Gila, I don’t need to speak in terms of “seeming.” I’m not some boy wondering about playing bass. I’ve done it. I do it. I speak from as much experience as you do.
The reason I mentioned sweeping, rhythm, and tremolo is BECAUSE they’re guitar-centric. You’re not going to be playing rhythm on a bass and you can tremolo with fingers. Unless you’re going to be bass sweeping (I have NEVER seen it done), a pick would be useless for playing bass. Fingers, on the other hand, have major advantages for bass, which is why I support his decision to use fingerstyle.
We’re talking bass finger-playing, hades. It’s far from childs-play when the strings are double the thickness and much more massive.
No it isn’t. Doubling the width might cause problems if I could barely handle the width of a guitar’s strings, but for most people, plucking guitar strings is effortless, even if they’ve never picked up a guitar. Doubling the width means nothing. Tripling it means nothing. You could quadrouple it and you’d still have less trouble plucking the strings than you would fixing your instrument’s broken neck. It’s the whole multiplying by zero deal.
Then my guitar teacher was wrong. But the basic point is you really don’t need more than four strings. Oh, and if you want REALLY good bass then check out Rancid. The guy’s a fucking god, he’s able to pick AND use his fingers all at once. It’s scary.
Well, like I said, I can finger pick a guitar all day; it’s actually the one thing I -can- do on a guitar. I suck at chords because I never practice them, and i’m not even sure what a “sweep” or any of that stuff is. I did a shitty job of teaching myself and don’t know any terms for stuff.
I’m gonna get some books on jazz and blues bass, as well as metal bass. It seems like most rock bass players just do as you said, which is hit one note repeatedly, and that’s not what I want to do. I’ll check out those artists you speak of when I return to the States.
I really don’t know what kind of bass to get; i’m going to have to play a few and check them out when I return. I’m most interested in the Fender Jazz bass and a few Ibanez basses, though.
You should check out Necrophagist. They’re extremely technical, and their bassist sweeps. Atleast, it sounds like it. And I’m in no way trying to antagonize you, miss hades. Not that you claimed that I was, I just figured I’d say that anyways.
I don’t know, man. You might not need the extra strings, but they certainly don’t hurt your playing. I’ve seen a bass player in a local band that plays an 8 stringed bass… it’s fucking insane. With his fingers mostly too.
And Rancids bass player? I don’t know, I don’t listen to much of them so I can’t really comment on them, but something tells me he isn’t a god. I’m sure he’s great at what he does though.
Oh man, I saw that guy do a bass solo… holy shit. He was doing two rhythms at once!
And if you want to check out an amazing metal bassist, check out Steve DiGiorgio. He fucking owns. Period.
Ive never been a real big fan of finger playing ;hell I despise it (and fender for that matter).In my experience, a pick incorporates more precision and even sounds clearer at any case.But a bass player with a pick at hand is very odd…I suggest you get with a friend or something that knows about stringed instruments and the like to guide you before you start jumping into something you least know about.Comparing the bass to a guitar is pointless.In my opinion, bass is easier…unless you want to go hog-wild and get all technical about it And even then its a bit easier.Bigger strings = less precision ;depending on the persons preception of course.
Jason Newstead(Metallica) was infamous for using a pick in his bass playing.
You can definitely make more varied sounds using your fingers, but some people just don’t have the dexterity for it. Using a pick is easier. They make special bass guitar picks. They’re usually larger and thicker than regular guitar picks.
Yeah, I alternate between a pick and fingers a lot too. There’s some stuff that I am currently unable to play with my fingers, IE really fast stuff. I like to play with my fingers more, though, and I think I am getting better at it. My right hand index and middle finger have some crazy calluses on them, and one finger was even bleeding today, because the skin is getting so rough.
Not that you claimed that I was, I just figured I’d say that anyways.
And even then its a bit easier.Bigger strings = less precision ;depending on the persons preception of course.