Advice for Guitar Player Learning Bass

Any? I see the bass as a guitar with fat strings but missing two. But I'm sure its more complicated than that. I know that playing bass, and then picking up a guitar, is a strange feeling.

- don't play solos. every guitar player I know who tries to play bass ends up playing it like a guitar solo. You're there to keep the floor with the drummer, so don't overplay
- think in major scales more than your pentatonic minor guitar scale.
- think of chord contruction versus chord naming to figure out what to play along with a certain guitar chord. If you play the root note of the guitar chord it may not sound right. Try playing the 3rd of the chord on the bass (minor 3rd might work if it's a minor chord). Or if it's a funky jazzy chord, find out what the "money" note is in the chord - e.g. if it's a +5 chord, play the shapr 5th, regardless of what the actual guitar chord is. Same thing for major and minor chords - the money note is the 3rd, so if you play accent notes, play the major or minor 3rd to match the guitar chord, and don't mix them up or it will sound like crap
- learn walking bass patterns, and then move them around based on the chords. This is the easiest way to impress someone and fake your way into letting someone think you can actually play. Try it with a standard 12-bar shuffle.
- listen to the drummer's kick drum. if you're in sync with that, so will the rest of the band
- if all else fails, sling your bass really low, wear nothing but a loin cloth and jump around the stage like a crazed madman! Or just sneer and look indifferent and aloof - a cool look if I ever saw one.

Cheers,
Doug

As a bass player who now plays guitar I'd hope I can offer some insight. It's been about 4yrs now so I'm starting to feel I'm leaving bass behind.

Keep it simple - assuming you're not joining a Chilli Peppers style band. You'll get more recognition from the band for that than trying to be flash. People (audiences / non-musicians) tend not to notice bass unless it's wrong. Lock in with the drummer. I saw myself as an extenstion of him as opposed to the cr*p guitarist. I also think ddewerd's advice is pretty sound. However walking bass lines all over a set with start to annoy. Remember less is more & you can bring out the fancy stuff occasionally to impress.

Learn the fretboard! Know where all the notes are from open to 12th fret on all four strings.

Work, work, work on your rhythms. The bass player needs to work with the drummer to keep things happening while the singer and the guitar player show off!

Keep it simple, unless the song demands complicated.

Have fun!

Cheers, Tim

1) Get a metronome and use it religiously. The bass is a rhythm instrument, so knowing your way around a groove is crucial.

2) Say goodbye to your fingernails. I think it's okay to use a pick for some stuff, just as it's okay to slap too. But straight flesh-on-strings is fundamental to good bass tone, IMHO.

3) Know your intervals and arpeggios. These are important on guitar too, but they are the bread and butter of solid bass lines. Reminds me of a joke:

Q: How many bluesgrass bass players does it take to change a lightbulb?

A: One. Five. One. Five... :oops:

Hopefully some of the "real" bassists here can give you a more detailed answer, but that should get you going in the right direction.

Edit: Started a reply here, got called away, and by the time I came back and finished the post, several of the "real" bass players had already posted... What THEY SAID! :mrgreen:

Starting out on bass remember 3 things,

1) Lock in tight with the drummer.
2) Cover the root.
3) Don't play too much else.

Doing those 3, nobody will refer to you as Jaco but you'll get by. It's a different mind set playing bass. If you don't already have a bass consider getting short scale bass. I have a Carvin bass with a 36" scale length and going from that to my Tele's 25.5" you have to watch your left hand for a
while otherwise it won't be where you expect it to be.
Praticing at home is different too. Bass, even at low volume, can be heard easily thoughout the house. I can't stand playing with headphones but if you can, that can help keep you keep on good terms with the family and neighbors.
Knowing your scales, modes and chord construction will help. Playing bass can be a lot of fun.

Take it from a 35+ year guitar player who is leaving the guitar behind - I'll repeat most of what has been said . . .

Listen when they say "don't play solos." Don't try to play lead guitar with your bass . . . keep it simple . . . "Play the root, the whole root, and nothing but the whole root, so help me . . ."

Practice a lot with your index adn middle fingers . . . should come easy if you played fingerstyle acoustic guitar . . .

Learn to walk the lines . . .

Work with your drummer . . .

Learn arpeggios on the bass . . .

And know that bass IS NOT EASIER TO PLAY THAN GUITAR!

Been there done that..I think it will depend a lot on your guitar playing level.If you are mostly a rythm player it will be eazier to switch..But if you are a pretty good lead picker the job can be very difficult..One time I found myself without a new year gig,[big bucks night]and got a call from a buddy looking for a bass player.I took the gig and after the 1st. set the lead picker suggested we switch.I got the message and fought back my instincts the rest of the night.It was my 1st. bass gig,but I've played others since and it's still a problem..You'll sound your best when your goal is help the rest of the band sound good..PJ...

And know that bass IS NOT EASIER TO PLAY THAN GUITAR!


Amen to that. I am a guitar player who can just barely get by on bass if I have to, and when I play with our regualr bass player I am amazed how easy he makes it look, but how hard it actually is.

It's easy to play bass, it's just hard to play it well!

Cheers,
Doug

Slow down.

Lot's of good advice above.

I've been playing guitar for 35+ years, and took up bass guitar 8 years ago.


Less is more! Know your roots & fives in your sleep. When in doubt: play the root on 1 & 3 - that's better than to stumble with fancy fills.

Become one with the drummer.

Learn your chord tones/arpeggios.

Practise the fundamentals of "walking bass".

Groove! :cool:

Have fun! :grin:

/ Tony

I've been playing bass and guitar for 30+ years. I started with guitar and quickly changed to bass because everyone I knew played guitar, no one played bass and everyone needed a bass player. Thanks to the switch I got to play with many guitarists in my area.

Without knowing what style of music you are playing I'll just tell you how I learned.

1) get the real recordings of the songs you will be playing, listen to them over and over again until you know the bass lines in your head and can hum them

2) play along with the original recordings so you learn how it was played originally.

3) as others have said, the bass and the drums need to be tight.

4) if you know guitar you can also watch the rhythm guitarist when you are learning new songs, if you see him playing a G chord, chances are you should be playing a G too. I got so good at doing this I could fake my way through almost any new song by watching the rhythm guitarist.

5) practice, practice, practice

I play guitar in one band and bass in another.

On bass, your job is to add to the sound and mood. How do you do this?

Remember, the guitar plays to the heart, the bass plays to the ovaries.

You are going to provide the tone that the bass drum drives home - get it.

Now you can change the whole attitude in the song by changing what you are playing. Walking is fine - provides a playful or go along attitude - very appropriate for some songs...change over to a single note thumping and watch the band notice your change.

Don't be afraid to play the inverts - thump an A, and when the chord changes to D...hang on the A...see what happens.

If you typically walk up on bass, change it to a walk down.

Think about when to use a flattened third or not in your play...it's not always obvious.

Save some of you best stuff to cover the lead guitar during the break - especially with a three piece. Play simpler during the vocals - to let the vocalist get their message across.

Don't be afraid to cut a note short - allow your bass to be silent, but do it strategically.

Learn some muscle memory riffs - such as in the Beatles - I Saw Her Standing There and Day Tripper - practice til you can do it blindfolded...better yet, get the Beatles One CD, and learn every song on bass.

listen to your favorite tunes - how'd that guy do it ?

listen to your drummer
listen to the vocalist
listen to the guitar
You are the glue, Play what sticks.

Learn the bass line to the song Singed Sealed & Delivered - the original version. No fudging. Get that one down, you're half way home to any other pop song ... of course you won't be able to play country bass to save your life after that but ... oh well... small price to pay. :lol:

some really good advice above . as someone who has played guitar for 30 years and bass almost as long, all i can offer is for a while WATCH the bass drum pedal to get a feel for how the drummer plays and so much depends on how many in band. i play guitar in a 5pc band yet tomorrow i am standing in (depping) for a blues rock trio on bass where you really have to fill out the sound when guitarist takes a solo, i generally keep it on low strings and very rarely venture past 8th fret during solo as i prefer to fill the sound out (to thicken it so to speak) as sometimes when guitarist stops rhythm for a solo the sound can lose so much body and attack . its different playing with a 4 or 5 pc band as there is so much more going on

If you're timing goes to hell blame it on the drummer! :lol:

spend some serious time listening to duck dunn (booker t, blues bros), james jamerson (motown classics), sir paul (!?), rick danko (the band), roy husky jr. (the original will the circle be unbroken, and other bluegrass classics), following their grooves...

...and stop listening to guitar players for awhile.

and always remember: less is more.

you'll get it.

imho.

rand z tropicalsoul.net

[QUOTE=bargoedboy;1372798] ".... i generally keep it on low strings and very rarely venture past 8th fret during solo as i prefer to fill the sound out... "

That's the way I play. Everyone has their preference but for me all the money is on the open notes or between the 1st and 5th fret. :wink:

Octaves are the Bassists friend.

As a guitar player who likes to thump on the bass occasionaly, I like to play 70's-80's Motown. There is alot of good stuff going on, and more importantly, easy to pick up on. Gimme some Earth, Wind and Fire or some Commodores and I'm happy!

learn to play like Steve Harris of Iron Maiden..Or John Entwistle:twisted:..don't just stick with the old root and 5th...no seriously you should listen to guys like Victor Wooten and get inspired about your instrument..

Starting out on bass remember 3 things,

1) Lock in tight with the drummer.
2) Cover the root.
3) Don't play too much else.

Doing those 3, nobody will refer to you as Jaco but you'll get by. It's a different mind set playing bass. If you don't already have a bass consider getting short scale bass. I have a Carvin bass with a 36" scale length and going from that to my Tele's 25.5" you have to watch your left hand for a
while otherwise it won't be where you expect it to be.
Praticing at home is different too. Bass, even at low volume, can be heard easily thoughout the house. I can't stand playing with headphones but if you can, that can help keep you keep on good terms with the family and neighbors.
Knowing your scales, modes and chord construction will help. Playing bass can be a lot of fun.

4) and never smile.

Starting out on bass remember 3 things,

1) Lock in tight with the drummer.
2) Cover the root.
3) Don't play too much else.

I just watched Jeff Beck at Ronnie Scott's and Tal Wilkenfeld's playing is a perfect example of this approach. And she's playing on some of the biggest stages in the world.

...and stop listening to guitar players for awhile.

And while you are playing bass, don't think of yourself as "a guitar player" learning bass. Just be the bass player. There are plenty of great bass players that didn't start on guitar, so the fact that you know guitar does not, and I might even go so far as to say should not, have a big influence on your bass playing.

What would I say to a drummer learning bass? Welcome to the world of musicians.

Think half-notes

On bass, your job is to add to the sound and mood. How do you do this?

Remember, the guitar plays to the heart, the bass plays to the ovaries.


That's brilliant! Can I quote you?

"Just be the bass player."

Yes. Learn to play bass and learn the songs. Show up on time. Get along. Give up thinking bass players get the chicks. You'll be fine.

What always troubles me is this question would not get asked if this was a kazoo forum. You would not get questions like "I'm a guitar player but I've been asked to play kazoo. What tips do you have?" Seriously, bass is it's own intrument. Just learn it the way you would sax or accordian. I mean, bass and guitar both have strings and you can sometimes use the same electric tuner to tune the but.......

What always troubles me is this question would not get asked if this was a kazoo forum. You would not get questions like "I'm a guitar player but I've been asked to play kazoo. What tips do you have?" Seriously, bass is it's own intrument. Just learn it the way you would sax or accordian. I mean, bass and guitar both have strings and you can sometimes use the same electric tuner to tune the but.......

Well, bass IS really a short version of bass guitar. It is very similar and guitar skill does translate to bass playing ability. If you switched from guitar to keys, drums, or kazoo, you would be starting from square one. However, playing a bass right does require a different approach than with guitar, as everyone has so eloquently explained.

Hey, this is the bass forum on a larger guitar forum. It's certainly not uncommon for guitarists to pick up the bass as a second instrument, or even have it become their primary instrument...

It's not a question I have any problem with!

Tim

Yeah, nothing chaps my hide quicker than wannabe kazooists with some guitar and bass experience. Everybody wants to be a kazoo god. Look... if you don't know the difference between metal and plastic models and how each interacts with different mic's - and if scat singing isn't a natural hobby - and if you've never played kazoo along with Ella Fitzgerald records -

For God's sake - PLEASE: - Don't try this at home. Leave it for the kazoo professionals.

I know I always keep a kazoo in the gig bag, just in case the subject comes up.

I was just reading something on the Premier Guitar site titled How NOT to play bass like a guitar player playing bass. (http://www.premierguitar.com/Magazine/Issue/2009/Sep/How_NOT_to_Play_Bass_like_a_Guitar_Player_Playing_ Bass.aspx)

in my old band, i am a bass guitar player and all we sangs are acoustics, and simply, the bass is the main voice and i have to improve my skills about this with my new band. i love also playing acoustic guitar (http://www.fretmusic.co.uk/) which is my pastime when there is no jamming.

Someone on this very board said (paraphrasing) -- playing bass is more about playing space than notes
Not really what they said to be honest, but that's what I heard and it sticks with me every time I play bass

I love reading guitarists advice on playing bass. Many make it sound like trying to scuba dive with weights on and no air in the tank.

The basics are not that hard and they will more than get you by in a live situation.

My advice is what not to do:

-Don't pluck every single beat in every single song. You'll get board, the drummer will get bored and the crowd will get bored.
-If you don't know how to slap and pop don't start learning it in a live situation. It will be a train wreck in a tornado.
-Don't jump right in finger plucking if your hand isn't in shape. You will get tired quickly. Keep picks on hand. Felt and rubber picks sound pretty close to fingers. I always keep some around.
-If the band pulls apart timing wise listen to the drummer not the guitar or singer. If you and the drummer lock back up the rest will follow and it won't sound that bad.
-Don't set your action too low. IF your fretting hand isn't used to bass strings you'll get a lot of residual buzz from low action. Sometimes it sounds cool most of the time it doesn't.
-On your amp: mids will make you stand out. Turn them down to sit back or turn them up to piss off the guitarist.
-Don't let every note ring. Staccato notes will open a song up and give it energy. Muted notes give a great thump that can accentuate the bass drum.

It's a lot of fun. You can get really into different techniques and if you have a good drummer you guys will really enjoy locking in together.