does playing piano help you with playing the bass?

airrick · #1 03-25-2006, 02:06 PM

not theroy wise, but like finger devopment and stuff like that?

phxlbrmpf · #2 03-25-2006, 02:10 PM

Personally, I don't think so, if anything, it helps your hands work independently. It might also help you prepare for the stretching you'll have to do with your fretting hand.
But then again, I started teaching myself how to play piano after I'd been playing bass for a while.

anonymous278347457 · #3 03-25-2006, 03:09 PM

i guess doing anything that uses your finger a lot (eg piano or typing). should help a bit.

MikeyFingers · #4 03-25-2006, 04:10 PM

I think it could help a lot with tapping. Wooten has made a similar comparison with the bass and a saxaphone. Your fingers are doing the exact same motions, but your hands are in a different position. There isn't that much difference really.

werbo1 · #5 03-25-2006, 08:21 PM

i dont think it does physically.

Knowing the fundamentals has helped in writing songs more than i ever though though - YOU CAN SEE THE THEORY!! AHHH

bobalu · #6 03-25-2006, 08:27 PM

Physically, playing the piano has done nothing for my bass playing (fingering and so on). Theory wise, it's been absolutely indispensible.

ElBajista · #7 03-25-2006, 09:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobalu

Physically, playing the piano has done nothing for my bass playing (fingering and so on). Theory wise, it's been absolutely indispensible.

I agree with your comment regarding Theory completely.

Regarding the physical aspects of piano playing, since I took up piano after a 2 year hiatus, I have noticed an increase in my left hand's strength and my right hand's fingering speed. Also, I have noticed that my left hand is much more flexible and I have a longer reach.

Learning the piano has also helped my ability to have my hands working independently.

Of course, that is IME.

theroan · #8 03-27-2006, 03:17 PM

Dude piano is completely beneficial. If you want to TAP, you're miles ahead of a all of us. Thats a big one.

airrick · #9 03-27-2006, 04:53 PM

what is tap?

GregHolmes · #10 03-27-2006, 06:25 PM

Playing scales (e.g. Hanon) on the piano is a good way for me to warm up my fingers if I don't have a lot of time before a gig. It increases the independance and strength of the individual fingers, and it helps to build independance of the hands for tapping styles. Also, it helps with visualizing theory. I think it helps in all areas.
p.s. "Tapping" is playing with both hands on the neck of the instrument, striking and holding down notes on the fingerboard. Although there are some parallels with piano playing, tapping is more direct, since the fingers directly touch the strings (whereas a piano has the mechanics). Tapping is harder, since there is no sustain pedal!

chaosMK · #11 03-28-2006, 09:35 AM

In my experience, I only see theory value in it. I've learned how to play 9 instruments (electric bass being the last) and that has helped me. I think.

Ed Fuqua · #12 03-28-2006, 09:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by airrick

not theroy wise, but like finger devopment and stuff like that?

Theroy, izzat leroy's brother?

The thing that piano helps with is mostly "stuff like that". Music is an aural art and playing piano helps you hear harmony (chords), helps you see relationships (cause it's all laid out right there on the keyboard), helps you work on singing and ear training etc etc etc etc. Hearing a CHORD played as a chord on the keyboard/piano helps you hear a CHORD when what you are doing is playing a bunch of individual notes on your instrument.

Playing bass is more about your ear than about your fingers, piano helps your ear.

need4mospd · #13 03-29-2006, 10:05 AM

I've played piano for almost 18 years (since I was 6) and I can say, without a doubt, that it has helped me in every aspect. Theory being the #1 thing, but physically, my hands/fingers were already stretched out, strong, able to work independently, etc...

However, the physical benifits only come after years of deicated practice. So if you are considering piano to improve finger strength and dexterity, I would not pursue that. It might be benicial just to learn the theory on the piano and keep working hard on your bass to improve physically.

All this of course is just my uneducated opinion.

iamlowsound · #14 03-30-2006, 09:39 PM

Yes, any extra insterments that you play will help you with your bass playing. Piano will help you with tapping and theory.

lowsound

Jonboy11290 · #15 03-31-2006, 11:39 AM

yes, because if you are a bass player that reads sheet music (the music is bass clef) then reading piano music will help you because piano has treble and bass clef...

jbt68 · #16 03-31-2006, 11:48 AM

I agree with the piano advocates. I've been playing bass for over 20 years - and mostly playing by ear. Llast year I decided to finally begin learning piano. I wish I had done it long ago, if not BEFORE learning base. Knowledge of chords, progressions and scales is invaluable to truly develop...

Dbassmon · #17 04-01-2006, 07:11 PM

Piano allows you to further your understanding of chords and lays them out linearly so you can see the shape of chords, that has got to help you as a musician not just a bass player.
+1 for piano

Jazzin' · #18 04-01-2006, 08:33 PM

Ant instrument will help you play any other instrument.

airrick · #19 04-01-2006, 08:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by need4mospd

I've played piano for almost 18 years (since I was 6) and I can say, without a doubt, that it has helped me in every aspect. Theory being the #1 thing, but physically, my hands/fingers were already stretched out, strong, able to work independently, etc...

However, the physical benifits only come after years of deicated practice. So if you are considering piano to improve finger strength and dexterity, I would not pursue that. It might be benicial just to learn the theory on the piano and keep working hard on your bass to improve physically.

All this of course is just my uneducated opinion.

im not considering it, i've played piano for 10 years, since i was 4

MikeRS · #20 04-01-2006, 10:37 PM

I've played the piano since I was 7 (bass since 10), and I find it's helped incredibly. I usually practice 3 hours of piano a day then 2 hours of bass, singing while doing both. I can't feel in my left hand from a wound in a car accident two years ago that killed my sister, it was cut down to the bone and never treated correctly so I still can't feel it.

This caused a huge problem on both the piano and bass but with heavy 7th and 9th chord work on the piano my accuracy on the bass was restored. I also find it builds finger strength, as long as the keys are weighted, despite the fact I can't feel it.