Crossover bassist

eno50 · #1 02-23-2009, 08:46 PM

How many bass players crossed over from a guitar player to a bass player?
Do you think your former experience as a guitar player has helped ? Or do you find yourself sometimes creeping in the guitar zone when playing bass?

baalroo · #2 02-23-2009, 09:17 PM

well, I play guitar, bass, drums, some keys, and dabble in multiple other instruments. I'm sure if I focused ALL my time on just bass I'd be a better technical player, but I think the knowledge you gain from being versed in multiple instruments is much more valuable than the technique lost from having to split your time and energy. Knowing HOW to play an instrument seems to make it much easier to work with other musicians IME... i tend to be a bit of a translator and mediator in every band I've been in because of this.

dean owens · #3 02-23-2009, 09:53 PM

i started on bass. then about 8 months in started playing guitar as well. i've also picked up some drum/percussion "skills" along the way. around the house i practice guitar. i'm just not a good enough bassist to play interesting solo lines. i pretty much only play bass when i have a band to play with. even so... i'm a better bassist than guitarist. i can play guitar and often play in church and such. but my music mind is that of a bassist. i think like a bassist... even on guitar.

i think playing guitar has made me a better bassist. that's where i learned all my theory and scales. it also helps that i don't always have to know the song i'm playing... as long as i can look at the fingers of the guitarist i know what i should be playing. i honestly can't imagine playing bass without having a basic knowledge of guitar.

and no. i don't drift into guitar land on the bass. i'm very much a bassist that locks in with my drummer and gets a groove going.

Clammy · #4 02-23-2009, 10:15 PM

I started playing guitar about 24 years ago, and switched to bass about 10 years ago. I essentially play guitar on 4 strings, with lots of power chords, etc... and I'm proud of that!

Over the past couple of years, I have gotten into playing and writing more "traditional", for lack of a better term, bass lines and fills, but I still mostly play like a guitarist playing bass.

The funny thing is that it's always been the bass that catches my ear in songs, and most of my favourite musicians have always been bassists. I guess I was destined to play bass.

Cheers!