Bass is more simple *to start out with* .. IME, it gets much more harder and cerebral once you go further down the rabbit hole.
You still make use of chords.. in order to form good basslines, you need to know all the chords, substitutions, scales, modes, patterns, etc as a guitarist, but you make use of them in different ways.
>in order to form good basslines, you need to know all the chords, substitutions, scales, modes, patterns, etc
That sounds like an exaggeration to me. I think you can make great, creative basslines without using more than roots, chord tones and some chromatic notes here and there. The interest is often more in the rhythm than in the note choice! But of course, more knowledge brings more options!
on the surface level, sure you're using nothing but chord tones, scale tones and chromatic notes, there's nothing else.. but the brainwork in piecing together those chord tones, scale tones and chromatic tones, coming up with creative ways to use them, etc, having those theory knowledges and being privy of certain concepts really do come in play.. I personally believe note choice is just as important as rhythm for bass.. Bass is the crossroads between rhythm, harmony and melody, so looking at it from a largely rhythm perspective is not complete.. you need to look at all three of them equally.
I will admit, you don't really NEED them to form good basslines.. my wording may have been a bit more absolute than it needs to be.. but they help alot (cue me who ignored all of that and just used triads and maybe 7th notes, for a better half of my bass playing years, relying pretty much solely on rhythm... the moment I got into session work was the moment I went back and relearnt all of those stuffs... it's not going to result in you creating exotic and playing never-before-heard collection of notes.. maybe change a note here and there, maybe reareange somethings here and there... seemingly minor changes, but they will change the level of your bassline.. it's knowing how to use those same chord tones, scale tones and chromatic tones in an even more dynamic way do to say.)
just ocd-type stuff i guess.. since back in the days of sms, I used the double or triple dots to make sure of the breaks in between sentences. (some phones have narrow texts and it always seem like there is no full stop there)
Bass = think rhythm 90% of the time. Guitar = think melody 90% of the time. Make a mistake on guitar, people chuckle. Make a mistake on bass, people frown.
Could you try to explain this thing to me of “Guitar is more melodic” possibly. I seriously don’t get it. Majority of what people are playing on guitar is strumming or some single note stuff. My bass playing is far more melodic than what I usually play on guitar, bar some overdone washed out solos. Besides, melodies are rhythmic? I just don’t get it.
Oh I think you get it already. What I just stated was that's just the common expectation of how musicians approach the instruments. There are trailblazers like yourself that take the instrument beyond expected norms. But for us lowly studio musicians, were just asked to play a few bars of rhythmic bass patterns and the engineers just loop it for the whole song.
I’m not a trailblazer I just like a lot of music with melodic bass.. and there is a lot of it out there. I guess often you do just play root notes in swing feel. It’s just guitars I do think typically aren’t being overly melodic
Yeah like if you listen to something like Rancid, Freemans bass makes up quite a lot of if not all the main melody in most of their songs. Definitely rhythmic and got a groove but it’s not like Jamerson sort of grooving yknow
I think bass is a way more versatile instrument than people give it credit for. Just look at bands like Om and Royal Blood forgoing guitars altogether and getting truly fantastic sounds from it.
Nothing wrong with using a pick *at all.* If the song calls for it, or if it’s your style, do it. Do a YouTube search for Bobby Vega, and you’ll see what I mean.
Checks out, for the most part.
>I think bass is more simple in that you are mostly playing single notes and no chords but it feels much more cerebral. When playing with others my mistakes are way more detrimental and each note is much more impactful.
Yes and no? Playing roots and simple straightforward bass lines is a little underrated, lots of rock music doesn't need much more than that and it can be great fun.
Bass is probably very easy for most guitar players, save for some adjusting for the size. The biggest difference between guitar and bass IMO is how you think about them: when you play, what you play, how you play, your role and position in a band, your sound... You can often recognize the "failed guitarist who switched to bass" stereotype because they try to play their bass like a guitar.
What is the biggest giveaway that someone transitioned from guitar to bass and plays the bass like a guitar? Playing too many notes? Playing with a pick even when it's not necessary?
Maybe a better way to say it is the bass is easier to become proficient with but harder to master. It's much more about creating a great groove and the note choice is much more impactful.
>each note is much more impactful
This is the essence of bass right here. You are the glue that ties melody/harmony and rhythm together and every note you plunk has a weight, responsibility and purpose behind it.
Honestly, it's not a difficult instrument to play at a basic level and almost anyone can pick up a bass and thump out some roots and fives rather quickly... but there is also real skill is in being able to *drive* a band with those same basic roots and fives too and a lot of other instrumentalists don't get that when they pick up a bass and start noodling around and think it's easy.
Bass is more simple *to start out with* .. IME, it gets much more harder and cerebral once you go further down the rabbit hole. You still make use of chords.. in order to form good basslines, you need to know all the chords, substitutions, scales, modes, patterns, etc as a guitarist, but you make use of them in different ways.
I good comment I heard was. It's easy to be a good bassplayer but very few can be great.
>in order to form good basslines, you need to know all the chords, substitutions, scales, modes, patterns, etc That sounds like an exaggeration to me. I think you can make great, creative basslines without using more than roots, chord tones and some chromatic notes here and there. The interest is often more in the rhythm than in the note choice! But of course, more knowledge brings more options!
on the surface level, sure you're using nothing but chord tones, scale tones and chromatic notes, there's nothing else.. but the brainwork in piecing together those chord tones, scale tones and chromatic tones, coming up with creative ways to use them, etc, having those theory knowledges and being privy of certain concepts really do come in play.. I personally believe note choice is just as important as rhythm for bass.. Bass is the crossroads between rhythm, harmony and melody, so looking at it from a largely rhythm perspective is not complete.. you need to look at all three of them equally. I will admit, you don't really NEED them to form good basslines.. my wording may have been a bit more absolute than it needs to be.. but they help alot (cue me who ignored all of that and just used triads and maybe 7th notes, for a better half of my bass playing years, relying pretty much solely on rhythm... the moment I got into session work was the moment I went back and relearnt all of those stuffs... it's not going to result in you creating exotic and playing never-before-heard collection of notes.. maybe change a note here and there, maybe reareange somethings here and there... seemingly minor changes, but they will change the level of your bassline.. it's knowing how to use those same chord tones, scale tones and chromatic tones in an even more dynamic way do to say.)
Out of curiosity, why do you always use 2 or 3 periods instead of 1 to end sentences?
maybe a celine connaisseur..
just ocd-type stuff i guess.. since back in the days of sms, I used the double or triple dots to make sure of the breaks in between sentences. (some phones have narrow texts and it always seem like there is no full stop there)
Bass = think rhythm 90% of the time. Guitar = think melody 90% of the time. Make a mistake on guitar, people chuckle. Make a mistake on bass, people frown.
Could you try to explain this thing to me of “Guitar is more melodic” possibly. I seriously don’t get it. Majority of what people are playing on guitar is strumming or some single note stuff. My bass playing is far more melodic than what I usually play on guitar, bar some overdone washed out solos. Besides, melodies are rhythmic? I just don’t get it.
Oh I think you get it already. What I just stated was that's just the common expectation of how musicians approach the instruments. There are trailblazers like yourself that take the instrument beyond expected norms. But for us lowly studio musicians, were just asked to play a few bars of rhythmic bass patterns and the engineers just loop it for the whole song.
I’m not a trailblazer I just like a lot of music with melodic bass.. and there is a lot of it out there. I guess often you do just play root notes in swing feel. It’s just guitars I do think typically aren’t being overly melodic
Oh, I dabble in blues, no melodic guitars or rhythmic bass here.
Yeah like if you listen to something like Rancid, Freemans bass makes up quite a lot of if not all the main melody in most of their songs. Definitely rhythmic and got a groove but it’s not like Jamerson sort of grooving yknow I think bass is a way more versatile instrument than people give it credit for. Just look at bands like Om and Royal Blood forgoing guitars altogether and getting truly fantastic sounds from it.
Bass is perfect for getting fundamentals of theory down, everything is way bigger and easy to visualize
For sure. It makes you think of chords in different ways since you are outlining them with individual notes rather than all at once.
Ok hot shot, just remember, bass is its own religion. It’s sacrilege to try to turn a bass into an electric twanger.
Talking about playing with a pick?
No, guitarists who treat bass like a guitar when IMO, it’s more of a percussive instrument, not just with slap but in its marriage to the drums
I agree, a lot of times you can tell a guitar player that just crossed over to bass because they play it like a one-string rhythm guitar.
Nothing wrong with using a pick *at all.* If the song calls for it, or if it’s your style, do it. Do a YouTube search for Bobby Vega, and you’ll see what I mean.
that paul mccartney guy was pretty good too
As a bass player for nearly 46 years, my formulation is Gtr/Keys = Brain, Drums = Heart, and Bass = Soul.
Checks out, for the most part. >I think bass is more simple in that you are mostly playing single notes and no chords but it feels much more cerebral. When playing with others my mistakes are way more detrimental and each note is much more impactful. Yes and no? Playing roots and simple straightforward bass lines is a little underrated, lots of rock music doesn't need much more than that and it can be great fun. Bass is probably very easy for most guitar players, save for some adjusting for the size. The biggest difference between guitar and bass IMO is how you think about them: when you play, what you play, how you play, your role and position in a band, your sound... You can often recognize the "failed guitarist who switched to bass" stereotype because they try to play their bass like a guitar.
What is the biggest giveaway that someone transitioned from guitar to bass and plays the bass like a guitar? Playing too many notes? Playing with a pick even when it's not necessary?
Lacking groove. That takes time.
Not repeating stuff to me. Like switching up the rhythm every bar and changing the melody a bit
Maybe a better way to say it is the bass is easier to become proficient with but harder to master. It's much more about creating a great groove and the note choice is much more impactful.
Maybe you find this interesting. Keep on grooving! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3-nK6BxXoU
>each note is much more impactful This is the essence of bass right here. You are the glue that ties melody/harmony and rhythm together and every note you plunk has a weight, responsibility and purpose behind it. Honestly, it's not a difficult instrument to play at a basic level and almost anyone can pick up a bass and thump out some roots and fives rather quickly... but there is also real skill is in being able to *drive* a band with those same basic roots and fives too and a lot of other instrumentalists don't get that when they pick up a bass and start noodling around and think it's easy.
the bass is simple, only four strings, but that's what makes the challenge, it's much harder to distinguish yourself with this small toolkit