Left Handed Bass article
Left Handed Bass for Beginners: A Complete Guide
Get the instrument sorted first, then focus on technique. This guide covers choosing a first model, setting it up properly, holding it correctly and the basics of producing a clean bass note.
Starting out on a left handed bass involves the same fundamental challenges as any bass beginner — holding the instrument, finding a comfortable position, learning to produce a clean note — plus one additional practical challenge: sourcing a suitable instrument when the selection is narrower than for right-handed players. Get the instrument side sorted first. Everything else follows the same path as right-handed bass instruction.
Getting Started: Your First Left Handed Bass
The Squier Affinity Precision Bass in left-handed configuration is the most reliable starting point for most beginners. It is widely available, well built for its price, easy to find setup instructions and tutorials for, and uses a simple single-pickup, two-control layout that does not require learning signal routing before you start playing. The Fender-compatible body and neck mean that if you decide to upgrade later, the transition is intuitive. For most left-handed beginners, the question is not which brand or model — it is whether to start here or spend more.
Anatomy of the Bass
Hold the left handed bass with the headstock pointing to your right and the body resting against your right side (either seated on your right thigh or suspended from a strap on your right shoulder). Your right hand frets the strings. Your left hand plucks, picks or slaps near the bridge. The thickest string — the low E — is the closest to you when you look down at the strings. The thinnest string — the G string on a four-string instrument — is farthest from you.
Setting Up the Instrument
Before you practise anything, have the left handed bass checked by a guitar tech. New instruments at the entry level often need a basic setup: neck relief adjusted via the truss rod, action lowered at the bridge saddles, intonation set and a string change if the factory strings are old or wrong gauge. A setup costs £30–£60 and transforms a playable but rough instrument into one that feels easy and stays in tune. Playing on an unsetup instrument with high action and poor intonation slows learning significantly.
Basic Technique
Rest your right thumb on the pickup or a string above the one you are playing. Use the index and middle fingers alternately to pluck. Keep your left hand relaxed — tension in the fretting hand is a persistent beginner problem that causes fatigue and inaccuracy. Press the string down just behind the fret, not on it. Use the lightest pressure that produces a clean note. Mute strings you are not playing with whichever part of either hand is convenient. Noise management — keeping unused strings quiet — is a fundamental skill that most beginners underestimate.
Practising Effectively
Short, consistent practice sessions produce faster results than long, infrequent ones. Twenty minutes daily beats two hours once a week. Learn scales and arpeggios systematically — knowing the major scale across the neck is the foundation for understanding most bass lines. Use a metronome. Timing is the most important skill a bass player has, and it requires deliberate daily work to develop. For the buying decisions on gear upgrades, the buyer's guide covers the full range of options.
Comments