Bass Guitar, Description paper
You can describe an object a few ways. Depending on
what that object is, you have to decide on the best manner of analyzing it. If
you were describing a musical instrument like a bass or guitar, the physical
description might be sufficient. However, to a musician there's a lot more to
it.
Sitting in a music stand in the corner of a room right now is a bass.
This bass looks very simple to the eye, but actually has a lot more detail than
you think. To the normal eye, someone sees a smooth body shape with a long
wooden neck overlapping and continuing vertically up. This requires a closer
look.
Zooming in closer at the neck, little dots start to appear. These
markings are like reminders of what notes are to be played by the musician. They
start to shine a bit in a chrome-type reflection. Underneath those dots is the
actual neck, which looks like a smooth, flat-tone wood.
Also on that same
neck are what look like sectioned off pieces. Metal bars go horizontally across
the neck to mark off certain notes. These bars get closer together as the neck
gets closer to the body. When a finger is pressed down between two of these
bars, a note is signified. Above the neck is what is called a head. On this
particular body-shape, are metallic knobs called machine-heads, which tighten or
loosen the strings depending on which way they’re rotated.
On the other side
of this neck is the largest part of the bass. This is the body. The body can be
any number of shapes. This particular shape is like a glossy black melted figure
eight with horns. The horns point toward the head of the bass. The right horn is
a bit higher than the left. These details have to do with making the bass
comfortable to hold and play.
In the center of the body are plastic bars
with magnetic studs lined up under the strings. These magnets pick up the
vibrations from the strings and create a number of sounds. The plastic bar is
black to match the body. At the lower edge of this bass are circular knobs that
are a transparent gold color. Each knob has numbers, from one to ten, for volume
and tone range.
This particular bass may be different than most other
styles. It may not be as detailed as most would describe it, but it gives
someone the basic shape and image. If you still don’t know what this bass looks
like, go look at a picture.