Is Bass Guitar hard to play

  • Thread starter Thread starter CJ
  • Start date Start date
Aw, damn, this thread has got me w-a-y intrigued. I'm a guitarist, but I fancy that I understand a groove. Am I gonna have to get a bass to prove to myself I don't know as much as I thought I did? :D Bass playing is basically rhythm and chord structure, right?

Uh, before you answer, make sure you know what you mean by chord structure. I don't want to talk at cross-purposes.
 
Mr Dobro: bass playing is above all, DOING IT! It's like harmonica playing: it doesn't matter what kind of theory you know, or how fancy your harp is. What matters is what happens when you stick one up to your lips. (My classically trained stepson & playing partner sez he thinks too much to be able to play harmonica.)
So don't sneer: it ain't hard, it's just not easy.
 
Stop with this myth that guitarists can't play bass well. I just read a book that has interviews from some of the best bassists of all time. Many of them said they started on guitar first and switched over.
 
ThanQ Wide Awake: I privately consider myself a kickass bass player, and I started on guitar.
It's what you do, not how you got there.
J
 
it doesn't matter were you came from, it DOES matter where you are now. i hope i can keep a groove to , but a lot of guitar players that "play the bass TOO" are really not good at all. that's what i ment.
it's just a complete different angle i guess.

guhlenn:)
 
Bass is dead easy to play. Some people say its "hard to master" but so is every instrument. Why? Because there are masters out there, doing it full time. To master an instrument, you need to put down your life on it, from the simple fact that others are.

BUT, and thats the point here, bass is easy to play "good enough".

I don't agree that guitarists can't play guitar. LEAD guitarists can't play guitar. They look at bass as a melodious instrument, while in fact its a part of the rhytm section. Rhytm guitarists usually understand this.
 
yeah from the point of view that bass is only some low notes that the guitar can't reach. again listen to those great bass players like the dude from primus and see that a bass is more then a simple rythm instrument...
 
I didn't say a "simple rhytm instrument". I said its a part of the rhytm section. Which it is.
 
yeah. but guitarists playin the bass (lead or rythm, is there a real difference anyway?) don't play the instrument to full potention and from a musical point of view that isn't "good enough". to play in a band yeah it's good enough... if you only want some bass fill...
that's what i was trying to say.
 
Hey, most bassists doesn't play the bass to it's full potential, unless they are Jaco Pastorious, Les Claypool, Mick Karn or some other semi-god.

And Guitarists doesn't play the guitar to it's full potential unless they're Jimi or <insert favourite guitargod here>.

There is nothing that automatically makes it impossible for guitaristst to learn the bass, and guitarists doesn't automatically play worse bass than a non-guitarist. It may take longer for a guitarist to be good, because they have to get rid of some guitarist quirks. But that doesn't mean that you automatically will suck just because you are a guitarist.
 
regebro said:
It may take longer for a guitarist to be good, because they have to get rid of some guitarist quirks.
Click to expand...

that's what i ment. ofcourse anything can be learned, but guitar players often see bass as a minor instrument and play it that way. and yes most bassists play it that way too. which is a shame if you ask me. i like to hear that bass fiddle and bouncing around;)

greetz guhlenn:)
 
Um, I'm gonna offer some tips on beginning bass...

1) Most of the comments here about timing involve the attack of the note; I believe real bass technique involves the "note-kill." NOTHING sounds worse than two bass notes (no matter how in-tune these notes are) playing at the same time. Yes, there are exceptions, especially on octaves and low/very-high notes, but for the most part, if you're striking a note and the prior one hasn't stopped ringing, it's going to sound like SHIT. So... learn how to stop the sound (depending on where you're going, you'll use either the left or right hand/fingers, but practice will dictate this).

2) Learn the intonation of your bass. Many folks tune open-string and don't bother checking what the 5th or octave sounds like... you don't necessarily have to get your bass "fixed" if the intonation's off, just learn which direction to "push" the string for your bass. (on this, I'm talking about pulling the string away from the bridge or pushing it towards the bridge with your left hand. you'll be surprised at how much traction those left fingers have on a string).

3) You'll end up using your.... shit, what are the names of the fingers? If you put your left hand palm-up, and assign numbers to your digits starting from the thumb (which is "1") towards the pinky (which is now "5"), you can see the "2" and "4" digits ("1" and "3" fingers? hm.). Anyway, those are the ones that are gonna get used the most, and the ones that'll probably get skinned a bit for the first month or so.

4) Don't worry about the 3rd. It rarely comes up. Practice 5ths, 7ths, and octaves. If the 3rd DOES get used, it's generally in transition or sustained-chord "exploration."

5) Learn this: 1-5-8-7-5-4-2-1. Most fundamental bassline ever. Lotsa variations, easy to learn, too. Do it in one "position," which, to a drummer, is "not moving the hand up and down the neck."

6) When you record, just run the bass right into the deck. The bass is somewhat magical in that it sounds great straight in, no EQ. No shit.

7) Amps. Um, I got lucky, mine sounds great. Maybe someone else here can offer tips on amps, cuz I don't have much experience with them.

8) Most basses use active electronics, which, to a drummer, means they use 9volt batteries. If you start getting distortion for no reason, it's time to change the batteries.

9) New bass strings sound like shit. They're bright and don't characterize the "bass" at all. They'll lose this after a couple of weeks, don't worry. Once they're broken in, bass strings last FOREVER. Unless they break, don't worry 'bout 'em. Besides, by the time you can tell when to change strings, you'll have bought a better bass anyway...

10) I recommend Jazz basses, they're easier to fret (IMHO). If you're interested in slapping the bass, look into a Precision-type bass, the strings are further apart from each other and easier to hit individually.

11) The bass is a FUCKING HEAVY instrument. Expect your back to hurt for the first month or so, if you're gonna strap one on. There's nothing wrong with sitting down and playing the bass, it's just weird to see the bass player (if it's not jazz-style music) sitting down at a show.

That oughtta last you a couple of months, hope it helps!
 
Good tips from Kelly there. Unless of course you WANT a bright an in-your face punk bass sound. In which you should:

1. Not use your fingers at all. Use a plektrum. There are big fat bass pleaktrums availiable.
2. Use new strings.
3. Crank up your tube amp until it distorts. :)

I thought I wanted to mention this.
 
Is bass guitar EZ to play?

Bass is all about playing the right lines, with the right groove...playing "in the pocket." In general, keep the part as simple as possible and lock in tight with the drummer -- bass and drums should sound like one instrument. Avoid the melodic solo lines -- if there's a bass solo, play in the mid-to-upper range. Listen to the greats, and please (!!!), learn to play with your fingers... a pick is just going to get in the way.
 
I'd like to say there's NOTHING wrong with playing with your thumb. Not gonna argue it, but it's a good way to "get there" quick...

Heya, mistahamma, welcome!
 
True, the thumb is probably the easiest finger to use first, and it's certainly the one that's most like playing with a pick. In fact, I know this guy who's been playing for years -- plays a Beatles-type Hofner bass -- uses his thumb like a plucktrum, and strums the thing like a madman. Gets the job done, but looks a little goofy (of course, he wiggles back and forth every time he plays a new note, too...)
 
mistahamma said:
True, the thumb is probably the easiest finger to use first, and it's certainly the one that's most like playing with a pick.
Click to expand...

Except, of course, using a pick, which probably is the easiest of all. LEss blisters to... :)
 
Just an opinion. You can use a pick. You can use your thumb. But either option to me is limiting. Listen and study the greats. Except for slap technique show me one that uses either the thumb to play. I started with the quick and easy thumb method and it only caused me grief unlearning the technique. Try playing a fast bop line with your thumb and you'll see what i mean. Not to mention if you use it with your index finger you'll have an uneven sound. The 4th is probably the one note I would avoid like the plague if at all possible. The only time I don't is when playing choral stuff. It's not uncommon to see a brokklyn tab. chart with a fourth in the bass. But that's just the side world choral music. And far as strings The only draw back to new strings is they require retuning every 45 minutes to an hour. And it's not cool to be tuning in the middle of a pit, during a gig when you're tuned to the piano and it's not tuned to a tuner. But to me new stings are the only thing I'll play. A month is a long time for strings to last before I change them. To me dead strings are as bad as muffling all the resonance out of a set of drums.

Of course all that said James Jamerson (did like 99%of the motown stuff) one of my all time idols played an old P-bass with dead flatwounds. I think he even played with his thumb and used a lot of upright position playing stuff too. So in the end it's all player preference. Except for time. The beat is god. And listen too.
 
Haha, GrooveBassman, you reminded me of something: If you DON'T want to listen, the bass is the perfect instrument to learn. Get behind that baby and drive it like a freighttrain wherever you wanna go, cuz NOBODY's gonna stop you from being heard, hehe.

And if they DO think they're gonna stop you, consider this (and use whatever method you think necessary to remind them of this): The bass is a 30 lb. skullcracker...

Groove: I get my lines with finger-hits after an initial pluck. Occasionally use fingers, but have found a MASSIVE tonal difference between the downward and upward pluck (and prefer the downward thumb pluck). It's probably just another pitfall of self-instruction...

And welcome to you, GrooveBassman. Thank you for such a short, easy-to-type username! Prolly jus' gettin' more folks to use their damn fingers...

:D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top