Members Devinstation Posted June 21, 2007 Members Share Posted June 21, 2007 And I'm still good! I know we have a whole lot of multi-instrumentalists in the house, who else has another love besides guitar? How do you think playing these instruments affects your guitar playing? I started on bass, played for three years, then picked up guitar. Starting on the bass definitely helped with my hand stretch, but what I think affected me the most was that starting on bass really got my groove and rhythm now. Now when I play guitar I would say I am a sort of rhythm/lead hybrid, playing melodic rhythmic riffs and simple solos that I usually write on bass first, then transfer to guitar, and then I rewrite the bassline to match with the guitar. I sold all of my gear except for my two basses, so today I had to play on one, it was like sitting in a really comfortable chair you haven't sat in a while. You remember the feel and you remember why you love it, you just can't remember why you stopped sitting there. Another interesting question, if you didn't start out on guitar, what made you switch to the guitar? Me? I like to write songs on multiple instruments, and playing guitar really improved my bass playing, and ladies like the guitar over bass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Voltaire Posted June 21, 2007 Members Share Posted June 21, 2007 Wow, we're in the same boat I played bass for 3 years also then decided to switch to guitar because i was and still am really into rock/metal and most of the things i found were really repatative and to me seemed like it almost took no skill at all. but now i know that some things are really hard to do on bass like-jazz or whatever. but-whatever-down to it-i quit bass then started guitar sucked for about a year or so then really did the guitar thing really well for 4 years ish so that's about 8 years altogether of playing an instrument though i rarely touch the bass I feel like I got better at bass through playing guitar but i still can play the bass like a bass and do it decent enough. i still use all my bass gear for my guitars though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members keNz Posted June 21, 2007 Members Share Posted June 21, 2007 Guitar's my first love, bass is in there just because. I haven't played much of either lately though, which makes me sad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members aximnexus Posted June 21, 2007 Members Share Posted June 21, 2007 Hmm ive played around a bit. I played classical piano for 9 years, saxophone for about 8 years, bassoon for a year.. all of which ive quit formal studies and active playing. All have made huge contributions to the musician i am today, especially the technical parts of my musical being. More so, it has opened me up to a diverse range of genres, from symphonic stuff to jazz, and beyond. As far as active instruments, i only play guitar (bout a month in ) and drumset (4 years). Ive put quite a bit of time into studying percussion and it has given me a great sense of rhythm and tempo. Having studied different sides of music, it helps me a lot when I play in a group. I think it has given me performance experience and a sort of musical intuition that allows me to pick up and grasp things pretty fast, making connections across the board to things I've done in the past. Above all, it really has just allowed for a deeper understanding and meaning in music. More than anything, I switched to guitar cause its easier to practice in a dorm room; i have nothing to do this summer, and i've always wanted to learn guitar (ala dave grohl, joey jordison). That and its good experience for a drummer to delve and grasp what goes on in front of us. I think i will always will be a drummer though true, ladies go for the guitarist over bassist. but being a guitarist + drummer.... get the best of both worlds baby Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members metallica_00 Posted June 21, 2007 Members Share Posted June 21, 2007 I started out playing alto sax in 5th grade (the year all the kids picked up band instruments) and was one of the better alto sax players in my year - not a phenom or anything, but pretty solid. I got my first electric guitar in 7th grade but didn't really play at all until I took lessons the summer before 9th grade. I burnt out on sax soon after because I hated how strict the approach was (reading, scale memorization, etc) and they were making me learn a lot of {censored}ty classical pieces to audition for districts or whatever. I liked guitar because the instructors were less rigid and I was learning stuff that I actually listened to! My first teacher commented I learned quickly and he thought I had good finger coordination from playing the sax. I still have my sax, and bet I could relearn fairly quickly. Now that I'm more into blues and jazz than I used to be I wish I could rip some improv on the sax! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Muddslide Posted June 21, 2007 Members Share Posted June 21, 2007 After a fw other bandy type instruments, I started on guitar about 26 years ago. A few years after that I was asked to play bass in a band, so I scored a bass and amp rig. Bass became my first love. I ended up playing a lot more bass at gigs and recordings than guitar and was always much better at bass. Bass is my first love I guess. I haven't had one in years, but I got one in layaway. I still have a blast playing guitar, but I enjoy bass more and it suits me better. Plus, it's my favorite compositional tool. Playing both makes you better on both, IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Muddslide Posted June 21, 2007 Members Share Posted June 21, 2007 true, ladies go for the guitarist over bassist...This is only because guitarists tend to be more in the forefront and more "showy" than bassists. Hell, a lot of chicks wouldn't know a bass from a guitar.But when it comes down to it, it's the bass that makes them groove and shake they asses. The bass players do all the work getting them worked up, then they go home with the pretty-boy guitarists and vocalists. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators The Eristic Posted June 21, 2007 Moderators Share Posted June 21, 2007 I'm split right down the middle between guitar and bass. I play assorted other stringed instruments fairly proficiently (or can learn them very quickly), some piano, drums and percussion too. Here are a couple of my main basses: http://s48.photobucket.com/albums/f250/the_eristic/Gear/eshenbaugh/ http://s48.photobucket.com/albums/f250/the_eristic/Gear/roscoe/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dcindc Posted June 21, 2007 Members Share Posted June 21, 2007 I played violin badly for a year in 4th grade. I took up guitar at 13. For as long as I've been playing, you'd think I'd be better. You'd be wrong.I like to play bass, and I can just pick it up and do what's supposed to be done without much thought. Not a putdown on bass player's, I just seem to be able to naturally do it better than my guitar playing. I could sit in on bass and it would be all good, maybe even sorta great. Guitar; not so much. I got a cheap bass the other day and I'm really enjoying it. It's my third cheapo bass, it's the cheapest one, and surprisingly the best one!Now, piano I really take to, but I rarely play my keyboard. The note layout really helps me. I know where I am and what to do visually.Now when I play guitar I would say I am a sort of rhythm/lead hybrid, playing melodic rhythmic riffs and simple solos that I usually write on bass first, then transfer to guitar, and then I rewrite the bassline to match with the guitar.Dev, I hear me in your words above. I do the percussive, melodic stuff on guitar, not so much metal wanking, although I enjoy doing that sometimes. I really like well done rythym parts on guitar. They're harder, and they define the heart of the song. Soloing is fun, but the whole point in my mind is the song. But I don't transfer from bass. I'm not that methodical.PS got the amp, thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Oaksong Posted June 21, 2007 Members Share Posted June 21, 2007 This is only because guitarists tend to be more in the forefront and more "showy" than bassists. Hell, a lot of chicks wouldn't know a bass from a guitar. But when it comes down to it, it's the bass that makes them groove and shake they asses. The bass players do all the work getting them worked up, then they go home with the pretty-boy guitarists and vocalists. all I have to say about that is: GENE SIMMONS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members citizens_X Posted June 21, 2007 Members Share Posted June 21, 2007 all I have to say about that is: GENE SIMMONS.Gene was My inspiration to pick up the bass more than 10 years ago, I've been playing guitar about a year and a half now and just started playing bass again in a new band.I love playing both.Here's a pic of My bass, I got it in 1996. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Ged LST Posted June 21, 2007 Members Share Posted June 21, 2007 Started on bass, decided I'd never switch to guitar, met a girl who insisted that she could teach me... I was gone from then on. - Ged Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members peavey_impact Posted June 21, 2007 Members Share Posted June 21, 2007 And I'm still good! Since when has a guitarist NOT been good at bass? Just wondering Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tulk1 Posted June 21, 2007 Members Share Posted June 21, 2007 Started on violin at 9. At 13 my brother needed a bass player for his high school band. I was a bit younger than all the others, but I was a natural at it. Played bass until my big bro' went in the Army. I kept his guitars and learned that. Played guitar until about 3 years ago when we needed a bass player for the country band. I really liked going back. I'm back on the 6-string now, but I still love a good bass. Here's one I had made for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators The Eristic Posted June 21, 2007 Moderators Share Posted June 21, 2007 Nice Stammie! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Saturday Posted June 21, 2007 Members Share Posted June 21, 2007 i Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members zepfan976 Posted June 21, 2007 Members Share Posted June 21, 2007 I play around with a mando now and then. But I suck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tulk1 Posted June 21, 2007 Members Share Posted June 21, 2007 Nice Stammie! Thank ya!!! You got one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators The Eristic Posted June 22, 2007 Moderators Share Posted June 22, 2007 Thank ya!!! You got one? No, but I've played Mark Beem's (from Talkbass) 8-string, and it was wonderful. I'm sure yours is every bit as excellent, given Chris' reputation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Rob Martinez Posted June 22, 2007 Members Share Posted June 22, 2007 I play guitar and bass. Love them both, will not choose between them. I write on guitar, not on bass. I play a Rickenbacker 4000 bass, and countless Waterstone 12 string basses, an 8 string bass, and 4 string basses from Waterstone. 30", 32", and 34" scales. I have 5 Taylor guitars, acoustic and two T5s, one a 12 string. My point is, why limit yourself? Bassplaying is SOOO underrated, and so many guitarists think they can play bass because it is a "guitar with two less strings." Not true, it is a unique instument that needs to be played correctly. Listen to McCartney on any Beatle song to see what I mean. Keep jammin' both!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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