Do you play the boring guitar?

[cmgkhn]

The term bass in this post refers to the basses in general (electric, acoustic, double...) and guitar refers to well, other 'regular' guitars (electric, acoustic, classical...)

It is a simple question, do you play the regular boring guitar or do you only play THE BASS?

To the people who only play the bass, did you or do you ever feel like you should also learn to play the guitar? If so, when do you feel this?

Do you think it is important for a bass player to be able to play other instruments well or is it enough to know the basics of them?

(P.s: I don't actually think that guitar is boring, it is just a joke)

 

[bound'n'blocked]

I played guitar for a long time before switching to bass, and then I didnt play any guitar at all for years. Over the past few months I've been hanging my guitars/basses in my "man cave" and have been trying to get some guitar time back in. I wouldn't say I "play guitar" though, I bang around on one a lot.

BnB

 

[InternetAlias]

I play guitar for recording purposes.

But that also means shredding because I record metal.

So yes, I play the boring guitar, but I try to make sure the effect isn't boring!

 

[RustyAxe]

Piano since 1960-1 ... guitar (solo acoustic finger style, jazz, and more) and bass (electric, upright, acoustic/electric) since 1967. I think it's important for any musician to have an understanding of theory (whether intuitive or formally learned) and strongly feel that the bass (and any monophonic instrument, for that matter) is not conducive to that without a LOT of pedantic learning. I doubt a shredding, self-taught guitarist would have much to share in this regard with a competent bassist. So, yeah, learning another instrument might be beneficial, but it depends which and WHAT one learns.

Over the years, though, I've played MANY more gigs on bass than on keys or guitar. Not sure why, exactly, but bass players (especially those who can sing) are always in demand. I do get recording sessions on all three, though, sometimes on the same song.

 

[el jeffe bass]

I am a much better guitarist than bassist but consider myself a bassist/utility guy.

 

[Killed_by_Death]

Folks like to complain about how some people say guitar is more difficult than bass guitar, but for me it definitely was.
I got tired of back-sliding every time I took a few days off.

With bass, I hadn't played for months & when I picked one up again it was just like it ever was.
Recently I picked up a guitar after not having played one all Summer & I was dreadful & TBH I wondered why I'd ever tried at all!

 

[JRA]

do you play the regular boring guitar or do you only play THE BASS?

i don't play the boring guitar but i have some arranging style chops on the stupid piano and i used to have playing chops on the goofy woodwinds.

 

[Jeff Scott]

Do you play the boring guitar?

Ugh! Not even in jest.

 

[PWRL]

I can play guitar, and I try to keep in practice, but I've always vastly preferred the bass. The funny thing is that I know so many guitar players, that I've always just naturally wound up being the bass player, which is fine with me. People have to usually pry it out of my hands if we're going to do some jam where we all switch instruments or something. If I could just hole up in a house somewhere and be a bass player and have people just stop by with food and coffee and toilet paper, I would probably be pretty happy.

 

[oZZma]

I answered
"No, bass is my one and only love."
But only because there is not an option for drums. Sometimes i try to play drums and i LOVE it.

 

[JimmyM]

Not exactly in the same league with guitar as my bass playing, but of course I play it. Why wouldn't anyone want to play multiple instruments?

 

[cmgkhn]

I answered
"No, bass is my one and only love."
But only because there is not an option for drums. Sometimes i try to play drums and i LOVE it.

I just wanted to know about the guitar preference, that's why I didn't put other instruments

 

[Jeff Scott]

...there is not an option for drums. Sometimes i try to play drums and i LOVE it.

I haven't done so in several years, but this afternoon I was visiting a guitarist friend who recently bought a drum set on a whim. I did pretty well, actually.

 

[oZZma]

I haven't done so in several years, but this afternoon I was visiting a guitarist friend who recently bought a drum set on a whim. I did pretty well, actually.

drums are soooo satisfying! I tried different instruments at least for a short time (guitar, synth...) but I think the "physical" feeling of bass and drums is something incomparable I could not do without
These are the only ones I really enjoy playing

 

[BtaylorTheRogue]

I like the campfire answer, but my real answer is “Anyway here’s ‘Wonderwall’ by Oasis”

 

[jjmuckluckjr]

Hell, I’ve been known to play boring bass!
I come from the old DIY (do it yourself) punk school. I could always bash away on guitar with barre chords. It was only way later I bothered to try different chords. Which proved challenging given my ham fists and sausage fingers. But, learning those patterns tying music theory to practical fretboard applications. Bass and guitar are the ying/yang of contemporary music. It makes sense to learn the basics.

Paraphrasing John Lennon (via Jack Nicholson in “The Departed”), “Give me a tuba, and I’ll get some music out of it!”

I’m probably wrong but I don’t know of a lot of virtuosos with both instruments. Say like a Hendrix/Entwhistle combo. The closest I can recall is Michael Rutherford from Genesis, or maybe Greg Lake from ELP. Dated, I know. Anyone have any others?

 

[Marc DLarosa]

Same as basses...
I keep a ton of them (guitars) around. I can't play a guitar very well. Actually... not very good at all.
But, I will say this...
As a songwriter/producer of some pretty "out there" stuff... 6 strings sometimes help with "block", and open doors that 4, or 5 strings get stuck knocking on, and take Me in a FUN direction with bass, as I'm forced (by Myself) to create something unusual, and new, to FIT. So, it is neat to challenge myself.
Also, having nice guitars, makes it easier to entice My more talented, less fortunate friends, to play on my stuff.
My favorite, is when they say... "what is that chord? Show it to Me." My usual response is... "I don't know, I think that I made it up, because it sounded right." Then I say... "Now, can you please play it better, or more accurate.?"
It's a BLAST!!!
So.... do I play guitar? Nope. Do I use it as a tool? ABSOLUTELY. But... only in front of my guitar player buddies, who don't ridicule Me, and UNDERSTAND why I make many feeble attempts.

I'm so happy, and lucky to know these guys.

On the other hand... I bought one of these. Still trying to get good at it. Wish Me luck!!!

 

[Nev375]

I own a really valuable, rare and interesting guitar. It's not boring at all. But I rarely even attempt to play it.

I also own an experimental hybrid 9-string octave bass vi-type instrument that I dabble with quite a lot.

So carrots?

 

[mmon77]

I started on guitar, got a bass for recording purposes, and ended up playing it in bands.

These days I play both about equally, but bass is the only one I gig.

I can also play a little banjo, and I'm trying to learn to play the accordion, but it's very slow going for me.

 

[dxb]

I play boring guitar, except when I tune in all fourths which is exciting as f#@k.