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Why bass over guitar?
- Thread starter Softballcrew31
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- honest opinion
Bass is in my opinion such a great and beautiful instrument in many ways, you can make so much different stuff with it. Listen to these 2 guys they are amongst my favorite bass players in YouTube.
Try both. Really doesn't matter which instrument you choose. This is how I started. I am a geezer, 61 years on this planet. My first memory of music was when I was around 3 or 4 years young. For some reason, I can't recall, but Chubby Checker's "twist" song got my motor running. Then, the Supremes, Chiffons, Ronettes, and many others. Can't overlook Motown. I think I was introduced to music via my sister. She is seven years older than me. I remember spending many hours with her listening to the radio and enjoying her 45's. Then...Ed Sullivan show and the Beatles! I was hooked. I remember I hammered together a wood guitar from a 2x4 and a plywood body strung with my grandmother's yarn for strings. Anyhoo, I digress.
Later in life, I got my hands on a Sears store acoustic guitar. Very cheap. Strings a mile above the fretboard, but I was not aware of a proper setup or whatever. I had a guitar and I was off and running. Black Sabbath. What can I say? Neal Young. Harvest. His best ever. Hollies. Kinks. Just a few of my fav's.
Fast forward. Many instruments. Then I learned that James Jamerson was the true sound of Motown. Again, I was hooked. Bass.
The six string guitar has the same EADG as a 4 string bass. If you master the six string guitar, you can easily pickup the bass and feel right at home. I primarily play the bass because I love the THUNDER. But I still love to play the six.
Just my two cents.
Later in life, I got my hands on a Sears store acoustic guitar. Very cheap. Strings a mile above the fretboard, but I was not aware of a proper setup or whatever. I had a guitar and I was off and running. Black Sabbath. What can I say? Neal Young. Harvest. His best ever. Hollies. Kinks. Just a few of my fav's.
Fast forward. Many instruments. Then I learned that James Jamerson was the true sound of Motown. Again, I was hooked. Bass.
The six string guitar has the same EADG as a 4 string bass. If you master the six string guitar, you can easily pickup the bass and feel right at home. I primarily play the bass because I love the THUNDER. But I still love to play the six.
Just my two cents.
If you have to ask, then you're not a true bassist. Bass is simply better.
I saw a friend’s band when I was about 13 at some roller skating rink in New Jersey. Several of my friends had taken up instruments and I was trying to decide if I wanted to play drums or guitar. So, the band opened up with Iron Maiden’s Ides or March/Wrathchild which was new at the time. I didn’t even know what a bass was back then, but when the first few notes of Wrathchild kicked in I knew I had to be a bass player. I thought that was the coolest, most badass instrument in the whole band. So, Steve Harris was an influence before I even knew who he was.
Did you ever hear of anyone playing one note over and over on a guitar and at the same time being the very foundation of the song?
No, because only the bass can handle such an important task!
Learn both! Playing guitar and bass makes you a valuable asset to any band situation and is great to learn how melody and harmony can work together. I started with guitar at 11, switched to bass at 13. But, my bass playing got better when I learned theory and more about guitar in my 20s. I can't shred solos or anything, but I can play rhythm, know my 4th and 5th circles, can play inversions, and know where my bass can fit in a song. Both guitar and bass are good skills to have.
Bass makes sense to me. I've taken guitar lessons and the chords don't make any sense to me.
I'm fond of saying that my fingers aren't smart enough to play more than four strings.
I love guitar-centric music, and I really enjoy the guitar parts...but I'm not at all convinced that my talent goes in that direction. I can play bass, not superbly, but I'm solid enough to play on stage and enjoy it.
I'm fond of saying that my fingers aren't smart enough to play more than four strings.
I love guitar-centric music, and I really enjoy the guitar parts...but I'm not at all convinced that my talent goes in that direction. I can play bass, not superbly, but I'm solid enough to play on stage and enjoy it.
Mike Watt..Flea..Rob Wright..Les Claypool.
Into punk when friend got a bass (still am). Had tried guitar but sucked at chords and pick. Finger playing felt good. Bass seemed just as interesting as guitar can be.
Then my brothers classic rock influence oozed in...john paul jones...geezer...jack bruce..
Into punk when friend got a bass (still am). Had tried guitar but sucked at chords and pick. Finger playing felt good. Bass seemed just as interesting as guitar can be.
Then my brothers classic rock influence oozed in...john paul jones...geezer...jack bruce..
I always liked the low notes the bass produces, it drives the music. I actually started on piano-accordion, moved to keys, guitar and then bass but it didn't take long.
Then I started listening to all the players of different styles and that was it for me, I loved it 45 years ago and still do today.
Only you can decide which (or both) will make you happy, choose happiness!
Then I started listening to all the players of different styles and that was it for me, I loved it 45 years ago and still do today.
Only you can decide which (or both) will make you happy, choose happiness!
I play both, but bass moves me more than guitar. I also find that there is a lot more work available for a good bass player than for guitar players these days.
I've played guitar for almost 40 years, but I wanted to lock in with the drums and rock out.
I like both. Its fun and useful to know both. But in my experience it was easier to find gigs as a bassist.
