I need some help

On a 4 string....Its the same bottom 4 tunings as on your guitar, but one octave down. How hard can that be?

Being tuned in 4ths, any added string lower or higher is really a pattern or reach effort question. Go for the 6.

 

It's a lot like being used to driving a Ferrari and then hopping into a big ol' Ford F350. Same principle, just a different technique.

A four string would probably be easier to learn the basics, but in the end it all comes down to what you want to do with it.

 

I was a guitar player once, then I got help....


Seriously, you have some advantages if you know your way around the fretboard on a guitar, because it will all transfer over to the bass. You do have to treat as a different instrument though, its not a guitar with lower notes. You would probably have to really learn how to play rhythmically. But you do have a headstart.

As far as how many strings, I went straight from a guitar to a 6 string bass. I don't recommend it. Stick with 4 or 5 strings to start. If you find it limiting, you can move up later. But, the last thing you need when learning the fundamentals of groove and holding down the bottom end is skinny strings to play high notes and chords with. You can do almost anything on a 4 string and its probably the best way to start, but if you like to play with alternate or low tunings you can get a 5 and not have to retune for every other song.

 

I'd also recommend starting on a 4 or a 5. A 4 is roughly the same thickness as a 6 string guitar. When I started out on bass, I wanted to hold the bass like the guitar, which made a 5 and a 6 uncomfortable. Once I got my form down, a 6 ain't so bad.

 

learn on a four, a five if you really want to push it. i think if you're transitioning from guitar, the neck of a six-string bass might be too massive.