The Bass thread

[boo boo]

Originally Posted by mr dave

don't fool yourself into thinking those are easy styles to play simply because of the technical simplicity involved. especially folk and country, those styles require LOTS of restraint and an excellent sense of timing. it's one thing to keep that same pendulum feel going for a song, it's another thing to keep that same feeling going for a set. it's far more of a mental challenge than a physical one.

blues rock is GREAT for getting your feet wet as it provides ample opportunity to bust loose during instrumental vamps while still maintaining relative simplicity during the more structured parts.

like Antonio said, joining a band or just jamming with others WILL be beneficial. you might not always see the direct benefit depending on the people involved but it's there.

I don't have to worry about restraint, I have nothing to hold back.

[mr dave]

Originally Posted by boo boo

I don't have to worry about restraint, I have nothing to hold back.

that's exactly how you'll trip up hahaha

[Antonio]

i just want to say that i play both, and the way that i play on guitar, i almost entirely mimic when i'm playing bass. i mean there are a few differences, i.e. barre chords/slapping popping, but for the most part i like extended fingerpicking and improvising as well as use of triad forms and open notes too. for me, it's not about what's "easier", but how i could get a different tone and sound as well as be a bit of a new challenge each time.

one thing i realized when i started playing bass for my band was how in that genre i fit better as a bassist than as a guitarist. not so much that it's easier or anything, but because when playing guitar, i hate to be confined in things like strumming power chords for the majority of the song, and like i said before with im usually improvising or trying to use different chord forms. i found that that fit alot better with bass, because i could add things to the song my own way.

oh and boo boo, joining a band or even jamming with others can help you ALOT, because you can share ideas with musicians and learn how to work with a group musically.

[Ricochet~kun]

okay, ph34r:
i saw this video today:

and i almost shat in my pants.
as of right now, there is nothing i want to do with my live other than strings and bass. so, anyone have good recomendations on bass gear? im starting today, and i need a bass ( i think 2 hundred watt speakers and a gutiar amp should work for a while ) but i have 2 or 3 years of gutiar experiance so im not totally in the dust. but the bass... its just so... so... i dont even know.
like when the groove slows and the pump rolls.
then the bass grows.
and some basic info would help, like,
do bassists in rock bands usually use distortion like the guitarists do?
what diffrent about the way the right hand manipulates the intrument?
are the huge fret spaces difficult to work with?

(ps. im not giving up guitar or any other intruments to learn bass, im just adding bass to the list)

[mr dave]

Originally Posted by jkloring

okay, ph34r:
i saw this video today:

and i almost shat in my pants.
as of right now, there is nothing i want to do with my live other than strings and bass. so, anyone have good recomendations on bass gear? im starting today, and i need a bass ( i think 2 hundred watt speakers and a gutiar amp should work for a while ) but i have 2 or 3 years of gutiar experiance so im not totally in the dust. but the bass... its just so... so... i dont even know.
like when the groove slows and the pump rolls.
then the bass grows.
and some basic info would help, like,
do bassists in rock bands usually use distortion like the guitarists do?
what diffrent about the way the right hand manipulates the intrument?
are the huge fret spaces difficult to work with?

(ps. im not giving up guitar or any other intruments to learn bass, im just adding bass to the list)

yawn... check out some live squarepusher if you want pants pooping bass action. this guy is alright, his right hand technique is top notch, but overall meh.

do NOT run a bass through a guitar amp. you can run a guitar through a bass amp but you're asking for problems if you go the other way around.

as for the basic info you wonder about....

distortion? depends on the band, when it comes to bass less is usually more. i run mine through a russian big muff.

right hand action? entirely dependent on you. i used to slap and pop back in the late 90s, it's not something i do anymore. that's the technique buddy is using in that video, you slap your thumb on the strings in a percussive way and the noodley bits are done by pulling the higher strings with opposing fingertips so the string slaps against the fretboard. you'll notice that he's really only playing 3 octave patterns over and over for this clip until the very end.

the only time i use my right hand thumb on my bass strings now is a weird double slap thing i sometimes do in tandem with my little finger. my main technique during the last jam room was 3 fingers or a pick. there's no real limit to what you can use to attack the strings with.

fret size? never was an issue for me. the biggest issue i found when going back and forth between instruments was my reflex shape for certain chord shapes became warped after playing the bass for extended periods. you'll find you've got more finger strength and a greater reach when you go back to those puny little guitar necks hahaha

[Ricochet~kun]

Originally Posted by mr dave

yawn... check out some live squarepusher if you want pants pooping bass action. this guy is alright, his right hand technique is top notch, but overall meh.

do NOT run a bass through a guitar amp. you can run a guitar through a bass amp but you're asking for problems if you go the other way around.

as for the basic info you wonder about....

distortion? depends on the band, when it comes to bass less is usually more. i run mine through a russian big muff.

right hand action? entirely dependent on you. i used to slap and pop back in the late 90s, it's not something i do anymore. that's the technique buddy is using in that video, you slap your thumb on the strings in a percussive way and the noodley bits are done by pulling the higher strings with opposing fingertips so the string slaps against the fretboard. you'll notice that he's really only playing 3 octave patterns over and over for this clip until the very end.

the only time i use my right hand thumb on my bass strings now is a weird double slap thing i sometimes do in tandem with my little finger. my main technique during the last jam room was 3 fingers or a pick. there's no real limit to what you can use to attack the strings with.

fret size? never was an issue for me. the biggest issue i found when going back and forth between instruments was my reflex shape for certain chord shapes became warped after playing the bass for extended periods. you'll find you've got more finger strength and a greater reach when you go back to those puny little guitar necks hahaha

well truely, the bass makes the guitar look like a toy, imo.
so, do you think the person in the vid is using distortion? its really hard for me to tell, being so used to the tiny crushy guitar sound

[mr dave]

Originally Posted by jkloring

well truely, the bass makes the guitar look like a toy, imo.
so, do you think the person in the vid is using distortion? its really hard for me to tell, being so used to the tiny crushy guitar sound

nope. no fuzz on that bass.

you want a good example of distortion on a bass?



there's a clear distinction when he turns it off after a little over a minute.

[boo boo]

Originally Posted by mr dave

do NOT run a bass through a guitar amp.

Yeah man, I wish someone would have told me that before.

It was like a f*cking bombshell went off.

[Ricochet~kun]

Originally Posted by boo boo

Yeah man, I wish someone would have told me that before.

It was like a f*cking bombshell went off.

what if my speakers are ****ing massive and have huge woofers?

[boo boo]

Originally Posted by jkloring

what if my speakers are ****ing massive and have huge woofers?

I still wouldn't try it.

Surely a cheap bass amp can't be that hard to find.