Bass vs Guitar

[arthurhenry]

I'm thinking of not learning to play music as I've heard it's easier than learning to play music.

[mcgraham]

Like someone else has said, easier to get going initially, harder to progress later on. I think the difficulty lies in being able to play the bass by yourself (e.g. during practice on your own) while conceiving of the greater part it might play in the rest of the band, whereas guitar you can play, write and even perform songs just with the guitar far more easily.

I love them both, but I love the bass more for reasons already stated.

[KingBollock]

My mate and me had grown up playing, he Guitar and me on Bass, we were 12 when we started. He was a natural, right from the beginning. It wasn't until we were 18 that he actually got around to asking for a go on my Bass. I handed it over and he fiddled with it for five minutes. Then he handed it back, puffed out his cheeks and said "Not as easy as it looks is it?" and tried to shake the pain out of his hands. I think he learned a new respect for the Bass that day.

For the kind of Guitarist who would say such a thing, I think it's perfectly fair to get them to play a fiddly solo on the Guitar, hand them the Bass and ask them to repeat it note for note at the same speed.

Edited July 15, 2012 by KingBollock

[BigRedX]

Whatever instrument you play, if you play in a band it's all about being a team player. IMO that's the most important skill for you to learn. It's about making the whole band sound good, and the actual instrument you play doesn't matter as it's just as difficult for everyone in the band.

[lettsguitars]

Doesn't matter what instrument you play, You take it to the limit of your ability/patience. We all know it's nothing to do with how many notes per minute and/or at a time you play.

[Dronny]

Okay, so there are less strings on a bass, and you (conventionally) only play one note at a time, but the thing most non-musicians seem to miss is that the bass player still needs to know exactly where you are within the song, what comes next, all the dynamics, basically everything that every other band member needs to know, and that's just as important.

[lowdowner]

I had a friend who seemed to want to 'rank' instruments in order of difficulty - mostly, it seems, so he could tell me that his instrument was th e most difficult (and presumably meaning that he was much more able/clever/whatever). Why do people need to rank instruments when it's the musicality of the player that's most important?

[ezbass]

^^^ Because they're insecure in their own abilities/choice of instrument. Those who pillory others should try doing what they do, normally a huge wake up call.

[Mr. Foxen]

Physically harder to play, hence bass lines are simpler. But the tone is better, hence not needing it covered with distortion and effects.

[Lord Sausage]

I started playing both at the same time when i was 14. I found bass slightly harder to start with. Mainly the physicality of it, fretting the notes, the stretches etc. After a number of years of playing i found bass more interesting and more difficult to be interesting on so i played more bass. I think there's more to do on bass, support the rhythm, support the harmony and the melody. Also it's more difficult to shred on a bass, if your into that kind of thing(as i was in my early 20's). Piece of piss to shred on a gtr.

[risingson]

It's obviously a totally misguided point of view. The point being that whilst the instruments are certainly related and tuned similarly and even bare obvious aesthetic similarities, they are completely different to play in almost every way. It requires two totally different mindsets which are both hugely difficult to learn.

Actually BRX summed it up anyway:

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1342376075' post='1733991']
Who cares? The most important thing is to be a good songwriter. Without songs there's nothing for any instrument to play.
[/quote]

[Lozz196]

I think it is easier to wing it on bass, than on guitar. I recently damaged my hand, so for one gig, our singer/sometimes rhythm guitarist had to play bass. Obviously we chose the easiest songs, but for a 45 min gig (and only one rehearsal) he did well. Yes, it`s "only" punk, but he still had to play at the right speed, and hit the right notes.

So yes, for simple songs, pressing one string down, rather than remembering chord shapes, and pressing down 3/4/5/all strings at the same time probably is easier. But, keeping a groove, understanding where and when to play, as well as what, well these are things I don`t think can be winged so easily. As has been said, a bassist can play all night and only be noticed when they do something wrong. Similarly, if a bassist plays something wrong, the whole band generally doesn`t sound right.

[lurksalot]

A lot would come down to personality , I am not overly shy but I don't seek the thrill of soloing , I am happy to do my thing as best as I can supporting the band and creating the canvas for the fiddly technical stuff . I see the bass as generally an accompanyment instrument but that does not mean it will produce an easy route to competence .Anyone looking to take up an instrument on the basis of a percieved ease of learning is heading for a fall . That sounds like a very lazy approach , and seems to miss the point of picking up the instrument in the first place .