Being a bass player...

[fretlesswonder]

Do you ever play guitar? If so, how are you at it? I stink at it, I can play chords, but it seems when I play bass, I "get it", anyone feel this way? I jam with my buddy, he is a good guitarist, but sometimes he makes me play along with him on second guitar, I just plain suck. Maybe I'm thinking too much?

Anyone? Thoughts?

[Essen]

I always use a guitar when I'm composing a song, but I dont know any chords. I usually just put notes together that sound good. And I always play in drop D, makes it all so easier XD

[TobyBass55]

I've lost any interest in the guitar since I tried the bass. I haven't played the bass very long at all, but even so, for some reason guitars look "strange" to me now........like they have such skinny little strings all close together........and too many of them too! ,

[ZuluFunk]

I can "learn" songs, but they don't feel natural to me.

[Bootzilla]

I frequently pick up a guitar to get some chops up. When you play it a lot you start to get that feel that comes so naturally on bass. I like playing guitar to keep things fresh and it improves your ear/feel for chords which I find handy.

[lowfreq33]

While I'd never call myself a guitarist, I can probably play one better than most people who do.

[capnsandwich]

I've been playing guitar for over 20 years, even before I started playing bass. I'm no Steve Vai or anything but I know my way around the fretboard and can pretty much play anything on the fly. I learned bass simply because my church needed one but as soon as I got my hands on the big strings it was all over. I'm purely a bassist now. Some people still ask me to play guitar for shows or recordings and I'll oblige them if the price is right but my heart and soul are with the bass.

[Hammertime3]

I seldom play guitar at all, though if it hadn't been for guitar, I would not be playing bass today. Taught me chord progressions, bass runs, and such. I have a vintage D-18, '54 model, but my wife plays it mostly. Never could get the hang of bluegrass rythym (that supple wrist movement), and it drove me to bass. It is the instrument that I can play the best with the least amount of practice.

[I<34080]

I play guitar solos better than I can play chords. My fingers are too dumb to make that many shapes

[Valerus]

Originally Posted by capnsandwich

I've been playing guitar for over 20 years, even before I started playing bass. I'm no Steve Vai or anything but I know my way around the fretboard and can pretty much play anything on the fly. I learned bass simply because my church needed one but as soon as I got my hands on the big strings it was all over. I'm purely a bassist now. Some people still ask me to play guitar for shows or recordings and I'll oblige them if the price is right but my heart and soul are with the bass.

you better not sway back to the dark side

[Elrend]

I play guitar as well in my modern jazz trio, we'll pile on a bunch of instruments with loopers. We all have different responsibilities, I play all string instruments and some keys, the sax player plays all reeds and horns and most keys and the drummer plays all tuned percussion and some keys.

I'm pretty ok and just play shorter textural ostinatos (I'll play the chords on the bass instead, I prefer the voicing).

[capnsandwich]

Originally Posted by Valerus

you better not sway back to the dark side

You know, now that I think of it I really don't think it's physically possible. I mean, I'll always have the knowledge and understanding of the guitar and it's fretboard but to go back......I don't think I could do it.

[bassist4dalord]

I can play major chords (E, A, D, G, C, F) but that's really about it. I'm a bassist.

[Sideshow Aj]

I cant shred or anything, but I'm pretty decent on guitar

[leadfingers]

I would consider myself a very good guitarist - after all those years even someone like me could get good at it I suppose.

But now, there's no way I'll go back. I absolutely love playing bass and sold my last electric guitar awhile back so that it could get some use.

[officialjlox]

Originally Posted by I<34080

I play guitar solos better than I can play chords. My fingers are too dumb to make that many shapes

Exactly my problem. I can actually play some pretty shred worthy stuff, and have better lead chops than any of the guitarists I play with, but I suck at

1- chords

2- doing anything else but shredding

4- thinking.

Bass to me just comes more naturally, and a lot of times I'm not really thinking about anything when I'm playing well. Guitar was a constant battle of trying to do the coolest stuff all the time, and it got old real fast.

[spaz21387]

Im pretty good at guitar. good enough to play guitar in my buddys thrash metal band ha. so probably not that good.

[sonic assassin]

i started on guitar. im playing it full time right now. i switch depending on what project im in. both come naturally, and i play them equally well

[James Judson]

Used to jam with a few buddies on acoustics. Bought a bass just for different flavors and no one else would touch it so I did. 30 years later I play both. Six string when I'm by myself and bass when I'm with the boys.

A few years ago I took some finger style guitar lessons (you know, classical, rags etc.). Improved my bass playing 300%.

When I'm recording I sing, play drums, keys and everything else.

[Knifedge]

I did the same, I took classical guitar lessons for about a year, amazing what it does for bass technique.

I am quite proficient in both guitar and on bass. My first love is bass, and because of th apparent shortage of bass players (especially those who can sing both lead and backup) I tend to get a lot of gigs on bass.