What's the transition like to bass from guitar?

slacker

I've mixed and matched between guitar and bass since the late 70's. Equally rubbish on both. Lots of good advice here and I'll probably repeat it and try to take credit. All the following is IMHO. 

The bass sits in a different frequency and space to a guitar. When playing either get out of the way of the other one. Some guitarists put too much bass on in a live context. Some bassists use too much mids. Some players over play. 

The bass is the bridge between the drums and the vocal. You are introducing the beat to the tune. I always look to use two or three notes (maybe more hits) in order to keep it sparse. For covers it's fairly easy a) use youtube b) refuse to do Sir Duke. 

If you havent already, learn some basic theory. So if you are given a chord chart, you know what a 3rd is and why a chord is maj/min/whatever. Learn some scales/modes. 

Join a band asap and if not do some home recording, audition for bands and generally dont play on your own. I know many great operators of instruments that have no idea how to play with others. Learn how to interact. Learn how to drive the band, push the vocalist and make the lead guitarist play out of his skin. 

PolarityMan

I'd echo what most people would say here but also add some thoughts just playing devils advocate.

I'd rather have a guitarist turned bassist playing a well written bass part than some jazz funk virtuoso slapping and popping his way through everything.

The bass guitar in a rock / metal setting is about weight so it's actually one of the most important instruments when it comes to macro composition.

If you are doubling a guitar part / riff with the bass it's almost always worth considering dropping some notes out of the bass part, especially if you're doing fast palm muting type stuff (really this is a specialization of the locking in with the kick thing).

Also bass slides are awesome.

And wah on bass.

Phil_aka_Pip

PolarityMan said:

I'd rather have a guitarist turned bassist playing a well written bass part than some jazz funk virtuoso slapping and popping his way through everything.

wis for that sentence

slap & pop is NO WAY to play the electric bass, apart from the occasional use for special effect. PLAY IT don't hit it

slacker

Phil_aka_Pip said:

PolarityMan said:

I'd rather have a guitarist turned bassist playing a well written bass part than some jazz funk virtuoso slapping and popping his way through everything.

wis for that sentence

slap & pop is NO WAY to play the electric bass, apart from the occasional use for special effect. PLAY IT don't hit it

No different from the guitarist who widdles his way through a set cos he didnt learn the chords. Overplaying is bad m'kay 

Phil_aka_Pip

slacker said:

Phil_aka_Pip said:

PolarityMan said:

I'd rather have a guitarist turned bassist playing a well written bass part than some jazz funk virtuoso slapping and popping his way through everything.

wis for that sentence

slap & pop is NO WAY to play the electric bass, apart from the occasional use for special effect. PLAY IT don't hit it

No different from the guitarist who widdles his way through a set cos he didnt learn the chords. Overplaying is bad m'kay 

You play what the music requires. although a set full of slap&pop would bore me a lot easier than a set full of widdles. A set full of unwarranted widdles would definitely bore me though.

chrispy108

Dave_Vader;675915" said:

chrispy108 said:

What kind of music are you going to be playing @SquireJapan? Anything rocky and the norm is definitely rounds.

Can of worms image

Well not really, for rocky music the norm is roundwound strings, particularly modern rock/metal. Yes, there are obviously examples of rock bassists using flats, but I don't think I've said anything particularly controversial.

As Phil said, work out what works for you, but I think generally start with the 'usual' and then explore the alternatives is a more sensible way to go than starting odd. You need to know the rules to know how to break the rules etc etc

Slap and pop is a perfectly valid style of playing the bass, but again, start with the 'normal' and then start experimenting with slapping and popping would be my advice.

Dave_Vader

Sorry, forgot I wasn't on basschat for once. Usually once the suggestion is made that rounds are best for rock/metal, somebody mentions Steve Harris, and it all goes downhill from there.

frankus

Personally I love slap bass, and I'd rather hear a good slap bassist than a guitarist (on a guitar or a bass).

Bass is all about shaping the notes, determining the length and getting a groove going..

The difference between a bass player of moderate worth and a guitarist of moderate worth is the bass player will get space and rhythm a lot better.

A widdly guitarist will play non-stop ad-nauseum and it'll be a show case of his prowess.

A slap bass guitarist will work with the rhythm more than the notes. The fewer notes he plays the more obvious it is he can totally nail the beat...

 

I don't think you get good bedroom bassists, these guys are far better at being in bands than guitarists - they're better team players.

I also think they're better players because they focus on the rhythm and might play the same 3 notes all the time - which to a guitarist (many of whom are "beat deaf") will seem monotonous but behind the beat, on the beat all affect the feel of the music profoundly.

 

Clarky

I like slap bass too..

I tend to think of slap just like any other specific technique.. like tapping or sweeping on a guitar..

it's one of many things in your toolbox... so just because you can, does not mean you must 100% all of the time..

BigLicks67

SquireJapan said:

Thanks guys - all good feedback.

Some practicalities ... 

1. Fingers or plectrum? Fingers looks cooler, but I'm not  sure where to start

2. What about an amp? Can I just DI? Should I buy a DI box (can I use a compressor ... etc)

I own a squire P bass that I'd put active duncans in years ago. I learnt a few bassline riffs (Higher Ground and Fire etc), but haven't really touched it. It still has the original strings ... from the 90s.

Thanks!

You'll get a fatter tone with your fingers, but if you are more comfortable with a plectrum then you could try flat wounds to smooth out the tone or the old trick of a piece of foam near the bridge.

2. Find out the size of the amp the guitarist is using and times it by 4 if you wan't to be heard : >

Sit down and listen to the whole of James Jamerson playing on the album What's Going On by Marvin Gaye and that's all the schooling you need to show the difference between playing bass and playing guitar.

PolarityMan

BigLicks67;686641" said:

SquireJapan said:

Thanks guys - all good feedback.

Some practicalities ... 

1. Fingers or plectrum? Fingers looks cooler, but I'm not  sure where to start2. What about an amp? Can I just DI? Should I buy a DI box (can I use a compressor ... etc)

I own a squire P bass that I'd put active duncans in years ago. I learnt a few bassline riffs (Higher Ground and Fire etc), but haven't really touched it. It still has the original strings ... from the 90s.

Thanks!





You'll get a fatter tone with your fingers, but if you are more comfortable with a plectrum then you could try flat wounds to smooth out the tone or the old trick of a piece of foam near the bridge.2. Find out the size of the amp the guitarist is using and times it by 4 if you wan't to be heard : >

Sit down and listen to the whole of James Jamerson playing on the album What's Going On by Marvin Gaye and that's all the schooling you need to show the difference between playing bass and playing guitar.

I dont think you get a "fatter" tone from using fingers. Less attack certainly and actually I would say less tonal variation than using a pick but the payoff is in feel. Some parts the feel of using fingers and the subtle interplay between muting and playing is the advantage.

SquireJapan

I'm already enjoying extra expression you get with fingers - as you say, being able to mute and dampen the strings more easily helps with the groove ... 

I can't believe how much fun bass is. As previous posters have said, playing bass at home only really gets fun when you're playing along with music.

Playing along with the TV and general songs I know is a tonne of fun.

mart

SquireJapan said:

I'm already enjoying extra expression you get with fingers ...

+1.

Fingers and fretless is the way to go for maximum expression. That's the choice I made twenty odd years ago, and I've never regretted it once. I just feel like I can make it sing, or whisper, or funk, or call down thunder from the gods if I want. All at the touch of a finger.