Answers to Everyday Questions : Should I learn to play guitar(6-sting) or Bass,and why?

Should I learn to play guitar(6-sting) or Bass,and why?

4 Responses to “Should I learn to play guitar(6-sting) or Bass,and why?”

1. Holly! said :
   November 14th, 2010 at 6:30 pm

   I think guitar is wayy better then the bass because the bass is mostly like the background beat i would say…
2. gtarczar said :
   November 14th, 2010 at 6:56 pm

   Start on guitar and learn your basic chords and strumming techniques. Everything you learn on the guitar will help you to play the bass later on. People think that bass is easier than guitar because it only has four strings but this is not really true. The bass guitar has a much longer neck and thicker strings which requires MORE strength and physical dexterity to play. The guitar does require a bit more mental effort initially to remember the proper fingerings for the chords but it is physically a bit easier to press the strings down on a guitar than it is on a bass. I recommend to all of my bass students to learn to play some basic guitar chords and to learn basic harmony and theory. This will help you better understand music and the role of each instrument. I also suggest to my guitar students to learn to play the bass also just so they can understand better the function of the bass.
   By learning the guitar first you will have a much better foundation for playing bass later on.
3. Adam D said :
   November 14th, 2010 at 7:38 pm

   Bass is a little easier to play, but you have to have rhythm and keep timing with the drummer, but bassists are usually in the background of the band.

   The guitarist is either responsible for creating the rhythm and melody of the song, or doing lead work over that rhythm… so it’s quite a bit more to learn… but you are more involved in writing the melody of the song.

   So, the question you need to ask yourself, is when you listen to a song, do you hear the melody, or do you hear the beat. Whatever is more prominent to your own ears is what you should go for…. so listen to your favorite songs, ignore the vocals, and listen to what instrument jumps out at you.

   Also, there’s about 1 million guitar players (give or take a few) to every bass player. SO, if you ever plan to start a band, it’s easier for a bass player to “JOIN” a band, so you can go around, and try out for all these bands and decide on which one you like the best. For guitar players, its hard to join a band, because everyone who posts for musicians, is usually a guitar player who is looking for a drummer, singer or bass player.

   Just do me a favor…. don’t let the instrument be neglected. Start playing, learning and never stop. You have to be in love with your instrument and be so dedicated to learning that it becomes an obsession.
4. Bob W said :
   November 14th, 2010 at 8:30 pm

   Guitar- Harder, more complicated, more of a spotlight, generally more appreciated.

   Bass- Demands perfection, needs devotion, your in the background more, but if your in a band your bandmates will appreciate you the most.

   Many bands can squeak by with a bad guitarist. No band ever got far with a bad bassist.

   So it depends on if you want the spotlight, or if you would rather give it up in the hopes that your band mates will value you more than anyone else.

   Guitarists are a dime a dozen, and there will always be someone better than you.

   Anyone than knows guitar can play bass. Not necesarily well, but they will know enough to get by. You could always learn guitar then pick up bass after. This is what many bands do, becuase they can’t find a bassist, so they get a guitarist to do it.

   So it comes down to: Do you want the audience to cheer for you, or your band menbers to cheer for you?