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Guitarist gone bass...
- Thread starter bomofiglio
- Start date
Interesting article. Although his definition of "walking bass" makes him sound a little goofy.
I guess he heard the term once, and assumed it meant "let your fingers do the walking."
Since you played guitar first, you already know how to play bass in principle. Just lose the two strings. I think that if you learn the 4 finger right hand technique first, it will be similar in principle to playing guitar first. Just lose the two fingers. I agree with the 'purists' that bass is a different animal. But thank god for people like Billy Sheehan, Jeff Berlin, even Steve Harris, who decided to play bass GUITAR. And I love the Fenderbird with a pick! Be a Rebel of the Dark Side. Then the purists will read threads about YOU.
You don't need to pluck with multiple fingers to be a great bass player. James Jamerson used one finger! Watch carefully, you can see his technique the few times the camera is on him:
Four fingers, three, two, one, pick... whatever. The only thing I can add is that you need to learn basics before you start trying advanced stuff---not that I think 4 plucking fingers is an advanced thing, I personally think it's a jackoff; but whatever floats your boat.
Anyway, start off learning to play with two fingers primarily and three for triplets. And once you're proficient in that, then learn slap technique. Learning how to slap and pop will benefit you as a bassist far more than that four finger thing. If you can finger with 2 and 3 fingers and slap and pop proficiently, then pretty much any style of music is open to you on bass guitar. That whole goofy 4 finger thing is just that--goofy. It's not neccessary to playing any kind of music that I can think of. But at some point a few years down the road if you still want to do it and you have the time, then go ahead. But I suspect that at that point you'll see the pointlesseness of 4 finger plucking.
Walk before you run.
Anyway, start off learning to play with two fingers primarily and three for triplets. And once you're proficient in that, then learn slap technique. Learning how to slap and pop will benefit you as a bassist far more than that four finger thing. If you can finger with 2 and 3 fingers and slap and pop proficiently, then pretty much any style of music is open to you on bass guitar. That whole goofy 4 finger thing is just that--goofy. It's not neccessary to playing any kind of music that I can think of. But at some point a few years down the road if you still want to do it and you have the time, then go ahead. But I suspect that at that point you'll see the pointlesseness of 4 finger plucking.
Walk before you run.
First off, welcome to the world of real men! Just kidding, but once you get hooked on bass, guitars seem a little (make that alot) wimpy! I started out, many years ago, using 3 fingers, and it has worked really well so far. Most songs need only two, but some of the quicker ones need three, so don't get stuck on the idea that only one technique will work. Even picks work great for alot of stuff, so I put a few in my pocket just to have handy. By the way, back in the punk days, when things got a little nasty, a bass is a much more formidable weapon than a guitar........take it from me!
Welcome. First off, bass is way cooler than guitar. 
I play both and I have been playing guitar for longer, but playing bass has more feeling, IMO.
As for worrying about all of this technique... yes, it's great to know. But, more importantly, you need to learn to play with feeling and soul. Groove as they say. I just saw Victor Wooten play last week (one of the best bassists in the world) and, for the most part, he only used his thumb, index and middle finger. He was able to do plenty (the underexaggeration of the decade). There are bassists who play with all five fingers (Abe Laboriel comes to mind). But, that's pretty rare. I use four fingers. My pinky is too short to comfortably play with it. I played classical guitar too, so I learned with those 4 fingers. But, most importantly, do what's comfortable. Don't get caught up in doing what others do. Take ideas from different people, but don't take them as right or wrong. There are a million ways to skin a cat, find the one that works for you.
Groove is the answer my friend.
I play both and I have been playing guitar for longer, but playing bass has more feeling, IMO.As for worrying about all of this technique... yes, it's great to know. But, more importantly, you need to learn to play with feeling and soul. Groove as they say. I just saw Victor Wooten play last week (one of the best bassists in the world) and, for the most part, he only used his thumb, index and middle finger. He was able to do plenty (the underexaggeration of the decade). There are bassists who play with all five fingers (Abe Laboriel comes to mind). But, that's pretty rare. I use four fingers. My pinky is too short to comfortably play with it. I played classical guitar too, so I learned with those 4 fingers. But, most importantly, do what's comfortable. Don't get caught up in doing what others do. Take ideas from different people, but don't take them as right or wrong. There are a million ways to skin a cat, find the one that works for you.
Groove is the answer my friend.
Ric5
Inactive
- Jan 29, 2008
- 29,772
- 30,452
- Disclosures
- I like 5, 8, 10, and 12 string basses
Guitarist gone bass...
Welcome to the dark side ...
Guitarists play pretty melodies and sweet chords ... But us bass players keep our instruments locked up in dungeonous basements away from women and children. When we play everything rattles. We make grinding, growling, noises and create frequencies that are so low they are on the low threshold of our hearing, but everyone feels them. We don't dare play chords for fear of knocking the planets out of alignment.
Seriously ... learn how the play as many styles and methods as you can. Learn to pick a bass, and thumb pluck, slap, plus look at the way Entwistle and Geddy play the bass.
Welcome to the dark side ...
Guitarists play pretty melodies and sweet chords ... But us bass players keep our instruments locked up in dungeonous basements away from women and children. When we play everything rattles. We make grinding, growling, noises and create frequencies that are so low they are on the low threshold of our hearing, but everyone feels them. We don't dare play chords for fear of knocking the planets out of alignment.
Seriously ... learn how the play as many styles and methods as you can. Learn to pick a bass, and thumb pluck, slap, plus look at the way Entwistle and Geddy play the bass.
Can I recommend a DVD? It's Victor Wooten's Groove Workshop. I think EVERY bass player should watch it. I really wish I had seen this years ago. It has totally revolutionized the way I view bass playing. He is a phenomenal bass player and a great teacher. It's not going to teach tab stuff and scales that you use, but perfect fundamentals. It will be the best $40 you can spend.
