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Should I play bass?

#83
Yes- OP Bass is too easy for you- you could already play better than any of us who have been playing it for years.

WRONG!-- It will take you 5-6 years of steady practice and playing just to have good time and feel on bass. Because your time and groove on guitar like most is NOWHERE near EVEN an average bassist.

Just because you can put down your guitar and play a bassline for a song, (or double your rhythm guitar part more likely) A bassist this makes you not.
 
#92
I have 5 replies:
1: Yes. Bass is awesome.
2: No. You said bassists are just frustrated guitarists.
3: Depends. I can't imagine anything more boring than playing some rock bass lines. If your playing funk or jazz then you're far more prominent in the mix.
4: Yes. The awesome thing about bass is that you OWN the low frequencies, if you play in a largeish band, say 6+ people then chances are that it'll be too busy if everyone is playing prominent lines at the same time. Because you own your frequencies there's no one stepping on your toes and you're playing all the time.
5: Yes/No. You have an extraordinary amount of influence on the bands sound (I'm talking about largeish bands again). You have got a lot of power, probably the same as the lead instrument/singer and the drummer. If you like your power to be recognised then I'd say you shouldn't. If you prefer it to be disproportionately large but in the background (as I do) then you should. Would you rather be the President or one of the guys with the real power?
 
#94
interp said:
You seem to have fallen into the mental trap of equating simplicity with ease of execution and/or diminished musical value.

You need to take a hard look at yourself as a musician, not as a guitarist or bass player.
Click to expand...

I plus this. There are very few people you can truly call musicians. Everyone else just plays an instrumentalist. It doesn't make them a musician.
 
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#96
Didn't read the whole thread but just want to say, you don't have choose one or the other, you can do both. I have played guitar over 20 years and bass over 10 years. I enjoy playing both and I believe playing bass makes me a better guitarist and vice versa. I play both in bands and it's very to nice to record new songs by myself because of multi skills. Don't think about it too much, just play what you like if you enjoy it.
 
#97
Why not? I played bass in my first band, guitar in my second band, then went to bass and never looked back. I have never been out of work since.
One reminder, study bass players, don't be a guitar player playing bass.
 
#98
jetgraphics said:
Ironically, some of the most lyrical guitar leads don't quite stay tight with the rhythm section. Oh well - - - -
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That's ok in my band. What's critical is my keeping the song together so the guitarists can come back.

I think of the Grateful Dead. Yes, it is said Jerry would hit that "one" note before coming back to or transitioning from a song. I've listened to a lot of bootlegs and published live sets. What I hear is that Lesh hits it before Jerry--kinda like he's saying "ok, Jerry, that's enough". This responsibility is more clear with Phil Lesh & Friends.
 
#99
I almost converted to guitar but then I stayed bass because apparently guitar players don't take too kindly to guitarists who were bassists before.

Oh well. Play what you want OP. It makes you more flexible and demandable for gigs. Playing multiple instruments is a bonus dude. Not a sin. I wish my vocals were as good as my bass playing....
 

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