Jumping Ships...

I've been playing drums for about 4 years now. It's been a great experience and the instrument suits me cause its more active when playing than guitar or anything and I can (as I'm sure many of you have) taken your ager out on your kit when playing.

But lately, I've wanted to play bass a whole lot. I've always like the bass and its usually the second thing iI listen to in a song besides the drums. As you may have read elsewhere, I was suppose to get my first bass, a Peavey Millennium BXP 5 this Christmas, but it was postponed until I travel back to Jersey for a visit (whenever that'll be.)

A cousin of mine says its natural for musicians to want to try new instruments, and I agree since I've never seen a band where the members grab another ones instrument to fool around with, and after a few practices, know how to play a riff or two. It just seems nice to play something that plays rhythm and keep a beat and something that actually plays notes and can actually play songs and whatnot. Has this ever happened to anyone here? I have SLIGHTLY lost interest in drums in anticipation for my bass. I've gone as for as to borrow my friends acoustic guitar to learn some bass stuff on it (I know part of the beginning of "Hey You" now. that's progress for me! ) I just don't want to lose interest in it completely, cause God knows I'm not an advanced enough drummer to get bored of it and consider it "nothing else to learn". But I do feel like I'm kinda "stuck" at the moment. I don't want to jump ship completely and abondon drums cause I feel like i was born to play drums. I just want to form a bridge between the ships, so to say. What would be really nice is if I can record over myself playing drums AND bass.

So my question is: has anyone else had this experience, and if yes, how did you deal with it? Did you take up the second intrument for a long while and then sort of went back to drums once in a while cause you missed it? And do you still play drums?

play whatever instrumnet you want. It's not like having a bass will take away your ability or desire to play drums. I started on bass, then got a guitar, and now I play drums in two bands. I still have my basses and guitars, and I still play them when the mood strikes me. There are no rules (that I know of) that say "you may only be proficient on ONE instrument" or "you may only enjoy playing ONE instrument." Playing music is fun, so have fun and play whatever you want to play. A word of advice about bass guitar though, don't get a 5 string. There will never be a time in your bass playing career that you will need a 5th string.

If anything, i'd say playing bass will help your drumming. I started out playing guitar, then moved on to bass and then drums. I usually manage to find a way to divide up my time amongst all of the instruments. Now i play guitar in one band, and drum in another. Personally, i've found that playing all of the instruments helps me have a better appreciation of what the rest of the people in my bands are doing, and makes it easier for me to make sure i'm playing something complementary to it. So definitely...go for it! Play some funky and phat basslines:D .

I also consider playing bass a HUUUGE asset because if we're writing songs or trying to learn one, I can actually play what I want them to play or listen to and maybe even teach them a riff they can't seem to get that I know of. Hell, I taught my friend how to play Money by Pink Floyd and she loves the song, plays it all the time. So now I can express what I'm trying to get get to instead of (gasp) having to sing it (the horror....)

I think it's perfectly natural for any musician of any experience level to get excited about different instruments. I personally started off with percussion (djembe and congas). Since then I've also started noodling on the keyboards to help me compose, and it's cool having 10 voice polyphony (10 fingers as opposed to 4 limbs when drumming). I also desperately want to learn drum set to complement my percussion chops, and it'd be great to have a flute and learn some of that. I love it's timbre and it's portable as hell, so you can basically put it in yer back pocket and take it with you where ever. I've fantasized about guitar, but it never seems to feel right in my hands when I pick it up, just not for me I guess.

Can you play bass and not drums and still be "Lil Drummer Boy"?

Actually, in grad school I took up guitar because I was unable to play drums at all. Didn't really touch the drums again until I got into a band about 3 years later. I was/am, still MUCH better at the drums than I am at guitar.

I've played guitar for the longest time. Over 12 years I think now. I also play drums, bass, engineer, etc.

It's all good. I do it all at the same time too. Not literally. Although, I sometimes do play double bass drum parts while I'm writing guitar parts. Sorta.

-Sys

Go for it. It will expand your musical experience. Can only help.

My bass-playing drummer buddies hang out here:

AM forum, bass/drum thread

We welcome anybody who serves double-duty, or more. Love to hear from you there.

I've lost more time to devote to bass, rather than interest. Got into playing multiple instruments in order to record my own music by myself. That can teach you a lot too.

It's definitely possible to maintain, or develop, skills on several instruments- it's just going to take time and effort.

Don't be surprised if you start looking for a recording setup soon though.

I've been playing guitar for around 6 years and within the last half year I took up drums. I'm no where good on drums yet, but playing drums has really helped my guitar playing. I am now able to keep tempo better and listen to drums for the beat. It's also great to be able to play with one, then go do the other for a different experience. I've also messed with bass a little and it can be a lot of fun. I've also taken up recording and mixing and it helps to know the instruments. Good luck and have fun!

Dustin

Hehe, yup, my drumming sucks too. But it's fun as hell!

-Sys

Me too, or me 9.

I have been playing the guitar for short time, before i got my drums, now i want a bass, I want to be one of those guys that pick up an instrument and play. It nice to well rounded in musik...it helps to know

I'm jumping TO the drum ship. I've been lurking this forum for a while. I've been playing guitar for close to 25 years (I usually hang in the amp forum) and have been gigging part time for about 18 of those. Some of the boys at work are putting together a band to knock around in, they need a drummer, so I'm going to do it and learn as I go. This week or next, I'll be pulling the trigger on a set of Taye RockPro's and going nuts. It's like being in my first band all over again.

Always good to switch things up.

i'm making the switch over from bass. its still my primary instrument but there is something really satisfying about sitting behind the kit that you cant get from any other instrument.

I feel so, I don't know, "complete" when I sit behind my kit after trying to play a friends instrument, Its that sense of knowing where you belong or what you were meant to do. I kinda see that some people seem to "sense" musicians more when they see my kit then when they see a cousins guitar or something. I guess cause its so much equipment that someone can't just buy all that stuff to just buy and have lying around with the way some people do when they buy cheap guitars.

One thing I've always envied about guitar players, be them bass or otherwise, is that they have the ability to move around on stage. Jump, roll, sit, whatnot. But simply playing drums involves more physical movement, it seems. Just wanted to get that out.

to clarify, I wouldn't stop playing drums for the world. I'm just worried I might subcontiously drift away from it and be more involved with the bass. But probably as the "new intrument" spark fades it'll be back to normal. and yes, xush, I really want to start recording my own little one-man jam sessions beinhd my bands back and play it one day to them. Possibly even write a song completely alone and play it for them to learn.

It looks like I might be switching from drums to keys/"multi-instrumentalist" duties here soon. While I have wanted to do this for a while, play a melodic instrument again and be more a part of the songwriting process, I know I'm going to miss getting behing my drums. Even though I'll need the money I could get from selling them off to buy keyboard stuff, I just can't seem to bring myself to do it. There's part of me that's hoping this new drummer guy doesn't work out.

In that case the next time you're in Jersey check out a very popular band called Freak. For a couple songs, everyone switches instruments and it is quite entertaining and they are quite good too.

They are not virtuoso's or anything but they are far beyond basics.

For me I acually was a bass player before I seriously took up drumming.I was a studio bass player for many local artists and did some drumming in those times.I found hsaving the knowledge of the bass is ,I think ,very important when playing a tune to be able to "lock in" with the bass player and hold the bottom down as he is locked in on my kick.

So to answer your question......yeah learn as much as you can about the bass instrument. play it. feel it think of it as anextention of your kick drum ...only with strings instead of a drum head.It doeesnt hurt to know your guitar as well......I've played guitar professionally as well.... and still do(in writing songs.serenading my girlfriend hehehehe etc.!!).

That was a good threat Lil Drummer boy!