bubinga5 Posted November 30, 2010 Share Posted November 30, 2010 (edited) Was a funny thing.. i was round my sisters earlier and my dad was on the piano.. i brought the bass around and there were a few teenagers being daughters and sons of my sisters friends..im talking 18 - 23. i had a quick conversation about the role of a bass in music.. they said they hadnt really thought about it.... they were a mixed bag of hardcore house and Lady Gaga..(w hich has some great disco bass lines by the way) My Dad started playing a rendition of SummerTime up tempo.. i got the impression that they didnt think that it had much to offer until i stopped playing half way through...and started again... then they seemed to realise the important melodic, rythmic foundation that the bass has... "for me" i said, the bass is the most important instrument in most bands..( i felt like a frickin old twat) i went on to say it is the rythm and the harmony in one instrument..and whey were genuinely interested..they may just been being polite... its easy to sit in the crowd and watch.. unless your a muso or a bassist, it takes a bit more effort to understand what goes into, not just bass playing, but instruments as a whole....and the effort emotion and thought that goes into playing and learning.. thats all i have to say about that matter.. Edited November 30, 2010 by bubinga5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CraigPlaysBass Posted November 30, 2010 Share Posted November 30, 2010 "to some youngsters" I'm a 17 year old bassist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bass_Guardian Posted November 30, 2010 Share Posted November 30, 2010 [quote name='CraigPlaysBass' post='1042834' date='Nov 30 2010, 07:51 PM']"to some youngsters" I'm a 17 year old bassist.[/quote] Same Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mykesbass Posted November 30, 2010 Share Posted November 30, 2010 [quote name='CraigPlaysBass' post='1042834' date='Nov 30 2010, 07:51 PM']"to some youngsters" I'm a 17 year old bassist.[/quote] [quote name='Bass_Guardian' post='1042838' date='Nov 30 2010, 07:57 PM']Same [/quote] Enjoy it while you can Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Academy Posted November 30, 2010 Share Posted November 30, 2010 Selling basses, the most common thing I hear is: 'I've been told it's easier than playing guitar' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spoombung Posted November 30, 2010 Share Posted November 30, 2010 [quote name='Pete Academy' post='1042852' date='Nov 30 2010, 08:06 PM']Selling basses, the most common thing I hear is: 'I've been told it's easier than playing guitar'[/quote] It is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Academy Posted November 30, 2010 Share Posted November 30, 2010 [quote name='Spoombung' post='1042861' date='Nov 30 2010, 08:10 PM']It is.[/quote] Maybe so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daz Posted November 30, 2010 Share Posted November 30, 2010 (edited) [quote name='Spoombung' post='1042861' date='Nov 30 2010, 08:10 PM']It is.[/quote] Its more difficult id say. Practically any strum will hit a chord or harmonic sound. try that on a bass. When i lived in sunny Torquay I lived up the hill from a music shop. I found a stringless guitar outside said shop, took it home and fixed it up. Was soon twanging away through a book of songs from the library. Certainly wasnt that easy with a bass. (I[i] wish[/i]!) Edited November 30, 2010 by daz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Academy Posted November 30, 2010 Share Posted November 30, 2010 [quote name='daz' post='1042871' date='Nov 30 2010, 08:14 PM']Its more difficult id say. Practically any strum will hit a chord or harmonic sound. try that on a bass.[/quote] +1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubinga5 Posted November 30, 2010 Author Share Posted November 30, 2010 [quote name='CraigPlaysBass' post='1042834' date='Nov 30 2010, 07:51 PM']"to some youngsters" I'm a 17 year old bassist.[/quote] Some being ..SOME.. i do apologise... i was referring to maybe youngsters that werent as experienced as you guys, with the instrument... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubinga5 Posted November 30, 2010 Author Share Posted November 30, 2010 [quote name='Pete Academy' post='1042873' date='Nov 30 2010, 08:16 PM']+1[/quote]Yeah but its harder to understand...or put those chords together... well it takes a bit of time...the point was not really the knowledge... bass/guitar are hard in equal measures..i cant get my head around putting chords together on the guitar......lack of trying maybe.. but choosing notes for a chord or chordal progression i can do.. depends on your musical personality maybe? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobTheBassist Posted November 30, 2010 Share Posted November 30, 2010 (edited) [quote name='daz' post='1042871' date='Nov 30 2010, 08:14 PM']Its more difficult id say. Practically any strum will hit a chord or harmonic sound. try that on a bass. When i lived in sunny Torquay I lived up the hill from a music shop. I found a stringless guitar outside said shop, took it home and fixed it up. Was soon twanging away through a book of songs from the library. Certainly wasnt that easy with a bass. (I[i] wish[/i]!)[/quote] I play both (though more bass, I just find it easier to write songs on guitar). I'd say the difference is you can get to the point where you can play bass in a group before you reach that point on guitar. That's just cos the bass can anchor the harmony and rythm by just bangout root notes on the beat. It's boring but it works. To be good at either is just as tough. Not that I'm claiming to be a good guitarist you understand I just know a few chord paterns and use a capo. I also found picking up the guitar reletivly easy, but I've always just put that down to playing bass for 8 years first! Edited November 30, 2010 by BobTheBassist Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gafbass02 Posted November 30, 2010 Share Posted November 30, 2010 (edited) I always say its easier to learn, but harder to play well Edited November 30, 2010 by gafbass02 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LiamPodmore Posted November 30, 2010 Share Posted November 30, 2010 (edited) [quote name='CraigPlaysBass' post='1042834' date='Nov 30 2010, 07:51 PM']"to some youngsters" I'm a 17 year old bassist.[/quote] [quote name='Bass_Guardian' post='1042838' date='Nov 30 2010, 07:57 PM']Same [/quote] Sorry lads, you've been beaten. 15 Year old bassist right here, i'm more of a youngster than you all (Maybe even the youngest on basschat) Liam Edited November 30, 2010 by LiamPodmore Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubinga5 Posted November 30, 2010 Author Share Posted November 30, 2010 [quote name='gafbass02' post='1042965' date='Nov 30 2010, 09:08 PM']I always say its easier to learn, but harder to play well[/quote]+ 10000 that is very true.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubinga5 Posted November 30, 2010 Author Share Posted November 30, 2010 [quote name='BobTheBassist' post='1042961' date='Nov 30 2010, 09:05 PM']I play both (though more bass, I just find it easier to write songs on guitar). I'd say the difference is you can get to the point where you can play bass in a group before you reach that point on guitar. That's just cos the bass can anchor the harmony and rythm by just bangout root notes on the beat. It's boring but it works. To be good at either is just as tough. Not that I'm claiming to be a good guitarist you understand I just know a few chord paterns and use a capo. I also found picking up the guitar reletivly easy, but I've always just put that down to playing bass for 8 years first![/quote]In my humble opinion this is a also true... a root note is easier to find than the whole chord of course... but when someone gets past that stage is when the bass tends to catch up...single notes, travelling around the chord and chord changes are just as important...but more so because your holding down the rythm section too... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bass_Guardian Posted November 30, 2010 Share Posted November 30, 2010 I play both bass and acoustic and had to teach myself and i found it took less time to learn chords for the acoustic ( with a book of course ) than to play songs on bass which now i find easy but at the time wasnt possible. I feel maybe bass is easier to start playing but its harder or just as hard as guitar to play well. Any bass tutors in Scotland out there im still up for learning more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allihts Posted November 30, 2010 Share Posted November 30, 2010 I think the bass player needs to know what everyone else in the band is doing, where for the guitar it is the other way round.... everyone else has to know what the guitarist is doing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xgsjx Posted November 30, 2010 Share Posted November 30, 2010 I've always said the same as Gafbass02. But it's harder to make a bass sound good as a solo instrument than it is with a guitar. Anyone who can sing can learn 3-4 chords & a simple strumming pattern & it'll sound decent to most non musos. Give them a bass however, & it'll take them a lot longer to learn something that sounds good with just vocals. It's also a lot easier to do runs in semiquavers or 2 handed tapping on a guitar than it is a bass. So the only thing easy about a bass is learning to plod simple roots etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gust0o Posted December 1, 2010 Share Posted December 1, 2010 Is it not the case that, to play the bass is easier than to play guitar; but to play the bass [i]well[/i] is entirely another matter? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bass_Guardian Posted December 1, 2010 Share Posted December 1, 2010 (edited) [quote name='Gust0o' post='1043209' date='Dec 1 2010, 12:33 AM']Is it not the case that, to play the bass is easier than to play guitar; but to play the bass [i]well[/i] is entirely another matter? [/quote] My words exactly Edited December 1, 2010 by Bass_Guardian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ou7shined Posted December 1, 2010 Share Posted December 1, 2010 [quote name='Spoombung' post='1042861' date='Nov 30 2010, 08:10 PM']It is.[/quote] So how come I can sing and play guitar at the same time but if I try to sing and play bass I get into a right mucking fuddle? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lettsguitars Posted December 1, 2010 Share Posted December 1, 2010 [quote name='Pete Academy' post='1042852' date='Nov 30 2010, 08:06 PM']Selling basses, the most common thing I hear is: 'I've been told it's easier than playing guitar'[/quote] it is definately easier to play the bass badly, than to play the guitar badly. that all changes when you start playing well. there are guitarists and bassists. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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