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Transition from Guitar to Bass

G

guest4624

Guest
Sep 22, 2014
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#1
Hey guys!

I am a guitar player (can't call me a bass player yet) who is starting to play the bass. Always have wanted
to try it out (i am lefthanded...) but never had the chance. Finally got my hands on a LH instrument last week while trying some amps out, absolutely loved it and got the bass.

I am a decent guitar player which, i am afraid will give me a false sense that i do know everything about the bass, so i ask thee, experienced bass players, especially those who also play the guitar, which techniques should i keep, which ones should i learn completely a new...

I already noticed rythm will have to be spot on.

Uh and also, i plan to practice without an amp, maybe buy a vox bass plug later on. Can that work? I do have a band and will also play with an amp there.

Thanks in advance!
 
#2
Welcome to TB :thumbsup:

I play both. Guitar for longer time. Best to say... While both have strings, that's were the similarities start to diverge. Bass is whole other approach and concept. Some of the worst bass players I ever met were guys who played their bass like a guitar. It's a mistake many converters to the low end make. That said, playing bass will make you a better guitarist and bandmate.

You'll want to start by listening to your favorite bass players and explore new players you may not have ever heard of (or noticed). Take a few lessons with a teacher who only plays bass. You don't need an amp, but just like guitar it sure is better than headphones.

We can help you better by telling us your preferred styles and influences.
 
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#3
Start listening to allot of bass in songs you like and hear what the bass is doing with the drums not the guitars. I also play both and the one thing that stands out is the bass for the most part outlines the notes of the chords where with guitar they are played and strummed together. Try breaking down the chords note by note and ad them to the melody line. Walking bass will help allot here to learn who the notes are walked to and from. think of the bass as support to the band and the foundations where as guitar was out in front more. Good luck.
 
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#4
I made the transition many years ago. (I was just too funky for the guitar, LOL) I hate to give blanket advice because everyone is different, so this is what I had to do. It took me a while to learn good finger style because I started off trying to fingerpick a bass the same way I fingerpicked a guitar. If you plan to play fingerstyle, make it point to get a lesson or tips from someone who can teach you the difference. You will probably need to adjust how you strap/grip the bass as opposed to guitar. I still hold my bass incorrectly. It became an issue as I started playing more complicated stuff. I'm kind of working on that still even though I've been on bass for 12 years now. If you have someone to jam with, play as much as possible with other people. I guess that goes for any instrument, but a big part of the bass players job is to be complimentary and to be the bridge between the percussion on melodic instruments.

Welcome to the low end, my man!
 
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#6
I made the transition last year. I'm loving bass and having more fun with it than I had with guitar for many years.

One thing I would suggest is to focus on technique. If you're used to playing one finger per fret and try to translate that to bass, you're likely to have quite a stretch and even injure yourself. There was a thread recently by a guitard-turned-bass player who concluded after a day or two that a full scale bass would never fit his hands. Learn bass technique and you won't have the problem he had. Ed Friedland's Hall Leonard Bass Method shows fingering and how to shift positions.
 
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#7
Work on your finger spacing. The scale of a bass at the first four frets is VERY different than a guitar. Run chromatic scales, with 4 notes on each string, only using one finger per fret for a while. Also, start playing finger right away. Not every bass player that uses a pick was a guitar player, but almost every guitar player that plays bass uses a pick. They still think like a guitar player and it shows.

Oh, and learn to be completely ignored. Your band mates, the roadies (if you have them), people that work at the venue, people in the crowd, people looking to do interviews for web radio stations, all of them; you are now invisible. Guitar techs for famous guitarists now have more pull than you.
 
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#8
I've played the guitar for some 2-3 years (my first months weren't that serious, i just played around...). My favourite bass player would be flea from RHCP.
I don't intend to use a pick, it doesn't feel right + the sound is not that good.

Thanks for all the advice, I really appreciate it.
 
#10
wallypip said:
I made the transition many years ago. (I was just too funky for the guitar, LOL) I hate to give blanket advice because everyone is different, so this is what I had to do. It took me a while to learn good finger style because I started off trying to fingerpick a bass the same way I fingerpicked a guitar. If you plan to play fingerstyle, make it point to get a lesson or tips from someone who can teach you the difference. You will probably need to adjust how you strap/grip the bass as opposed to guitar. I still hold my bass incorrectly. It became an issue as I started playing more complicated stuff. I'm kind of working on that still even though I've been on bass for 12 years now. If you have someone to jam with, play as much as possible with other people. I guess that goes for any instrument, but a big part of the bass players job is to be complimentary and to be the bridge between the percussion on melodic instruments.

Welcome to the low end, my man!
Click to expand...

I made the switch about a year ago, and I couldn't agree with you more. There is a big difference between playing a bass "part" and a bass LINE. You are the bridge between rhythm and melody, so it might help to think of a bass as a tonal percussion instrument. octaves, and space between notes is where I started. Keep up with it, I am starting to see myself as a bassist rather than a guitarist.
 

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