I have been considering finding a band but right now part of adult student group jam sessions and having fun with that and learning a lot. Some songs the teacher previously taught me and others I am learning on the fly. The later I usually just do single notes and try to get the timing right.
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Is playing bass easy?
- Thread starter slobake
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- playing playing bass
In this one's humble opinion-
Getting started on bass is a little easier than getting started on guitar. Plonking roots is definitely easier than mastering chord transitions, and you need good rhythm for either role.
Getting proficient at bass is a little harder than getting proficient at guitar. Strumming chords doesn't take a lot of thought and scales are kinder with less reach, more upward room, and bendier strings. There's less room for imperfections and mistakes on bass at this level.
Getting excellent at bass is basically the same as getting excellent at guitar. Mastery of either instrument requires a lot of knowledge about scales and chord construction, a good sense of musical conversation, excellent rhythm and precise technique with no errors. Your hands are doing different things but essentially working just as hard, and there's no ceiling on how much better you can play, so mastering either one requires more or less unlimited dedication.
Your mileage will vary. Some folks are just going to have an easier time holding down rhythm than others, while others will thrive more in improvisational settings. Some people will be more invigorated by one sound than another. Some people will pursue what they're good at while others will insist on working against their limitations. Some people will respond better to what others expect of them, while others will prefer to define their own role. There are no wrong answers- we pick what we pick.
--^@
Getting started on bass is a little easier than getting started on guitar. Plonking roots is definitely easier than mastering chord transitions, and you need good rhythm for either role.
Getting proficient at bass is a little harder than getting proficient at guitar. Strumming chords doesn't take a lot of thought and scales are kinder with less reach, more upward room, and bendier strings. There's less room for imperfections and mistakes on bass at this level.
Getting excellent at bass is basically the same as getting excellent at guitar. Mastery of either instrument requires a lot of knowledge about scales and chord construction, a good sense of musical conversation, excellent rhythm and precise technique with no errors. Your hands are doing different things but essentially working just as hard, and there's no ceiling on how much better you can play, so mastering either one requires more or less unlimited dedication.
Your mileage will vary. Some folks are just going to have an easier time holding down rhythm than others, while others will thrive more in improvisational settings. Some people will be more invigorated by one sound than another. Some people will pursue what they're good at while others will insist on working against their limitations. Some people will respond better to what others expect of them, while others will prefer to define their own role. There are no wrong answers- we pick what we pick.
--^@
It's what a majority of people ask at gigs. Is it easier to play it only has 4 strings? Hasn't anyone ever approached you with that same lame question?
Well you completely nailed it. Nothing more needs to be said
No, instead they approach me saying how can you enjoy playing a bass without being in a band. They sort of had a point but I find enjoyment when I work on the tune with the song playing. That really helps with timing.
I have heard that question many times. The same people ask if playing drums is even easier than that.
I tell people that I have to work harder to make more music with only 4 thick strings than a guitar with 6 skinny strings.
There is also something to be said about hand size. I know a great guitar player that said he didn't really have the finger strength to hold down bass notes properly but amazing guitar player. I can see that. Another reason I enjoy bass more for my sausage size finders and using a 4 string I have more room for finger placement where I would have to cram my fingers for many chords on guitar.
Yes, and my answer is:
It's as easy as playing a cello or violin and ten times easier than playing a sax or flute, those don't have any strings at all.
If you have a good sense of time and rhythm, I could show you a half dozen guitar chords, and with a couple weeks worth of practice, you can strum along to most popular songs.
I could sit you down at my drum kit, and show you how the kick, snare and high hat work, and you could be playing (or keeping time) to most popular songs.
That's the equivalent of With Or Without You.
4 notes. Root, 5th, 6th and 4th. Repeat ad infinitum.
But being able to play that, is a first step. Not a conclusion.
I could sit you down at my drum kit, and show you how the kick, snare and high hat work, and you could be playing (or keeping time) to most popular songs.
That's the equivalent of With Or Without You.
4 notes. Root, 5th, 6th and 4th. Repeat ad infinitum.
But being able to play that, is a first step. Not a conclusion.
Yes..yes. Bass is the easiest instrument to play on the planet. It is extremely easy. So simple to play that everyone feels like they were born to play it, so I can understand the way you feel about that.
Natural and simple.
er... thanks *blush*
bass can be very easy to play, but then so can guitar. i used to have a couple 2-chord guitar songs i'd teach people who wanted to be playing an actual song right away. withing half an hour, they were playing it. and i always hear it's easier to play bass than guitar, but if you know your chords and can make changes smoothly, often guitar isn't any harder than bass - the entire 4 strings vs 6 thing is irrelevant once you've spent some time practicing.
i used to play a lot of technical death metal on bass. was it easier than regular rock guitar? no, it wasn't it was really fast and every note had to be played just right. timing was important, too, as you whipped out those 1/8th and 1/16th notes like a machine gun. i know guitarists who couldn't come close who play shows several times a week. yet there's some guitar stuff that's really hard to play, and due to my earlier years with classical guitar and later years with fingerstyle guitar, i couldn't play it on a bet. i'd need to learn techniques to play it that i have no experience with, and i'd need to learn them well.
but i've known amazing rock guitarists who played leads that made jaws drop who couldn't do the fingerstyle stuff i play on bass that's basically adapted guitar riffs. you can't play them with a pick at all, and it takes practice and experience.
bass CAN be easy to play. classic rock often has fairly simple bass, but on the other hand it still takes experience to get the timing down and to jump smoothly from string to string. so easy to play is relative. and there are songs with good rhythm guitar and no leads, and the guitar is just as easy there with experience. and easy is okay - if it sounds great, that's what counts. just ask your audience!
and guitar isn't always just about strings - listen to drifting on this page
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and yes, this isn't something everyone can do - it's simple but not easy
but this isn't something everyone will ever be able to do, either
another one that's simple but not easy - and look, he's not wearing women's clothes, either
and this is fingerstyle bass played like a guitar with moments of Wow! is it easier than guitar? i guess it depends on what kind of guitar you play. and of course, this bass isn't 4 strings, either, so there's that...
and let's not forget les claypool. he's a mindboggling player for me, no less technical than pretty much any guitarist. and i'll bet that he can outplay any guitarist who says "bass is easy".
Gaolee
Official leathers tester and crash dummy
Playing a four string bass guitar was like coming home after playing piano and guitar. It made perfect sense to me.
That has to logical conclusions: 1. There's such a thing as a natural bass player and that I'm one of those. 2. Playing bass is easy.
Take your pick. Both work just fine for me.
That has to logical conclusions: 1. There's such a thing as a natural bass player and that I'm one of those. 2. Playing bass is easy.
Take your pick. Both work just fine for me.
Easy is what part of the song comes more natural to you. I've always gravitated to the harmony part of the song, rather than lead. Whether it be bass, or synth parts. I might be able to do rhythm guitar, but I feel out of place thinking of playing lead parts, whether it be guitar, or even lead piano.
Gaolee
Official leathers tester and crash dummy
The odd thing is that I play what amounts to leads on upright bass in a couple bands. The guitarists in those two bands are both sparse, rhythm players, and the sound just dies if I don't raise hell on bass. Odd, but it works for us. I get put in a cage when it comes to playing electric in the cover band. No surprise there. And, I play drums in another band, so that rounds things out to make absolutely no sense at all.
Moral of this story - don't do what I do.
I have heard some people say John Lee Hooker wasn't a good musician. Sure, there are twelve year olds that can play things he couldn't but I never heard anyone else play like John Lee did. Miles Davis was a John Lee Hooker fan.
No because I mostly play 5 strings.
When I bring out the EUB, no one confuses that with a guitar.
