Hi All,
I want to buy something !! How sad is that, but I’m blaming Covid for wanting to cheer myself up ....
Trouble is I can’t find anything to buy. I’ve been looking at guitars and to a lesser extent amps but I really don’t need anything else. I want to give all five of my electrics a fair rotation so buying another seems pointless and maybe even counterproductive. I have two acoustics that will last me a lifetime and any more amps than my current three seems unnecessary. I’m not bothered about pedals.
So I’m wondering about a 30 inch scale “guitar players” Bass for some variety. I thought about a Baritone but went off that idea as I want to stick with standard tuning on a 6 string.
In your experience does spending time with a Bass help or hinder one’s evolution as a guitar player ? Part of me thinks that there’s more than enough for one lifetime focusing purely on guitar and that any time spent elsewhere is not optimal. But the other part of me thinks that learning to groove a bit on Bass might be a real benefit to my guitar playing.
Any thoughts appreciated.
Des
Comments
Or at the other end of the scale, have you tried alt tunings for guitar?
I don't believe that playing bass helps with guitar playing much at all really. Maybe finger strength.
Personally I think that if you want to buy a "guitar player's" bass and play it like you would a guitar then it's a waste of time unless you happen to need to record bass parts or fill in for a band. If you want the enjoyment of learning a new instrument I'd say to get a normal bass and learn to play it the proper way (which is way different to guitar or how guitar players play bass).
I bought a Gretsch Junior Jet short scale bass.
I'm having a lot more fun with it than l thought l would.....
I'd say that even learning the tiny amount about bass playing that I have has improved me as a musician.
Although I wasn't ignorant enough to think it would be easy because I already play guitar, I was still surprised by the realisation that it is a different instrument - not mechanically (I mean, of course I can play notes), but in terms of the approach. What also became quickly apparent is that it would take me (ymmv) a fair amount of effort to become properly proficient, and I still haven't decided yet whether to take the plunge.
But it's fun to have something different to play.
It makes sense because playing the bass is about connecting the other instruments together and serving the track, there's no solo work. You can't even really just sit and play the bass by itself the way guitar is often played, it only really makes sense to play it as part of an ensemble.
So I think learning bass the proper way is quite possibly a good route to a better understanding of music as a whole. Although I still think that buying one with the intention of playing it as if it's just a lower pitched guitar wouldn't have that benefit.
And you're so right that it's a totally separate instrument to guitar - more than most people would assume.
A tip I'd give is to start out only using fingerstyle for bass. Not because picked bass isn't equally as great, it would just prevent you from playing it like a guitar.
Bass really is a fun instrument to play. But coming from a very similar background, I would say that playing bass on your own is certainly more challenging than guitar, until you're that proficient that you can improvise interesting bass lines without being bored in the space of a minute. I like to play bass but always over something else, or at least a basic drum beat.
As to whether it benefits your guitar playing, I would like to say yes, but again more from a "what can I add to this existing song?" perspective. It really encourages you to develop a good hear for understated, rythmic and/or melodic little flourishes that have to sit nicely in a groove and soundscape.
Anyway - do it, it's cool and definitely a nice change of pace
I'd recommend getting a lap steel first
It's a more guitarist-oriented instrument, and you can get ones that play well very cheaply
Also, if you get a bass you gotta get another amp. I happened to have a bass cab simulator already, so adding the bass wasn't a big deal.
Nil Satis Nisi Optimum
In my opinion it will make you a better guitarist and musician even if it does take away practice time from guitar. It makes you think about music in a different way, which is always good.
You also don't need a bass amp if you're just going to be playing quietly at home - it's better to have one, but you can get away with a guitar amp as long as you're not pushing the volume. The risk is to the speaker, not the amp - as long as you use a clean sound (which you'll usually want to anyway) and keep it well down below the point you start to hear any distortion or the speaker struggling, it will be fine. That said you can buy a perfectly good home practice bass amp for about £100, or less second hand.
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Wow. Loads of great replies. Many thanks to all.
Unfortunately I’m not a lot further forward as opinions clearly differ.
I have a lot of time for both the “stick to guitar and don’t dilute your practice time” and the “improves your general musicianship and groove” arguments. So I’m unsure .....
But I still want to buy something that isn’t another Fender type guitar ....
So far lap-steel, drums and keyboards have also been mentioned.....
However, if recording is involved, bass jumps up the list.
Then I discovered fretless...
So far it’s cost more than buying flipping guitars did.