I have had some similar experiences to Pete and Ted, where I have sat in with different guys or even strangers at a party, get-together, etc. Being able to read a guitarist's chord by seeing his hand position and chord shape has definitely saved my bacon more than once. It's a useful skill, for sure. It comes in handy when my band is jamming up new song ideas, too. It's a complimentary skill to picking up by ear. Just make sure they're not using a capo, or you will be doing mental math on the fly... haha. Really, it doesn't take much guitar ability for a bassist to pick this up. Learn the major chords and understand the basics of barre chords, and you are most of the way there.
I have known 2 bass players who are also good drummers, and that adds a little depth/feel to their bass playing, so that is probably a good thing, too.
I don't know for sure that either approach is necessary, but both are probably helpful.
Did You Learn The Ropes On A Six-String?
Moderators: rickenbrother, ajish4
I started out playing piano - so I alread had an understanding of chords. Never had played guitar though. I do know I p!$$ off my band mates sometimes when I ask them to tell me what key they're playing in and all they do is show their fret board. I'll be the first that I do not have a great ear, but what I do have is a knowledge of chord theory that gets me through.
I started out on classical guitar as a 12 year old. I became quite adept at "finger style" playing. The string spacing on my left hand and the right hand finger plucking technique made playing a bass a natural transition. I started doing that in 1977, a few years after I started playing guitar.
Only in 1998 did I buy a Martin guitar; I'd only owned nylon stringed classicals until then.
I feel that knowing guitar chords and guitar playing in general is a useful skill for me to have, especially when a guitarist is showing me a song.
Only in 1998 did I buy a Martin guitar; I'd only owned nylon stringed classicals until then.
I feel that knowing guitar chords and guitar playing in general is a useful skill for me to have, especially when a guitarist is showing me a song.
Listen to that sustain!
Cheers Chris! That was a great story!
The bass bit me at the age of 4, way back in 64 – guess who! But didn’t get a chance to get one until I was 14 – many years of dreaming! We didn’t have a lot of money back then, but when I got the chance, it was a bass. The guitar came a few years later.
I was mainly self-taught at first. Taught myself theory actually before I had gotten my first bass – I was determined to prove to my parents that this was something I wanted badly. I then studied under a real cool bass player out in Denver during the summer of 74, and from there I was on my own but always watched carefully what other players were doing and always tried to replicate it.
I got my first Rick in 76, it was a used 73 4001 MG. Loved that bass! Spent many nights with that thing in my room playing all night long and finally falling asleep with it – back in the day!
The bass bit me at the age of 4, way back in 64 – guess who! But didn’t get a chance to get one until I was 14 – many years of dreaming! We didn’t have a lot of money back then, but when I got the chance, it was a bass. The guitar came a few years later.
I was mainly self-taught at first. Taught myself theory actually before I had gotten my first bass – I was determined to prove to my parents that this was something I wanted badly. I then studied under a real cool bass player out in Denver during the summer of 74, and from there I was on my own but always watched carefully what other players were doing and always tried to replicate it.
I got my first Rick in 76, it was a used 73 4001 MG. Loved that bass! Spent many nights with that thing in my room playing all night long and finally falling asleep with it – back in the day!
I started out playing trumpet in the 5th grade, switched to tuba in the 6th, bought an electric guitar in the 7th although I was back on trumpet to my dismay (junior high had a sousaphone player already), I played the guitar for a year or so until I could afford a bass. Bass was always my first love, I was a good guitar player and still can be when I get back in practice but I just loved that "humming guitar" I heard when I also first heard the Beatles in 64 when I was 10. Incidently my first stringed bass was a cardboard box and piece of string and two pencils, one at either end of the string, what a sound!
I've played both guitar and bass ever since. I recently took up stand up bass which I really love also.
I've played both guitar and bass ever since. I recently took up stand up bass which I really love also.
I started out playing cello but I soon found out that there was a limited demand for cellists in rock bands. And I couldn't get laid. Of course, the fact that I was only 9 may have had something to do with that 
but my attention soon turned to guitars and girls. I played guitar for several years before turning to bass. Seriously, having played cello and guitar first helped me as a bassist.
but my attention soon turned to guitars and girls. I played guitar for several years before turning to bass. Seriously, having played cello and guitar first helped me as a bassist.-
rickenbrother
- RRF Moderator
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- Joined: Sun May 26, 2002 5:00 am
Yeah, I started on guitar first. My older brother had this '66 Gibson Firebird that he stopped playing and didn't mind if I played it. I switched to bass because I always loved the sound and there was always need for a bassist. There were plenty of guitarists around.
Like Randy, my first bass guitar was a Univox Hi-Flyer.
Like Randy, my first bass guitar was a Univox Hi-Flyer.
JETGLO should officially be renamed JETGLO ROCKS! 
I started on bass as my girlfriend played guitar. The girl didn't last, but I became a lifelong bassist. After a year or two I bought a new (78?) Ibanez Les Paul - beautiful guitar but so stiff that I got bored and gave up. I auditioned as a rhythm gutarist, and mentioned in passing that I was really a bass player. Turned out they'd given up on finding a bass player after several months and their rhythm guitarist was playing bass. We swapped and I joined.
Never bothered with guitar again until 10 or 12 years ago when I was given a Squier Strat by my wife. This time it took and I've become pretty good. More importantly I have a definable style on guitar after years of bass. Having learned scales on a bass first I had a much more sparse, 'let the silence ring, let the rhythm swing' sound. Much more musical than your average 'guitar hero'.
How many bass-players does it take to change a light bulb? None, we ain't afraid of the dark.
Never bothered with guitar again until 10 or 12 years ago when I was given a Squier Strat by my wife. This time it took and I've become pretty good. More importantly I have a definable style on guitar after years of bass. Having learned scales on a bass first I had a much more sparse, 'let the silence ring, let the rhythm swing' sound. Much more musical than your average 'guitar hero'.
How many bass-players does it take to change a light bulb? None, we ain't afraid of the dark.