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Is bass your best instrument?
- Thread starter Fingerpickingood
- Start date
Bass is my best by and far, in the past I also have giggled on guitar, keys and drums.
In order of what I play best:
1. Bass
2. Bass pedals
3. Vocals
4. Guitar (6 & 12 string)
5. Saxophone (Alto, Tenor and Baritone)
6. Piano
1. Bass
2. Bass pedals
3. Vocals
4. Guitar (6 & 12 string)
5. Saxophone (Alto, Tenor and Baritone)
6. Piano
"Best?" I'm not so sure. "Only", it's definitely the only instrument I play.
I don't understand the question.......
I don't understand the question.......
Guitar is my best instrument. Fortunately for everyone else, and unfortunately for me, I happen to own a bass and play it well. So well, I recently bought a new amp with the intent of playing with other bands (don't tell my current band).
My musical ego is enough that I believe I can outplay every guitarist that's played in my band, I just don't put my money into the gear that they do. I'm pretty certain no one wants a guitarist that uses a $100 guitar through a Fender Princeton Chorus amp with a speaker repaired with scotch tape.
I would love to return to guitar just to free me from the responsibilities of maintaining a groove and locking in with the drummer. I know others enjoy it, but that definitely relies on being with a good drummer. Let's just believe I'd rather play guitar again.
I'm more than certain if I returned to guitar, I'll have remorse and want to play bass again. This is why I really hope the next band I'm in, everyone is an accomplished multi-instrumentalist one way or another.
My musical ego is enough that I believe I can outplay every guitarist that's played in my band, I just don't put my money into the gear that they do. I'm pretty certain no one wants a guitarist that uses a $100 guitar through a Fender Princeton Chorus amp with a speaker repaired with scotch tape.
I would love to return to guitar just to free me from the responsibilities of maintaining a groove and locking in with the drummer. I know others enjoy it, but that definitely relies on being with a good drummer. Let's just believe I'd rather play guitar again.
I'm more than certain if I returned to guitar, I'll have remorse and want to play bass again. This is why I really hope the next band I'm in, everyone is an accomplished multi-instrumentalist one way or another.
I have been playing keys for many years, and as most (?) bassists I can fake my way through a tune on guitar. But bass is definitely most fun to play and these days my keyboard skills are mostly used for laying down synth bass grooves, dubbing a bass line or adding a sub drone.
I played 6 instruments over the course of my lifetime, learned to read music on 3 of them, but bass guitar has been the one I've always stuck with.
I play bass, keys, guitar and drums in that order of skill. Really, bass should be WAY out front of those others, but in a pinch I can play some of the rest.
Baritone horn / euphonium is number one followed by bass. Wish I found a rock band that needed a baritone horn player.
I own a guitar that I use for songwriting. I've peen playing it for 10 years or so, so I'm not bad. What I can't do is express myself with it. My skills are just not there, and I am simply not going to put forth the effort to get there. Same as the piano. I can use it for demos, but I'm just playing simple chords. On the bass guitar, after 30 years, I am just about at the point that I can fully express myself on it. What I hear in my head comes through the instrument. Plus, after many years of searching, I feel like I finally have the tone I've always wanted.
There's nothing like that honking sound from a baritone!
I've always been in the position of having the band room at my house, which led to me experimenting on other instruments very early on.
I actually started my musical journey on piano, then guitar, then bass.
I consider myself a bassist first and foremost, but I would say I'm just as good on drums, which I've played around on since the early days, eventually buying my own kit for my home studio.
For recordings, I've always tried my best to not sample an instrument if I can possibly play it for real, so I've collected dozens of things throughout the years. I'm not what I'd call "proficient" on all of them, but I can at least play enough to get by.
All told, I guess I play about a dozen different instruments.
I actually started my musical journey on piano, then guitar, then bass.
I consider myself a bassist first and foremost, but I would say I'm just as good on drums, which I've played around on since the early days, eventually buying my own kit for my home studio.
For recordings, I've always tried my best to not sample an instrument if I can possibly play it for real, so I've collected dozens of things throughout the years. I'm not what I'd call "proficient" on all of them, but I can at least play enough to get by.
All told, I guess I play about a dozen different instruments.
Those can play alright if you know how to tweak them. Otherwise it's an uphill fight to play one. Get a Special 20. Every harp needs a setup, but at least it won't fight you as much out of the box.
At various times I've taken instruction in violin, trumpet, guitar, and bass. Whatever skills I had on the first three have deteriorated to the point of hilarity. As grandpa used to say, "If you don't use it, you lose it." I do love fooling around with small percussion instruments: tambourine, cowbell, shekere, djembe...but what I really want is a Invalid Link Removed.
I've been playing bass for a couple decades. I tried playing guitar a few times but couldn't get my fingers to hold chords in tune and got really frustrated. Bass was my first instrument. Any time I've felt complacent about my development as a bass player, I've picked up another instrument. I find the quicker development of skills that happens early in learning an instrument to be rewarding and encouraging and I miss that when I toil away at being a better bassist with only small gains. So I play a little banjo, not well. I can hold a beat on a drum kit, and people who don't play drums might think I could play them. Any drummer knows I'm a hack but I do enjoy hitting things with sticks. I've recently picked up guitar again (put down the rocks guys!). I kinda understand keyboard. I have a ukulele that's pretty easy to play. I played trombone in grammar school but haven't seen one since then. I doubt any of that lives in me any more.
I've been singing backups in my rockabilly band and finding that I can sing and play at the same time has sparked a fire in me to do the frontman thing so I've been writing a lot, and practicing and working toward starting a project band. I love my bass gig with The Crown Vics and won't be abandoning that, but I'm finding guitar to be rewarding. It's cured my bass gas, as I've paired down my collection to make room for guitar and amp gas. All that said, I spent more than 20 years working on bass. Definitely my strongest instrument. But, picking up a new instrument comes easier, since I have a musical background, and a fair understanding of the roles that instruments play in a band environment.
I've been singing backups in my rockabilly band and finding that I can sing and play at the same time has sparked a fire in me to do the frontman thing so I've been writing a lot, and practicing and working toward starting a project band. I love my bass gig with The Crown Vics and won't be abandoning that, but I'm finding guitar to be rewarding. It's cured my bass gas, as I've paired down my collection to make room for guitar and amp gas. All that said, I spent more than 20 years working on bass. Definitely my strongest instrument. But, picking up a new instrument comes easier, since I have a musical background, and a fair understanding of the roles that instruments play in a band environment.
I play guitar and bass pretty well, having started both in the 70's and maintaining playing both since then. I've played guitar in bands more than I've played bass. I can also play keys, not Wakeman/Emerson keys but can do the major minor chords and some scales. I just like making noise basically 
I'm a better drummer than a bass player, but pretty darn good at both if I do say so myself.
Being a drummer (before I started playing bass) was a huge benefit for me. I had a solid understanding of 'time" how to play ahead/on/behind the beat and poly-rhythmic feel as well.
Being a drummer (before I started playing bass) was a huge benefit for me. I had a solid understanding of 'time" how to play ahead/on/behind the beat and poly-rhythmic feel as well.
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Where... Does one get a setup on a harmonica? I'd like to play more... The current one is in C. Is there a better key to get?
