soupster Posted June 21, 2003 Share Posted June 21, 2003 Hey, I just went out and bought an acoustic guitar. I always wanted one, you know to mess around with. Play the songs i love on. Are any of you guys totally against hovering over the 2 instruments? Or are some of you all for it. Lets talk it up. less is more Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy c Posted June 21, 2003 Share Posted June 21, 2003 Learning other instruments can never hurt. It can only help. Every music school has a piano requirement, no matter what your major instrument is. When I was working on a music teaching credential, I took classes in all the instruments. You were supposed to be able to "play every instrument to a jr. high level" if you planned on teaching elementary school music because you would actually be teaching all the instruments to children. I used to come home with many cases under my arms and practice flute for 20 minutes, then cello for 20 minutes, then trombone for 20 minutes. The next semester it was oboe, violin and trumpet. And so forth. It was one of the most enjoyable periods of my life. I've always played piano and guitar as well as bass and also have played clarinet and sax in bands and orchestra. Each instrument teaches you more about music, which in turn gives you new insights into your own instrument. You also learn a lot of things which are useful for compostion and arranging. Have fun with your guitar! Free download of my cd!. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sam 2000 Posted June 21, 2003 Share Posted June 21, 2003 yea i play about 7 diffrent insturements want to learn the saxophone.. but to get back on subject guitar really ticks me off i hate it tried playing took some lessons even but i grew to hat the thing so much that now i am selling it. another problem i think i found is that i could never get my fingers to go from one chord to the next (cuz we bass players have such big strong hands) and the main reason i hated guitar was cuz it never seemed to changes sound unless you got a bunch off diffrent pedals... like for some reaon Dm scale didnt even seem sad on it... well you can give it a try it might help you figure out why so many G-tar players idolize themselves Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fig Posted June 21, 2003 Share Posted June 21, 2003 Any other instruments are gonna help and teach you how to approach playing bass. Playing bass is gonna help you approach other instruments differently, too. It's a win-win situation. Learn as many as you like. You'll find once you have even a small knowledge of a different instrument, you'll hear things differently that can be applied and change up your bass style for the better. Glad you got the acoustic. Bassplayers aren't paid to play fast, they're paid to listen fast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davebrownbass Posted June 21, 2003 Share Posted June 21, 2003 Yeah, there's nothing like a acoustic guitar... Sit around at a party and everybody says..."hey, go get your instrument" and you plug in your bass and play the 3 or 4 bass lines they recognize..."One of These Nights" by Eagles or "Money" by Pink Floyd, and then everybody wishes you would put it away. "No...play a song we can sing" and you kick off "Luckenbach, Texas" with a 2 note bass line that fits thousands of songs. But a guitar. Sit down and play "Peaceful, Easy Feeling" or "City of New Orleans" or "Come, as you are" and everybody starts singing along with you. Bully for the guitar. Learn to sing all your favorite songs on it. "Let's raise the level of this conversation" -- Jeremy Cohen, in the Picasso Thread. Still spendin' that political capital far faster than I can earn it...stretched way out on a limb here and looking for a better interest rate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Dawson Posted June 21, 2003 Share Posted June 21, 2003 I'd pretty much agree with everyone else, learning new instruments is cool and helpful all around. I'm actually teach myself to play the fiddle this summer (very slowly...) and I'm taking a steel guitar class in the fall. One thing to keep in mind is how good you want to be on your main instrument though. With anything, the better you get the harder it is to progress. And presumably, if you're trying to pick up a new instrument then you'll spend less time in your primary one. I guess what I'm saying is, keep in mind your goals. It's hard to be a jack of all trades, and still be a master of one. (see how I did that? I'm so clever when the number of beers I drink is greater than the number of hours of sleep I got...) *Howard Zinn for President* **Pilsner Urquell for President of Beers!** Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Afro_Man Posted June 21, 2003 Share Posted June 21, 2003 Yes another person who wants to learn to play the guitar and has actually bought an acoustic (im saving up for one) im working on the theory that it can only work to my advantage because it'll help my fingerwork and also it'll be easyer to write songs on my own without having to say "just play an A for me, no turn your f*$%ing amp off first otherwise i'll just sit in the corner with my earplugs in and my hands over my ears" and then there's always the impressive factor "well im a bass player but i can play guitar and drums too" it makes you sound talented which of course you are cos you play the guitar and you have to be louder than everyone else otherwise they won't hear that 12 bar solo you're about to do. Ok im finished i'll go have a shower and a lie down but learn whatever instrument you want it can only be good its music and i love to play music. Afro xx "i must've wrote 30 songs the first weekend i met my true love ... then she died and i got stuck with this b****" - Father of the Pride Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawnmower8 Posted July 3, 2003 Share Posted July 3, 2003 Playing acoustic guitar in a recent band has helped my bass playing, no doubt... just as playing drums for two different bands back in 1996-97 helped my bass playing... My first instrument was a saxophone, in my high school band... I took guitar lessons for 6 months, and then bought a bass... been playing bass for 15+ years now and I feel like I go through spurts every 3 years or so, in terms of playing knowledge and proficiency, usually after playing a different instrument for some time and giving a bit of a break on the bass (though, you got to keep practicing on the side)... I want to learn how to really play piano, next... "Tea & Cake, or Death!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jreed Posted July 3, 2003 Share Posted July 3, 2003 I know my bass playing improved a little when I learned some drums. Cant do a whole lot of cool stuff oon em', but, I can keep a beat. I listen to my drummer a little different now. Its like I can hear more of what he is doing. Ive been wanting to get an acoustic guitar as well. Do some song writing. Id also like to learn piano. I think that would help alot, plus it sound so good. jreed jreed00@dcemail.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazystix Posted July 3, 2003 Share Posted July 3, 2003 Originally posted by jreed: I know my bass playing improved a little when I learned some drums. Cant do a whole lot of cool stuff oon em', but, I can keep a beat. I listen to my drummer a little different now. Its like I can hear more of what he is doing. Ive been wanting to get an acoustic guitar as well. Do some song writing. Id also like to learn piano. I think that would help alot, plus it sound so good.Well, I'm a drummer and started taking bass lessons a few weeks ago. I agree with you, it has helped my band's drummer/bass player relationship already. I can hear what he is doing much more now that I know a little on bass. That was really the idea behind me learning the bass. Now I just need to teach him some drums. Drummers and bass players should be like brick and mortar. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanYmaL X Posted July 3, 2003 Share Posted July 3, 2003 I guess I'm an anomaly then, because the bass is my third instrument... I played the trombone for 6 years before I ever picked up a guitar, which was almost 20 years ago, and only started playing bass seriously about a year and a half ago. now I'm working on a 5 string banjo. Any new instrument will help your musicianship. there are quite a few different opinions here as to the best alternate instrument for bass players, but my take is that there are pros and cons to them all. learn what interests you and you will be better for it. DX Aerodyne Jazz Deluxe Pod X3 Live Roland Bolt-60 (modified) Genz Benz GBE250-C 2x10 Acoustic 2x12 cab Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattC Posted July 4, 2003 Share Posted July 4, 2003 One word: Piano ...think funky thoughts... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basshappi Posted July 5, 2003 Share Posted July 5, 2003 Hi Soupster, Congrats on your guitar purchase. Learning a different instrument(s) is always worthwhile. I also agree that you should keep your primary focus on your main instrument. However, being proficent on more than just bass will help you to become a better musician and thus a better bassist. I understand that Jaco was also a very good drummer. Sorry, the computer glitched and I got a double post before I intended to submit. I was going to say, I played trumpet for three years (in elem. school), Two years of classical piano instruction and I still play. I played double bass my junior year in high school. 6 months of instruction on the pipe organ in college. All of these instruments taught me things about being a musician that I don't think I would have learned otherwise.So good luck with your new instrument! I am sure you will benefit and enjoy the new knowledge. Nothing is as it seems but everything is exactly what it is - B. Banzai Life is what happens while you are busy playing in bands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
getz out Posted July 5, 2003 Share Posted July 5, 2003 Originally posted by davebrownbass: Yeah, there's nothing like a acoustic guitar... Sit around at a party and everybody says..."hey, go get your instrument" and you plug in your bass and play the 3 or 4 bass lines they recognize..."One of These Nights" by Eagles or "Money" by Pink Floyd, and then everybody wishes you would put it away. "No...play a song we can sing" and you kick off "Luckenbach, Texas" with a 2 note bass line that fits thousands of songs. But a guitar. Sit down and play "Peaceful, Easy Feeling" or "City of New Orleans" or "Come, as you are" and everybody starts singing along with you. Bully for the guitar. Learn to sing all your favorite songs on it.Mmm... acoustic guitar. It's still my favorite way to pick up women. There's nothing like playing 3 chords and singing a little ditty to get the finer gender all bothered. Try a little "Real Love" by M.J. Blige... gets them every time (I play it Am7, Dm7, Em7). It's like shooting fish in a barrel. Seriously, though, playing the tiny stringed guitar will help your bass playing. Not as much as piano, but it will help. It makes you think differently. Now, go buy a drum set. Work on separating your right hand from your right foot. If you can play bass and drums, you'll never be without a gig. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PETE_COMBS Posted July 5, 2003 Share Posted July 5, 2003 Hey,remember your not going to hurt the music,it will help in some cases. Pete Combs... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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