The modern bass guitar is a descendant of the double bass, which has been around since the 17th century. In the 1930s, the first guitar-style bass was constructed to be held horizontally, and thus be more mobile than its predecessor. The new model was also fretted, allowing the instrument to be easier to learn and follow tunes.

In the 1950s a popular version on the modern bass was invented by Leo Fender. The Fender Precision Bass became the first mass-produced electric bass and set the bar for industry standards. Seeing the success of Fender, other companies such as Gibson, Rickenbacker and Hofner followed suit, helping popularize the modern bass guitar in all styles of music.

The first six-string bass was built in 1959 by Danelectro, followed by five-string models created by Gibson and Fender. The five-string models took off in popularity, and by the 1990s they were more affordable and desirable by musicians for the increased range. Around this time battery-powered electronics such as preamplifiers and equalizer circuits were also becoming more common on moderately priced bass guitars.

In the 2000s, some manufacturers began to install digital circuits inside bass guitars to mimic a wide range of sounds from different basses, such as Line 6's Variax bass. However, even with all the new technology and innovative designs, the traditional bass designs such as the Fender Precision Bass and Fender Jazz Bass remain popular even today.

For all you new and experienced bass guitar players out there I thought it would be a great idea to write down this simple yet effective technique for training those hard to reach muscles in your fingers, wrists and forearms that you don’t use everyday, except when playing your bass guitar of course.

Just as real athletes and sports men and women the whole world over do their stretching and limbering up exercises before a performance, it is essential that, as a bass guitar player, you do the same. Whilst overall fitness for playing long sessions is a given, it is very important to work out those small muscle groups in your fingers, wrists and forearms before you practise or play.

This simple exercise will stretch and tone up your fingers and arms and you should complete it ten to fifteen minutes before your bass guitar session.

Beginning with the E string, with your index finger on the first fret, hold it down for a SLOW ten count. Next move on to your middle finger positioned on the second fret doing exactly the same, holding it down for a slow ten count. Repeat for the third and fourth fingers. Third finger on the third fret, count to ten. Fourth finger on the fourth fret, count to ten. Then move on to the A string and repeat the previous exercise with the exact same SLOW count. The first finger on the first fret, count to ten. The middle finger on the second fret, count to ten, etc. then proceed to the D string and then, finally, the G string.

For the next stage, repeat the process backwards from the G string with the fourth finger on the fourth fret. Third finger on the third fret. Continuing until you reach the first fret on the E string again, counting SLOWLY to ten on each fret.

By now you will be feeling all the muscles you are working in your forearm, wrist and hand. It is common sense really but if you feel any discomfort or pain at any time with this exercise or when playing, STOP and take a rest. If you feel that you need more of a warm up, or want to turn this into a work out, you can continue the same exercise but further up the bass guitar fretboard by moving your index finger up to the second fret and repeat the exercise using the same pattern as before. See just how many frets you can climb and remember to keep your timing count SLOW!

This exercise is a combination of stretching and pseudo-weightlifting for your fret hand. Used as a part of your daily warm up it will increase your hand strength, hand speed and your endurance. You can vary it by jumping from the first fret to the fifth to the ninth or indeed, any combination you decide works best for you.

This exercise will also work well for working on your weak areas. Often the third and fourth fingers can be a little weak so you can adapt the exercise to just use these particular fingers. Remember to keep the the count SLOW!

I hope this article helps you to develop your bass guitar playing skills.