Is electric bass a guitar ?

[Plectrum72]

Soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, baritone saxophone, bass saxophone. Just because you can play one well doesn't mean you can swap to the next without a little learning curve in both functionality and role. Also doesn't mean you can't be good on more than one. Each has its own role in music, but they are all still saxophones. I feel the same way about ukulele, guitar, and bass; variations of the same instrument with different roles.

 

[J-Bass RMR]

Historically, the viol family was distinct from the violin family

Excellent!
Well, I'm pretty sure they are ALL stringed instruments! (they're all chickens!)

It implies that if you know how to play guitar you somehow know how to play bass.

I also play Acoustic Bass - both Acoustic Upright Bass and Acoustic Bass Guitar. (how else would I differentiate the latter?) Sometime I amplify them, sometimes I don't.
However, just because I can play one does not automatically imply that I could play, or teach the other.
While I'm at it, I also have an EUB (always amplified).

Just sounds like another case of a Bass player hurting a guitar players feelings!

Y'all got too much free time

+1. Actually, just a much needed distraction!

 

[TheReceder]

Just imagine.... bass players all over the world are contemplating some of the most life altering questions all at the same time. Is a bass... a guitar...?
How many people are sitting reading this going.. wow... this is either really deep... or I'm being held upside down by my ankles.

 

[Mvilmany]

It's a BASS GUITAR.

End of discussion.

 

[TheReceder]

Excellent!
Well, I'm pretty sure they are ALL stringed instruments! (they're all chickens!)

I also play Acoustic Bass - both Acoustic Upright Bass and Acoustic Bass Guitar. (how else would I differentiate the latter?) Sometime I amplify them, sometimes I don't.
However, just because I can play one does not automatically imply that I could play, or teach the other.
While I'm at it, I also have an EUB (always amplified).

Just sounds like another case of a Bass player hurting a guitar players feelings!

+1. Actually, just a much needed distraction!

If you're playing an upright bass while sitting down... does it become a sit down bass?

 

[bass4u]

I prefer the term "Electric Bass".. consider this, does any one call a Ukulele an "Ukulele guitar"?

 

[bobba66]

Yes.

 

[Jazz Ad]

I feel naming bass a guitar or rather giving it a guitar status leads to misconceptions that go beyond that.
It implies that if you know how to play guitar you somehow know how to play bass.

Uh, no.
It implies that the instrument belongs to the guitar family because of its construction, tuning, frets and shape.

The rest of your implications derives directly from an inferiority complex shared by many bass players.
Moreso nobody and I mean REALLY nobody cares. There are many guitarists who can play a mean bass and a lot of guitar instructors will be able to teach you bass just fine.
Oppositely, flamenco guitar teachers are rarely good at teaching metal techniques on electric guitars.
It's all music and bass playing is a skill amongst others that is neither incorporated into nor antinomic to guitar playing.

 

[bass4u]

Years ago when I taking lessons for Double Bass my teacher stated, " If you play an electric bass with a pick you are a bass guitarist, if you play with your fingers you
are an electric bassist"........

 

[knight of ni]

The rest of your implications derives directly from an inferiority complex shared by many bass players.

I don't think so (even though it can be that and I refuse to admit it) if only because the kind of music I listen to/play recognise bass. It's just that when I see for example improper teaching of bass just because "it's a guitar" I think it should not be like that.

 

[LBS-bass]

It is a guitar designed to play notes in the bass register. There's no functional difference other than that; it's even traditionally tuned the same. However, due to the nature of its place in the orchestral palette, and the general size of the fingerboard and strings, it is often played using a different technique than a regular guitar.

A violin, viola, cello and double bass are all similar instruments, but are not played the same due to their size and musical roles.

 

[Jazz Ad]

I don't think so (even though it can be that and I refuse to admit it) if only because the kind of music I listen to/play recognise bass.

It's tempting to see irony in this sentence. Without at least a slight interiority complex, why would it matter if bass gets recognition? I'm about making great music, not great bass.

It's just that when I see for example improper teaching of bass just because "it's a guitar" I think it should not be like that.

From the top of my head, I think all guitar techniques apply to bass. Would you have an example of the improper teachning you're talking about?

 

[J-Bass RMR]

Let me summarize – when asked:

What kind of bass do you play? I play stringed basses.

String Bass? Yes, String Bass too.

You mean Upright Bass? Yes ,I also have an Electric Upright.

Electric? Yes, and Electric Bass Guitar as well.

Bass Guitar? Yes, I have an Acoustic Bass guitar.

Do those Bass Guitars have 4 strings? Some of mine have 5

Isn't that almost like a guitar then? No - mine don't have frets.

 

[saabfender]

I prefer the term "Electric Bass".. consider this, does any one call a Ukulele an "Ukulele guitar"?

If you google "little Hawaiian guitar" guess what comes up. That's right: ukuleles. After considering the idea, you've countered your argument.

"Electric bass" just sounds old-fashioned and not sufficiently descriptive. The old Rhodes thing Ray Manzarek played could be considered an "electric bass."

 

[madbass6]

Obviously since it looks like a guitar it should be one, or that's what wikipedia says. But apart from somewhat sterile instrument family trees, I feel naming bass a guitar or rather giving it a guitar status leads to misconceptions that go beyond that.
It implies that if you know how to play guitar you somehow know how to play bass. That if you teach guitar you should somehow know how to teach bass.
I feel this is wrong, I mean the closest instrument I feel bass is related to is double bass not guitar ! If I get a second instrument it will be EUB for sure. I actually created some problems at the (small) music school where I get instruction because I asked the violin teacher (also a bassist) for instruction and not the guitar teacher, who is supposed to be in charge of bass instruction but not himself a bassist... and plays bass like a guitar (you know what I mean).

One point maybe in favour of electric bass not really belonging to a guitar family is that it is often played fretless whereas fretless guitars are (very ?) uncommon, in fact the very definition of a guitar states that it is fretted.

Sorry if the subject has been discussed before, it is obviously quite difficult to search forums based on "bass guitar" keyword.

Opinions anyone ?

I must admit when i first read the the title of this posting first thing that came to my mind was , here we go again another dumm ass question forum! but then as I read thru it i realized wow,!! you actually have a good point! I've seen guitar players think they can play Bass just cause the title the instrument says Bass "GUITAR"! wish is why its always a good idea when hiring a Bass instructor to always make sure the guy is an actual Bass instructor and not a guitar player trying to teach bass! regarding the initial question, in my opinion an electric Bass should be called just that, "electric Bass!" leave the guitar part of it out!

 

[BMGecko]

But doesn't the ukelele family derive from a non-guitar instrument from Portugal in the lure family? Yup.

Wouldn't calling it a "little Hawaiian guitar" actually be a disservice to its history, lineage, function, etc...? Yup.

 

[EatS1stBassist]

Obviously since it looks like a guitar it should be one, or that's what wikipedia says. But apart from somewhat sterile instrument family trees, I feel naming bass a guitar or rather giving it a guitar status leads to misconceptions that go beyond that.
It implies that if you know how to play guitar you somehow know how to play bass. That if you teach guitar you should somehow know how to teach bass.
I feel this is wrong, I mean the closest instrument I feel bass is related to is double bass not guitar ! If I get a second instrument it will be EUB for sure. I actually created some problems at the (small) music school where I get instruction because I asked the violin teacher (also a bassist) for instruction and not the guitar teacher, who is supposed to be in charge of bass instruction but not himself a bassist... and plays bass like a guitar (you know what I mean).

One point maybe in favour of electric bass not really belonging to a guitar family is that it is often played fretless whereas fretless guitars are (very ?) uncommon, in fact the very definition of a guitar states that it is fretted.

Sorry if the subject has been discussed before, it is obviously quite difficult to search forums based on "bass guitar" keyword.

Opinions anyone ?

The Precision was/is the
"Electric Bass"

 

[Lee Moses]

An electric guitar is just a treble electric bass.

 

[Jazz Ad]

But doesn't the ukelele family derive from a non-guitar instrument from Portugal in the lure family? Yup.

Wouldn't calling it a "little Hawaiian guitar" actually be a disservice to its history, lineage, function, etc...? Yup.

The cavaquinhos you're probably refering to is, for all practical purposes, a small 4 string guitar.

 

[Jazz Ad]

An electric guitar is just a treble electric bass.

The guitar is actually a barytone instrument.