As a guitarist thinking of picking up bass...

[progmetaldan]

I play 7 string guitar and 5 string bass. I've never even considered that. Bass is tuned in straight fourths and that gives you the easiest access from whatever note you're fretting to the third, fifth and seventh, which if you're doing anything more than just playing the root note you should be highlighting. Guitar has that silly major third in the tuning to make chords easier, and barre chords on a bass don't exactly sound nice. Fourths all over means that your major/minor/whatever shapes are exactly the same all over the neck. It's foolproof: even I can play bass.

But then I see them as two distinct instruments. Tuning a bass like a guitar makes as little sense to me as tuning my violin in fourths so I can use shapes from my bass.

Yeah fair enough, I definately approach bass with more than just the root notes. I was just interested to see if anyone had experimented with it.

 

[SirMyghin]

bass is MORE awesome as guitar, start playing now....

Fixed, just look at that bass in my avatar and tell me you have seen something awesomer.

 

[Cancer]

I play 7 string guitar and 5 string bass. I've never even considered that. Bass is tuned in straight fourths and that gives you the easiest access from whatever note you're fretting to the third, fifth and seventh, which if you're doing anything more than just playing the root note you should be highlighting. Guitar has that silly major third in the tuning to make chords easier, and barre chords on a bass don't exactly sound nice. Fourths all over means that your major/minor/whatever shapes are exactly the same all over the neck. It's foolproof: even I can play bass.

But then I see them as two distinct instruments. Tuning a bass like a guitar makes as little sense to me as tuning my violin in fourths so I can use shapes from my bass.

This (although I have 6 string bass). I started playing bass when I needed to learn basslines to record our last album and I (while I still primarily play guitar) it's been an eye opening experience. Because of my experience I adopted straight fourths tuning on my 7 strings, and will definitely be using it on my 8 string (not really got along with that maj3rd on guitar anyway, it always used to piss me off). While they are different instruments, I don't really have an issue with tuning them the same, as patterns learned on one can translate to the other (but admittedly that up the player to deicde).

Also, as far as a bass rig, for a simple floorboard, the POD X3 is your friend. Having parallel chains within the unit Is extremely useful (I've been experimenting with running a guitar amp on one chain and bass amp on another). It's not a perfect solution, but it sure is fun.

 

[SirMyghin]

This (although I have 6 string bass). I started playing bass when I needed to learn basslines to record our last album and I (while I still primarily play guitar) it's been an eye opening experience. Because of my experience I adopted straight fourths tuning on my 7 strings, and will definitely be using it on my 8 string (not really got along with that maj3rd on guitar anyway, it always used to piss me off). While they are different instruments, I don't really have an issue with tuning them the same, as patterns learned on one can translate to the other (but admittedly that up the player to deicde).

Also, as far as a bass rig, for a simple floorboard, the POD X3 is your friend. Having parallel chains within the unit Is extremely useful (I've been experimenting with running a guitar amp on one chain and bass amp on another). It's not a perfect solution, but it sure is fun.

The major third is a very small hurdle, here is a simple trick for translating the patterns. If you end up with a string now on B (from G) as in translating the pattern up, add an extra semitone on the B. Going down from B to G, remove 1 semitone. And your done. Try it with a major traid (1-3-5, so G-B-D would be the simplest to finger, which would progress C E G, F A C, a# d F)

 

[Mr12ax7]

My ideal rig is a 610 with a matching 215.

... and maybe some 18s.

Josh your " ideal rig " sounds like a brutal ass wall of speakers.... We think alike we need more people like you in stockton!

 

[mortality]

i myself play bass nd guitar (guitar for just ove 2.5 yrs, bass a 0.5 yrs) i use to practice on my dads friends bass (my dad looked after it) nd i luved paying it. so i got my own (6 string bass) i play simlar music but also deathmetal, nd i personly got the switch from guitar to bass easly. tip look at bass likw a completly diffrent instrument almost. thats what i did/do. but thats just me. nd tbh theres no right or wrong way to play bass. i play with both pick nd fingers. but dont think u cnt paly fast music wit fingers.i can play 16ths wit 2 fingers (not blowing my own horn). but over all teh transition from guitar to bass isnt dat difficult imo. hope i help even if it was not noticable lol.

16ths at what bpm?
lol just wanna know so i can compare how far I've come since I started.

 

[iron blast]

With a pick, your sound is going to be sharper and have more attack, great for metal and you'll be able to do fast triplets and whatnot easier. Using your fingers gets a softer, smoother tone with less attack. This is great for grooves, and means you can swap into other techniques easier like tapping, slapping etc. Using a pick is easier, but if you learn with fingers early on you'll be better.

Agreed strongly finger technique is sexy. I'm buliding up my four finger technique speed. I'm at a bit of a wall speed wise, Im trying to get abit faster and more accurate. Ive never much been a fan of picks with bass other then when I record I never will use one even so when I'm recording I only use a pick minimally if I need a really defined sound on a part. Other than that a good compressor and technique goes a long way.

 

[Zugster]

I am a long time guitarist, but I find bass fascinating and really appealing. I spotted the above BTB with hard case for only $300 on ebay and nabbed it. Don't play it much though because I have been having a hell of a time learning finger style and I just don't want to be one of those guys who treats it like a guitar. (Also, I don't have a bass amp, lol) Can someone give me some tips on how to learn finger style?

 

[Xodus]

I am a long time guitarist, but I find bass fascinating and really appealing. I spotted the above BTB with hard case for only $300 on ebay and nabbed it. Don't play it much though because I have been having a hell of a time learning finger style and I just don't want to be one of those guys who treats it like a guitar. (Also, I don't have a bass amp, lol) Can someone give me some tips on how to learn finger style?

Practice. I like using Alex Webster's right hand technique: 32123. It will start off hard but come easy real quick.

 

[Origin]

I played bass long before I was really into guitar and I like to play kind of like Myung with twists, which is generally alternating index and ring fingers for straight fast lines and integrating 123 for faster triplety stuff and galloping. For normal easy riffs it's just 123 wherever they're needed or I'll hammer with the index repeatedly in a kind of cupping motion like Geezer Butler who's my original idol. I'm looking to improve my technique once I actually get back into it.

Trust me, get into bass. Skills at either will complement the other, and they're both ridiculously fun and engaging.

 

[TemjinStrife]

Spending more time on bass is making my lead playing and riff writing more rhythmically interesting

 

[Encephalon5]

I played bass long before I was really into guitar and I like to play kind of like Myung with twists, which is generally alternating index and ring fingers for straight fast lines and integrating 123 for faster triplety stuff and galloping. For normal easy riffs it's just 123 wherever they're needed or I'll hammer with the index repeatedly in a kind of cupping motion like Geezer Butler who's my original idol. I'm looking to improve my technique once I actually get back into it.

Trust me, get into bass. Skills at either will complement the other, and they're both ridiculously fun and engaging.

its always funny seeing "123" or "1313" as I've always lead with my ring finger. "321" or "3131"