[quote name='CHW' timestamp='1426680645' post='2720620']
Following on from the Guitarists who would be bass players thread in OT, I started thinking about this.
I started off on bass, and picked up a guitar when I had been playing for a couple of years, learning open chords, barre chords and a few scales for a bit of lead improvisation. When I moved back onto bass I discovered that I had automatically improved as a bass player, not just in that I could see(and recognise) a guitarist play a G, D, C and Em progression and immediately have the fundamentals of a workable bassline in my head. but that I could work together better with a guitarist.
I have ended up playing both in gigging bands (probably prefer the bass overall still) but still think if I'd never played the guitar, I'd be a less accomplished bass player??
I'd be interested to know if there are any long term bass players out there who cannot play any guitar, and couldn't recognise a B7 chord visually, and how do they pick up the more random seeming chord progressions from a guitarist.
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I've been playing guitar for a while now, have gigged on guitar & definitely play far more guitar than bass these days, but I couldn't recognise a B7 chord visually.
Why is it important to be able to recognise a chord visually? I can hear a 7th chord no problem, which I would have thought is more important.
I don't think playing bass for years helped with playing guitar when I started, and I certainly don't feel like playing guitar has helped my bass playing as my approach to the two instruments is completely different.