What is 'wrong' with playing a bass like playing a guitar?

slacker

IMHO the phrase is used for a guitarist that assumes they can play bass because they can play guitar. I also see acoustic guitarists who assume they can play electric. And vice versa. It's the assumption that causes the problems because they never learn to play the thing properly (whatever that means). 

John_A

slacker said:

IMHO the phrase is used for a guitarist that assumes they can play bass because they can play guitar. I also see acoustic guitarists who assume they can play electric. And vice versa. It's the assumption that causes the problems because they never learn to play the thing properly (whatever that means). 

Yes agree.  They are all their own  instrument and have to be played with a different mindset/approach/technique, it's a lot more than knowing where the notes are

John_A

JMP220478 said:

there's nothing wrong with this ..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFKlezPu3xg

IMO not a lot right with it

octatonic

Blueingreen

The problem is the definition of the phrase.  "Playing the bass like a guitar" is often used as a catch-all description for "doing the things a guitarist who doesn't think like a bass player and sounding less good as a result".  These would include: not focussing enough on time;  not focussing in the right way on what the drummer is doing;  not being willing to be repetitive or to use obvious note choices (root, 5th etc) where those are more effective than more "adventurous" notes; overplaying.  Also, as a guitarist who more or less solely played bass for a number of years, I'd argue that experienced bass players develop a feel for the instument, a time-feel if you like, that most guitarists just don't have.  So even a guitarist who's doing it all right - simple note choices, focussing on the drummer etc -  you can still tell he's not a "real" bass player if you're paying attention.  (There are exceptions - I think of the Average White Band for example who had players who were equally fantastic rhythm guitarists and bass players.  But the exceptions prove the rule.)

It's more or less tautological that this is worse.  Guitarists do lots of things the same as bass players: to the extent that they do that, though, they are not "playing like guitarists".  They are playing like guitarists when they are doing things bass players don't typically do but guitarists do typically do when playing bass.  Every so often this may lead into a little creative unconformity that actually works.  But the general rule that it's better to play bass like an experienced bass player than like a guitarist holds good at least 9/10 of the time.

paul_c2

Its a bit of a wooly/ill-defined question but I applaud those who have sensibly tackled it, especially BlueInGreen's post above.

Personally for me (I play both):

1. Note selection - the bass has a fundamentally (excuse the pun) different role, most of the time.
2. Rhythm - similar to 1
3. Would almost exclusively be limited to playing with a pick - which would confine the sounds/tone of the bass to a small subset of its capability or use.

paul_c2

ETA:

4. Use of chords, due to the "lower interval limit" phenomenon.

Ché

I don't even play bass like a guitar at all... more like a synth. It's a tool at the end of the day, do with you it as you please/as is required. 

jonnyburgo

Can't believe that nobody has mentioned John Entwistle yet.

JezWynd

jonnyburgo said:

Can't believe that nobody has mentioned John Entwistle yet.

Entwistle treated it as the relatively new instrument it was and did his own sonic exploring. Quite successful iirc.

BarefacedAudio

Unfortunately there's an annoying man talking over the bass playing, but here's a good example of me blurring the line between guitar and bass playing (you'll probably need headphones or proper speakers to hear my acoustic bass guitar properly): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSnwdBsKXuQ 

stickyfiddle

John_A said:

JMP220478 said:

there's nothing wrong with this ..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFKlezPu3xg

IMO not a lot right with it

Have to agree, but nice to see Doug Judy masquerading as a keytarist  

hollywoodrox

If it fits the music and gets the job done it shouldn’t matter

thegummy

Jalapeno said:

It IS the job of the bass to cover the root, but not exclusively   There are other notes (other than the 5th )

Walking is a key part, as is setting the groove. It is different.

I agree with this.

When we start playing bass we tend to stick to roots because it's easier and all we know at first but then I think there can be a tendency for intermediate players - once they learn to play other notes - to possibly play the root notes less often than would be ideal.

To the OP question - there's nothing wrong with playing bass like a guitar as long as the people you're playing bass for want that style.

To a certain degree I think bass intertwines with the drums and it sounds like the kick drum and the bass guitar is one instrument while the 6 string guitar sits atop of that groove. So to me playing bass like a guitar would be playing on top of the groove rather than intertwining with it.

bassbora

I just want to say music can be played/expressed in so many ways. Don’t be limited to the instrument. Yes it might have a traditional function and yes I studied for many years music/bass and I am a bassist at heart. Think more about the music and how things fit together rather than a bass should just do this. You can play beautiful melodies on bass and chords you don’t have to play just roots. To be able to understand what is required regardless of the instrument is the difference between (in this instance) a bass player and a musician. You can change bass player out for any instrument in that last sentence.

BintyTwanger77

fretmeister said:

That's how you play bass in a 3 piece

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xch-3Wwl9HE

So so so much wisdom. Along with Norman Watt Roy, Jack Bruce is my top bassist of all time.