Guitarists, who handles the bass!??

[Terren]

Ok, how many guitarists out there 'also' play bass? I'm sure there are a lot.

I am looking to buy a bass in the future, but am wondering one thing... If I am ever in a band setting, and we already have a dedicated bassist, and you want to try out a new bass or new song that you want to play live with YOU playing the bass parts, how do you handle something like that? Do you choose a specific song, or does the bassist have to pick up the guitar and do his thing?

Or do you all just keep to what you know and at the most try your stuff out during practices.

I just don't like the idea of having a band and not being able to play some bass parts if I get a bass, but I also don't want to NOT play guitar, so starting a band as a bassist is not something I want to do (I've actually been offered this, and I refused, mainly because I want to get better at guitar first and foremost).

[unclebobscircus]

Just ask your bass player if you want to trade roles with him occasionally. Good bassists can usually shred on guitar, they just prefer to sit in the background and lay down the foundation for the song. I'm sure he'll be happy to play guitar every once in a while, just for the sake of changing things up a bit.

[thunder_bird]

I now consider myself as a bassist who also plays guitar. However that was not always the case as i learned guitar way before i learned bass. I always played bass but not in any bands. Then during a period of me not being in a band i was asked to join a band (that has now become my current band) as the bass player. I had always wanted to try bass in a band situation and so i took the chance and it kicks ***. I have so many oppurtunities playing with the current band. Because we only have one guitarist who is a "lead" guitarist, it means i have basically total feedom. Im literally playing "lead" bass. Sometimes when no bass is needed i just go up really high into guitar range and it fits. I have also played guitar a few times in this band and our old rhythm guitarist used to play bass when i was playing guitar. Some songs may not even need bass, in which case you could all play guitar. You could search for another guitarist and just share the bass duty's? So you play some the set on guitar whilst the other guitarist plays guitar. Then you switch for certain songs and so on. That way when your writting material if one of you comes up with a cool bass line that they wanna play then the other writes a guitar track for it. Im sure it would work. Erm....anything else. Sorry my post was a little of topic but i tried :D

What kinda music are you gonna play?

[dave frusciante]

ah ive just made a post in the sticky that i shuda here. I might be having a coupla bass klessons which would be real cool. Ive always liked bass and whenever i go to my mates house i cant stay away from his even tho it is a squier. Mind you i cant play for that long cos the strings are like bloody trees compared to a guitar. Its twice the job to fret a string and i can never work out whether i prefer to use a plec or finger pick :confuse:

oh well, s'all good

[ModestCargo]

I'm a bassist turned gutiarist kinda.

If you start off with bass it will help your gutiar playing tremendousley, I'd say go for that.

[Ranger]

I couldn't as of right now, no way, but in the future I definitely want to look at getting a bass.

[SKEETER]

I have my own studio and write and record my own stuff, including Bass. I played bass in a rock era style band for about a year and a half, but now play lead guitar in a band. I think pretty much all guitarists are really bassists, some of them just don't relaize it yet. I mean after all, if you know strings 3-6 on the guitar, you pretty much know the Bass. Same thing, just less notes , more feel, more to the groove, and less complex.

[fornies]

I play acoustic guitar, electric guitar, and bass at my church for the youth praise team.

[martinedwards]

In Church, AJ & I swop weekly.

Leader chooses the songs & Plays guitar

Support (for want of a better term) plays bass & sings harmony

[goldentone]

I've played guitar for years, but just bought a bass about a month ago and am currently trying to learn it. I did it for a couple of different reasons, not the least of which was the belief that it would help my guitar playing. That has turned out to be the case just as I suspected. Playing bass has forced me to memorize every note on the fretboard, something which was not really necessary when merely strumming along on rhythm. Now when I pick up the guitar I find myself practicing bass lines with it.

Most bass players I know are also very able guitar players, and most welcome a chance to trade instruments now and then. Trading roles is a lot of fun and a great learning experience, IMO.

[SKEETER]

Hmm I never thought of it that way, because I never thought of it from the standpoint of playing specific notes ( even though I have known all the notes on the fretboard for years). When I play bass or guitar either one, I think of it in patters, and in terms of how far I need to change where I am in order to be where everyone in the band is going. In other words, I hear a chord that is 1 1/2 steps up from where I am and that is where I go.
On the other hand, playing bass did indeed help my guitar playing a lot, from the standpoint of when I arrange other parts for songs on my CDs. I now think of guitar in relationship to what I will be doing on bass when I lay down bass tracks much more. Playing bass also helped my ear a lot, because working with just notes and arpeggios made me more conscious of intervals than when I was working on guitar melody lines only.

[TeleTristan]

I'm a baritone sax player turned guitar turned bass turned guitar.

[rockD]

I heard once that extremely good bassists are frustrated guitar players. Meaning bad guitar players can turn into kickass bass players. I've always wanted to play bass. I like the feel of getting caught in a groove, almost zen like..

[SKEETER]

I heard once that extremely good bassists are frustrated guitar players. Meaning bad guitar players can turn into kickass bass players. I've always wanted to play bass. I like the feel of getting caught in a groove, almost zen like..

I think probably in some (very few) cases that is true. But a true musician will play any instrument he can learn, and it takes as much musical knowlege to be a good bass player as it does to be a good guitarist. It just takes a lot more restraint. In reality, a good lead guitarist probably usually makes a bad bassist.... I have to be REAL carefull when playing bass to not play too much and to remember that I am part of the rythm section.
I think perhaps there are some guitarists out there that are frustrated bass players............

[Ranger]

I like sitting in my best friends room with his subs cranked...its just awesome. Is that what playing bass is like? If so, I'm DEFINITELY getting a bass sooner or later!

[FadedCayenne]

yeah, i'd say i do...

[SKEETER]

I will tell you the EPITOME of bass guitar orgasm, whether it is you playing it or someone else in the band. The most fantastic experience is playing in a band with a tight rythm section on a wood outside stage and being able to feel the kick through the floor while the bass shakes your intestines. That is pure cream your jeans................