• From: BELGIUM
  • Registered: 2007-01-27
  • Posts: 3,403

Topic: SWITCHING GUITAR TO BASS + BASS UNERRATED INSRTRULENT?

Take the BEATLES. Paul McCartney isn't a bad guitarplayer at all, but they asked him to play bass.
A lot of guitarplayers would refuse to play bass. My brother and I started a kind of band in the early 70ties. I played on "I DON'T KNOW WHAT" acoustic guitar, with an electric pick-up. Of course thinking and dreaming to be famous.
I left, university, and they changed a few times guitar players besides the 2 "original members" the drummer and my brother.
On a day, a couple of years later, there was a duo joining the band, both pretty good players, so they asked my brother to play BASS an instrument he didn't want to play, so bye bye they found another bass player and they had a few hits in Belgium.
In fact I wanted to ask if:
- is a bass guitar underestimated?
- WOULD YOU change guitar to bass?
- If you play pretty well the electric guitar is it easy to switch from electric guitar to bass?

AGAIN, IF YOU ARE A GOOD ELECTRIC GUITARPLAYER AND YOU SWITCH TO PLAYING BASS EASY or DIFFICULT to play bass?

[color=blue]- GITAARDOCPHIL SAIS: TO CONQUER DEAD, YOU HAVE TO DIE[/color]   AND [color=blue] we are born to die[/color]
- MY GUITAR PLAYS EVERY STYLE = BLUES, ROCK, METAL, so I NEED TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY IT.
[color=blue]Civilization began the first time an angry person cast a word instead of a rock.[/color]

gitaardocphil's Website

  • From: Nottingham, UK
  • Registered: 2006-08-08
  • Posts: 690

Re: SWITCHING GUITAR TO BASS + BASS UNERRATED INSRTRULENT?

- is a bass guitar underestimated?

Yes, in fact most people don't hear it in the mix. However if it isn't there people notice the music lacks drive and jump.

- WOULD YOU change guitar to bass?

Have done so. No law saying you can't play both but I am finding that to get decent on bass I need to concentrate on it, not fritter practice time away on acoustic stuff.

- If you play pretty well the electric guitar is it easy to switch from electric guitar to bass?

If your fretboard awareness is strong on electric this will stand you in good stead on the bass. If you don't intuitively know where the notes are then the bass will force you to learn them quick.

Righthand technique is very different though. Even though many bass players use a pick I would strongly advise you work on learning the correct fingerstyle position. Fingerstyle gives you control and subtlety. Pick playing quickly gives you full-on rock aggression but doesn't lead anywhere more interesting.

'The sound of the city seems to disappear'
  • From: BELGIUM
  • Registered: 2007-01-27
  • Posts: 3,403

Re: SWITCHING GUITAR TO BASS + BASS UNERRATED INSRTRULENT?

Hi CYTANIA, who is considered as the BIG MUSICIANS? SINGER + GUITAR PLAYERS.
They are a lot more in the spotlights than the DRUMMER or BASS PLAYER.
BUT F YOU TAKE THESE 2 AWAY = destruction of your band.
In fact I wanted to know that when you are a GUITAR PLAYER, skilled, AND YOU NEVER TOUCHED A BASS GUITAR if it is easier to play bass.
That's why I mentioned Paul McCartney who is a pretty good guitar player (he has his acoustic Epiphone guitar now), besides that he was also a piano player, and Lennon & Harisson played guitar, so Paul took the bass.
Go to www.youtube.com and you'll find great bass players, there is a guy who plays MICHELLE (I think) ON BASS, IT'S REALLY GREAT.

[color=blue]- GITAARDOCPHIL SAIS: TO CONQUER DEAD, YOU HAVE TO DIE[/color]   AND [color=blue] we are born to die[/color]
- MY GUITAR PLAYS EVERY STYLE = BLUES, ROCK, METAL, so I NEED TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY IT.
[color=blue]Civilization began the first time an angry person cast a word instead of a rock.[/color]

gitaardocphil's Website

  • From: Bellevue, WA
  • Registered: 2006-06-15
  • Posts: 3,336

Re: SWITCHING GUITAR TO BASS + BASS UNERRATED INSRTRULENT?

I play both.  The reason you don't see too many singer + bass players is that most singers start off solo with a guitar.  But that's not to say they aren't out there.  I sing.  So do Geddy Lee and Les Claypool.  Now if I could only play like them.

I don't know what "under rated" is supposed to mean.  As noted, you often don't notice it in the track, but you sure as heck notice it when it's not in the track.

Someday we'll win this thing...

[url=http://www.aclosesecond.com]www.aclosesecond.com[/url]

jerome.oneil's Website

  • From: Nottingham, UK
  • Registered: 2006-08-08
  • Posts: 690

Re: SWITCHING GUITAR TO BASS + BASS UNERRATED INSRTRULENT?

Any band begins with the drums. I can't tell you how tricky songs where the guitar and bass lead the intro are (at least for amateurs like me). Drummers prerogative is do the count-in. The bass player then takes the bass drum beat and makes it more musical. Then the guitar players riff over that rhythm.

You asked about singers and bassists, Well there's Sting, Lemmy, Jack Bruce and Tom Robinson. Glen Matlock of the Pistols says you should sing the words, and it does help you keep locked in with the song... but singing into the mike, well...

I've found the more I work on vocals the more I fumble basslines. It seems like I can focus on expressiveness on one but not both. At least when you're in the early days of learning the bass. Also bass has to listen to the drums and keep strictly in with them. Guitars have more liberty to swing the beat a bit.

'The sound of the city seems to disappear'
  • From: Bellevue, WA
  • Registered: 2006-06-15
  • Posts: 3,336

Re: SWITCHING GUITAR TO BASS + BASS UNERRATED INSRTRULENT?

cytania wrote:

Any band begins with the drums.

Well, sorta.  Sometimes.

Unless you're playing in a bluegrass band.  Or a gypsy swing band.  Or any of those other musical styles that don't use percussion at all.

Someday we'll win this thing...

[url=http://www.aclosesecond.com]www.aclosesecond.com[/url]

jerome.oneil's Website

  • From: Lincoln
  • Registered: 2007-05-16
  • Posts: 36

Re: SWITCHING GUITAR TO BASS + BASS UNERRATED INSRTRULENT?

I honestly do believe that bass is underestimated.
You can get more sounds out of a 4 string bass than you can on a guitar playing with just 4 strings. This is partly due to slap and pop though.
As long as the bassist is ok at playing, then the song should sound alright as long as everyone else isn't off big_smile

Personally I have no problem playing bass.
About a year ago my girlfriend got a bass and started to learn, and many a time I have sat down with an old acoustic and shes watched what I do and try to copy it.
I'm more a rythym guitarist who is venturing into the world of shredding big_smile and on several occasions have been asked by friends to cover for guitarists at gigs.
I have been asked to play bass at gigs twice and both times I thoroughly enjoyed it.
In a band setup, I actually prefer playing bass to electric.

I would say if you can play the electric guitar, you can play bass, but that doesn't mean you can play it well.
Changes on a bass are different, and it stretches your fingers more to reach those frets. Also, even the most basic of bass techniques (such as walking) are not used on "normal" guitar.
However, if you are ok at electric, then you will be able to find your way around the fretboard without too much difficulty (unless its fretless =P)

Ben

It's not how well you play... It's how much effort you put into the playing
  • Registered: 2007-03-24
  • Posts: 1,108

Re: SWITCHING GUITAR TO BASS + BASS UNERRATED INSRTRULENT?

I don't play bass but it certainly seems like it's harder. I admire a great bass line. Seems like it requires a lot more rythym and music comprehension. A band with a good bass player and drummer can shine even with mediocre guitarists.

And McCartney...way underrated as a bass player. Great bass players are almost always overlooked.
Say Cream everyone thinks Clapton what about Bruce (and Baker for that matter)
Say Who everyone thinks Townsend what about Entwistle

...the list goes on and on....someday I'm going to pick up bass (if I ever master this damn guitar!!)

I used to be disgusted; now I try to be amused.
Elvis Costello
  • From: Nottingham, UK
  • Registered: 2006-08-08
  • Posts: 690

Re: SWITCHING GUITAR TO BASS + BASS UNERRATED INSRTRULENT?

The thing with bass is no one starts off wanting to play it. Guitar is so much more flashy. Even Paul McCartney talks of being 'lumbered' with bass after Stu Sutcliffe left the Beatles (Lennon refused claiming he'd only just got a new Rickenbacker). In the sixties bass playing shows all the hallmarks of recently converted guitar players - pick playing, slavish linear basslines. It's not till the seventies that you get a whole new breed of player. Perhaps it was the more flamboyant styles of Entwistle or funk/disco's emerging 'slap' technique. Out goes the pick and in comes expressive fingerstyle playing. Suddenly people are Bassists, suggesting proper dedication to just that instrument.

'The sound of the city seems to disappear'
  • Registered: 2007-01-29
  • Posts: 533

Re: SWITCHING GUITAR TO BASS + BASS UNERRATED INSRTRULENT?

I always thought the Bass Player as one of the coolest ones in the band...I sometimes play a bass which is easier to play than a six string guitar, but my timing is not good enough to be a "real" bass player...

Middleaged Redneck sorta guy who refuses to grow up...passion for music, especially Southern Rock but like bout everything cept Gangsta/Hip Hop. Collect guitars, mandolins, and love to ride Harleys.