Switching from guitar to bass

[Nic Olas]

So, if you are like me and have been playing guitar for a LOT of years (40+ for me playing live, paying gigs) and then decided that the bass guitar was calling you, I have a couple questions.

1. First how did you overcome (or have you yet) the natural inclination to play bass LIKE a guitarist? 2. Do you practice a certain way or follow instruction from a teacher or online video?
3. What skill sets did you bring with you as a guitarist that you still find applicable to bass?
4. If, like me, you have been playing guitar a long time, do you balance playing guitar in one project and bass in another or possibly in the same project?

I have made the move, have been investing in gear, and I truly believe that bass is my calling for the second half of my life. I want to try and break old bad habits and become a sought after bassist in my area.

 

[Kerry Brown]

I'm in a similar place. 50+ years playing guitar, now playing bass in a cover band. It took me a year to quit playing like a guitar player. I had to learn to really listen to the drums. I had to relearn all the theory I'd forgotten. I had to learn that playing quarter note roots is fine if that is what is called for. I had to learn that with a good drummer we could steer the song wherever we wanted to go. It took a while, but I enjoy playing bass more than I ever did guitar. To answer your questions:

1) Listen to a lot of music paying attention to the bass and drums.
2) Jam by yourself to drum tracks using common chord changes.
3) The fret board is the same.
4) I keep up with guitar by playing open mics. Don't have time for two bands.

 

[CallMeAl]

I didn’t play guitar first but I play both. Bass for about 25 years, guitar about half of that. Some thoughts you may or may not find useful

1. I think the key technique for bassists to understand (to not play like a guitar) is muting. Both hands control note length, especially the end of the note. I find this is why many find singing while playing bass harder (than guitar) is because of the extra coordination involved.
2. Largely self taught, formal instruction was on other instruments. Talkingbass.net is one of the best resources out there. Main skill is putting on a record and trying to follow along!
3. Most useful to me is to be able to watch a guitar players left hand and follow along. To be able to communicate (especially when a capo is involved!); and to know when to double the guitar, and when to break away and play a different bass line.
4. I’m mainly focused on guitar these days, but I still play bass in a band. Opposite situation but I have to juggle. I spend minimum time with maximum efficiency on bass. Learn my songs, then play walking lines or grooves to basically exhaust myself and keep chops up. Plan practice routine for second instrument with the bulk of the remaining time.

hope that helps! Welcome to the low end!

 

[bassicmike]

Know that the most important note to play is the one right on top of the kick drum.

Less is more.

You're not a solo instrument now - you're linked with your drummer.

 

[Killing Floor]

I played bass first and seriously before picking up guitar and even though I’ve taken my share of lessons I still very much want to finger style pick my guitar and I have to fight it to the death.

But what I’ve found is when I write with guitar or just explore/wander through progressions I can form bass lines that I know I would not normally find had I heard someone else playing the same tune. Guitar playing has definitely helped me find the space for bass. And I suppose the opposite would be true.
Have fun.

 

[jdaunt]

I switched from guitar to (primarily) bass after 16 years.

1/2. I ended up pretty early on after deciding to switch to sign up for Scott's Bass Lessons. I rejoined a couple years ago just for a refresher, and didn't really find much for me there. But when I first started on bass and wanted to learn the "right way" to play bass, it was a great tool to get the basics down.

3. Pretty much same as the responses above. Being able to follow the guitarists left hand and knowing the notes on the fingerboard already. And especially if playing bass to a song I had previously played guitar for, it's nice to know what the guitar is doing and where the bass can fit in.

4. I play guitar every so often, go through phases of how much usually. But primarily concentrate on bass and all the projects with others I've been in over the last 7 years have been on bass.

 

[themickster]

So, if you are like me and have been playing guitar for a LOT of years (40+ for me playing live, paying gigs) and then decided that the bass guitar was calling you, I have a couple questions.

1. First how did you overcome (or have you yet) the natural inclination to play bass LIKE a guitarist? 2. Do you practice a certain way or follow instruction from a teacher or online video?
3. What skill sets did you bring with you as a guitarist that you still find applicable to bass?
4. If, like me, you have been playing guitar a long time, do you balance playing guitar in one project and bass in another or possibly in the same project?

I have made the move, have been investing in gear, and I truly believe that bass is my calling for the second half of my life. I want to try and break old bad habits and become a sought after bassist in my area.

Keep it simple. Play root notes only to start with and work on giving a steady beat.

 

[BismarckHerring]

1) Listen to other bassists in the style of music you want to play, and how their parts work together with the drums. Focus on rhythm, embrace simplicity, don’t be afraid to sound ‘boring’. It may take some time to understand your role in the band, and some more time to feel comfortable in that role.

2) I mostly figured it out myself. Later on, when instructional videos started appearing on youtube, I watched some of those. For someone in your situation, I highly recommend the BassBuzz channel, he has some great tutorials for beginners that will also help you with your first question.

3) fretboard knowledge, playing with a pick, some fretting hand technique.

4) in bands, I only play bass. I have a couple of guitars at home, but I don’t play them much anymore

 

[Leigh Semmens]

I, too played guitar exclusively for about 40 years. I did start on Bass prior to that, though. I've been back on bass almost exclusively for a couple of years. Your knowledge of chord structure and the fretboard will be an advantage to you. As has already been stated, lock in with the drummer, playing roots will be your main focus until you decide what else works with the song. Some theory will also go a long way to helping you become a better bassist. Scott's bass lessons are quite useful and (I admit that I have not done this) could be well worth the investment.

 

[Vincent Van Low]

James Jamerson on repeat...I used Scott's bass lesson for the two week free period, and literally was on that thing 6-7 hours a day for two weeks, got the info he was trying to drag out for a year....trust me the two week free period if attacked like I did, that's all you need. Then ladies and gentlemen YouTube.. anyone on planet earth(that has access) has all the lessons and free info anyone will need on pretty much anything...me being born in 1978 and did all my education before youtube....anyone who says they cant, just didn't try, the info is free and there.

 

[Naigewron]

1. First how did you overcome (or have you yet) the natural inclination to play bass LIKE a guitarist?

I didn't find that a challenge in particular, although I'm sure I play bass vastly differently now than when I first started. I guess time and exposure has been my way in.
I'm not even sure what playing bass as a guitar player means in general, other than general overplaying and not providing the necessary foundation. If that's the case, maybe focus on playing *really* simple foundational stuff first (basically just pumping root notes) and then start developing from there.

2. Do you practice a certain way or follow instruction from a teacher or online video?

I've never had a practise routine at any point in my life, and I've been playing various instruments since the 80s. I do seek out instructional material and technique tips pretty consistently, but I never sit down and work on specific things. Whatever I absorb and fall into will become part of my technique.
This is definitely not recommended if you want to get really good really fast, but targeted practise just sucks the life out of playing for me, so I've accepted that I'll never be a blazing fast or technically proficient player, and rather focus on my general musical understanding and my ears, and let my technique develop from just playing as much as possible.

3. What skill sets did you bring with you as a guitarist that you still find applicable to bass?

Fretboard knowledge. That's by far my biggest advantage coming from guitar; I'm instantly familiar with the fretboard, scale shapes, and so on. And since I'm used to playing chords and melodies, I can also pick out chord tones to create grooves that aren't just roots and fifths.

4. If, like me, you have been playing guitar a long time, do you balance playing guitar in one project and bass in another or possibly in the same project?

I play bass and some keys in my only current project, but when we play acoustic gigs I play acoustic guitar because it suits that setting better than bass in our case.

 

[ebo]

Guitarist turned bassist here. In the beginning I followed the guitarist rather than the drummer too much. I syncopated but not in a good way. Follow the kick drum and give the snare its space. Note length is really important. I was really helped watching bass covers with tabs on YouTube. Relearn every song you know on guitar on bass. Learn country and blues bass lines, they are very utilitarian and serve the song. Play less notes than you hear in your head. As much as it pains me to say, the drummer is your new best friend. Doesn’t mean once you get up to speed you won’t have to fire him.

 

[gln1955]

I played guitar from age 12 to 50, when I picked up the bass.

1. I've always paid attention to bass lines and am maybe a more natural bass player than guitar player. No problem dropping into that role really.

2. I started playing bass for our church band. I had to learn songs from the very beginning, and that is still mostly what I do. I honed technique as I played more and more and got involved in other projects. Any formal instruction was way back when I started guitar and theory class in college.

3. I knew the fretboard and chord theory from playing guitar and I can play with a pick as easily as finger style.

4. I rarely pick up my guitars any more. I was never that good anyway.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

So, if you are like me and have been playing guitar for a LOT of years (40+ for me playing live, paying gigs) and then decided that the bass guitar was calling you, I have a couple questions.

1. First how did you overcome (or have you yet) the natural inclination to play bass LIKE a guitarist? 2. Do you practice a certain way or follow instruction from a teacher or online video?
3. What skill sets did you bring with you as a guitarist that you still find applicable to bass?
4. If, like me, you have been playing guitar a long time, do you balance playing guitar in one project and bass in another or possibly in the same project?

I have made the move, have been investing in gear, and I truly believe that bass is my calling for the second half of my life. I want to try and break old bad habits and become a sought after bassist in my area.

I started playing guitar back when folk music was the rage, and learned how to finger pick playing bass parts with my thumb, it really wasn’t too tough to make the switch. However, my best advice it to record and review.

Learn a song and record it. I’ll bet there is some really good parts there, and there will probably be superfluous notes. Keep, the good stuff, toss the bad. Learn a song, record and review.

For the first ten years of playing bass, I considered myself a guitarist that could play bass too. Turns out, I’m a musician and it doesn’t matter.

Play music, the instrument is just a tool to get a needed part. Play what the bass part is supposed to sound like. If you don’t know, listen to other bass players and emulate their parts.

Eventually, you will find your art. Best wishes.

 

[ThinCrappyTone2]

So, if you are like me and have been playing guitar for a LOT of years (40+ for me playing live, paying gigs) and then decided that the bass guitar was calling you, I have a couple questions.

1. First how did you overcome (or have you yet) the natural inclination to play bass LIKE a guitarist? 2. Do you practice a certain way or follow instruction from a teacher or online video?
3. What skill sets did you bring with you as a guitarist that you still find applicable to bass?
4. If, like me, you have been playing guitar a long time, do you balance playing guitar in one project and bass in another or possibly in the same project?

I have made the move, have been investing in gear, and I truly believe that bass is my calling for the second half of my life. I want to try and break old bad habits and become a sought after bassist in my area.

Like a lot of us here, I started on guitar, switched to bass decades ago, to fill a need, and then gradually got back into guitar. Now I play bass in one band and guitar in another. Enjoy! Much translates between both. Muting is different, but a big key, IMO to sounding like a 'real' bassist vs a guitarist who is just filling in. Playing one makes you better at the other. I feel like playing both also makes for a more sensitive, ensemble player (meaning, when I'm playing guitar, I'm trying to be the guitarist that "bassist me" would want in a band, and vice-versa)

If you want to play bass like a bass and not immediately fall into guitar habits, I'd say (when starting out):
1) learn some classic basslines note-for-note and don't add any sweep picking or 10 finger taps to them
1) For the love of Frank, don't bend notes. That will out you immediately.
1) Don't play chords right now. If you play a chord, the band will all stop and look at you.
1) Slap as much as possible. Guitarists generally can't slap. So if you'r slappin', you're not guitarin'. Just kidding, probably don't slap in public right now.

All joking aside, best of luck and enjoy. I REALLY like playing both. It's especially a blast to record songs with both parts.

 

[Fender_Bender]

Post 3 has an excellent point about muting. It’ll probably take you a while to get the techniques down, but it is essential for a clean sound that does not get muddy and all run together.

 

[And I]

I made the switch some years ago and now play both in different projects. To play bass like a bassist, I recommend getting a Fela Kuti album, learning the bass lines, and playing along to the records. It might not be your cup of tea (they're 10 to 20 minute songs with no bass fills and often no variation in the bass line at all). But it WILL teach you how to hold down a bass groove and not play like a guitarist doing low notes. If you can't handle Afrobeat, maybe some other style, just learn and play bass lines. Do not play fills where the song doesn't call for them...

 

[BAG]

I played guitar for 30 years before I took up bass a bit over 10 years ago.
Wish I'd done it 30 years earlier.
I played exclusively with a pick for the first 5 years or so and then started playing some fingerstyle. I play about 50% or more kof the time fingerstyle now but pull out the pick for faster stuff or those songs that I think sound best with flats and a pick.

I've barely played guitar since the switch but started playing more recently after getting a Katana guitar amp. I actually bought it to use bi-amping with my 8-string bass but have really enjoyed playing some guitar through it, much more so than the vox I was using.

I would say go all-in on bass and ignore the guitar for a while.
You'll know you're doing the right things if you sometimes feel you're being a bit repetitive. Better to underplay than overplay.... at least for most songs.

 

[Queue]

Here you go:

 

[peteybass]

Listen and play along to Motown. Thatll cure you.