hey everyone this is my first post and was wanting to ask a question, i'm fixing to switch to bass guitar from guitar (i've been playing guitar for 7-10yrs) and was wanting to know if theres any tips for switching.
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
My first post
- Thread starter Kidneylust
- Start date
get a good teacher a good bass and follow the techings of Steve Harris oh and i allmost forgot Rock On
P.S. learn to play finger style and with a pick
P.S. learn to play finger style and with a pick
oh i forgot to mention me and a buddy of mine who plays bass would exchange instruments every couple of weekends so i know how to play finger style and stuff, but like i dunno what kinda bass is good, i mean i'm noobie but not too noobish, i dont' want a giant amp but a good one so what wattage for small gigs and like whats good decent basses, ( please no ibanez)
ah.... in that case, i'd recommend searching around the bass, amps, effects, etc. forums and posting questions (that haven't already been answered) in various threads. there's a WEALTH of info collected on talkbass. take advantage of it!
id go to the local music store and try out a couple basses defently check out some fenders and squiers like this one=Invalid Link Removed its the best bass ive ever played of if your looking at a lower end bass with a lot of quality id try thisInvalid Link Removed
a buddy of mine had an alvarez bass and i loved that thing, i think thats prolly the brand i want
looks like its going to fall apart the first time strum a power cord but whatever floats your boat
- Jun 19, 2004
- 4,782
- 83
- 42
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist, Schroeder Cabinets
This doesn't really belong in the Basses forum. No offense to the new guy - welcome to Talkbass! - but please read the forum descriptions before starting new threads. Thanks!
As far as your post, I too switched from guitar to bass after ~7 years on the guitar. I still play guitar some, mostly classical these days, but the biggest difference for me was the role of the bass in a band, not so much the physical instrument itself. The bass is like the groove, and the groove is like a bus - if the bus stops, ain't nobody goin' nowhere, you feel me? Another change for me was to slow things down. The "money" notes on a bass are quarter notes. Of course, you can vary it up, but for the most part, stick to quarter notes, until you really get a feel for the instrument and it's role in a band.
I would also recommend that you learn to play a fretless bass at some point, because it will really help your ears.
I would also recommend that you go back & listen to all your favorite songs, the ones you know how to play on guitar, and figure out the bass parts by ear. This will give you a good foundation of what the role of the bass in music is. It's amazing to me, when I go back and listen to some of my favorite songs as a guitar player, because what I hear now is the bass player - my ears just zoom in on the low end, and they never used to do that.
I would *highly* recommend that you join or form a band. A guitar player can learn a lot by practicing and playing songs solo, but a bassist must learn how to groove, and the way you do that is by playing with a live drummer, and by playing full-length songs.
+1 to lessons, of course. They cut down the learning curve and there is way more cool stuff out there than any one person could ever discover on his or her own.
For a beginner instrument, I recommended to my students (when I used to teach) to spend at least $300 and no more than $500 or so on a first instrument. Just like with guitar, you will develop preferences for tone, but with bass, there are a host of other factors - scale length, string-spacing, active vs. passive pickups, 4 string vs. 5, etc. Get a basic grasp on the instrument, and once you know your preferences, get a bass that sounds good to you and fits your hands.
I know you said "no Ibanezs," but IME, they make great starter instruments. Fenders are okay, but at that price point, there are better choices. Despite owning a $1,600 Washburn fretless, I am *not* a fan of Washburn basses. If I could sell that bass for half of what I paid for it, I'd be a happy man, but the best offer I've gotten is not even close... I'd recommend Epiphone, Spector Performer, or even Squier before Washburn. Yamaha is also a good choice. My 2 cents.
Welcome to TB,
- Dave
P.S. If you get a lot out of this site - and I hope that you do, there's a TON here - consider contributing! There are special fora for the contributing members, and the classifieds alone are worth the price of admission, plus you get an avatar and some storage space for private messages. Welcome!
As far as your post, I too switched from guitar to bass after ~7 years on the guitar. I still play guitar some, mostly classical these days, but the biggest difference for me was the role of the bass in a band, not so much the physical instrument itself. The bass is like the groove, and the groove is like a bus - if the bus stops, ain't nobody goin' nowhere, you feel me? Another change for me was to slow things down. The "money" notes on a bass are quarter notes. Of course, you can vary it up, but for the most part, stick to quarter notes, until you really get a feel for the instrument and it's role in a band.
I would also recommend that you learn to play a fretless bass at some point, because it will really help your ears.
I would also recommend that you go back & listen to all your favorite songs, the ones you know how to play on guitar, and figure out the bass parts by ear. This will give you a good foundation of what the role of the bass in music is. It's amazing to me, when I go back and listen to some of my favorite songs as a guitar player, because what I hear now is the bass player - my ears just zoom in on the low end, and they never used to do that.
I would *highly* recommend that you join or form a band. A guitar player can learn a lot by practicing and playing songs solo, but a bassist must learn how to groove, and the way you do that is by playing with a live drummer, and by playing full-length songs.
+1 to lessons, of course. They cut down the learning curve and there is way more cool stuff out there than any one person could ever discover on his or her own.
For a beginner instrument, I recommended to my students (when I used to teach) to spend at least $300 and no more than $500 or so on a first instrument. Just like with guitar, you will develop preferences for tone, but with bass, there are a host of other factors - scale length, string-spacing, active vs. passive pickups, 4 string vs. 5, etc. Get a basic grasp on the instrument, and once you know your preferences, get a bass that sounds good to you and fits your hands.
I know you said "no Ibanezs," but IME, they make great starter instruments. Fenders are okay, but at that price point, there are better choices. Despite owning a $1,600 Washburn fretless, I am *not* a fan of Washburn basses. If I could sell that bass for half of what I paid for it, I'd be a happy man, but the best offer I've gotten is not even close... I'd recommend Epiphone, Spector Performer, or even Squier before Washburn. Yamaha is also a good choice. My 2 cents.
Welcome to TB,
- Dave
P.S. If you get a lot out of this site - and I hope that you do, there's a TON here - consider contributing! There are special fora for the contributing members, and the classifieds alone are worth the price of admission, plus you get an avatar and some storage space for private messages. Welcome!
First bit of advice: don't buy your first bass online.
Go to Guitar Center or another shop and play everything in your price range, especially the used gear. You'll get something that plays a lot better. And don't buy a bass purely on the looks. Get a feel for the neck and the tone of the instrument.
Other than that, just rock on, start diggin' the low end.
Go to Guitar Center or another shop and play everything in your price range, especially the used gear. You'll get something that plays a lot better. And don't buy a bass purely on the looks. Get a feel for the neck and the tone of the instrument.
Other than that, just rock on, start diggin' the low end.
i think most folks here would agree that an ibanez is a good bass to start out with. cant beat a gsr for the price. welcome to the world of low end.
