Pete Academy Posted March 17, 2011 Posted March 17, 2011 Apologies if this has been brought up before, but have you ever had your guitarist have a go on your bass? Do you find they just widdle around on it? Do you also find that guitar teachers will admit to teaching bass because they get asked, and that they find it an easy way to earn some extra money? And how many times have you had guitarists say they've joined a band on bass because it's so easy, as they can already play guitar? Quote
Ian Savage Posted March 17, 2011 Posted March 17, 2011 If I remember right, Hendrix, Keef and Ginger from t'Wildhearts have all played a fair bit of bass on their records... Quote
Pete Academy Posted March 17, 2011 Author Posted March 17, 2011 There are a lot of guitarists that understand the discipline involved. Our guitarist is also a bassist and he's great. Quote
Truckstop Posted March 17, 2011 Posted March 17, 2011 (edited) Innit! Cos playing a few chords and treading on some pedals is sooooo hard, isnt it?! I'm in no way a learned guitar player, but I know many chords, and I know lots of harmonies and I know how to strum. I could get away with it. However, anyone with bad rhythm and bad technique simply will not be able to make a bass sound good! Truckstop Edited March 17, 2011 by Truckstop Quote
Pete Academy Posted March 17, 2011 Author Posted March 17, 2011 I'm not having a go at guitarists, but I just think bass playing requires a special kind of discipline. Quote
Pete Academy Posted March 17, 2011 Author Posted March 17, 2011 [quote name='Truckstop' post='1166054' date='Mar 17 2011, 05:49 PM']Innit! Cos playing a few chords and treading on some pedals is sooooo hard, isnt it?! I'm in no way a learned guitar player, but I know many chords, and I know lots of harmonies and I know how to strum. I could get away with it. However, anyone with bad rhythm and bad technique simply will not be able to make a bass sound good! Truckstop[/quote] Totally agree. Quote
Spike Vincent Posted March 17, 2011 Posted March 17, 2011 Playing left handed usually prevents guitarists from just picking my basses up and having a go.I agree that it's a different discipline,and a lot of guitarists just don't get that. Quote
chrismuzz Posted March 17, 2011 Posted March 17, 2011 He can't be a proper bassist if he doesn't even understand that the age old 'proper bassist' argument actually refers to finger/pick playing Quote
Pete Academy Posted March 17, 2011 Author Posted March 17, 2011 I have a lot of customers saying they have tried guitar and have failed, but they have been told bass is much easier to play. This thread is mainly about how people approach bass, especially if they already play guitar. It's just so much different. Quote
Spike Vincent Posted March 17, 2011 Posted March 17, 2011 I started playing bass,so I can't make a comparison in how guitarists approach bass.I do know a few people who've made the right decision and switched from guitar to bass succesfully. Quote
chrismuzz Posted March 17, 2011 Posted March 17, 2011 I actually started off on guitar, didn't fail at it I just knew what my true calling was I think it has caused me to approach it differently. Little things like the way my fingers attack the strings (it's like I have 3 plectrums on the go with all out thrash metal downstroke action... Don't know if that's good or bad but it works for me!), and the general way my left hand navigates the neck is kind of different. In my earlier years my movement seemed more fluid that other players at my level of experience. My playing was flashier too... And sloppier! did take me' a few years after that to actually 'get' bass... now I play a 6 string bass, so whenever anyone says to me "why not just play guitar?" I can say "been there, had to switch because It was too small for a clumsy oaf like me " Quote
Cat Burrito Posted March 17, 2011 Posted March 17, 2011 We swapped instruments around once at rehearsal and my guitarist played my bass. He had the same facial expression my cat had right after I had him neutered. Can't remember what he played like! Quote
Pete Academy Posted March 17, 2011 Author Posted March 17, 2011 [quote name='BurritoBass' post='1166129' date='Mar 17 2011, 06:58 PM']We swapped instruments around once at rehearsal and my guitarist played my bass. He had the same facial expression my cat had right after I had him neutered. Can't remember what he played like! [/quote] Quote
Paultrader Posted March 17, 2011 Posted March 17, 2011 I remember an old saying about where you 'connect' to when playing different instruments; with guitarists it's their heads, with drummers it's their arses, and with bassists it's their balls (not sure about the ladies on this one). For some odd reason I can see what it means, and I know what I like to connect to most. The thing about bass playing is that, stereotypically, along with the drummer you sacrifice your ego to bed down the sound for everyone else, and that often requires being tastefully repetitive. If a guitarist can think like that, they'll do OK on bass. I marvel at those bass players, often in metal bands, who spend the whole evening thumping away at single note runs, then, when given their four bar solo at the end of the evening, produce something utterly amazing. Playing bass is a state of mind - if you've got it, it's the best place in the band. Quote
Pete Academy Posted March 17, 2011 Author Posted March 17, 2011 [quote name='Paultrader' post='1166141' date='Mar 17 2011, 07:09 PM']I remember an old saying about where you 'connect' to when playing different instruments; with guitarists it's their heads, with drummers it's their arses, and with bassists it's their balls (not sure about the ladies on this one). For some odd reason I can see what it means, and I know what I like to connect to most. The thing about bass playing is that, stereotypically, along with the drummer you sacrifice your ego to bed down the sound for everyone else, and that often requires being tastefully repetitive. If a guitarist can think like that, they'll do OK on bass. I marvel at those bass players, often in metal bands, who spend the whole evening thumping away at single note runs, then, when given their four bar solo at the end of the evening, produce something utterly amazing. Playing bass is a state of mind - if you've got it, it's the best place in the band.[/quote] Nice post. Quote
machinehead Posted March 17, 2011 Posted March 17, 2011 I play both but started on guitar. I haven't gigged on guitar for about 25 years and much prefer bass. I still like to do a few James Taylor and Ralph McTell style ragtime stuff at parties but I'm rusty due to lack off playing time. I do think that most guitarists struggle to play bass well but of course, some guitarists are excellent bass players. The bastards. Frank. Quote
mcnach Posted March 17, 2011 Posted March 17, 2011 [quote name='Pete Academy' post='1166047' date='Mar 17 2011, 05:44 PM']Apologies if this has been brought up before, but have you ever had your guitarist have a go on your bass? Do you find they just widdle around on it? Do you also find that guitar teachers will admit to teaching bass because they get asked, and that they find it an easy way to earn some extra money? And how many times have you had guitarists say they've joined a band on bass because it's so easy, as they can already play guitar? [/quote] 1) yes, my guitarist had a go on my first bass. It was myself!!! I had more interest on guitar than on bass for several years. 2) funny enough, I was told several times that I played basslines on guitar, so I guess I was an undiscovered bassist playing guitar. I loved to "widdle" and owned a couple of real widdle machines with Floyd Rose and all... but whenever I was doing "my thing" and recording bits and pieces, I'd often play what seemed like basslines... 3) NA 4) heard it enough times. To be honest, I see a lot of bands where the bassist is so utterly uninspiring, simply plodding along playing fast root notes, so if that is your model of a bassist, I can see why you'd think bass is easier. Nothing wrong with playing root notes, by the way! sometimes, you've got to stay there and just do that. But you know what I mean. On the other hand, it's easier to play bass badly than to play guitar badly, I think... and since most people who ever start on an instrument seem to stop at the early stages... that's what you get. Quote
Spike Vincent Posted March 17, 2011 Posted March 17, 2011 A while ago I was in a local music shop with the inevitable widdly guitarist who decided to have a go on a Bass,much fast runs up and down the neck,tapping,usual show off stuff.So I said to him,you want to play Bass? Play E F E F E F E F for ten minutes,not lose time and not get bored.He didn't take up the offer. Quote
BottomE Posted March 17, 2011 Posted March 17, 2011 Doesn't Walter Becker play bass on some of the Steely Dan stuff and Donald Fagen solo stuff? Quote
Pete Academy Posted March 17, 2011 Author Posted March 17, 2011 [quote name='BottomE' post='1166186' date='Mar 17 2011, 07:52 PM']Doesn't Walter Becker play bass on some of the Steely Dan stuff and Donald Fagen solo stuff?[/quote] Becker is an amazing bass player. Quote
Pete Academy Posted March 17, 2011 Author Posted March 17, 2011 The gist of this thread is the guitarist's 'I can play guitar, so bass will be a piece of piss' mentality. Quote
BottomE Posted March 17, 2011 Posted March 17, 2011 [quote name='Pete Academy' post='1166190' date='Mar 17 2011, 07:57 PM']The gist of this thread is the guitarist's 'I can play guitar, so bass will be a piece of piss' mentality.[/quote] oops Quote
Pete Academy Posted March 17, 2011 Author Posted March 17, 2011 [quote name='BottomE' post='1166192' date='Mar 17 2011, 07:58 PM']oops[/quote] Quote
RockfordStone Posted March 17, 2011 Posted March 17, 2011 ive had my guitarists play on my basses before, and they look fancy and sound fancy, but the lack the ability to do what a bass does and act as a rhythm instrument Quote
Doddy Posted March 17, 2011 Posted March 17, 2011 [quote name='BottomE' post='1166186' date='Mar 17 2011, 07:52 PM']Doesn't Walter Becker play bass on some of the Steely Dan stuff and Donald Fagen solo stuff?[/quote] Wasn't Becker the original Bass Player for Steely Dan anyway? Quote
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