[Lucretia]

If you're an experienced pianist and guitarist, is bass going to be easy to learn? I mean I already know how to read F clef(bass clef) music because of piano so...yea...

Will bass be easy for me to learn?

[count crunkula]

Just as easy as guitar.

[mahrous]

Yes, it will be much easier to you than music-beginners. At least your hands are accustomed to Guitar fingerings and your musical background will help you A LOT.

[-=FreeBird=-]

The bass is easy to learn and difficult to master. You can thump your way through a song, but to get a groove going, takes some serious practice dog.

[blackened10]

The bass is easy to learn and difficult to master. You can thump your way through a song, but to get a groove going, takes some serious practice dog.

tru dat tru dat

[goober]

It's easy to be a half-assed bass player, but to be a real bass player takes a lot of dedication. I'm a guitar player that loves playing bass, but as much as I practice I always feel like a guitar player playing bass. I keep practicing.

[randallflagg]

It's easy to be a half-assed bass player, but to be a real bass player takes a lot of dedication. I'm a guitar player that loves playing bass, but as much as I practice I always feel like a guitar player playing bass. I keep practicing.

I know what you mean there!! Our Guitar player (every now and again) picks up my bass (and I grab his Les Paul) and we try "switching"....works real well....except that he sounds like a guitar player playing bass and I sound like a bass player playing guitar.....just doesn't jell..............




RF

[frankyz84]

It's easy to be a half-assed bass player, but to be a real bass player takes a lot of dedication. I'm a guitar player that loves playing bass, but as much as I practice I always feel like a guitar player playing bass. I keep practicing.

Well said. I am also a guitar player that loves to play bass. Bass is infact difficult to master, however having played drums long before i took up any stringed instrument, it has helped me with that groove thang, no end.

[Weff Jebster]

In my experience, when a talented guitarist tries to pick up a bass and has no real experience with it, he plays it like he's improvving a solo on guitar. And it usually sounds like hell when going through an actual song. So, get used to it by playing along with the root notes of the song, and figure out what little walks and licks you can do in the breaks or at the end of phrases that sound good, without overdoing it.



EDIT: turned improving to improvving. I don't know if any solos can be improved by playing it on a bass...

This post has been edited by Weff Jebster: 01 July 2007 - 01:00 PM

[Riff_RaFF]

well Its Shouldn't Be that hard since your going to be used to fretting and picking, just the technique is different.

[goober]

well Its Shouldn't Be that hard since your going to be used to fretting and picking, just the technique is different.

First of all, technique is a pretty huge thing to be different, especially if you want to play fingerstyle. But bass playing also requires getting into a different mindset.

This post has been edited by goober: 03 July 2007 - 11:36 AM

[fenderguitarfreak]

Just as easy as guitar.

...it not easier.

[volumes2001]

While knowing piano may help you understand melody and harmony, knowing how to play guitar is a much better stepping stone to bass guitar playing. Either way
if you're talented, you should have no problem picking up the bass guitar.

[fenderguitarfreak]

yeah, it'll probally be easier.

[GoDrex]

favorite guitarist turned bassist = Noel Redding

[EmEleven]

You might not go back to guitar ever again though... Like everyone has been saying you can play a bass if you know how to play guitar but one does not simple beecome a bass player. You have to tap into the underworld of groove and low end.

You have to learn to express yourself through what you don't play as much as what you are playing. (as in rests)

[builtmyownbass]

I am a bass play turned guitarist. I still play bass for my band, and enjoy it because I am responsible for the 'driving power' of the whole band and I've always liked low-pitched instruments.
Switching 'primarily' to guitar has not hindered my ability to play well from previoulsy playing bass. At first, it took a while to adjust between the two, but now they are like two completely different tasks which I have reached a comfortable level with, and one does not affect the other.
The last thing you want to do is pretend they are both the same instrument, only with two string less. Each must be learned from basics, and bass is better enjoyed while playing with other musicians.

[sixgunsound]

just as a tangent, but somewhat related, i think les claypool's bass playing has been one of the most influencial in terms of my guitar playing development this year. so definititely there's overlap, it's all about how you put it all together, i guess.

[Pukky]

Yes, it is easier.

[seanm18]

just my thoughts, but i think any stringed instrument is going to be easier to learn if you know how to play a piano. as a guitar player who does not know piano, my experience with bass is that the strings are much further apart and don't feel right on my fingers. the frets are much wider, so i don't know where they end by instinct. the bass is also much heavier. there is a lot involved in playing bass that you don't experience from playing guitar, for instance, playing with your fingers, and thumb slapping. the reaction of the strings to what you play is very different than guitar, or in other words, i'm making some cool sounds, but i don't understand what i'm doing.