Cameronj279 Posted July 29, 2015 Posted July 29, 2015 Basically for a while now I've been considering learning guitar and tomorrow I'm going to take the plunge and I'm buying a guitar (Ibanez S470 with Dimarzio pickups for those curious). My thoughts behind learning guitar is that it'll help me when it comes to writing music as I do sometimes feel a little limited on bass. I know it's a completely different instrument and will have a learning curve but what would you recommend as exercises/online lessons etc that I should definitely give a go. I should also say that I don't/can't use a plectrum on bass so that's going to be a big thing I need to practice!
CamdenRob Posted July 29, 2015 Posted July 29, 2015 This last year I have taken up guitar as well as bass (I'm crap at holding a pick too, although I have now fashioned a passable technique). I have always dabbled but I finally got a decent amp and proper guitar around six months ago. Bass is and will always be my first love[u] BUT[/u] I was finding it increasingly difficult to find original projects where I had control of my bass parts. I only want to be a part of bands where I can choose what I play and when. In the end I decided to take up guitar, write a bunch of my own songs and put a band together myself so i had more of an input creatively. This has kind of spiraled now in that I'm the main songwriter in two bands I'm now heading up, both on guitar (one hardcore metal and one ambient rocky stuff). Out of the blue I have recently also found the ideal bass gig for me, an original blues rock band where I am in total control of my bass parts... so it's all good at the moment
Bilbo Posted July 29, 2015 Posted July 29, 2015 I have played both for as long as I have played and, although I consider myself to be a bass player who plays a bit of guitar, I do use it a lot for wrinting/recording etc. I just got a seven string bass that I have tuned BEADGBE so it is literally a bass and guitar and I play that with a pick. It is a really interesting experiment. In the meantime. my advice is to learn music not bass/guitar. The notes are the same, a major triad is the same on both instrument. A minor scale is the same, as are all the intervals and so on for every piece of musical theory. It all apllies equally to both intruments. Learning 'guitar' licks won't help you bass playing and learning bass parts won't help you guitar. Learning 'music' will help you on both instruments. I also recommend you learn to read music on both bass and treble clef as it will take you places musically that you would never otherwise go. I know this is a big ask but it is so worth it in the long run.
Cameronj279 Posted July 29, 2015 Author Posted July 29, 2015 I have an incredibly basic knowledge of the things you mentioned Bilbo. I know the intervals within certain triads etc. When it comes to reading I can look at a piece on bass/treble clef and eventually figure out what note is being played but I'm still very much having to take baby steps with it. If I could afford a tutor I would be going down that route however YouTube will have to do in the mean time.
EssentialTension Posted July 29, 2015 Posted July 29, 2015 [quote name='Cameronj279' timestamp='1438159413' post='2832079'] ... I should also say that I don't/can't use a plectrum on bass so that's going to be a big thing I need to practice! [/quote] I'm not saying don't learn to use a plectrum but it is not essential. Two of the guitarists I regularly play with never use a plectrum - fingerstyle all the way.
ras52 Posted July 29, 2015 Posted July 29, 2015 [quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1438166618' post='2832169'] I'm not saying don't learn to use a plectrum but it is not essential. Two of the guitarists I regularly play with never use a plectrum - fingerstyle all the way. [/quote] Yep, I play rudimentary guitar when I have my songwriter hat on. I struggle with a plectrum, so my strumming technique uses the index finger and thumb nails: my right hand is as if I'm holding a plectrum (very loosely), so on downstrokes I hit the strings with my index fingernail and on upstrokes with the thumbnail. (There's probably a name for this technique!)
ubit Posted July 29, 2015 Posted July 29, 2015 Take lessons! No amount of online lessons or you tube videos can compete with a decent teacher who you can ask questions of. I myself grew tired of just playing bass and dabbling on guitar, so asked a local master about lessons. He was amazed they were for me as he knew I had been playing bass for years. I am now, by no means s virtuoso, but certainly a lot better than I was. My big eureka moment was learning to drop my elbow which allowed better string differention when forming chords. Playing bass for years , I had a completely different style where my hand was flatter. It's well worth it to get lessons and you won't look back!
EssentialTension Posted July 29, 2015 Posted July 29, 2015 [quote name='ras52' timestamp='1438167089' post='2832176'] Yep, I play rudimentary guitar when I have my songwriter hat on. I struggle with a plectrum, so my strumming technique uses the index finger and thumb nails: my right hand is as if I'm holding a plectrum (very loosely), so on downstrokes I hit the strings with my index fingernail and on upstrokes with the thumbnail. (There's probably a name for this technique!) [/quote] That's fair enough but I was more meaning for example ... [media]http://youtu.be/z_NVSTzrBbo[/media]
waldflote8 Posted July 29, 2015 Posted July 29, 2015 did you buy the S470 which was on 'the tree' ...seller Motherwell in the last few days ? S470s are superb guitars, very comfortable and you can do ridiculous things to the trem without going out of tune, great choice. ( I have 3 and use them as workhorses, lot of guitar for the money, even without the Di Marzipans) anyway - learning guitar - what's good for you etc. Worst thing I did when beginning was trying to learn from a book (no youtube then),.. the theory / notation was not helpful in teaching me what I wanted to play (metal). I had a mate who could play well, he showed me basic chord shapes/tricks like 1 fingered A / E chords etc. Got me off and running. Tablature / youtube vids, lots of help available for free. I got caught up in a load of technical stuff at one point and forgot just how satisfying it can be to jam along with one of your favourite songs. good luck, andrew
Hobbayne Posted July 29, 2015 Posted July 29, 2015 I learned guitar about 8 years after starting on bass. It made so much more sense to me when I played major and minor chords in a song context and could hear how the melody was created. I had a Beatles songbook and played A day in the life and went wow!
Cameronj279 Posted July 29, 2015 Author Posted July 29, 2015 [quote name='waldflote8' timestamp='1438172774' post='2832227'] did you buy the S470 which was on 'the tree' ...seller Motherwell in the last few days ? S470s are superb guitars, very comfortable and you can do ridiculous things to the trem without going out of tune, great choice. ( I have 3 and use them as workhorses, lot of guitar for the money, even without the Di Marzipans) [/quote] Glad I picked something decent cause I have no idea about guitars if I'm honest. I got it (well I'm getting it tomorrow) from a Facebook buy and sell page (turns out I've actually bought a pedal from the guy before though).
Dood Posted July 29, 2015 Posted July 29, 2015 [quote name='ubit' timestamp='1438167954' post='2832184'] Take lessons! No amount of online lessons or you tube videos can compete with a decent teacher who you can ask questions of. I myself grew tired of just playing bass and dabbling on guitar, so asked a local master about lessons. He was amazed they were for me as he knew I had been playing bass for years. I am now, by no means s virtuoso, but certainly a lot better than I was. My big eureka moment was learning to drop my elbow which allowed better string differention when forming chords. Playing bass for years , I had a completely different style where my hand was flatter. It's well worth it to get lessons and you won't look back! [/quote] Yes! Absolutely this. All of my bass students and all of my Guitar students (have the opportunity to) learn about both instruments as well as piano and drums as part of my workshops and lessons. Indeed two of my students have recently been through my recording techniques lessons having tracked rhythm and lead guitar parts as well as bass to recordings of their choice. I just can't see how that wouldn't be a good thing to learn, especially when they took their CDs home with them!
Cameronj279 Posted July 30, 2015 Author Posted July 30, 2015 At the moment lessons aren't really viable due to my current finances (I'm aware I'm complaining about my finances yet have just bought a guitar ).
ubit Posted July 30, 2015 Posted July 30, 2015 As soon as you can mate, you should consider lessons as a must! Online lessons just are not as good although will start you off Marty Schwartz on you tube is good if you must go down this route !
Bilbo Posted August 27, 2015 Posted August 27, 2015 My plectrum technique is pretty godd (see the attached video of me playing my new seven string bass with a pick). I worked with Al Di Meola's picking technique book and it made a mssive difference remarkably quickly. [url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6AHkcNO0bg"]https://www.youtube....h?v=f6AHkcNO0bg[/url]
icastle Posted August 27, 2015 Posted August 27, 2015 [quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1440666625' post='2852760'] My plectrum technique is pretty godd [/quote] Is that 'good' 'odd' or 'god'?
bassbiscuits Posted October 2, 2015 Posted October 2, 2015 I play bass firstly, but guitar a close second, and I think they definitely help inform each other. Bass playing helped my rhythm guitar and timing skills, and lead guitar playing helps me when I want to do something flashy or fast on the bass (ok it's not very often I admit!) It's nice to have a wider grasp of music than just one instrument, and I find in the work I do there's lots of room for depping as a multi instrumentalist, so it's all good stuff.
GarethFlatlands Posted October 7, 2015 Posted October 7, 2015 It's been a long day and I didn't read the other replies so sorry if this has been covered. I'd go for the basics which I guess you already know, like scales and chord theory, and work out how those apply to guitar with those pesky extra strings. If you want to play with a pick and aren't used to it then get that down as well. I always warm up with a chromatic exercise and a cross string picking one as far as single notes go. Thinking about it, I never practice chord picking as it's most of what you do anyway on guitar, it should just come naturally but I guess there's no harm in working on it if you feel you need it, eg fast down strokes if you're a big metal fan, finger picking, arpeggios etc. Other than that, the only other piece of advice I can give is a bit of a no brainer; learn to play songs you like at first to keep you motivated, then learn everything. Every Guitar World song tab I didn't know, I'd raid my parents record collection to see if they had it just to learn it (this was pre-internet). If you know theory, you should some insight into how songs are constructed on guitar which is never a bad thing, even if you don't like the song. You'll pick up a lot from this too, interesting chord voicings etc which you might not get if you just stuck to things you like.
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