# I'm enjoying playing bass more than guitar.



## OhMyGoliath (Dec 17, 2012)

So I've been playing guitar for about 8 years now. And I've been slacking on playing lately. I want to play, but when I pick it up it's the same chords and scales and then after 10 min I put it back down.
So I picked up my bass that I solely use for recording and started to actually play it, and learn it. And I am enjoying it so much, I'll play until my fingers start to hurt.

Has this happened to anyone else?


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## Baelzebeard (Dec 17, 2012)

Yeah, I go back and forth alot. 

I think it's great to play multiple instuments, because for me it keeps things fresh. When I start to get guitar burnout, I can grab a bass, and it forces different creative thoughts and vice/versa. I believe it makes a well rounded player too.


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## abandonist (Dec 18, 2012)

Same. Back and forth.

I originally learned how to play a Thing With Strings on a bass. A friend had bought one and I'd mess with it at his house. A few months later I bought a guitar so we could start a band. Eventually bought a bass, then a few more of each over the years. Now I ping-pong around.


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## N1h1l1ty (Dec 18, 2012)

One of the most interesting experiences I've had as a guitar player was tracking bass for some of my projects and realizing how much precision even a pickstyle bassist requires 

I've been practicing my compositions on both bass and guitar ever since, and I like to think its made me a more creative player when it comes to both instruments.

Beyond that, I love some of the grooves that come out on bass that would never come out quite right on guitar.


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## jeleopard (Dec 18, 2012)

There's an interview with Devin Townsend somewhere on YouTube where he says something along the lines of "I've been playing a lot of bass lately and really liking it"

And yea, it happens to me. But what really sucks is that I usually don't like metal bass (prog metal a la BTBAM and Death Metal is okay), and I really love metal


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## abandonist (Dec 18, 2012)

I think I tend to play the guitar as a bass stylistically.


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## roast (Dec 18, 2012)

When I started playing bass seriously, I found it a lot more enjoyable to play than guitar. Might have had something to do with the fact that I was a sloppy player at best (self taught, bad habits) and focusing on learning a new instrument gave me a better outlook on developing better techniques and habits.
Because I find it a lot more fun, I've found that I've developed much better on bass in the last two years than I had playing guitar over 10 years.

Shlap dat sh!t


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## Konfyouzd (Dec 18, 2012)

I play 4 instruments. At any given time I may prefer one over the other three, but eventually I always make my way back around to the guitar. 'Twas my first love (and still the one I play best).


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## Murmel (Dec 18, 2012)

I get much more enjoyment out of playing bass in a band setting than guitar. Alone it's more enjoyable to play guitar though.

Also it's highly dependent on the genre. I would much rather play rock on guitar for example, but there's no way I'd choose guitar over bass in a funk or soul setting.


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## Winspear (Dec 18, 2012)

Murmel said:


> I get much more enjoyment out of playing bass in a band setting than guitar. Alone it's more enjoyable to play guitar though.
> 
> Also it's highly dependent on the genre. I would much rather play rock on guitar for example, but there's no way I'd choose guitar over bass in a funk or soul setting.






For me it's largely about the tone too - a nice bass tone is just much less tiring to listen to.


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## Konfyouzd (Dec 18, 2012)

Learn some Jaco and you'll wonder why you never picked up a bass before.


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## isispelican (Dec 18, 2012)

OhMyGoliath said:


> So I've been playing guitar for about 8 years now. And I've been slacking on playing lately. I want to play, but when I pick it up it's the same chords and scales and then after 10 min I put it back down.
> So I picked up my bass that I solely use for recording and started to actually play it, and learn it. And I am enjoying it so much, I'll play until my fingers start to hurt.
> 
> Has this happened to anyone else?


 
Its a great thing to switch instruments and getting to play from another perspective, I do it all the time. But it sounds like you need to explore things some more on the guitar if you're getting bored so quick. Try building chords by selecting one note at a time and also try improvising without using any scale in mind, just reach for the notes that sound good.


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## ToMurderAMachine (Dec 18, 2012)

Bass is a wonderful world to live in. Glad you enjoy it man.


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## Dayn (Dec 18, 2012)

That's generally me when I pick up any new instrument.

I wouldn't say I enjoy it more. I enjoy both bass and guitar equally. But I have a habit of playing my instruments in a different instrument style. My bass frequently gets turned into a guitar, my guitar into a bass, both into a keyboard, and a keyboard into both...


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## pushpull7 (Dec 19, 2012)

Back and fourth. I played bass professionally for years (yes, playing in bars for money counts  ) but when I want to make noise, I reach for the guitar.

I'm little amazed sometimes when I pick up the bass, wasn't REALLY good at it but it flows more than guitar for me.


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## facepalm66 (Dec 20, 2012)

I both guitar and bass, but i am using the guitar for experimenting stuff and riff writing, while enjoy playing bass in the band rather than guitar. More of a free - feeling instrument. 
To sum up, probably depends on the mood, needs, style and what you started off with. 
Like i started with acoustic, then played bass for 5 years mainly, but kept playing the guitar at the same time.. bla bla, you get it.


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## Glint Symmetry (Jan 1, 2013)

Same here,got a bass with 5 trings and everytime i play i fall in love ,but the guitar is always the guitar,the passion is more stronger with the guitar,but let me say again that playing bass is fucking amazing,for me is the groove that you give to all the music...its brutal,and more brutal is to play about 2 hours or 3 the bass and then pickup your guitar and play some stuff...Sickkkkk


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## TemjinStrife (Jan 2, 2013)

Murmel said:


> I get much more enjoyment out of playing bass in a band setting than guitar. Alone it's more enjoyable to play guitar though.



That's kind of where I fall. I also like my current project as I get to essentially play the role of second guitarist sometimes, with an octave-up blend, chorus, and overdrive to play out riffs and hold down chord progressions when the guitar player is soloing or doing his own thing.

As a bass player, I've never had more fun than in a one-guitar band.


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## Zeetwig (Jan 2, 2013)

Each instrument has its own characteristics and "soul" if you want, and playing different instruments will allow you to "taste" these souls and then apply them to other instruments, improving on all of them and getting inspiration for all of them. I play drums, bass, guitar and keyboards and have been trying out some singing and growling lately (although I am still trying to get down the technique for the latter), and they all intertwine and add influences to each other. Sometimes I can even see that the clarinet and violin that I played a few years ago influences my drum/guitar/bass/keys playing today! I wouldn't be the guitarist I am today without the bass, or the bassist without the drums, etc. Playing different instruments will only make you a better player on all of them. 

However I tend to have one instrument in focus at any time, but I still play all of them. For instance, I've had a guitar period for a month now, and have played like 80% guitar and 20% other instruments, but now since I've got a haircut I've gotten more into drums, and now it's 80% drums and 20% guitar 

So don't feel bad that you play some other instrument than your "main" one. You will pick up the guitar again some day (and that day can be tomorrow or in 10 years time). And if you don't, don't feel bad for it. You don't HAVE to play anything. You should play what you WANT to play. That's my proverb


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## Ckackley (Jan 2, 2013)

I play both all the time.. Bass, Guitar, Mandolin, Bazouki, even keys every once in a while. They all have something to offer and will help your songwriting a TON. Knowing what every instrument is capable of really helps you write as a band member not just a guitarist. So play whatever is calling to you at a given time.


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## Andromalia (Jan 2, 2013)

That depends heavily on th genre I play. You can't pay me enough to play ZZtops songs on bass. Booooooooooooooooooring.
Reggae, now.


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## SirMyghin (Jan 2, 2013)

TemjinStrife said:


> That's kind of where I fall. I also like my current project as I get to essentially play the role of second guitarist sometimes, with an octave-up blend, chorus, and overdrive to play out riffs and hold down chord progressions when the guitar player is soloing or doing his own thing.
> 
> As a bass player, I've never had more fun than in a one-guitar band.



That is one of my stipulations to playing out actually, is there a second guitar  . If there is, I am much less likely to accept as I love nothing more than keeping it all there without any help. 

I generally don't use effects to pull it off though. 

The oddity is I write my stuff with 2 guitars (but no vocals, and not strictly 'harmony and melody'), but this is probably due to the fact I write it to accommodate my bass playing style that makes it work.

Having some hearing damage, bass is also much less fatiguing to play at a reasonable volume for me. An added plus, then again I just toss in plugs if it is bugging me on guitar. I am biased though, being a bassist who plays guitar.


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## leechmasterargentina (Jan 2, 2013)

I have a bass too, but learning to play a bass is learning a new instrument. Good bass players take it this way. Les Claypool reminds me that. That's why I never got into bass because I'd have to learn well slap techniques, generate more strenght of my fingers, stretch them, etc.


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## Cuddles (Jan 3, 2013)

i played guitar first then picked up bass for a band then went to school for bass guitar then ended up going back to guitar for the melodic elements


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## Webmaestro (Jan 3, 2013)

In high school, our school had a top-40 type of singing/dancing group that played around the state. They had too many guitar players (4), but a single bass player who rarely showed up to practice (or concerts). So I volunteered to give bass a try and ended up loving it. Not only was it fun as hell, but since I was the only bass player I got to play the entire concert vs. setting out some songs, heh.

I haven't played bass much since then, but definitely want to buy one soon. I miss it.


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## Beowulf Von Thrashmeister (Jan 3, 2013)

Baelzebeard said:


> Yeah, I go back and forth alot.
> 
> I think it's great to play multiple instuments, because for me it keeps things fresh. When I start to get guitar burnout, I can grab a bass, and it forces different creative thoughts and vice/versa. I believe it makes a well rounded player too.


 

Me too !!!. 


I love to play bass, keyboards and guitar, and as you said it keeps things fresh, and what I play on bass is different to what I play on guitar or the keyboards, which I think is really cool !!!. 

A few years back, I bought a used Roland PK-5 midi bass pedal for my keyboards and its great for those err...Geddy Lee moments, especially for `Tom Sawyer`!!!.


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## tender_insanity (Jan 11, 2017)

Up!

I've played the guitar for about 25 years. A year ago I bought my first five-string bass. Since that I did some recordings for my songs. Now that I had a vacation, I picked up the bass guitar and started with fingers. I tried with the fingers right in the start a year ago but wasn't a success.

But now, after two weeks of daily playing! I really enjoy playing the bass guitar. When I've a guitar in my hand I put it away after ten minutes if I ain't recording something. With the bass guitar time flies quickly and I've managed to play along with a few Iron Maiden songs with two plucking fingers.

Really, really like it =)


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## A-Branger (Jan 11, 2017)

tender_insanity said:


> Up!
> 
> I've played the guitar for about 25 years. A year ago I bought my first five-string bass. Since that I did some recordings for my songs. Now that I had a vacation, I picked up the bass guitar and started with fingers. I tried with the fingers right in the start a year ago but wasn't a success.
> 
> ...



niiiice wellcome to the dark side  .....we got cookies here  

I think its because its different. I had the same thing but with the guitar. Picking up a guitar with some distorsion and blast some Metallica riffs bring me some good old joy that I cant get with the bass


but yeah different instruments different feeling. Hows your finger blisters coming along? hehehe

also, you really want to get hooked on bass?, go and play some Jamiroquai stuff, or early Red Hot Chilli Peppers. Now that kind of groove, with no guitar, that would get you hooked really bad

curently playing again on a salsa latin band I havent play in 4 years. Duuude its soo good to be back lol


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## tender_insanity (Jan 11, 2017)

A-Branger said:


> Hows your finger blisters coming along? hehehe
> 
> also, you really want to get hooked on bass?, go and play some Jamiroquai stuff, or early Red Hot Chilli Peppers. Now that kind of groove, with no guitar, that would get you hooked really bad



My fingers are still getting used to plucking but it's been less painful than I expected 

Gotta keep on with Iron Maiden stuff for practising now. I know a lot of songs with guitar so it's easier to play them than learning something new


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## pooshoes (Jan 15, 2017)

There are a lot of great guitarists out there but it's hard to find a great bass player when setting up a band. Learn both and you'll end up with more shows and have more fun!


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