wisdom of switching from 6 string to bass?

[kbo.5648]

I play 6 string guitar now for fun and play in a club band. I'd say I'm at low intermediate skill level. My church asked me if I could/would play the bass for our contemporary service. IN GENERAL, how easy is such a transition? Of course i could take lessons and, hey, with enough training I could become a brain surgeon but I don't have that kind of time.

 

I'm just looking for a general sense for how hard it is to make the transition.

[Mac Morganfield]

Having made the jump from Guitar to Bass in the late 90's after guyons canal Syndrome meant i had to have surgery on my left wrist, i can only say that it can be as easy or as hard as you want to make it. Some gutarists seem to sneer at the Bass. Is 4 strings easier than 6? Well, it's not always easy. It's your approach. You are in the same band, playing the same songs but coming at it from a different direction.

 

Start listening to the bass lines of your favourite songs. Because they are your favourites, you will already know the guitart parts (in your head, listening, not playing) so listening to the bass lines will give you a good idea of how they actually contribute to the whole sound.

 

I must admit, when i was looking toward putting my first band together, i placed an ad in a local Newspaper. I had 12 replies/applicants and ALL of them were guitarists. One guy, an experienced guitarist, volunteered to play bass and, after he got his head around it, you could'nt get him off it. It can be more than just the rhythm tied down, it has so much to contribute and, when you listen to some pro bass players, the song would not be the same without it.

 

John Entwhistle in 'The Who, Manny in 'The Stone Roses', Flea in 'Red Hot Chilli Peppers', Marcus Miller: so many bass players are accomplished and the bass lines they contribute to the song are indispensable. Yet, when you start, you can just play the basics and build your confidence.

 

Don't look on it as a step down, it's an opportunity to expand your playing skills. Remember, bands can have 1, 2, 3 and more guitarists. As a bass player, that bass line is your own and can be the link that brings the whole song together.

 

Do it, you'll not regret it!

[MrFidget]

Hi

 

Having done just the opposite, and with a little over a weeks notice, I highly recommend the jump. See my post Here

 

It is a completely different mind set. One way I like to describe is if the guitarist is the surfer, then you are the wave. Its that link between rhythm, harmony and melody where the bass comes into its own.

 

Some headspace tips which might help:

* Its where the notes start and stop that count more than the notes themselves, (provided you are in same key/chord )

* If you are playing with a keyboard player then you will probably only need to play half as much as when you are just with guitarists.

*A lot of what you do to colour the music happens without people realy noticing what you are doing until you stop doing it.

 

Some practical tips which might help:

* You'll need to toughen your right hand if you are playing without a pick. Expect some blisters.

* Get some compression in between the bass and the amp if you have none in the Amp. Make sure is is a compressor / limiter not a guitarists compressor sustainer.

* Wind the pickups further away from the strings to get a smoother sound If the pickups are too close, you will get nonlinearities in the sound that are unpleasant.

* Crank the master volume on the amp up towards max and use your preamp gain control your levels to get the most headroom out of the rig. Go gentle on the bass boost too

 

The main thing is to just give it a go. Start listening to bass lines. Start playing, keep it simple, concentrate on being solid not technical.

 

Have fun and let us know how you go

 

Cheers

Chris

[krep]

I have played 6 string for many years. I played bass for some friends just as a favor at a few gigs. Now that's what everyone asks me to do because bass players are scarce around here. I absolutely hate it. You play your best stuff on bass, and all you wind up doing is showcasing some lame guitar player while he acts like he's the king sh***z. In the meantime I steam watching the lame crap, wishing I was playing lead. So I quit enabling these wannabes. Therefor, I quit playing bass at gigs.

 

However, if not for that, it is a cool thing to do. You can really make or break a tune by how much you put into it. A lot of my bass stuff has been used by several bands in recording a large body original tunes. And lead too.

[stein]

If you can do it, and you LIKE doing it, it is maybe the biggest advantage for yourself and others as a musician I think.

 

All 3 responses here really put a good picture to the reality of it. GOOD bass players are in high demand. I am a guy that feels the level of skill of the bass player has a bigger impact on the band than the guitar player. To me, if the bass player is the best musician in the band, that is going to be the best sounding band.

 

The truth is, I think I suck at bass. I honestly don't know why, because I think I have a pretty good knowledge of what makes a good bass player and what is important as far as the instrument goes. It is pretty much the same as what Mr. Fidget says, but for some reason, I can't pull it off the way I think it should. But IF I could, I would be playing bass a lot.

 

I think I might go get my bass and see how I do today.