What is bass guitar all about?

Since I'm still stringless, and so new to this stringed world, can anyone tell me what bass guitar is all about? Is it played the same way as any guitar but it's just a bass tone?

You are subscribed but don't own a guitar? You should get one soon! :) To me, Bass is like the bridge between drums and guitar. It's the fusion of percussion and scale. I never really appreciated what bass was until I started dabbling with recording. Anytime I put drums down before bass, it was always a little off, and I'd have to go back and do the bass first, then the drums.

Bass and drums work together and are kind of a unit underneath the other instruments. At least that's the way I think of it.

Originally Posted by: StringybarkIs it played the same way as any guitar but it's just a bass tone?

The short, easy answer is that the notes are the same, yes. On a standard 4-string bass all the notes and frets are the same as the four thickest strings on a regular guitar.

You can play chords on a bass, but they usually sound too muddy due to the low frequency nature of the thick strings.

In rock/pop music, the bass often plays the root note of the chord that the guitar is playing.

Ah, thanks. I can see a bass guitar in my future once I've worked my way through all the lessons here. BTW, will collect my new ESP M-II ( not basse) tomorrow. :)

My advice, choose first if you want to be a guitar player or a bass player, it's not really the same... Learning all guitar tricks here will not turn you into a bass player. And the other way, learning to play bass will not turn you into a guitar player.

Originally Posted by: paul sissenerMy advice, choose first if you want to be a guitar player or a bass player, it's not really the same... Learning all guitar tricks here will not turn you into a bass player. And the other way, learning to play bass will not turn you into a guitar player.

Thanks, I'll stick to the plain old guitar for now :)

Originally Posted by: RazboYou are subscribed but don't own a guitar? You should get one soon! :) To me, Bass is like the bridge between drums and guitar. It's the fusion of percussion and scale. I never really appreciated what bass was until I started dabbling with recording. Anytime I put drums down before bass, it was always a little off, and I'd have to go back and do the bass first, then the drums.

Bass and drums work together and are kind of a unit underneath the other instruments. At least that's the way I think of it.

Perfectly said! I was in a band in high school where we all tried to show off an out-do eachother, so to speak. I was bass, and the drummer was very flashy. Granted it was punk, but still...as a bass player, you need to think about the good of the song, not how you are going to show off. For rock music, a lot of the time, the better bass playing is the more rhythmic playing (working with the drums). I love 80s metal, and it is VERY apparent in that.

I like the sound of the bass guitar. I think I will find myself a bargain somewhere and try it out for a bit.

Actually, I like the sound of lots of guitars! GAS developing!

Agree with what others have said... bass guitar is just a very different animal than regular guitar, and you won't find much crossover in terms of being able to play one makes you better at the other. Also, as mentioned, you really need to work very closely with the drummer, being aware of what the kick drum is doing at all times.

Now, with all that being said... if you go down the road of being a bass guitarist you may find it much easier to get into a band... there are tons of guitar players out there, not nearly as many bass players. A solid bass player & drummer are essential for any band, so if you're good, you'll find yourself in demand!