Newbie

[titanisme]

I am a new person and have not picked an instrument yet. I like bands such as avenged sevenfold and slipknot. Im having trouble over guitar or bass. I have wanted to play guitar my whole life but had an interest in bass. I need some help on which to choose and where to learn because lessons are expensive where I live

 

[JED36]

I always liked bass over guitar simply because I hated chords, I loved single notes. For me it was easy, I liked bass so much better I used an octave pedal on my dads start and played bass covers. It's about personal preference, but on a bass forum, most will say bass. Good luck! P.S bass is cooler by a ton.

 

[verycoolname]

Bass all the way! (Though you're bound to get some biased answers on this forum...)

I always liked the idea of holding down the groove/being the support system of the band. Guitarists are a dime a dozen in my opinion...good bassists are hard to find. And if for me it's just an overall cooler instrument (again, biased).

 

[Malak the Mad]

Guitarists are a dime a dozen in my opinion...good bassists are hard to find.

This is exactly what my mom (a drummer in rock/punk bands in the early 80's) said when I expressed an interest in guitar. In fact, she stated exactly that way…"Guitarists are a dime a dozen. There's always a demand for a good bassist." Plus she added;

• Four strings over six.
• They match the first four of a guitar, so it's a good foundation should I want to try guitar later.
• You don't have to deal with chords at first.

Now if only I had listened to her back then. I'd probably be worth a damn as a bassist instead of just learning right now.

 

[Draculea]

I might be biased.... but play bass!

 

[wednesdayagain]

Bass! I just love the low end

 

[GKon]

Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaassssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss!!!!

 

[jmclearnon]

You can't groove the same on a guitar. Plus i had experience with stringed bass instruments beforehand

 

[TolerancEJ]

Bass is awesome, but there's nothing wrong with learning both. Welcome to TalkBass!

 

[PhatRon]

of course I'm gonna say bass also. However, if you become a kick ass drummer you will always have work and be cherished as a god by us bass players.

 

[Drunk Heffalump]

I am a new person and have not picked an instrument yet. I like bands such as avenged sevenfold and slipknot. Im having trouble over guitar or bass. I have wanted to play guitar my whole life but had an interest in bass. I need some help on which to choose and where to learn because lessons are expensive where I live

It breaks down as follows: Are you a team player who wants to see the unit succeed,knowing that you're an intragal part of the whole, or are you a towering egomaniac in it for the adulation?
While the second part of the question generalized some, OK a lot, and casts some small negative aspirations on our six string cousins, it really does break down along those lines.

 

[highway]

i wanted to start a band with my best friend a lifetime ago . . . we went to the local shop and he bought a guitar right then and there . . . we needed a bass player, and i didn't have an instrument . . . the rest is history!

 

[Betrayer_Bass]

I was always more impressed with Paul's bass lines in Slipknot songs than Jim's or Mick's guitar parts. Go for the bass!

 

[xUptheIronsx]

I chose bass because

1. the feel created by the bottom end soundwaves, and the fact that I was creating that much power...well my AMP was, but it was coming from my brain.

2. I also chose bass cause of walking jazz bass lines, which in all of music are still one of the coolest things I can think of.

3. I started on drums, and knew that as a drummer, if I could understand where the bass player was coming from, I would be better. Now I can cross those cultures and fit in anywhere on both instruments.

4. the whole percentages thing: in the "World", there are 1000 guitar players, 800 drummers, 500 singers, 300 keyboard players; 200 DJ's, and 3 bass players...it is real easy to get gigs if you are good

5. Eugene Wright, Geddy Lee and Steve Harris

do it, play bass. You can "moonlight" on guitar later on. I also feel like the guitar players who I know, that started on bass, are tastier guitar players b/c they learned the rhythmic and harmonic foundation of music before they learned to wank. This makes the wanking make more sense, and their playing much more in time

 

[alembicbones]

I gotta ask, you say you are a new person. How long have you been a person?

All kidding aside, go ahead and try the bass. You might find it a very fun and rewarding endeavor.

Bones

 

[sxaxsx]

When you listen to a song do you listen to the bass or the guitar? When you go to a show who do you watch? Whatever it is go with that one. Ive known guitarists that always watched the drummers at shows, they eventually switched to drums. And I have known drummers that always paid more attention to the guitarist/singer than the drummers and because of this they never got better. You need to play the instrument that impresses you and you pay attention too. Otherwise you won't be driven to keep playing and learning new stuff.

 

[titanisme]

Thank You everyone I have decided bass because I realized I listen to bass lines all the time. I also like being a support instead of a person in the front of everyone. I also never realized bass players have respect for other people instead of themselves. Now I need to get a bass and learn how to play.

 

[Solarmist]

I switched from guitar to bass after about 5 years realizing my fingertips were too thick for the much narrower guitar string spacing. The 1st bass I ever picked up was a friends Ric, and I loved Rush! I fell in love with basses from that day forward back in the late 70's.

 

[Immigrant]

For as far as "expensive" lessons go, forget em for now. This is the age of information abundance! The Internet is a wonderful tool. Tons of free lessons if you look around. Use TB to your full advantage. Use YouTube, but use your built-in filters (in your head) to weed out the dummies. Contact Roy Vogt. His "Teach me Bass Guitar (I think?) is well-liked. He also hangs around here.

Then move on to lessons if you want.