From guitar to bass

matskull · #1 07-11-2006, 10:16 PM

Hi, I play guitar for maybe 12 years now, I'm better for rythym and chord. I had a bass 3-4 years ago and I played sometimes but for 4 month now I play bass in a grunge band and I start to understand better that instrument and I really like it. I play with a pick and I don't plan to play finger style fot the moment but I'd like to know what not to do because I know a lot of people say that a guitarist who play bass is not good and I wanna become a real bass player, not a guitarist on bass. So is there some general advices about bass techniques? Sorry for my english.
Thanks

BrandonBass · #2 07-12-2006, 09:07 AM

Since you say you're a rhythm guitarist then you can probably keep time right? Thats the most important thing, because some lead guitarist just keep wanking and cant keep a beat.

Next thing you wanna work on is muting, learn to mute individual strings. Have control over them.

And not to forget groove, dont know how to explain it though....

You might also wanna learn slapping if you're into funk

mkettner · #3 07-12-2006, 01:49 PM

Any time you expand your playing to another instrument i.e. guitar to bass, you will be better for it, so good work. However keep an open mind to all techniques when learning the new instrument. Learning slapping, tapping, and finger style will only help when you go back to playing the guitar.

matskull · #4 07-13-2006, 10:03 PM

Thanks to you guys, BrandonBass yes I know how to keep time right, thanks the metronome for that

and mKettner I know it's very good to be able to play everything on an instrument and eventually I will learn more technique but for the moment I'é working with a pick becasuse I play in a grunge band and it's the sound we want so it is my #1 concern for the moment. About how to mute the strings I've got to say that this is something I'm not sure about. When I play something simple this is not a problem, but when you something with melody like picking string 4-3-2 on fret 1-3-3 (like a power chord on guitar), do you want to mute each string before playing the other or do you let each string resonate. A good example of what I'm talking about would be the song Sappy from Nirvana. Thanks for the help.
Salut