bubinga5 Posted September 4, 2014 Share Posted September 4, 2014 I will always be a bassist, but for now I'm finding the Piano more interesting. i know why, and its because i can discover more music than i can on the bass. I'm aware it depends on how you look at it, and how you approach the instrument. but i can create colours on the piano, i can't do that on the bass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockfordStone Posted September 4, 2014 Share Posted September 4, 2014 i at times find that guitar is more interesting than bass, the thing is music is an art, follow what you feel at the time and it will guide you. as you say, you will always be a bassist, but don't feel bad about trying other things Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ambient Posted September 4, 2014 Share Posted September 4, 2014 [quote name='bubinga5' timestamp='1409867053' post='2544239'] I will always be a bassist, but for now I'm finding the Piano more interesting. i know why, and its because i can discover more music than i can on the bass. I'm aware it depends on how you look at it, and how you approach the instrument. but i can create colours on the piano, i can't do that on the bass. [/quote] I used to find that too, I even bought a piano I'm now deeply into looping and effects, I love what I'm doing, even though it about as far away from 'bass playing' as you can get. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miles'tone Posted September 4, 2014 Share Posted September 4, 2014 I know what you mean and in a way Piano has made my bass playing more interesting. I've spent the last 3 years not playing in a band and just being dad to my two young boys mostly. Things got so busy that I didn't have time to even get my bass out of it's case so I didn't bother for a long time. I just would noodle around on an old piano we were given here and there. Now this year I've started playing more bass again and immediately found my 4 string to be really limiting as it didn't go low enough! Been really spoiled messing around on the dark end of my piano. I sold my 4 string and now have a 5er, something I was never interested in previously but now it makes total sense and I can't see me ever going back. Found the transition a lot easier than I expected too. Didn't hurt after all! So yeah, the piano has opened up my musical world. Loving the low B and playing more chordally now too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JapanAxe Posted September 4, 2014 Share Posted September 4, 2014 I mainly play bass and guitar, but I do also tinker about (at a very low level of competence) on keyboard and drums. It all helps to make for a better musician. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted September 4, 2014 Share Posted September 4, 2014 everything adds to everything. I've been learning (bad) acoustic guitar playing. It's improved me as a bassist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvin Posted September 4, 2014 Share Posted September 4, 2014 Burn the heretics! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted September 5, 2014 Share Posted September 5, 2014 I wish I had learned piano at a young age instead of guitar. It is much more logical and gives you access to so much music. As I try to develop my composing abilities, the potential of the instrument as a means to and end is increasingly evident. I love the idea of being a self contained musician as most of my frustrations over the years have realted to the ability, willingness or availability of other musicians. The idea of being Keith Jarrett or Paul Bley and just doing my thing on my own is, on occasion, very attractive!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KiOgon Posted September 5, 2014 Share Posted September 5, 2014 "Finding bass is less interesting for me than Piano" But - I bet you won't find any piano forum that's more interesting than this Enjoy whatever you do, it's all part of the rich tapestry of life :-( I'm not often so[size=4] [font="georgia, bookman old style, palatino linotype, book antiqua, palatino, trebuchet ms, helvetica, garamond, sans-serif, arial, verdana, avante garde, century gothic, comic sans ms, times, times new roman, serif"]philosophica[b]l[/b][/font][/size] )-: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jus Lukin Posted September 5, 2014 Share Posted September 5, 2014 (edited) - Edited February 28, 2022 by Jus Lukin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earbrass Posted September 5, 2014 Share Posted September 5, 2014 (edited) I'm very grateful that we had a piano at home when I was a kid. Dad taught me a few boogie-woogie basslines and swing band tunes, and then I started proper lessons at 6 years old. Although I don't play a lot of piano any more it's still in a way the basis of everything I do. If I need to learn a tricky new tune off a CD or something I will still work it out on the keyboard first (particularly useful for working out harmonies and chord structures), then transfer to whichever instrument I actually want to play it on. If I'm starting to record a new track, I will usually rough-out the parts using a keyboard and MIDI first, which lets me play around with structure / tempo / key etc before recording any real instruments. Edited September 5, 2014 by Earbrass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrammeFriday Posted September 7, 2014 Share Posted September 7, 2014 About a year ago I started having classical piano lessons again after a very long hiatus. I wouldn't say I am finding it more interesting than the bass, but I am finding it a hell of a lot more of a challenge. The piano is a fiendishly difficult instrument. I had forgotten how much stuff you have to pay attention to all at the same time. Right now I am struggling with pieces where one hand plays legato and the other plays more 'lifted' (not quite staccato), and then it swaps over after a bar or two, so that the legato line (which carries the melody) constantly shifts between left and right hand. Bloody hell! I'm really enjoying the challenge, but I must admit that when I plug the bass in after a piano practice session it feels like putting on a pair of comfy slippers. Aaahhhhh, that's better .... It's all good! PS To the OP - not sure what you mean by being able to create colours on the piano but not on the bass, but I wonder whether your problem might be solved by investing in a six string bass. More colour than you can shake a stick at there, and you've got about two thirds of a standard piano keyboard under your fingers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted September 7, 2014 Share Posted September 7, 2014 I think I would have been a very good piano player...and a very good drummer, come to that. I think I know what you'd need to do ...having said that, you'd still need to have the little x factor which is what makes the difference, IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubinga5 Posted September 7, 2014 Author Share Posted September 7, 2014 (edited) [quote name='GrammeFriday' timestamp='1410089175' post='2545948'] About a year ago I started having classical piano lessons again after a very long hiatus. I wouldn't say I am finding it more interesting than the bass, but I am finding it a hell of a lot more of a challenge. The piano is a fiendishly difficult instrument. I had forgotten how much stuff you have to pay attention to all at the same time. Right now I am struggling with pieces where one hand plays legato and the other plays more 'lifted' (not quite staccato), and then it swaps over after a bar or two, so that the legato line (which carries the melody) constantly shifts between left and right hand. Bloody hell! I'm really enjoying the challenge, but I must admit that when I plug the bass in after a piano practice session it feels like putting on a pair of comfy slippers. Aaahhhhh, that's better .... It's all good! PS To the OP - not sure what you mean by being able to create colours on the piano but not on the bass, but I wonder whether your problem might be solved by investing in a six string bass. More colour than you can shake a stick at there, and you've got about two thirds of a standard piano keyboard under your fingers. [/quote]sorry i should have said multiple colours/chords ,of course you can play clolours/chords on the bass, but you can't mix two chords together with the two hands, like you can on the piano. and yes colours is a snotty word for a bunch of notes and yeah for sure, its not easy, I'm finding the physical aspects fairly easy, as in good finger technique, and proper physical approach. but its the reading that slows me down. its a f***ing pain in the arse to be honest. oh well push on. i carry around a note recogniser test, on my phone and I'm constantly on it, but it not like being at the piano itself. i may also add that once your competent reading piano notation, with treble clef and bass clef at the same time., the bass clef on its own with an instrument you know, seems a little easier to digest. full respect to those who do read bass though. Edited September 7, 2014 by bubinga5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ambient Posted September 7, 2014 Share Posted September 7, 2014 [quote name='bubinga5' timestamp='1410129042' post='2546495'] sorry i should have said multiple colours/chords ,of course you can play clolours/chords on the bass, but you can't mix two octaves of chords together with the two hands like you can on the piano. and yes colours is a snotty word for chords. [/quote] You can in looping, that's what I find so cool about it. It's really great with an eBow, you can use some really widely voiced chords even across 3 octaves, and using effects on them you get some really nice colours of sound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubinga5 Posted September 7, 2014 Author Share Posted September 7, 2014 [quote name='ambient' timestamp='1410129519' post='2546497'] You can in looping, that's what I find so cool about it. It's really great with an eBow, you can use some really widely voiced chords even across 3 octaves, and using effects on them you get some really nice colours of sound. [/quote]oh cool, I've never used a loop pedal. I've seem them used, but never discovered them for myself. whats an eBow Ambient.? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ambient Posted September 7, 2014 Share Posted September 7, 2014 (edited) [quote name='bubinga5' timestamp='1410132047' post='2546510'] oh cool, I've never used a loop pedal. I've seem them used, but never discovered them for myself. whats an eBow Ambient.? [/quote] An eBow is an amazing thing, it takes a bit of experimentation but once you get the hang then there's loads of things you can do with them. Here's Michael Manring using one - [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONf9Otiq4Kc"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONf9Otiq4Kc[/url] I use one on a lot of my stuff, there's one here, I get a lot of different effects with it, depending on whereabouts on the bass I use it - [url="https://ambient-bassist.bandcamp.com/track/after-all"]https://ambient-bass...track/after-all[/url] As for the looper, try one. The TC Ditto is a good starter. You can really experiment with harmony on it. P.S - I should maybe point out that there's not an awful lot of 'real' bass playing on my stuff LOL , though everything is 'bass', no keyboards or samples. Edited September 8, 2014 by ambient Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubinga5 Posted September 7, 2014 Author Share Posted September 7, 2014 thank you for that Ambient, sounds great as does your recording. i will check it out. really want an octave pedal also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grangur Posted September 8, 2014 Share Posted September 8, 2014 [quote name='bubinga5' timestamp='1410133440' post='2546518'] thank you for that Ambient, sounds great as does your recording. i will check it out. really want an octave pedal also. [/quote] If you are looking to experiment with Looper and Octave etc try a Zoom B3; that has all of these and a lot more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrammeFriday Posted September 8, 2014 Share Posted September 8, 2014 This vid gives a very good idea of what you can do with a looper and an eBow - essentially it is a process of layering: [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQPzCerudiw"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQPzCerudiw[/url] OK, that wasn't on bass, but this is (eBow and looping action starts about halfway through): [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxrUYvsmr9U"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxrUYvsmr9U[/url] +1 for the Ditto, BTW - I'd recommend the newer Ditto X2 as this has two footswitches (which is more of a boon that you might think, as it means you can have [size=3]dedicated on and off switches[/size][size=4]). [/size] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowdown Posted September 8, 2014 Share Posted September 8, 2014 (edited) Keys/Piano have always been my go to for transcribing, just found it opened up my ears, and was easier for picking out stuff. I have been playing as long as I have been Bass, just went hand in hand for me. BB5, If you can grab the dots for "On Golden Pond", Dave Grusin, do so. It's an art in melody, feel and emotion. It can be a bit of a handful, but with some work brings a real smile to your face. You have to make your own bird noises. http://youtu.be/Qml75qpmpSs Edited September 8, 2014 by lowdown Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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