1. Techniques in Acoustic Bass Guitar and Electric Guitar Lessons
1. Alternate Picking. It is one technique that you can always hear around. From the word alternate,
it is the strategy of alternating between down strokes and upstrokes. One practical tip for this
technique is to use your wrist as your pivot point and not your elbows.
2. String bending. This strategy of playing guitar was developed by country and blues players to
imitate the sound of bottleneck guitars and pedal steel string guitars. It is widely applied now by
guitarists as it adds texture to sound as well as emotional dimension.
3. Double stops. A double stop is the manner of playing two notes at once with a harmonized
sound.
4. Finger-picking. Also called thumbpicking or alternating bass, it is a specific fingerstyle where
the thumb plays alternate bass whilst the index and the middle finger play the melody on the high
strings.
5. Hammer-ons and pull-offs. Also called guitar slurs, a hammer-on is hammering your finger on
the fret without picking it, while creating a tone. The pull-off is the equal and opposite. It is the
technique used to create smoother sound between two different notes.
6. Harmonics-Pinch and Natural. Pinch harmonics are those high pitch squeals played in heavy
metal solos. Natural harmonics are the one that is used to give texture to a sound.
7. Hybrid picking. It is the method of using a pick and fingers to get a snappy chicken picking
sound. It is the technique that involves picking with the use of a pick and one of more fingers
alternately or simultaneously.
8. Palm Muting. It is the commonly used strategy of rock guitarists. It is a playing strategy that is
done by placing the side of the picking hand below the little finger. It is commonly used by
guitar and acoustic bass guitar players.
9. Rolls. In fingerpicking, the player plays the notes of a chord either at once or as an arpeggio. But
with rolls, the guitarists find a middle space where the notes are played in succession speedily.
10. Slapping. Slapping is a strategy that is often heard in bass playing, but it can also be applied on
guitar. It can only be applied by hand picking. One cannot use a pick as it requires the thumb.
The slap technique adds an illusion that you have percussion. It creates a little drama to your
melodies and adds emphasis on the rhythm.
11. Slide-Bottleneck. Bottleneck is the strategy that is usually used in blues. Slide guitar style can be
learned both on acoustic and electric guitar lessons. Slide refers to the motion of the slide
against the strings while bottleneck pertains to the genuine material of choice such as slides.