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Does anyone think guitar is harder than bass?

#41
guy n. cognito said:
I'm not angry at all. You're making an argument, based on nothing more than your own, jaded opinion, and I'm poking fun at you. I'm merely stating my opinion. Given your view on bass playing and it's simplicity, you obviously don't think much of it. What does that say about you? Obviously, I'm now hitting a nerve..... To me, it says something about a musician when he comes out and says that he picked an instrument simply because it was easier. I would think the same thing about any professional that does their job simply because it's easier than some other job. You made the tamborine comparison, not me. Again, who's being insulting.

Your argument that bass is simpler than guitar is insulting to the rest of the bassists out there who have spent years trying to master their instrument. Sure, there are bassists out there willing to stick to the basics, but there are plenty of guitarists willing to do the same.
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Oh dear. We're taking stabs again. the fact that you seem so threatened by someone saying "bass is easier" tells me more about you, than what you think my stating the same says about me. I don't feel insulted if someone tells me bass is easier. I know where I stand as a bass player. I know the comittment I have to playing bass. I have a realistic of view of what I can and can't do. I feel really good about my playing, and I work every single day at being the absolute bes I can be at what I do.

This really is silly. You are going to continue believing what you believe, and i am going to keep believing what I believe, and in the long run - it doesn't matter one bit. Perhaps you're right. Bass isn't easier. Perhaps I'm just a pathetic little boy lacking in self confidence and suffering from extreme low self esteem. Poor me.

I'll quit this thread now (if I can :)) but want to just clarify - I struggled with guitar. When I picked up bass it came naturally. After about a year of playing I realized this is was I was born to do. I grew up loving motown and it wasn't cuz of the fancy guitar parts.
 
#42
Joe Nerve said:
- I struggled with guitar. When I picked up bass it came naturally. After about a year of playing I realized this is was I was born to do.
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Cool, and clearly you're not alone out there in this regard.

But it says nothing about the inherent difficulty of an instrument. All it means is that bass came more easily *to you, Joe Nerve*. Which suggests basically that you, Joe Nerve, are playing the instrument you should be playing, and really no more than that. Which, again, is cool.
 
#43
Richard Lindsey said:
Cool, and clearly you're not alone out there in this regard.

But it says nothing about the inherent difficulty of an instrument. All it means is that bass came more easily *to you, Joe Nerve*. Which suggests basically that you, Joe Nerve, are playing the instrument you should be playing, and really no more than that. Which, again, is cool.
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Bingo. Some people just fit different instruments better. It doesn't mean one is easier than the other, or that musicians that choose on instrument are less talented than another.

Here's something else to think about: how much respect would you have for your dentist if he told you "hey, I became a dentist because it's easier than being a md"? Or if your general practicioner said "hey, it was easier than becoming a surgeon." I personally find it hard to respect someone professionally when they define themselves by what they found too difficult.
 
#44
guy n. cognito said:
I personally find it hard to respect someone professionally when they define themselves by what they found too difficult.
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I'm glad then that you play bass because it is difficult for you. Sorry, but it does happen to come easily to me. :)

The more I think about what you said the less sense it makes? Someone should persue what they struggle with???? And NOT do what comes naturally? I really gotta get outta this thread. What started as fun is really starting to bug me for some reason and I have more important things to do. Like play my bass. And I mean it.
 
#45
joe nerve is right about a lot of people defending "their" instrument. It's a natural human rationalization to defend things you're associated with.
I'd say, for an absolute beginner, guitar is quite a bit harder to get started on. Using 2 fingers on bass with very large string gaps is a lot more natural than the motion it takes to get picking under control.
To master the instrument? It's pretty much the same I'd say. It seems harder to play guitar because their music is generally technically more complicated and difficult, but you have to take into account that those kinds of things are very difficult to play on bass, so you have to grade on a curve, per se
 
#46
OMG, you guys are something.

I AM A GUITARIST who is quiet good at playing the ol "Git Box" and I have recently taken up bass as well.


I am SO SICK AND TIRED of what is easier to play.

NO INSTRUSTMENT IS EASY TO PLAY. I play guitar and guitar can be easy to play, especially i if your playing a bunch of power chords in a I, IV, V, chord progression which MOST beginner do and ya know what it is no different on bass either!

However, both instruments can me tough IF ya wanna be
a damn good musician!

I have been playing guitar for 10 years and I play pretty darn good for a chick. When I switched over to bass I developed caleous (can't spell) that I never developed on guitar, and I play lead guitar and bend strings as well.

Sure, a guitarist can play bass? However, they sound like **** cause they don't know how to count rhythm to save there lives and they can't groove either.

I had a friend who is a beginner guitarist and thought guitar was hard to play and switched over to bass and guess what? He couldn't cut it as a bassist either...

No instrument is easy to play, phsyically or mentally if you wanna be a good.

Sorry to sound so mean, but if bass is easy for you then swith over to guitar what can I say and this is comming from a guitarist. I'd be happy to jam with you as well...

I am glad I can play both and I REALLY love bass as much I love guitar.

Seriously, these thread are a waste of time because they don't accomplish anything, but anger. I wanna learn more about bass not debate which instrument is easier to play!

And seriously, I feel like a horses ass to respond to this thread, but I felt as a guitarist who also has fallen in love with bass it is good to hear both sides from some who plays both instruments...

Greekbassist!
 
#47
Bryan R. Tyler said:
Again, you're talking about the difficulties of music, not the instruments. Give a newcomer a six-string bass and have him try to play the same two open chords. Give a newcomer a guitar and have him play the same entire simple song playing the bass part. Which is easier then? It's the music that's harder, not the instrument.
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I see what you're saying, but you have to take into account the music you'll play. Otherwise, it's like saying "my car is harder to drive, therefore I am better", even though you only drive to the grocerie store twice a week.

It really depends on what you are going to do with the instrument. If you want to play lead bass speed metal or something, then yeah, it will be damned hard. If you're just going to play some slow blues or something, then that's not so hard. Same for a guitar. Are you going to be a shredder? Or only play simple Country songs?
 
#48
Joe Nerve said:
...I really gotta get outta this thread. What started as fun is really starting to bug me for some reason and I have more important things to do. Like play my bass. And I mean it.
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Like I started to say before - something should bother you about what happens when you make unqualified, dogmatic, blanket-statements just to 'have fun' with people like that.

It's inflamatory. Hey - I told everyone your were just messin' with'em, but they kept taking your bait anyway!

Anyway - it's way too easy to stir-up consternation or whatever in a discussion forum community like this. I think we should be generally mature-enough to agree to try to be respectful and wise in our statements - and, more-importantly, those of us who are wise- and mature- enough to be able to identify a generally-'invalid' proclimation like that, shouldn't take the bait!

Joe
 
#51
Actually, who cares?

I imagine playing a violin is probably harder at all levels than playing an electric bass, for most people. It is tiny, there are no frets, it is bowed, and you hold it up under your chin.

For that matter, playing an upright bass is probably harder at all levels than playing an electric bass.

So is climbing mountains, walking on tightropes, rebuilding antique cars and about a zillion other activities.

None of that makes much of a difference to me since I prefer playing my electric bass to all of those activities.

This topic is a lot like " oh yeah, well my dad can beat up your dad" or some such grade school mentality.
 
#52
its silly to say bass is easier to master than guitar. this is first of all assuming that there is a level at which you can consider yourself master. Someone who is a master of a given instrument will have learned everything there is possibly to know about playing bass or guitar. EVERYTHING. If you still have one thing yet to learn, you're not a master, you're still a student. Jaco, Wooten, Entwistle, none of them are masters. They still have/had things to learn.

Really, I think the difficulty involved in becoming compenent with an instrument has to do with how much you practice and how much you enjoy it. I can play both guitar and bass, and I think they're difficult in their own rights. Barre chords are hard on guitar, but playing something funky isn't very easy.
 
#55
DumbChild said:
I think ( i said think) its safe to say guitar is probably a little harder. However bass is very importent nevertheless and neither should be looked down upon because the other is harder or easier, less fun or whatever. Every second person is a guitarist, i think bass is special.
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that brings up an interesting point. if bass is so much easier, how come its so hard for most bands to find a bassist? or a drummer?
the drums don't even have ANY strings!!!
 
#57
A lot of stupid people cannot define harder properly here. Sure, it'd be pretty hard to do 7 hand tapping on a twelve string double thumbing the bassline at the same time, but then again no one actually does this. And (for a note) no one actually listens to "ERB" solo basses anyway.

The (commonly used) techniques like slapping and fingerstyle are much easier than string skipping, sweeps and tremelo picking on a guitar. It will take years on a guitar to master this, however slapping and fingerstyle are up to a good standard within 8 months of playing (at least for me). The thing is, yes bass can be as hard as you make it, but in general it IS easier to play bass than guitar in a modern music situation. End of story.
 
#60
Dammit! Got sucked back in....

mothmonsterman said:
my guitar players are quite good at guitar but suck at bass.
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and i'd bet any amount of money if they hung up their guitars and played the bass intead within a month they'd do fine - within a year they'd kick butt. if a guitarist never picks up a bass and then tries to jam with a band he's gonna probably sound like crap - but I guarantee he'd be able to bang a song out. if however a bassist that never played guitar was asked to bang out a song on guitar it would be virtually impossible. coudn't be done. get it yet guys? it would take a bass player a book or a lesson, and a week sitting in his house. a guitarist can be taught a song on bass in 5 minutes.

I know, "Oh yeah! I wanna see my bassist play Jaco in 5 minutes...!" Just quit it already. Throw the towel in, check your ego at the door. It's got nothing to do with how talented or smart you are. It's not going to hurt you or the world of bass players to simply admit that bass is an easier intrument to play than guitar. I can't believe you all invest so much in protecting the idea that it's not.

And I do think it's an important and releveant quastion. Not silly at all. It's important because I believe it can help someone just starting out to make a choice based on what his/her goals and skills are. If someone has no talent, brains, commitment or whatever he stands a way better chance at being a successful bassist than guitarist. Sid proved that.

Answer this question; a rehash on something I already said in this thread: You have 2 days to teach a student who never touched a bass or a guitar to play 5 songs in a punk band and if he's solid enough to get the gig, you're going to get a $100,000 reward for the work you put in. Think about it and don't BS yourself or us! If you say you'd choose to teach them guitar, then sorry, but I think you're either a liar or insane. If you chose bass it's because it's an easier instrument to play. And deep down you know it. I dont care about asthetics, being a great player, having the bass player vibe, feel, whatever you want to throw into the mix to not admit this.
 

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