Starting to learn guitar?

[Jam]

I've been playing bass for about 8 years, and while I love it, recently I've felt more and more like I'd like to be able to play guitar too. My favourite band is Opeth, and while their bassist is amazing, the more I listen to them, the more I wish I'd chosen guitar instead all those years ago.

Do you guys think it'd be worthwhile learning guitar too? Is it worth starting on acoustic and moving to electric, or the other way around? I realise their guitar stuff is difficult to play but it's so beautiful (IMO, obviously...).

Example:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qa65embWO1Y

[EdwardHimself]

Yes. Without a doubt. I [i]always[/i] think it is better to be able to play another instrument, especially if it is another instrument in your band. I am not sure you will be able to start off on things like Opeth. But start off on the basics and I am sure you will be playing stuff like this in no time

As for starting off on an acoustic or electric, well I got a classical guitar starter pack thing at age 11 but I was never really motivated to start learning until I got an electric. I think it is really to do with what you would rather play and you might as well just start off on that. In this case I suppose it would be electric. Also, as a precaution, you will want to stick some heavy strings on it, as being a bass player it will feel like you are playing nothing lol.

Edited May 18, 2012 by EdwardHimself

[musophilr]

If you want to play electric, learn on one, if you want to play acoustic learn on that instead. I'm not totally familiar with Opeth but I guess they're an electric band. IMO electrics are less physical effort to play. I recommend a good chord vocabulary and learning about chord progressions irrespective of whether you do it on acoustic or electric. Then when you learn the scales & arpeggios used for soloing you'll have some idea of how your solo works with the harmony, and you'll hear riffs in context. Have fun

[JayPH]

Most Def. If you learn the guitar you'll be better placed to make tunes and show the guitards how it goes. Much easier than playing a bassline and trying to describe it vocally.

I started with guitar and ended up playing bass but I still like to have a strum on my acoustic. I'd start with the electric and after you get the basics do all the types of tutorials of the style of music you like. If you start with acoustic you'll naturally be drawn into playing different music than you ideally want to be playing and it's no biggy skipping the acoustic imo unless you can readily afford to buy one of each.

These books are good. there's a stage 2 aswell: [url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/First-Stage-Guitar-Book-Quickly/dp/0966771907/ref=sr_1_54?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1337376256&sr=1-54"]http://www.amazon.co.uk/First-Stage-Guitar-Book-Quickly/dp/0966771907/ref=sr_1_54?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1337376256&sr=1-54[/url]

[risingson]

If you're an established and confident bass player then you will probably find guitar comes a bit easier to you. I personally am much more of an acoustic player than I am an electric player, but I love both in equal measure. Do it!

[Ancient Mariner]

No reason not to try and see how you get on - guitars aren't expensive these days, and you'll get something playable for £100 (try a squier or Yamaha pacifica).

If you want to sound like the track you linked to then you'll need some carefully chosen effects too, plus a reasonable amp. I'd recommend a Vox 15watt modeller (VT15?) which should give you the effects built in, plus a reasonable modelled tone. No point in starting acoustic guitar unless you want to play acoustic-type songs - most people start with acoustic because it's a) cheap and to learn about music, which you already know.

[GarethFlatlands]

Yeah, learn some theory (wish I'd done it at the start) and learn to play stuff you like which will keep you motivated. That's all I can offer, I love playing guitar and I'm sure it kept me sane through my teenage years.

[stingrayPete1977]

I think its a fairly new thing that people start playing bass as their first instrument in the first place (hear me out!), when I started playing in the mid/late 80's it was on acoustic guitar at primary school then I went to electric in the first year of high school. I only started playing bass when a mates dad had a Rose gibson copy in a deal with some gear, I kept on elec guitar but always played bass in a band situation and tended to listen to bass lines too, in the 3rd year of high school I decided to sell my Ibanez guitar to buy a decent bass of my own. For the majority of players my age and older I bet their stories are similar? Funninly enough these days at a half decent level I find most bass players can play to a reasonable standard on guitar but the guitards struggle to play a bass line as such?

[musophilr]

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1337417362' post='1659512']
Funninly (sic) enough these days at a half decent level I find most bass players can play to a reasonable standard on guitar but the guitards struggle to play a bass line as such?
[/quote]

I knew one bass player who was competent on guitar. I'm a guitarist who's also had a gig on bass, and plays bass on his own recordings. There's no need to call me a "guitard".

[EdwardHimself]

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1337417362' post='1659512']
I think its a fairly new thing that people start playing bass as their first instrument in the first place (hear me out!), when I started playing in the mid/late 80's it was on acoustic guitar at primary school then I went to electric in the first year of high school. I only started playing bass when a mates dad had a Rose gibson copy in a deal with some gear, I kept on elec guitar but always played bass in a band situation and tended to listen to bass lines too, in the 3rd year of high school I decided to sell my Ibanez guitar to buy a decent bass of my own. For the majority of players my age and older I bet their stories are similar? Funninly enough these days at a half decent level I find most bass players can play to a reasonable standard on guitar but the guitards struggle to play a bass line as such?
[/quote]

I would have do disagree. Firstly although I would say I am better on bass than on guitar, I did start off on guitar and move onto bass, due to band requirements. Also if what you describe is the trend these days, then my band definitely bucks that trend. The 2 guitarists are pretty competent on bass (lead teaches bass along with guitar at the local guitar shop and rhythm used to play bass in a band), but the bass player is not capable of playing the guitar very well, tried to teach him but then he lost interest.

[stingrayPete1977]

I know dozens of guitar players that play bass well but still know quite a few that cant grasp playing a solid bass line at all compared to every bass player I know that can play guitar as they all started on guitar. Maybe that makes them bass playing guitarists anyway?

I did not invent the term guitard, it has been covered many times on basschat usually ending in a locked thread

[stingrayPete1977]

[quote name='EdwardHimself' timestamp='1337418619' post='1659538']
I would have do disagree. Firstly although I would say I am better on bass than on guitar, I did start off on guitar and move onto bass, due to band requirements. Also if what you describe is the trend these days, then my band definitely bucks that trend. The 2 guitarists are pretty competent on bass (lead teaches bass along with guitar at the local guitar shop and rhythm used to play bass in a band), but the bass player is not capable of playing the guitar very well, tried to teach him but then he lost interest.
[/quote]

That to me confirms my thoughts that your bass player started as just that where years ago the bass player was almost always a failed guitarist!

[leftybassman392]

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1337417362' post='1659512']
I find most bass players can play to a reasonable standard on guitar but the guitards struggle to play a bass line as such?
[/quote]

Oh dear! Assuming that what you said is what you meant and that it did actually come out the way you wanted it to, I'm not really surprised you're getting some negative reaction. Such sweeping statements only serve to polarise opinion. I was a guitarist for most of my life and have come to bass playing relatively recently, and yet despite it all I somehow managed to run a business teaching both. Go figure!

[stingrayPete1977]

Why do we see so many people advising that bass lessons should be given by bass teachers rather than guitar teachers that teach a bit of bass then? Im entitled to my view, you dont have to agree with it

[Jam]

I'm the opposite of these supposed "guitards", I'm one of those bassists who tries to play the guitarist's guitar and ends up playing basslines!
I'm tempted to start playing, my brother has a few guitars around the house and we have a couple of amps, I'm just worried I'm going to be a jack of all trades and master of none, I already play bass and shakuhachi seriously, and am dabbling in bodhran and mandolin...

[RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE]

I'm going through a weird phase at the moment.
I'm currently learning iPad apps on keyboard and thinking of trading my 8 string for a guitar.

On the app side of things , there aren't enough bass amps around. There are loads of things for guitar. I don't like the feel of the guitar strings compared to bass strings. Just don't feel right.
Not sure if I will get used to it if I tried.
Good thread this.

[BigRedX]

Guitards only exist because other musicians are prepared to play in bands with them. Anyone here in a band with someone they consider to be a "guitard" is as much to blame as the guitard themselves.

To get back to the OP. Playing a second instrument can only make you a better musician as it gives you a better insight into hoe all the different instruments fit together in a piece of music. However IMO acoustic and electric guitars are different instruments. No reason why you shouldn't eventually learn both, but don't make the mistake of thinking that the electric guitar is just an acoustic guitar that can go louder. In the same way that a bass guitar is not an electric guitar with thicker strings.

[RockfordStone]

ive been taking lessons on acoustic guitar for some time now, it certainly helps a lot of aspects of my bass playing

id say go for it, but if you want to learn stuff like opeth, you want to go for electric

[Jam]

I had a little go on an acoustic I found in the loft today. Action is ridiculously high and it needs properly setting up.

My brother has a BC Rich hidden somewhere, perhaps that'll be a better option! I had a go at learning a little bit of Opeth but i'm really struggling with the two extra strings, chords too!

[JayPH]

I have always thought "Guitards" was just a bit of friendly banter personally. Lots of guitarists rib bassists too, but I'm sure there is a mutual respect for the subtleties of each craft. Especially if you are gifted enough to be good at both, which is usually true of the better guitarists. They could play bass if they wanted to but they dont want to. Simple as that. Probably the same for a lot of bassists.

[Dood]

Yes and whilst you're at it, have a go at drums too. As I mentioned on the 'expert' thread, my bass students get a chance to learn about guitar and drums too.