Bass vs Guitar

[Pete Academy]

I've been working in music shops for a long time, and the phrase I've heard the most is: "I'm thinking of taking up bass because I've heard it's easier than guitar."

This might be technically correct initially.

Any thoughts?

[EssentialTension]

I'm thinking of taking up triangle.

[waynepunkdude]

Even if it was easier to play it's not easier as you have to put up with guitarists, drummers and singers.

[LukeFRC]

It's easier to do the basics I think, so yes.

I think it's harder to get to a very good level. A mediocre guitarist can exist... after a certain level a mediocre bass player just drags the whole band down (same as a drummer)

and after that point any instrument is going to be years of practice and theory so a bass, guitar, gamalan, violin, piano - it gets to the point it's irrelevant what is easier.

[christhammer666]

i suppose a lot of it comes from people knowing if you want you can just play the root note and "get by" with it
but if your in a band situation and someone says play something the accentuates the vocal line or play a a walking bass line over the verse and so on then its totally different

[winterfire666]

easier to pickup, just as hard to master and very different.

[xilddx]

Have you really heard this more often than owt else, Pete?

Cheers,
Nige666

Edited July 15, 2012 by silddx

[Pete Academy]

I always say that, yes, you can get by and play in a band with root notes, but technically there's a massive amount more than guitar out there, especially technique-wise.

[Dr M]

I'll admit to moving from guitar to bass. I bought a bass some time ago out of interest, and for recording, but only recently started playing it seriously.

I haven't found bass easier to play as such - it's less demanding in terms of chord changes, but harder work in terms of keeping rhythm, and energy / strength.

What certainly is easier is finding people to play with. There's far more demand for bassists than guitarists.

[Pete Academy]

[quote name='silddx' timestamp='1342374340' post='1733946']
Have you really heard this more often than owt else, Pete?

Cheers,
Nige666
[/quote]

Certainly have.

[TheGreek]

I've found that many of the guitarists I know just got stuck at a point where they can play mediocre rhythm and poor lead - most of them are waiting to wake up and be Jimi Hendrix..I know this is down to attitude but there is a tendancy to be "good enough" rather than "really good". I've also found that once they have a repertoire of covers they fall back on these rather than look to be original..

..anyway how difficult can it be to learn a few chords and then string them together in a different order..?

When I started playing I never wanted to be a guitarist - far too many of them for it to be "cool"..

[Pete Academy]

[quote name='TheGreek' timestamp='1342375318' post='1733969']
I've found that many of the guitarists I know just got stuck at a point where they can play mediocre rhythm and poor lead - most of them are waiting to wake up and be Jimi Hendrix..I know this is down to attitude but there is a tendancy to be "good enough" rather than "really good". I've also found that once they have a repertoire of covers they fall back on these rather than look to be original..

..anyway how difficult can it be to learn a few chords and then string them together in a different order..?

When I started playing I never wanted to be a guitarist - far too many of them for it to be "cool"..
[/quote]

Good post.

[chris_b]

I'd like to know how many of these guitarists stick to bass after they've changed.

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='Pete Academy' timestamp='1342374549' post='1733956']
Certainly have.
[/quote]
What, even more often than "I can get it £X cheaper on the internet"?

[icastle]

I've heard this a lot over the years as well - I usually smile my most charming smile, agree with them and walk away.

As for whether it's easier than playing guitar or not is kinda hard to judge as I play guitar to what I'd describe as a 'fairly resonable' level.

I suppose it's a bit like comparing a trumpet to a trombone - there are some similarities but they both have different parts to play within a composition and require a slightly different set of skills.

[LukeFRC]

[quote name='Pete Academy' timestamp='1342374448' post='1733951']
I always say that, yes, you can get by and play in a band with root notes, but technically there's a massive amount more than guitar out there, especially technique-wise.
[/quote]
what really? electric, acoustic, classical, jazz, gipsey/Reinhartness, rock, prog, all that sort of african sounding stuff....

I don't doubt that there is a lot of technique in bass- but some guitar stuff..... I mean I would LOVE to be able to play classical guitar.

[BottomE]

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1342375691' post='1733979']
What, even more often than "I can get it £X cheaper on the internet"?
[/quote]
good shot

[BigRedX]

Who cares? The most important thing is to be a good songwriter. Without songs there's nothing for any instrument to play.

[BottomE]

Just say that "all instruments can take a lifetime to master unlike being a tosser which you seem to have nailed" and smile politely.

[TheGreek]

[quote name='BottomE' timestamp='1342376624' post='1734004']
Just say that "all instruments can take a lifetime to master unlike being a tosser which you seem to have nailed" and smile politely.
[/quote]

Classic!!

[MattM]

Started out on bass in my mid-teens, then moved onto guitar a coupla years later. I'm a barely adequate acoustic/rhythmn player (own a Tak and a Tele...) but the bass playings probably influenced my guitar style and vice versa. I'm at a level I'm happy with, have played in a few gigging and recording bands on both bass and guitar. Wouldn't say one's easier than the other, playing bass well is kinda like cooking a good steak. On the face of it (to non-musicians and guitards) it's a piece of piss, but its surprising how difficult it is to do the simple things well.

[xilddx]

Depending on the sort of music you play, your role as a bassist is normally much more limited than that of a guitarist, and also very different. I don't know why people think the instruments are related as much as they do. They look similar but that's about it. They have very different roles. But let me tell you, playing guitar well is not f***ing easy, and a guitarist will have to play ten times the notes the bassist will in a normal gig. And I believe it really is 'easier' to learn bass in the sense that if you have a bit of natural ability, I think you can learn bass to the standard you'd need to be in a band much more quickly than you could guitar.

The reason I prefer bass to guitar, is that the bass can do so much more for a song with ONE note than a guitar ever could. I think Bassists need to be very clever musicians to make the bass work in a way the song deserves.

And like BRX said, it's all about the song anyway.

[Pete Academy]

[quote name='silddx' timestamp='1342377702' post='1734030']
Depending on the sort of music you play, your role as a bassist is normally much more limited than that of a guitarist, and also very different. I don't know why people think the instruments are related as much as they do. They look similar but that's about it. They have very different roles. But let me tell you, playing guitar well is not f***ing easy, and a guitarist will have to play ten times the notes the bassist will in a normal gig. And I believe it really is 'easier' to learn bass in the sense that if you have a bit of natural ability, I think you can learn bass to the standard you'd need to be in a band much more quickly than you could guitar.

The reason I prefer bass to guitar, is that the bass can do so much more for a song with ONE note than a guitar ever could. I think Bassists need to be very clever musicians to make the bass work in a way the song deserves.

And like BRX said, it's all about the song anyway.
[/quote]

Great post. Nigel

[SpaceChick]

[quote name='MattM' timestamp='1342377331' post='1734026']
Wouldn't say one's easier than the other, playing bass well is kinda like cooking a good steak. On the face of it (to non-musicians and guitards) it's a piece of piss, but its surprising how difficult it is to do the simple things well.
[/quote]

I LOVE this analogy as its soooooo true

I played guitar as a youngster, but as an adult it was bass that appealed to me.... Rhythm and melody in one

[clauster]

Different disciplines entirely.

Might as well compare rebuilding an engine and gearbox with doing a loft conversion. They both require the use of tools, but surely because the engine is smaller and requires a smaller variety of tools.........?