lowdowner Posted October 5, 2012 Share Posted October 5, 2012 ... not at the same time obviously, that would be completely insane... I'm having a mid-life crisis (band wise anyway), my band needs a temporary keyboard player whilst we track one down and I may play one on those tracks where bass isn't so appropriate (we do a lot of folk and country type stuff). Anyway, although I can play keyboards due to a mis-spent youth with some piano lessons and fiddling around with one later in life, actually, if I wanted to put time into learning to play an instrument in a gig *properly* i'd probably prefer to play drums. So, my question is this: do you think it's possible to play bass and drums well? I can't help but think that on the positive side, your sense of rhythm would be improved, but on the negative side, all that time you were practicing drums you could spend on getting even better on bass. Anyone on here play both - how do you find it? How did you learn two instruments? Is it even possible? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrismuzz Posted October 5, 2012 Share Posted October 5, 2012 Dave Grohl can play pretty much anything you throw at him, so I'd say so! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andydye Posted October 5, 2012 Share Posted October 5, 2012 I'd say yes as I can and do each new instrument I add makes me think differently about the other ones I play and improve on them too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowdowner Posted October 5, 2012 Author Share Posted October 5, 2012 [quote name='andydye' timestamp='1349465470' post='1826810'] I'd say yes as I can and do each new instrument I add makes me think differently about the other ones I play and improve on them too [/quote] I can definitely see why this would be - just thinking about spreading myself too thinly - i'm not that musically adept! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AntLockyer Posted October 5, 2012 Share Posted October 5, 2012 I'm struggling to be honest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrismuzz Posted October 5, 2012 Share Posted October 5, 2012 [quote name='lowdowner' timestamp='1349465601' post='1826814'] I can definitely see why this would be - just thinking about spreading myself too thinly - i'm not that musically adept! [/quote] If you can dedicate time to a second instrument without missing out playing your 'main' one then you shouldn't worry about spreading thinly I used to play guitar to a reasonable standard, but because I got SO heavily into bass I stopped practicing guitar altogether. It's been years since I tried to play it properly now so I just can't do it! Unless you do the same as me you should be good to go with both! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skej21 Posted October 5, 2012 Share Posted October 5, 2012 Jaco played drums and bass on Teen Town, so... Yes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin_lindsay Posted October 5, 2012 Share Posted October 5, 2012 Mark King managed pretty well too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowdowner Posted October 5, 2012 Author Share Posted October 5, 2012 [quote name='skej21' timestamp='1349466173' post='1826825'] Jaco played drums and bass on Teen Town, so... Yes! [/quote] Yes, but the gap between me and genius is - unsurprisingly - very large! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrismanbass Posted October 5, 2012 Share Posted October 5, 2012 count to four ... repeat i'll get my coat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stu_g Posted October 5, 2012 Share Posted October 5, 2012 i played bass in my early teens then decided i wanted to play drums so had a drum kit for a few years then went back to bass. i guess if you want to you can, you dont have to be neil peart to keep a rythmn! i mean the white stripes did ok didnt they and there drumming was nothing fancy ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grumble Posted October 5, 2012 Share Posted October 5, 2012 [quote name='skej21' timestamp='1349466173' post='1826825'] Jaco played drums and bass on Teen Town, so... Yes! [/quote] The difference is that Jaco played drums first, a wrist injury was the reason he switched to bass IIRC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andydye Posted October 5, 2012 Share Posted October 5, 2012 I find that the 'extras' (drums, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, mandolin, keys, whatever) go in seasons but bass is my main thing, I could do any of the others in a band but bass is [i]my[/i] thing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted October 5, 2012 Share Posted October 5, 2012 Sure, you can tap out a few simple things, but to get to any decent standard, I'd say the process is very long. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowdowner Posted October 5, 2012 Author Share Posted October 5, 2012 [quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1349467674' post='1826856'] Sure, you can tap out a few simple things, but to get to any decent standard, I'd say the process is very long. [/quote] this sounds more like it... they say it takes 10,000 hours of practice before you can master an instrument... at hour of practice a day it's 30 years of effort Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andydye Posted October 5, 2012 Share Posted October 5, 2012 [quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1349467674' post='1826856'] Sure, you can tap out a few simple things, but to get to any decent standard, I'd say the process is very long. [/quote] I learned from scratch in a weekend (including basic 2 stroke roll) and to a level where I could convey a varied set of songs and keep the rest of the band going with some energy... If you gotta do it it's surprising what you can achieve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowdowner Posted October 5, 2012 Author Share Posted October 5, 2012 [quote name='andydye' timestamp='1349467882' post='1826858'] I learned from scratch in a weekend (including basic 2 stroke roll) and to a level where I could convey a varied set of songs and keep the rest of the band going with some energy... If you gotta do it it's surprising what you can achieve [/quote] I'm getting mixed messages on this thread - this is *excellent*, it means I can choose to take whichever advice suits... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andydye Posted October 5, 2012 Share Posted October 5, 2012 [quote name='lowdowner' timestamp='1349468073' post='1826862'] I'm getting mixed messages on this thread - this is *excellent*, it means I can choose to take whichever advice suits... [/quote] I think the message to take would be that it depends on the person, I took to it with relative ease, others find it hard to pick up, you won't know until you try matey! Have a good old noodle on a drum-friend's kit first and see if you can knock out a straight 4, it will feel a bit weird at first when you have to do stuff with your feet at specific times but you'll know if it feels like something worth pursuing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stu_g Posted October 5, 2012 Share Posted October 5, 2012 i dont mean to be funny but have you seen a drummer? some of them live in haylofts and only come out in the witching hour when they can smell food or cider all im saying is primeval !!! dont use your brain smell the cider!!!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowdowner Posted October 5, 2012 Author Share Posted October 5, 2012 [quote name='andydye' timestamp='1349468230' post='1826865'] I think the message to take would be that it depends on the person, I took to it with relative ease, others find it hard to pick up, you won't know until you try matey! Have a good old noodle on a drum-friend's kit first and see if you can knock out a straight 4, it will feel a bit weird at first when you have to do stuff with your feet at specific times but you'll know if it feels like something worth pursuing [/quote] I had a lesson about 4 months ago and was playing along to simple rhythms pretty well... so perhaps I'm not such a musk-retard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowdowner Posted October 5, 2012 Author Share Posted October 5, 2012 [quote name='stu_g' timestamp='1349468993' post='1826874'] i dont mean to be funny but have you seen a drummer? some of them live in haylofts and only come out in the witching hour when they can smell food or cider all im saying is primeval !!! dont use your brain smell the cider!!!!!!!!! [/quote] time to break the stereotype? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xgsjx Posted October 5, 2012 Share Posted October 5, 2012 I play several instruments & settle on bass as my main. But I'm happy to play guitar, keys, trumpet, banjo or drums even with other musicians. Oh, I did play bass & kick drum for a few songs a couple of years ago. Had a good novelty factor, but I wouldn't overdo it. Mike Oldfield plays everything on Tubular Bells (a cracking album that I haven't heard for years). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowdowner Posted October 5, 2012 Author Share Posted October 5, 2012 I'm getting a good vibe here... I have the space and (most importantly) no neighbours! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andydye Posted October 5, 2012 Share Posted October 5, 2012 gopher it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyfisher Posted October 5, 2012 Share Posted October 5, 2012 Didn't Macca play drums for his Band On The Run album? Seemed to go down fairly well. Wasn't it Lennon who said that Ringo wasn't the best drummer in The Beatles? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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