Answers to Everyday Questions : Is it better to learn guitar or bass first?

Is it better to learn guitar or bass first?

8 Responses to “Is it better to learn guitar or bass first?”

1. chity said :
   October 28th, 2010 at 9:55 pm

   i play guitar and it can be hard. but i think the bass would be easier. but completely your choice.
2. Dsgwge said :
   October 28th, 2010 at 10:40 pm

   piano
3. B.J. said :
   October 28th, 2010 at 10:56 pm

   Guitar. The bass is easier, but go for the guitar.

   I play the guitar. Trust me.
4. Dannie said :
   October 28th, 2010 at 11:16 pm

   I learned how to play bass before guitar, but that was just my choice and not because it was easier, but because I thought bass players are kind of a dying breed lately
5. Beau Maker said :
   October 28th, 2010 at 11:34 pm

   Learn the guitar it’s not difficult if your passionate enough about it it took me about 6 months to figure it all out.
6. LucasMan said :
   October 28th, 2010 at 11:35 pm

   No, they’re different instruments. Plain and simple.

   People have this bizarre impression that bass is easier because it’s fewer strings, or you don’t play chords, well…. that’s BS. That’s almost like suggesting that bass is an inferior instrument, which it absolutely isn’t!

   I’ve never seen anyone master both instruments. Each one takes an equal amount of work and effort to play well. If you feel more drawn to one, go for that one first.
7. Skin that flick shes such lil DJ said :
   October 29th, 2010 at 12:08 am

   Different instruments with different roles in a band, the last poster had it right you can’t master either & the whole ”4 string is easier” is basically said by idiots who can barely play their own instruments.
   Bassists get a bad rap because most popular music has very simple bass-lines (not to say that that is bad) the likes of jazz/funk rely on the bassist more-so than the guitar, the amount of times i’ve seen my guitar friends playing bass & thinking they are good is countless.

   Go for the one that you feel attracts you more to it as that is the one you will practice more & enjoy playing more which is essentially what music is about.
   & get lessons here is an old post of mine on why to get lessons

   alot of people i see here post things such as ”i taught myself piano its easy”
   let me say any instrument is easy (&these are most likely the ramblings of people who have only played guitar a few months), but to properly play it & understand what the heck your doing (this helps your creative process when writing your own stuff or just in general) is another different matter.
   i could be taught to recite out 10 basic piano tunes, but give me the likes of Mozarts music & ask me to use certain techniques that are heard on piano. i would fail (as would all the people claiming ”its easy” on their respective instruments)

   the problem with teaching yourself guitar (or any instrument) is that alot of people give up they get frustrated. (supposedly 90% of self taught musicians quit)
   also alot of people can ”play” guitar, ie bang out a few songs & intros eg starirway to heaven. But there is a notable difference heard between a self-taught guitarist playing a song & a trained guitarist.
   guitarists are a dime a dozen, everybody plays guitar (heck i play guitar) however a decent guitarist is hard to find this is where you can benifit from lessons as most people don’t take lessons.

   Lessons are definitely a great idea, a teacher can show you techniques & correct you. i still get corrected over things i do at my lessons.
   alot of the internet resources aren’t that great, again it is alot of amateurs with bad technique posting who started out similar to you, or looking to make a quick buck.

   every music autobiography i have read (& i read quite a fair bit of them as i LOVE music) the guitarist/any instrument, has gotten lessons at some point.
   there are a rare few virtuoso (ie talented) people who didn’t get lessons but even at that they start practicing with other people who have got lessons & learn off them.
   As somebody said those ”guitar for dummies” are great, however that is as a side tool to reference to. not to just teach yourself, at a glance you learn the basics but when you study those books they can get quite complicated & a teacher can clear any questions you have.
   a teacher also encourages you to practice & gives you set goals.
   Don’t get me wrong you can learn by yourself but if you are in any way serious about wanting to play music & want to get to a good level, i’d DEFINITELY suggest lessons. Also alot of people seem to start their music career out on guitar as it is such a famous instrument & lots of people own guitars in some form. Don’t be suprised if you feel like quitting guitar because everybody plays it after a few months it happens to alot of people, it doesn’t mean you aren’t musically talented.

   PS try not to ask people to give you the chords to a song, its better if you can work them out yourself it creates an ear for certain notes. however make sure what you are playing is correct.
   PPS: i read here an answer off somebody who was in a music college, she roughly said ”the teachers would cringe when they heard that a new ‘self-taught’ musician was coming to the colllege, because the teachers all knew he/she would have to be retaught due to them having bad technique”

   Rory Gallagher- Walk On Hot Coals (ROCK, the 5 minute solo isn’t as good as the ”irish tour” solo, but jesus christ this rules & it highlights the bands chemistry)
   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=709KHLppvOM

   ”Rory’s death really upset me. I heard about it just before we went on stage, and it put a damper on the evening” Jimmy Page (Led Zep)
8. ⋆ said :
   October 29th, 2010 at 12:14 am

   If you really intend on learning both it is your choice totally. I would choose one or the other and do the very best that I can and concentrate on perfecting my skills on whichever I chose