some bass guitar formulas

[Armacielli]

these will work something like gas laws (for you chemistry majors) check me on these

my variables are g= string thickness s= scale legnth and t=tension on strings

when s is constant g and t are directly related, that is, when the scale is constant and the thickness of the strings is increased the tension must also be increased to achieve the same tone an vice versa
(this I think is the easiest to visualize)

when g is constant t and s are directly related meaning that when string thickness is constant and the tension increases the scale must lengthen to achieve the same tone or scale is lengthened the tension must increase and vice versa

when t is constant g and s are inversely related, which means that if there is a constant tension and the string thickness increases the scale must decrease to achieve the same tone

it'd b nice if all these things were porportional so a nice convenient formula could be derived

[chuck3]

or you could just play the darn thing. I think that "thump" on the right note at the right time = happy listeners.

[JimmyM]

Originally Posted by chuck3

or you could just play the darn thing. I think that "thump" on the right note at the right time = happy listeners.

LOL!

So if we put that in a formula...

Where t = the darn thing, d = thump, and g = happy listeners

Oh, never mind.

[JTE]

Well, that stuff is kinda useful for when folks talk about "string through the body increases tension", and I do think about that stuff some. But that's 'cause I'm a bit of a gear head and it's more interesting than thinking about budgets, debits, and credits while I'm at work.

But it's really kinda pointless in the long run. "Roar in the right key" and "thump on the right note at the right time = happy listeners" are much more useful things to consider. If you really need a formula to play with, here're the Untold Secrets of Electric Bass that will get you world-wide recognition, acclaim, and endorsment deals out the ying-yang.

A. "Once you figure out where to put your fingers, the instrument just kind of plays itself" Attributed to J. S. Bach
B. Whole-step; Whole-step; Half-step; Whole-step; Whole-step; Whole-step; Half-Step.

John
__________________

[MalcolmAmos]

Originally Posted by JTE

Whole-step; Whole-step; Half-step; Whole-step; Whole-step; Whole-step; Half-Step.

Since you brought it up...... I'm a chart and formula type of a guy. One thing I've been thinking about --- WWHWWWH is a snap on the keyboard, but I've yet to figure out a way to teach it on the guitar - beyond one string at a time. Have you found a way of taking WWHWWWH to the other four strings beyond just memorizing the pattern?

WWHWWWH is such a great memory peg (tool), but, I have yet to come up with a way to relate it to the guitar fretboard - beyond one string at a time.

[JTE]

Learning it one string at a time is a great way to do it. That lays it out more clearly than trying to explain that going from the 5th fret on the 4th string to the 2nd fret on the 3rd string is a whole step. That's where teaching the names of the notes helps. Once they learn that the G major scale can be played on the 4th string and they know the names of the notes ('cause I make them learn to spell the scale from the formula rather than give them the names of the notes). Then when they KNOW it's G A B C D E F# G, they can see those notes on the other four strings.

John