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Originally Posted by mr dave
just going to make a few points based on some of the stuff i've seen in this thread, not going to quote everyone.
the idea that bassists are failed guitarists only applies to the connect the dot style of rock where the bass player only hits the root of whatever chord the guitar player is playing at the same time as the bass drum hit.
a good bass player that understands the role of establishing and maintaining a groove within the context of the band is rare and requires a whole other set of skills than those you normally develop on a guitar. it seems a lot of time bands end up with someone who should really be playing guitar. i'm not saying there isn't room for bass leads outside of jazz, but trying to solo on a bass the same way you do on a guitar sounds cheesy. conversely a bass player should be allowed to do more than pedal point the root of the riff.
as for my own low end dealings. i've got 2 basses. one is a 4 string aria pro II - cat series. weighs a ton, sounds great. the other is a 5 string fretless by samick. weighs little, neckdives like there's no tomorrow, but gets surprisingly deep low end.
flea became a monstrous influence on me as a teen. not just in terms of playing bass but also the way he dealt with music. he might not be on the same level as wooten and pastorius but in terms of what's available to mainstream music listeners he's definitely a great starting point to learn about more than what you hear on tv and radio.
i also really dig all the old sabbath riffs, geezer butler is definitely worthy of praise. his technique of not loosing the groove when playing lead fills is freaking ace.
scott reeder from kyuss also deserves a mention in the sludgy groove based hard rock vein that butler started.
i also seem to remember all three guys in spinal tap playing basses for 'big bottom' haha. although if memory serves me correctly smalls had an 8 sting. soundgarden does a pretty good cover of that track too hehehe.
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Well, I did take up the bass because I failed at the guitar.
For me, the problem with guitar was all about chords. I couldn't play them.
So bass is a more natural fit for me. You just play scales and individual notes, that's a lot easier to learn, though it's still a bitch to master, especially when rhythm comes into play.
I wish I had more confidence in my ability to learn, I don't practice nearly as much as I should.