question for bass players (or non bass players)

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fruits
i'm thinking about buying a bass, but i'm not sure about it. i tried guitar, but i just got so frusturated trying to move my fingers into the chords and stuff. i'm playing the drums right now, but it's really hard for me to hit the hi hat and hit the bass drum at 2 different times. and now i'm thinking about bass. does the bass really have chords, or is it just moving your hand up and down and pushing down 1 or maybe 2 strings?? i can read bass tab, and if i had to, i can read bass clef. i don't know. i don't wanna waste my money like i did on my guitar, do u think i should try a bass????

moshtitan
most of bass is 1 or 2 strings pushed down at once, but sometimes songs are bass driven, then bass becomes tougher than guitar. guitar's really easy once you get the hang of it, but it taked alot of practice, as do drums. but if i were you, i wouldnt buy a bass beacause you might give up on that also.(no offense) try playing around on one in a music store first, see if you like the way it feels.

SeptemberRain
how long did u try at guitar?

el_barto
Yeah man, this shit takes time. It took me like 2 weeks to actualy be able to kinda be able to play the guitar, take your time

SeptemberRain
chords are quite easy once u get the hang of them. Just once u do, keep learning new ones, to get better and u can play the notes individualy from chords as well, its easier to do that

el_barto
Trust me, the bass is alot harder than the guitar

moshtitan
that depends on the stlye of music, artist, and writing ability. but yes, bass is sometimes harder than guitar.

Darth Revan
Be patient, keep practicing, and you'll get the hang of the guitar. You can't expect to sound like Tom Morello right away... Just work on two or three chords at a time, practice switching between the chords, etc. I started playing about four months ago, and it's pretty damn hard at first. Try going to Google and doing a search for "Easy guitar tabs". A lot of pop punk/pop rock songs are a lot of fun to play, especially as a beginner. Try "All the Small Things", even if you hate blink, it's almost all power chords... Great for beginners.

I can say from experience, having played piano, drums, cello, and guitar, that no instrument is easy. There are some really complex and difficult bass lines out there, just as there are difficult guitar parts. Just relax, have fun, stop trying to sound like a rock star, and you'll get the hang of it.

el_barto
Another good starter song is "Blitzkreig Bop" By The Ramones big grin

Darth Revan
yes

moshtitan
country's a good genre to start playing when your a beginer. youll learn major and minor chords in no time.

fruits
no, i'm not going back to the guitar. never. i'm either sticking wit drums, or switching to bass

Darth Revan
Well, that's your decision, all I'm saying is that you can't expect to be able to play anything right away. If you approach bass with the same attitude, it's going to be just as much of a failure as the guitar was. erm

113
any blink182 song is great to start off playing guitar (or bass) on. Try those for either instrument

tabby999
i found for finger work on the bass the into for Here To Stay by Korn is good, keep getting faster and faster

loserib
if i was you i would go further back then tom morelo or feldy and try to learn from musicains that actully know how to play heir instruments with the right pedal i could teach you how to play like him in like a week he its all wammy pedal and one note bends
gezzer butler is a great to learn bass from so would tony for giutar both from black sabbath then their is allway smoke on the water really easy to play and if you want to get good fast start practicing like 5-8 hours a day for 5-6 times a week

Darth Revan
It's not all pedal and one note bends... If it was, wouldn't there be more than one Tom Morello out there?

loserib
have you ever seen the tab to some tom morelo songs he uses hiis digitech wammy pedal on all most all of them we have one in the here in my garage and ive found out with the pedal it is real easy to play his solos and everybody does not play like him becuese he is really not that good i will admit some of it sounds impresive out first but its kinda like the wizard of oz after you find out how he does it its not really that cool anymore

el_barto
Trust me, the guitar is alot easier than the drums or the bass

loserib
yeah drums would have to be the hardest

Darth Jello
it sounds like barrs might be your problem. my advice is to get some really dinky loose strings and learn a bunch of sonic youth songs. once you get the hang of barring, switch back to normal strings and tunings.

PRO-PAIN
Ok here is my suggestion coming from someone who has been playing both bass and guitar for close to 20 years..

I suggest learning guitar first if you are really not sure what you want to play, learn all the notes, get really familiar with the fingerboard, learn simple chord progressions, learn all the various types of harmonics, arpeggios, and string skipping and sweeping..etc,etc,etc....

Now once you have learned a basic amount of stuff on the guitar you can easily translate what you have learned to the bass, there are chords in bass playing just as there are in guitar playing, a lot of the bass's characteristics is all about how you attack the strings, there are various methods to this,
A: the most simple and effective is using a pick...
B: the next is using all of your fingers on your right hand to pluck the strings.
C: the method that takes the most practice is the art of slapping and popping the strings to achieve various percussive effects using your thumb and fingers. Two of the most easily recognizable players that use this style of playing is Les Claypool from Primus or Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers..

I personally use methods b and c in my bass playing and very rarely will I play with a pick.

Now as far as learning their is no substitute from taking lessons from an experienced player...unless you are just a natural born talent..
If you don't want to take lessons there are many books that can help you with the basics, the Mel Bay series is a popular series and I have used them with quite a few students that I have taught...

Hope this has helped anyone looking to learn either the guitar or the bass....

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