Did you try to be a guitarist?

Chrisk-K · #1 11-30-2010, 09:35 PM

I was never drawn to guitar until I got into Holdsworth and Carlton in the early 90's. Despite my practice, it soon became apparent that I would never be able to play like them even in my dreams. I alsolutely love playing the bass, but if I could play guitar like Holdsworth or Carlton...

MikeyFingers · #2 11-30-2010, 10:03 PM

I did start on guitar, but that lasted about 2 weeks. My big goofy hands weren't cooperating with me.
At the time, my brother was a bassist. I started messing around with his old Washburn, this huge old 1983 monstrosity, and I fell in love with the instrument. I quit guitar lessons and never looked back.

kreider204 · #3 11-30-2010, 10:19 PM

I tried classical guitar for a couple of years, never got much further than simple tunes. I've never tried to play electric guitar too seriously - it just never felt right.

NinjaPred · #4 11-30-2010, 10:38 PM

Seven years ago when I was 20 I picked up an electric six string Ibanez something (forgot the model). Signed up for lessons and quickly fell behind despite practicing, for some reason I just couldn't get the hang of it.

After two months it sat on a stand for four years before I sold it to a friend who wanted it. I haven't looked back once.

dukeisdog · #5 11-30-2010, 10:46 PM

I'm able to play bass, guitar and drums.

I started learning bass maybe 6 years ago so I could play in the school band because I didn't have much success with any horns, and my parents wouldn't let me play percussion. I started learning bass parts for songs on a peavey raptor guitar, and finally got my first bass. I've been playing ever since.

bareass · #6 11-30-2010, 10:47 PM

i can't get passed that damn pick!

seriously though, my parents bought me and my older brother a guitar to share, didn't happen. he had already played piano, and is a guitar virtuoso. I never had much interest in it, tried the drums.
dropped that for bass. never looked back, tried classical to help with dexterity, but try and get a 10 year old who listens to a mix of led zeppelin, metallica and toto to like classical music.

rob72 · #7 11-30-2010, 10:48 PM

Yep, started 20 years ago in college with a strat copy, gave up after 18 months having made very little progress.

Purchased my first bass 2 months ago and am loving it... I've got a lot to learn though.

KsToaDangr · #8 11-30-2010, 10:54 PM

played around with guitars for a few years when i was a kid before realizing that most of what i liked playing was actually the bass lines. got a cheap bass from my mom for christmas and now i only play guitar occasionaly to write something.

**jmattbassplaya** · #9 11-30-2010, 11:01 PM

I was going to be a guitarist, but then the dang guitar broke lol. I wanted to try bass on for size so I bought one with the money it would of cost me to fix the guitar I had. I wouldn't say I never looked back, but I definitely haven't given guitar as much attention ever since then. I'm definitely a decent enough guitarist, but I prefer bass.

Martin89 · #10 11-30-2010, 11:01 PM

I started on guitar and still enjoy playing it very much. I'm probably just below average when it comes to rhythm guitar(my fingers are double-jointed which makes some chord changes difficult) and average or a little better on riffs/lead(Most of my buddies will take lead though, and I'll take rhythm). I actually picked up bass to fill a need for a church band, and fell in love with the freedom. To me it's like being a rhythm guitarist who also gets to solo most of the song(while maintaining the groove of course). I love being a driving force and adding a lot of color to the mix. I think I will primarily be a bass player for a good time. I also enjoy the ability to slap/pop, fingerstyle, and pick. I only pick on guitar.

Right now I'm trying to be a drummer and learning how to multi-task more/lock in rhythms...

somegeezer · #11 11-30-2010, 11:01 PM

I started by wanting to play guitar. Never knew what a bass even was! But I never did actually pick up the guitar first. Bass was my first real instrument [I'd learnt to play piano and steel pans before then] and then I played kit for a while on top of that. It was only after that when I dabbled in some guitar. Still not very good at it either. I play a few basic chords. Those tiny strings feel like they'll break under my bassist hands.

sonic assassin · #12 12-01-2010, 12:09 AM

im fairly proficient at both. ive played both in bands. ill write for both. not a big deal to me. i see 6 little strings, i think one way, i see 5 big ones, i start listening for a kick drum. no biggie.

jollygiantchris · #13 12-01-2010, 01:21 AM

I play guitar a bit. Do the vast majority of my songwriting on guitar too. I'm O K at guitar but I play really weird. Mostly downtuned riffy type stuff. Not really much of a chord guy. I'm one of those 5 chord/palm muting/tremelo picking metal type guys. W/e though its fun.

Makes you a better bass player.

CaptainWampum · #14 12-01-2010, 01:45 AM

I started off as a bass player, and I still am a player of that instrument first and foremost, but I play guitar in another band. For me, it's all about whatever makes the right noise in whatever context you're in. I just consider myself a musician/artist/pretentiously vague title/etc at this point.

**lowendfriend** · #15 12-01-2010, 02:07 AM

I actually started as an acoustic guitar and banjo player in the 60's.

My friends in the band said,"Hey we need a bass player" and the "difference" appealed to me and I switched.

Jon_West · #16 12-01-2010, 02:21 AM

Never been interested in playing guitar at all. When I was in middle school (around grade 6, I think) all I could think of was playing bass.
Spent up until the end of highschool when I finally picked up bass after learning all that time on trombone.

I now wish I started when I had the urge (although, I AM glad I played (still play) trombone for all those years).

Absentia · #17 12-01-2010, 02:48 AM

NEVAH!
Guitars sound so girlie.

It's the difference between having a turkey sandwich and a steak IMO.

Always bass, been thinking about guitar just to learn but that hasn't happened yet.

spaz21387 · #18 12-01-2010, 02:55 AM

I had started on the guitar at the age of 13 owned a guitar for a good 2 weeks till I went to guitar center and played my first bass. Fell in love with the bass and sold the guitar and bought a bass very soon after. I never even thought about playing guitar till my buddys band needed a guitarist. I have been playing guitar for them for about a year now. I still prefer the bass.

Lambic · #19 12-01-2010, 03:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kreider204

I tried classical guitar for a couple of years, never got much further than simple tunes. I've never tried to play electric guitar too seriously - it just never felt right.

Same here. I tried to reach a level on a guitar that would allow me to accompaign simple things, something I used to do on the piano. But a piano being a cumbersome instrument, I wanted a smaller instrument for that task. On top of the classical guitar, I even bought an Epiphone Emperor Regent! Having bought some guitar books at Amazon, their "tag" system erroneously made them mail me a BASS guitar book title, and I was just curious to know how bassist actually play the lines I had been playing on the piano for decades. Trying those out on the lower strings of my classical guitar for about two weeks, I decided to get myself a Fender Jazz. And six months later the fretless version, same finish.

nealpolitan · #20 12-01-2010, 03:15 AM

I started on guitar 20 years ago and only picked up bass 7-8 years ago because a friend asked if I'd like to join a band as a bass player (they were desperate). Now I play about 60% bass and the rest guitar. When I practice, I find it easier to pick up my old Gibson J-45 acoustic than to go pick up a bass. And after practicing a few bass lines on guitar, I get bored and start playing songs. This probably explains my sub-par bass skills.