unlikely to appeal to traditionalists, which is why the new pups, though vintage-voiced, are clearly capable of a contemporary growl and the Babicz Z-series bridge is a distinctly modern touch. Of course it’s not a traditional fretboard layout, so it isn’t for everyone - and people are still getting on just fine with regular frets. Obviously a multiscale bass will take a little getting used to, but it might be worth considering whilst looking for the best bass guitar for you. Do I need to use a separate bass amp? Note: this scale is the same pattern as that used in the E blues scale open position scale, but played on the adjacent strings.

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You'll first need to decide whether you want a long or short scale bass guitar. The scale – or scale length – of an instrument is the distance between the bridge and the nut, and we use it to measure the total playable length of the instrument. Below you will find TAB for playing Blues scales with various common tonic notes. The Blues scales shown below are in open position (i.e. played in the first 4 frets, often incorporating open (unfingered) strings). E Blues Scale Bass TAB – Open Position Since its introduction in 1976, the Music Man StingRay has come to define the company’s bass-making. It is the most-recognisable model – well, the Bongo might be more of a head-turner, but this is the one that made it famous. Technically, you can use a bass through a guitar amp, however it isn’t recommended. Guitar amps aren’t designed to handle the lower frequencies put out by a bass guitar - you could actually end up causing some real damage to it, so we’d definitely suggest looking at one of the best bass amps in our guide. How we test the best bass guitars

You can trust Guitar World Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing guitar products so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test. Ultimately, the total freedom to play what you want is what we all want to do. Start simple though and master that before you move on. When you feel comfortable, always push yourself to the next level. Related Lessons Note: this is an example of how Pattern 4 from the Blues Bass Scale Patterns section can be used to play a B flat blues scale. Here’s a nice little pattern you can use. Since there are no open strings being used here you can actually move the pattern around if you want to play in different keys.The RBBI is 6 week or 6 module intensive course that teaches everything a bass player needs to get up and perform at a blues jam session. Note: not all of the patterns contain two tonic notes. Although you won’t be able to use these shapes on their own to play an entire scale, you’ll still be able to use them combined with the adjacent shapes to play full scales, multi-octave scales, or while improvising. The blues scale is in fact no more than a slightly modified pentatonic minor scale. By comparing the two scales you’ll notice that the only difference between them is that the blues scale contains an additional note. It ain’t cheap but the smart new finishes, the player-friendly amendments (improvements?) to an all-time classic and the tones are worth it.