Selecting the Right Bass Strings

Regrettably, nobody can tell you which bass strings to pick or that will play and sound best to you on your bass. There are several variables which will give your bass a particular sound - the wood your bass is manufactured out of, the strings, your pick ups, as well as your amp or the effects you use, etc. That's why I concentrate on my technique and style because even playing in a different surrounding your sound will vary but your technique and style will remain.

Now, with that said, I can show you the method that I used/use for choosing my bass strings. I pretty much just keep it fairly basic. There are two main factors I like to take into consideration when choosing the type of bass strings I want to use.

1) How they play and feel under the fingers. Do you like a rougher feeling string or smooth and do you prefer a thinner string or thicker? Now granted some of thickness of the

string will fall under the sound of the string but you have to like how they feel as well, find the balance.

2) The sound of the bass strings themselves. Do you like a bright and punchy or more of a warm bassy sound, or maybe somewhere in between.

But of these two I get number 1 locked in, because as I said I focus on my style and technique because my sound will change, as I mentioned above as well as the biggest reasons my sound will change, me. My tastes and moods at different times in my life is always a variable, I may want it bright and punchy but somewhere down the road I may not. But the feel and playability needs to be there, so I can properly express myself. I don't concern myself with the brand name or anything like that at this stage, although I do have my favorites that I have used for years however for me regardless of what brand I play I maintain these following steps:

1) Identify The Scale Length Of Your Bass.

This really is vital since you will need the correct size of string for a proper fit on your bass. Unless you have the right length you may not be able to string your bass correctly, if at all. To determine the scale length, use a tape measure and measure from the nut ( string saddles just before headstock) to the twelfth fret then multiply that number by 2.

(You can measure from the nut to the string saddles on the bridge but it isn't really advised, since for intonation purposes the length will from string to string. )

These are the typical scale lengths:

Short Scale - 30 inches

Long(or Standard Scale) - 34 inches

Extra Long - 36 inches

2) Select the Gauge Of Bass Strings.

The gauge of the bass strings refers to the thickness or the diameter of the string in inches. The gauge of the bass strings will have an effect on the tone and feel and playability of the bass. Heavy gauge bass strings have excellent tone but require more finger strength. A light gauge string loses a little tone which is great if you are a string bender. The following table lists the gauges contained in typical bass string sets.

Typical Sets:

Extra Light. 040. 050. 075. 090

Light. 040. 060. 080. 100

Medium. 045. 065. 085. 105

Heavy. 050. 070. 085. 110

These are typically the standard bass string set and gauge combinations, but there are numerous other combinations to accommodate all techniques, styles and alternate tunings that would only confuse things at this point.

3) Lastly, Select Type of Bass String

Roundwound - This is the brightest sounding of the windings and is the most widely used type of strings. Their feel is rougher due to the grooves, which often cause more finger noise to boot. Roundwound bass strings are widely used in virtually all styles of music. They are popular for the slap bass technique, popping and tapping where you may want a brighter tone and clearer definition of the notes.

Flatwound - These strings have a ribbon-like winding wound around the core string; they have a more mellow tone to them. They feel smooth and have very little finger noise since they have fewer and shallower grooves. You might like them if you play jazz and reggae where you may want that more mellow tone. Also, it would be advisable to use flat wounds if you play a fretless bass.

Halfwound - Are between roundwound and flatwound bass strings in the terms tone and feel under the fingers. They have decent brightness and a lot less finger noise. Halfwound strings are basically a roundwound with the roundness polished or ground off.

How I Choose My Bass Strings.

When you first go through the above steps, select an inexpensive set (unless money is no object). You can find good sets around $20 to $25; I would steer clear of any over $30. Once you find your preferred gauge and winding, then go a head and try the different brands of bass strings and the different materials used to make them such as nickel, stainless steel, alloy, etc.

This is how these steps apply to me:

1) Bass Scale Length - Long Scale. All my basses are 34 inches.

2) Bass String Set Gauge - I use medium. 045. 065. 080. 105; they work great for me when I play metal, funk, country, or jazz.

3) Bass String Type - Roundwounds are my choice; I just love how they feel and sound.

The key is to not make this more complicated than it needs to be, have fun and don't make it a chore. Don't let anyone tell you how you should sound over all, this is your voice; leave room for compromise for the sake of the song but don't sell out; if you do, you won't be happy. Hope this has been helpful and that it enables you to enjoy the bass more.

The Great Thing About Rock And Roll

There was a reality show that split this particular season's contestants into teams according to race. What was interesting is that one of the Hispanic team contestants claimed that although is family is Hispanic, he doesn't consider himself part of any particular ethnic group, his race is Metal. He is what is known as a "Metal Head", a fan of Heavy Metal music.

That's the great thing about rock and roll, in fact, it's one of the great things about America. You have a choice of who, or at least what, you can be. You may have been born into a particular ethnic, religious, national or sociopolitical family group but that doesn't mean you have to stay there. Although your race or ethnic group might be difficult to completely deny, you do have a plethora of counter culture, religious and political groups and sub -genres to which you may claim membership. Since you choose to be a member of these groups and are not born into them, the members are much more open to accepting members from different geographical locations and customs.

Besides the sub cultures of Urban Cowboy, Surfer, Low Rider, Greaser, Gang Banger, Red Neck, Trekkie and the other social cliques that many times start in Junior High School, rock and roll offers such romantic and exotic lifestyles as Punk, Gangsta, Metal Head, Dead Head, Parrot Head, Hippie, Emo, Grungie, Mod, Rocker, Newwaver and Prog fan, to name just a few. A great thing about these social groups it that unlike some cults you can easily switch between them according to your changing taste, level of intellectual and spiritual development and to impress a girl.

Some people change their lifestyle as often as they change their clothes, literally. I grew up with a friend who was a surfer, then a biker, then a hippie, then into Prog, then Disco, then Punk, then Metal. The last time I saw him he was into going to the symphony with a picnic basket of gourmet food and fine wine.

I think that's just fine and it must be fun to feel a part of the times, be in style and hip to the newest thing, but I wouldn't know. I may not be trendy but I'm nothing if not consistent. No matter which lifestyle you may choose during the course of your life, most of us end up being just Mom and Dad so let your freak flag fly while you can.

Neal Warner is an artist, writer, musician, member of the multimedia band, The Tooners, founder of Director's Clip, The Music Video and Internet Video Sponsorship Site ( http://www.directorsclip.com ) and Rock & Roll Rehab, The Satirical Self Help Program For the Control of Rock & Roll ( http://www.rocknrollrehab.com ).

Rihanna

R&B star Rihanna is a multi platinum R&B recording artist famous for her smash hit R&B songs and stunning music videos. Born Robyn Rihanna Fenty in Barbados on February 20, 1988, she released her debut album "Music Of The Sun" in 2005. It featured collaborations with J-Status, Kardinal Offishall and has hit Rihanna songs & Rihanna music videos "Pon Da Replay" and "If Its Lovin That You Want", helping her album to debut at number 10 on the Billboard Album charts selling 69,000 copies in its first week of release.

Rihanna released her sophomore album "A Girl Like Me" in 2006. It featured collaborations with R&B singer Ne-Yo, Sean Paul. The album debuted at number 5 on the Billboard Album charts selling 115,000 copies in its first week of release. It features her songs "SOS", "Unfaithful", "We Ride" & the fourth official single release "Break It Off" which featured another excellent Rihanna music video helping her album to sell over 1.5 million copies in the US alone.

Rihanna released her third studio album "Good Girl Gone Bad" in 2007. It featured collaborations with Hip hop star Jay Z, Ne-Yo, Stargate, Timbaland & Tricky Stewart. It debuted at number 2 selling 162,000 copies in its first week of release and had popular songs & videos "Umbrella" featuring Jay Z, "Shut Up And Drive", "Hate That I Love You", "Don`t Stop The Music", "Take A Bow", "Disturbia" & "Rehab". It became her biggest selling album to date selling over 2.6 million copies in the US alone.

Rihanna released her fourth studio album "Rated R" on November 20, 2009. It featured collaborations Hip hop star Young Jeezy, Will.i.am & Rock Star Slash and included hit songs & videos "Russian Roulette", "Hard", "Rude Boy" amongst others. This album with best*RnB songs debuted at number 4 on the Billboard Album charts selling 181,000 copies in its first week of release. The album has sold over one million copies in the US alone, giving Rihanna another Platinum selling album, also peaking at number 9 on the Official UK Album charts.

Rihanna released her fifth studio album "Loud" on November 12, 2010. This album debuted at number 3 on the Billboard Album charts selling 207,000 copies in its first week of release. It also featured high profile collaborations with Hip hop superstar Eminem on the sequel to their hit "Love The Way You Lie", Drake & rap sensation Nicki Minaj. The album has sold over 1.5 million copies and has hit songs & music videos "Only Girl (In The World)", "What`s My Name" featuring Drake, "S&M", "California King Bed", the dancehall flavored "Man Down" and her final single release "Cheers (Drink To That)".

Rihanna released her sixth studio album "Talk That Talk" on November 21, 2011. It featured collaborations with Hip hop legend Jay Z, Alex Da Kid, Stargate and Calvin Harris and boasts of the hit song & music video "We Found Love" which peaked at number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles charts. Rihanna released her second single "You Da One" on November 14, 2011. This hugely infectious Rihanna song also featured a stunning music video. Rihanna is also expected to release more singles & more music videos in the months to come.

Interested to know more about your favourite hip hop stars?

Artist profiles, hottest music videos, latest hip hop music news & gossip and lots more, only at Urban-Nation.com.

Hayden Griffith is a freelance writer from London specialising in writing hiphop r&b music and UK Grime music articles. Over the years he has developed an extensive knowledge of urban music and urban music artists and is considered one of the leading authorities on this subject. With a passion for Hip hop and R&B music since childhood, Hayden Griffith brings great knowledge and a great understanding of this exciting music genre and his articles are both informative and entertaining too.

Steps to Know Your Piano Notes

Learning to read music and recognize piano notes takes some practice, but it isn't difficult to master. Here are nine tips to get you started:

    * The notes on a scale fall between the letters A through G, and are repeated endlessly. Middle C is the C which falls in the middle of the keyboard if you are sitting in the center of the piano.

    * In Western music, the notes of the scale are written on a staff consisting of five lines. These lines are numbered one through five from the bottom of the staff. The notes can be placed on the lines or the spaces between the lines.

    * Learn the difference between treble and bass clef. On the piano, the treble clef notes are the keys from the mid to high range of notes, starting with middle C. The bass clef notes are the keys on the piano from the mid to low range, also meeting at the middle C. On sheet music, the treble clef notes are on top, while the bass clef notes are on the bottom of the staff.

    * Learn the letters that correspond with each note, or key. Notes range from A to G. Try these pneumonic devices to remember where the notes fall on the treble clef: On the treble scale, the notes ascend on the five lines as E, G, B, D, F, or Every Good Boy Does Fine. Notes on the treble clef four lines ascend in the order of F,A,C,E, or Face.

    * Use these pneumonic devices to learn the notes on the bass clef: the notes on the five lines of the bass scale in ascending order are G,B,D,F,A, or Good Boys Do Fine Always. Notes on the four lines of the bass clef in ascending order are A,C, E, G, or All Cows Eat Grass.

    * Learn the difference between sharp and flat notes. When the black note occurs above the white note, it is a sharp. When it occurs below the white note, it is a flat. Black notes can be both sharps and flats, depending on how they are played in a piece.

    * Pay attention to scales. If you know what an F looks like, they you can assume that the next note is G. If you're unsure of a note, consider the note nearest to it that you do recognize and count up or down.

    * Begin to see a sheet of music as a whole composition, rather than individual notes. For example, when you read, you don't consciously think of each note. Instead, you read words. So it is with playing the piano. In order to become fluent, you must "read" the whole piece. Practice playing scales, followed by chords. Both these exercises will improve your fluency and help you learn the notes.

    * Try to play a simple piano piece without looking at your fingers. Use your ear, the fingering provided on the music and your intuition. This exercise will train your brain and fingers to find the notes automatically.

Yoke Wong is the founder of PianoMother, a leading piano educational publisher. Her piano lessons DVDs and downloadable online courses, including Definitive Piano Improvisation course, This article is about piano notes  , find more at http://www.pianomother.com.