Low Guitar

Description

Low generally has 4 cords, but can also have 5 of them or more (one speaks then about ERB, Extended-Arranges Low ). The instrument consists of a handle, generally of a tuning fork of 34 inches (86 centimetres) but sometimes longer or shorter. Certain low with a smaller tuning fork are called Short scale S. This handle supports Frette S (which delimit the notes, as on the guitar) and of a body out of full wooden (solid body) including/understanding one or more micro, potentiometers and a Chevalet, as on the Electric guitar. Method of fixing of the handle (screwed, stuck or crossing the body) and the type of wood used for the stringed-instrument trade influential on sonority. The low ones not having hoops, with the image of the double basses, are called fretless.

The low guitar is generally tuned an octave more serious than a Guitare, and same manner as a Contrebasse, i.e. in Quarte S. The Fréquence S are the following ones when the note of reference is the the 440 Hz:

(or E) (41,2 Hz);
It (or A) (55 Hz);
D (or D) (73,4 Hz);
Ground (or G) (98 Hz).

The agreement of low with five cords is generally If, Mi, Ré, Sol (BEADG; addition of a serious) or, less frequently, Semi cord, D, Ground, C (EADGC; addition of an acute cord). The low ones with six cords are granted in If, Mi, Ré, Sol, Do (BEADGC; addition of a serious cord and an acute cord), in Quarte S. the low ones with 8 cords generally have 4 choruses (pairs of cords granted to the octave), and the rare models with 12 cords have either 6 choruses, or 4 groups of 3 cords forming each one an agreement of fifth (in this last case, the acutest cord of the chorus is similar to a cord of guitar).

History

This instrument was designed, just like the electric guitar, to mitigate the lack of power of the acoustic instruments required in the music Country and Rock' Roll, like with the problem of the obstruction of the double bass. It is interesting to note that it is the only instrument intended right from the start to be amplified, and that acoustic versions appeared only thereafter.

Prototypes

Paul Tutmarc created low electric style guitar, with hoops and in 1935/1936, the company Audiovox had offered the “Model #736 Electric Bass Fiddle” of Tutmarc, one of first the low electric ones. In the Years 1930, the manufacturers of guitars Gibson and Rickenbacker tried some tests of electric double bass.

Fender

In 1951, Léo Fender leaves first the low electric one marketed, the Low Precision. The term “precision” insists on the presence of hoops, facilitating the accuracy of the notes compared to the double bass. The Low Precision became a “standard” model in the popular music, and was often copied by the other companies. The first used in Europe was that of Jet Harris, first bass player of the group The Shadows.

In 1960 leaves the new model Fender, the Low Jazz, which had two pickups “individual-coil”, a handle thinner than the Precision, and a different form. Tina Weymouth pine and Jaco Pastorius was famous users.

Gibson

The following year Gibson Guitar Corporation (which specializes rather in the electric guitar) creates the Gibson electric low then Höfner in 1956 leaves the 500/1 in form violin, popularized by Paul McCartney. In 1959 and 1961, Gibson created EB-0 and EB-3 , equipped with microphones of the style “Humbucker”.

Rickenbacker and others

The Rickenbacker 4001 leaves in 1964. This low with particular esthetics and the powerful and clear sound will mark the history of the rock'n'roll thanks to musicians such as Paul McCartney, Lemmy, the bass player of Motorhead, Cliff Burton first bass player of Metallica, Chris Squire of the group Yes or Roger Glover of the group Deep Purple.

Since, this instrument evolved/moved and of many models divide the market. Some marks are present at the sides of Fender and Gibson, like Danelectro, ESP Guitars, and Music Man Instruments (the new mark of Léo Fender which produces low StingRay).

1970s: low artisanal

In 1971, the Alembic company created low style “shop” (in English) or “high end”, with special forms, out of wood cut and finished with the hand, the preamplifiers and equalizers in the instrument, and of the innovating techniques of construction, as the use of handles out of wooden multiplies crossing the body or of handles in Graphite. Alembic and the company Ken Smith produced the first low ones with five cords around the years 1975. (The mark of predilection of Stanley Clarke)

One will quote for example the French manufacturer Vigier which created models of very good invoice, light and flexible and often equipped with Benedetti microphones, like Warwick whose look round , apparent wood and the pleasant sound made many followers. Many a Luthier S manufactures the low ones artisanalement, like the French Christian Noguera.

1980s: Other innovations

The innovations were made by designs Ned Steinberger, which created low “a headless”, the low ones of graphite and the “Trans-Trem tremor bar”. In 1987, the Guild Guitar Corporation created low the fretless Ashbory, a very small instrument with the rubber-silicone rubber cords which reproduced the sound of a double bass. At the time of the years 1980 and 1990, the low ones to five or even six cords were marketing; these instruments are often used for the styles Latin, jazz, funk, and sometimes metal mainly.

Techniques of play

the fingers : this technique is connected with the Arpège S (Picking) of the guitar, but with a more vertical position of the right hand, the inch often resting on the microphone. It gives a velvety and precise sound in the power of the notes. Jaco Pastorius, true exceptionally gifted, gives very an good example of the possibilities that the instrument used in this manner offers. One generally plays in alternation of several fingers (2 or 3, generally).

the mediator , also called médiator , Plectre , flat pick : generally out of plastic (can be also out of wood, in Feutre thick, in bone, stone or metal), this small triangle is used to rub the cords for more Attaque (music) in the touch and the sound. This technique is often used for the rock'n'roll, and very often in the Metal, style requiring an extreme speed. However, the médiator is used little with low because it removes the sound " rond" characteristic of this instrument.

the Slap : technique invented by Larry Graham then democratized by Stanley Clarke and Louis Johnson. This technique gathers two " under-techniques" : slap (“typed” in French, noted S on a fingering chart, or T , of English “thumb” which means “inch” in French) and the pop (“drawn”, noted P on a fingering chart). The slap consists in striking of a dry blow and rapid the serious cords of low (Semi and in general, but sometimes used on the cord of D) with the second phalange of the inch. The pop , used for acute cords (D and Ground), consists in drawing then to slacken the cord quickly in order to do it claquer against the manche.
Le slap is very much used in the music Funk and the jazz-rock'n'roll, because it gives a percussive rhythmic base and much of power. Victor Wooten, Alain Charon, and Marcus Miller belongs to the virtuosos of this technique. There exist many techniques derived from this one, like the inch return ticket or flamenco slap. The slap is used by bass players in various styles like Flea (of the Red Hot Chili Peppers), Jean-Jacques Burnel (of the group The Stranglers), and Claypool (of the group Primus)

the tapping : consist in typing the cord with the end of the fingers of the right hand (or the left hand in the case of a left-handed person) in a box to emit a sound. This technique, very widespread for the electric Guitar, allows a play “pianistic” of one or two hands. Among the bass players who use this technique one can quote Stuart Hamm, John Entwistle, Billy Sheehan, John Myung, Victor Wooten, and Michael Manring. There exist mainly two techniques of tapping: one, slow and rather atmospheric, supports the play in agreement and the use of the totality of the 8 fingers, and its difficulty lies in the variation of the fingers and the regularity. The second, especially used out of metal, request a great dexterity, and associated with the tapping of the right hand the technique of the Trill to the left hand (or Sweater-Off or Hammer one ), taking as a starting point the guitarist Van Halen. This technique is often limited to a cord (preferably acutest).

the step : This technique uses the low one more like one percussif instrument. The play consists of rhythmic figures carried out by opera hats alternate of the two hands on the cords. The slap is a form of step.

Hammer one: To play a note with only the left hand by putting a finger. Ex: one makes vibrate the cord puts 5 then one adds a finger puts 7; that notes " 5 H 7" on a fingering chart.

Sweater-Off: It is also to play a note with only the left hand, except that one removes a finger. Ex: one makes vibrate the note puts 7 then one removes his finger to make sound box 5: that notes " 7 PO 5"

Trill : Continuation of Hammer/Sweater-off. Ex: " 7 PO 5 H 6" or even " 5 H 7 PO 6 H 8"

Harmonic S: used, in particular, by Jaco Pastorius.

Evolutions of the instrument

the principal instruments going down from low electric are the Stick Chapman and the Warr Guitar . Tony Levin makes use regularly of the Chapman stick within the groups Liquid Tension Experiment, King Crimson or with Peter Gabriel. It is practiced in tapping with two hands, and makes it possible simultaneously to play a partition of guitar and basic.

the low semi-acoustics , with its appearance of acoustic gross Guitar, is often used in the sessions “unplugged” by the rock groups. Its main advantage is to obtain a sound closer to the Contrebasse, without having the imposing size of the Contrebasse and the need for learning how to play an instrument without hoops.

the low fretless is low traditional deprived of Frette S (small metal bars present on the handle). This characteristic gives him a sound much hotter and soft, different from that from low hooped, because the cords are in contact with wood. With low the fretless, the musicians can easily make the effects like the Glissando, Vibrato, intonation microtonal E (like " quarter tons " and " just intonation") …
Dans its book How The Fender Low Changed The World , Jim Roberts indicates that Bill Wyman, the bass player of the Rolling Stones, created one of the first low fretless in 1961. The first low fretless produced in mass was the Ampeg AUB-1 in 1966. Fender created a Low Precision without hoops in 1970. The bass player Jaco Pastorius was a virtuoso in the style of Jazz-fusion at the time of the Années 1980.
Enfin it is French Patrice Vigier who develops low the fretless with key DELTA METAL, an innovation which dates from the Eighties but remains to date with the point of research on low.

the ERB ( Extended-Arranges Low ) are low guitars having a Tessiture larger than that of low traditional with 4 cords, which means that one added additional cords there in order to be able to play of the notes which could not be played by the low traditional one. The most typical ERB have five or even six cords. There exist rare examples of bass players, like Jean Baudin and Yves Carbonne which play of low with more than six cords.

Amplifiers and effects

Amplifiers

The bass players use Amplificateur S of the style " combo" (which gathers preamplifier, amplifier and one or more Haut-parleur S in same a " cabinet") or, for the large scenes generally, of the heads of amplifier (combining preamplifier and amplifier associated with loudspeakers in separate cabinets. According to the sought sound, technologies of amplification to Lamp S or Transistor are used.

The amplifiers of low guitar are thus very different from those used for the guitar. The number of Watts also differs. According to certain experts, to obtain an excellent sound with the guitar, an amplifier must have 100 Watts whereas for the low guitar, an amplifier must have 300 Watts. The rate of Watts triples then between an amplifier of guitar and one of low guitar.

Electronic effects

The bass players in general use less electronic effects that the electric guitarists. However certain types of effects are usually used. Many bass players make use of Préamplificateur S or equalizer S to create their sound. There exist also effects which avoid the peaks and the falls of sound volume, the compressing or limitings device. The compressors and the limitings device are used on the vast majority of the recordings in studio; they are also used frequently by the bass players who practice the slap (as in the music Funk).

For the bass players of the style Metal and Hardcore (Punk), one can quote saturations (overdrive, distortion or fuzz) 'the bass players funk use the filters of envelope (mixing wah-wah and saturation). The bass players who play of the solos, as the musicians jazz fusion use some times a Réverbération, Delay S or many Chorus. The bass players use also Octaver S (adding to the sound of origin its double to the higher or lower octave), to reinforce their sound.

See too

List of marks of low guitars
List of famous bass players
Low fretless

External bonds

Slappyto.net: basic with vidéos and slowed down free course with the support forum, various bassistic information
Onlybass.com: many original articles and dynamic forum
Marcjohnson.fr.st: Course on the slap, slap to go/return, tapping, sweeping
lignedebasse: Forum dedicated to the bass players who can create a base line using playbacks
the sound of your low: Free Audiothèque of various low sounds
Centralbass: site of basic free partitions all styles of music
Bass6.com: Basic forum created around the topic of low the 6 cords, more or less
Audiofanzine low Guitar: Gate dedicated to low, with in particular a large file on low electric the
Pumax Otherside: Guide illustrated '' hoop removing '' to transform low a '' hooped '' into '' fretless ''

low

Be-X-old: Бас-ґітара Simple: Low guitar

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