How To Play Bass (even for guitar players)
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- čas přidán 29. 06. 2024
- Learning how to play bass has been one of the best things I've done for my guitar playing, but when I first started I didn't know where to begin. In this video, I team up with my good friend Philip Conrad to teach you a few fundamentals for guitar players learning bass. This is how to play bass for guitar players.
Follow Philip on Instagram @philipconradmusic
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You forgot to mention the most important thing about playing bass; unlike a guitar, you will have to play in time with a bass
hah!
If a bass player makes a mistake always glare at the drummer as though the drummer is at fault. From the book of excuses for musicians.
No u always have to play in time😂
@BilboTheDev Lol says you with how many different bands, tours, record albums and fans?
@BilboTheDev True but you can't slander others passion or talent so rudely just because your insecure.
As a lifelong guitar player who just bought his first bass yesterday, the timing of this video is a little too perfect.
Same here I bought my bass literally a week ago so perfect timing
Rhett watches you in the dark corners of your life.
Well, that was really useful in a nutshell.
Bought mine today lol
Lol Same!
That trampoline metaphor is on point!
dope metaphor, was thinking the same thing
I’ve never though of it that way, but makes perfect sense
The ole double-bouce!
I’m a bassist who just came by to see the explanation. Absolutely well done.
Now if someone can make it so my guitar playing doesn’t sound like a bassist I’d be much obliged.
Simple: play more :D
try playing more than one string at a time 🤣
@@BH-fi1sb bassists play chords too
Sweep picking ?
@@sansocie you just gave me an idea 'picks up bass'.
From playing bass for 17 years, I've learned a few critical things in order to be successful with bass.
1) Stay on the same wavelength with the drummer.
2) You are the most important member and don't let the guitarist tell you anything different.
3) Root notes, root notes, and root notes. If you know the root notes to any chord in a song, then you can write anything.
4) Keep it simple
5) Know the difference between when it is okay to stay with the guitarist and when it is okay to go rogue.
6) If you use effects, you don't need to go crazy. A good preamp, compressor and an overdrive will take you very far.
7) Darkglass is your best friend 😂
Nailed it...
No body is going to the show to watch the bass player. Having an the idea that you’re “the most important member” is a piss poor attitude. Everyone needs each other to be successful, no one wants to watch a bass player on stage by him/herself. If anyone is the most important it’s whoever is carrying the melody.
@@JPuckett89 I'll have to disagree with you there. I'm a guitarist not a bassist, but the bass is definitely the backbone of the music. Sure, nobody goes to see the bass player, but that doesn't change the fact that nobody will come at all if the bass isn't on point. Guitarists, keyboard players and even vocalists can be a little off and the music can get away with it. Not so for bass.
If a song is like a house, then the bass is the foundation. Everybody takes the foundation for granted, but the whole house cannot stand without it. Houses can be made of all kinds of things, good bad or ugly, but the foundation is essential no matter what is layered on top of it. Same with bass; everything must be layered on top of it. This makes bass the most important part.
@@simon_patterson Totally. Even non-musicians get that.
That's why people think bass is boring.
My bass playing strategy: go from one note to the next note in the sexiest way possible.
So like Steve Buscemi near the end of Airheads?
lmao exactly
@@danmorrison8746 😆
That’s really great advice 👍🏼
Shortly after I started learning how to play guitar, I picked up a bass. I would learn (or write) guitar parts, then learn (or write) the bass part. It has helped in my amateur career...
When looking to join/ form bands in my 20s, I noticed bass players were in high demand. Easy transition, and I got a lot of bass gigs along the way. Know more, play more 😉
There's an old saying:
If you're a guitar player, you'll always have friends, but if you're a bass player, you'll always have work.
One thing I remember seeing in Adam Neely’s video on this was that it’s a good idea to cut off the bass notes in time with the drummer’s snare. It’ll sound much tighter that way.
You got it! Was messing around jamming with our drummer before the rest of the band showed up and tried playing through the snare and cutting off like you said. Sounded amazing!
Totally agree... i’m a guitarist first , but also play bass on my demo recordings. Everything sounds better when tied into the snare.
Adam Neely is off his rocker about 90% of the time.
@@emzee1148 the guy’s a pro bass player, and has a master’s degree from Manhattan School of Music. I’m pretty sure he’s not “off his rocker”.
@@StarQueenEstrella His interpretation of theory is ultra conservative and inconsistent at best.
I definitely agree for starting out, less is more, but when you get a solid foundation, look at the bassists in some of the best rock bands in history: John Paul Jones, John Entwistle, Chris Squire, and Geddy Lee, and see how they made their bands so much better by playing less at times, and just balls to the wall at others. Bassists don't get the love they deserve, but neither do offensive linemen in (american) football.
Thin Lizzy's Phil Lynott BEST EVER.
Chris Squire could really do th opposite of that at times though
If less is more, then the bassist on Nothing else matters was a prodigy :O
Tell me, tell me, tell me.... Where is the foot, man? I only see a sport with hand mostly.
Perfect analogy!!
I have always thought that if you know guitar, you should also learn bass and vice versa! Both really have their perks.
Agreed, just got lent a 90's honest to God Washburn bass, having a lot of fun with it trying to learn those Duran Duran John Taylor bass lines!
@@brisleeadams Awesome for you!
I started off as a bassplayer and learning guitar was easily one of the best things I could've done to improve my playing. Really helps for knowing what to play when now that I know guitar and vice versa
@@destroyer28100 It absolutely opens up a lot of opportunities!
I’ve been a guitar player for 20 years now, just now getting into the bass and really trying to learn it instead of playing it like a guitar, just tuned lower. Lol
Learning the bass means really digging into what makes a chord ... a chord! You can really gloss over the fundamentals as a guitarist and learn where to put your fingers but not think about why you're doing it.
I remember telling a guitar player you can’t play a G7 chord where a Gmaj7 is called for … oops! 😆
As a bassist can I say this is the best explanation of this to guitarists I have ever seen. Great job!
I think the most important thing in bass playing is to find the pocket, which is more than just timing your notes to coincide with the drummer's beat. It's a feel thing that's hard to define, but you'll know it when you hear it. When people talk about a band having a great groove, they're responding to musicians who are playing in the pocket. Playing in the pocket is critical when playing jazz, blues, and funk but it applies to all genres of music. Would make an interesting video to demonstrate how this works, Rhett.
I switched from lead guitar to bass in the 1970s when my blues band needed a new bass player and all I could find were Clapton wannabes. I found out many of these things listening to the great blues bands of the times. But the bit about being in sync with the drummer was really really key. My drummer turned into my best friend and we loved rehearsing just bass and drums in the off days between band rehearsals. Pretty quickly we were able to just follow each other in whatever direction the music called for without thinking or talking about it.
Loads of great info here. As a guitarist I swapped my P-bass for a short scale bass recently and it made a WORLD of difference. Especially if you have smaller hands.
This is crazy. Literally 3 hours ago I had a discussion with my brother (a bassist) about wanting to try to learn a little bass, mainly to improve on my groove feel and rhythm skills. I come back home and this notification is waiting for me. Talk about signs! Awesome intro to the subject, you covered all the big questions.
Thank you all!
I got a bass about a year ago, mostly to record tracks at home, and have really enjoyed the challenge of approaching it as an entirely new and different instrument. Also, now I hear bass lines in all music much more clearly, which helps me appreciate songs a lot more.
I've played the guitar for over 40 years. About 20 years ago my wife(who is a very good vocalist) brought home a beautiful small body Warwick Bass and then did a very good job of learning how to play and accompany herself. She refuses to use a pick. :) Now I don't have to leave the house to get in on some decent jamming. She started by binge learning a bunch of Al Green songs. I often pick it up and play it because it sits on a stand beside my guitars and because it's fun. Bass is a special instrument. It's the glue that holds everything together.
Your channel changed me from a EMG metal head to literally taking theory for jazz and getting 2 p90'd guitars 😂
Got my first Bass one week ago! This was a fantastic lesson to forever keep in mind what is important and don't stray off target. Thanks so much for making this!
Been playing guitar and bass for decades. Very nice to see *how* this was explained. Good tips and good teacher(s).
Thanks Conrad for doing this! Thanks Rhett for hosting! It’s helped me a lot as a guitar player who at times plays my late brothers bass.
As a guitar and now bass player...this was an incredible amount of useful information in a short amount of time. Well done!
When I got a bass, the perfect song (for me) to get me started was was learning Jesus Just Left Chicago by ZZ Top. It taught me about keep time with the drums, keeping the melody and it was a straight forward playing pattern. It totally showed me the difference between bass and playing guitar.
Jesus Just Left Chicago and Blue Jean Blues are my two favourite songs to play on bass.
This is one of the best explanations I've seen for playing bass as a guitar player. It's amazing how many guitar players think they can play bass and don't even attempt to figure out the differences. Well done!
This was a great episode! One of my favorites so far. Very informative, along with a cool laid back presentation. Phil would be a great teacher.
Just starting out on my bass journey and I found this video to be extremely helpful. A lot of good tips that I will definitely follow up on. Much appreciation, cheers.
this video is exactly what I've been looking for after having played guitar for over 15 years and grabbing my first bass just a couple of weeks ago. thanks, Rhett
As a guitarist who’s been playing more bass lately, this is very very helpful. Thank you!
Philip is a great teacher, like you. There is a great trend now happening in modern rock: The bass has been mixed lauder with a lot of productions recently. I also came from guitar and I love playing bass and I love the sound of the bass.
@@fuzzfuzz4234 how is that?
Best intro bass lesson I have seen. As a guitar player who fills in on bass for recordings, this is invaluable info. Thanks
Great job! A while (!) back I took a hiatus from guitar and played bass exclusively for about 12 years before switching back to guitar about 10 years ago. I still occasionally fill in on bass as needed, and still really enjoy setting the musical foundation for the band and vocalists. Playing bass helped me learn to really listen to the drum groove, and also enhanced my ability to listen to what the other instruments were playing. Thanks to you and Philip!
Super helpful. Just bought a bass after a year of not being able to play with my buds so I could add some to recordings. This helps a lot. Cheers!
Man this is such a good perspective and priceless lesson for us guitarists. Thanks Rhett :)
This was clear, concise, and actionable. This will help me create better bass lines in Garage Band when I need to make backing tracks. Awesome lesson. Thanks Philip and Rhett!
This channel is great. I've really learned a lot since I subscribed.
Yes!!! Love that little grove at 10: 28 and on!! As a Bass Player that's exactly why I switched to playing bass after playing the guitar after a year. (That's been about 20 yrs ago now) Love that bottom end and just the tone of a Bass guitar! Phil gave some really great advice to get started as a Bass player!!
Thank you. This video opened my eyes and ears when it comes to playing. Rhett, love your channel. I will be coming back for more.
Great advise with playing less! I’ve been learning bass the last two years as a guitar player and this advice is exactly what I have discovered in past 6 months which I feel had really helped me the most in advancing in musicality and technique too :) thanks for always dropping free knowledge to we blessed you tubers Rhett!
Love this topic and I am so onboard for learning bass now! Thanks, Rhett! Phenomenal lesson, I will be rewatching!
very well done. as a guitarist and bassist this is one of the best transitional explanations i've heard. thanks
I've always wanted to play bass, and this video just boosted my desires to have one, thanks for this Rhett and Phil!
Out of all the how to’s i have watched, this definitely is the best out of all! Very good video
I am a guitar player that just got a bass two weeks ago and I am so thankful for this video! Thank you!
Nice job Rhett, can always count on you for an insightful video, as a guitarist who grew up listening to McCartney, Rainey, JP Jones, Jamerson, Edwards, Hungate. I love playing bass and this was perfect. Thanks for the set up tips, tweed amps, pedal board assembly, p90s postings too. All very interesting and helpful.
Your bass player’s journey mirrored mine. Started with a Tele P-Bass, then a jazz bass, and finally ended on a mustang with flatwounds. It’s THE sound.
..had a Mustang with flat wounds in the 70s. Now my go to is my Gibson 2012 Gibson SG bass, with a 79 P bass in reserve. Life is good.
What a fantastic, thoughtful and deep tutorial. Loved it.
Picked up guitar about 7 years ago and just built my 2nd bass and really wanted to understand it more. I was shocked how many tips I picked up. Thank you for this!
As a bassist, this video is straight up on point. Also, the precision bass is one of my favorite basses of all time. I have six of them
Such a great video! Very informative. Thanks for putting this one out.
This was a great video! I play guitar but have a bass sitting in the corner. All the bass videos I have watched started above my level. This was very basic and understandable. Thanks guys!👍
Great Video Rhett 👊 Some excellent tips on bass from Philip Conrad, also I really dig Photosynthesis on Kudzu Hill. Excellent work!
Same just started working on bass a month or so. Learned some parts of songs but now with this info look out. Thanks Rhett & Phil
That was great Rhett! Phil has a great groove and sounds like a scientist talking about basses & theory. 👍
I'm in the market for a bass right now, i started this journey as a guitar player now learning bass and this video pops up. Perfect timing Rhett.
Excellent vid and really summarises the basics of bass. It took me years to learn this stuff.
Nice video Rhett!! I'm a guitar player who's looking forward to buy a bass, now that I know the basics, I'm more confident to buy it! Thank you!
Thanks for doing this. Please do a part two. I want to learn more!
Thank you both. I have been thinking of learning bass.
Great video guys, looking to dabble into bass in 2022 and coming from guitar the tips in this video alone were super helpful
The muting thing is far and away the biggest struggle for beginning (and even some seasoned) bass players. Great vid!
This video was amazing! Super helpful thank you!
Excellent video guys! Great tips.
Flat vs. Round just blew my mind. I only play bass for backing tracks for guitar, and I've been using round forever. For some sounds they have too much snap and I end up "fixing" it in the mix. So glad to have learned this!
Love this! Thank you for giving us some bass fundamentals.
Brilliant video. Thanks for doing this Rhett! I'm a huge fan of both instruments, don't know why so many seem to think you can only be into one or the other
Great video, I'm a guitar player and started playing bass like 4 years ago. I bought a Squier P-Bass and a Fender Rumble 50 amp. Thanks for the sharing the knowledge and the techniques 🤘🏻
Super interesting and useful. Thanks for sharing! I particularly liked the trampoline analogy - MAKES PERFECT SENSE!
Rhett - I cannot thank you and Philip enough for this video . About a year ago , I bought a new Fender American Performer P bass , and a used Fender Squier 5 string P bass . I am a beginner on bass and have total hearing loss in one ear . ( which I am very self-conscious about ) Trying to learn on both at the same time was not a good idea , so I put the 5 string aside for the time being . I think I'm now ready to experiment with the Squier a bit . ( better pickups and new strings ) Because of the hearing loss , trying to pick out the tonal differences between , say , round wound and flat wound strings , I felt I wasn't really hearing much of a difference . But in your vid I could easily discern the subtle flavors . I don't know what you recorded the audio with , but stay with that . Philip's explanation of a bass players role helped me TREMENDOUSLY . Thanks again to both of you . ( Did I mention I'm 64 years old ? )
Hey Rhett - explaining it very well, I remember my 2 fingers were sore for days & I thought I was doing great than listened to the recording, I so overplayed it, erased it all. Typical guitarist playing bass! Great video!
As a guitarist, bass is so much fun! It's a totally different way of writing, thinking and playing. Great video Rhett
Iv done both along the way , i think of it as a bass part ,like a baritone singer in a choir in high school or college . Tht helps me keep my bass thinkin and not jump to a 6 string lead break . Love the channel
I’ve had to fill in on bass a few times, and just concentrated on the root notes to get through a rehearsal. This was very helpful regarding how to approach muting, and matching the bass drum. Thanks!
This was very insightful, thank you. He seems like such a nice guy to have in your band too.
Perfect timing Rhett I'm switching over to bass , because bassist are needed in my area more than guitarist, my first gig was as a bassist even though I was a guitarist about 30 years ago , yep I'm a boomer lol . thanks Rhett your video's are great .
“Guitar player that plays bass” here. lol, I have to tape three fingers together to “not sound like a guitar player”... you may laugh but it works for me.😅 Good ‘boots on the ground’ vid, thanks Rhett! 👍🏼
Learn some chris squire and geddy lee lines an you will need to remove that tape
So you’re saying my Django Reinhardt school of bass isn’t going to work?😅
Learning multiple instruments help with songwriting and overall understanding the important roles each instrument plays. Great work!
Loved this. Would be great if you could keep going with it. I'd be interested to hear more about how he chooses notes, how he thinks about progressions and transitions between chords, other key techniques to develop, etc. I'm a guitarist first, but need to spend more time with my bass too!
And overall, just wanted to say that I dig the channel. Appreciate what you do. Cheers, man!
TalkingBass is a fantastic CZcams channel that will give you more instruction like what you're asking for.
Phil is the man-- he can groove, arrange and is a good hang. Bass makes us strong, it's The Force: it's around us, binds us. You can rock out without it, but when it drops in, shit gets real.
Great video Rhett. Appreciate Phil's knowledge.
Great info and very well done!
I've thought about trying bass in the future. Still relatively new to 6 string guitar but learning to play bass could be helpful for me, and give me some diversity.
Thanks for the great and easy to understand video.
So Cool! Nobody ever talks about this stuff. Learned a bunch. Awesome Channel. Peace and Best Wishes from one (of your many) Canadian 🇨🇦fans.
The video I didn't know I needed. Good stuff.
I've had a MIM Fender P in standing my guitar room, completely unplayed for about five years now (a friend left it here years ago but is now sadly no longer with us and his family told me I could keep it) I've often thought about trying to learn it properly but I never got beyond a couple of minutes of noodling here and there (unplugged too - as I never had a bass amp for it, so not really much fun). I recently got myself a GT1000 (and an FRFR speaker), though, and a few weeks back I thought about firing up one of the bass amp models on there, just to see if I like it. Again, though, it didn't get past the thinking stage at the time. This video has definitely awoken the desire to try it out properly, so many thanks Rhett for doing this video!
This was a cool video idea. I enjoyed hearing the advice for a "guitar player." I play mostly acoustic guitar.. I've got a small collection. But I also have a Fender P-Bass for my at home recordings, sometime I'll add bass to a loop, etc. I've never had the passion/desire to truly dive deep into the bass guitar and devote enough time to become an impressive bass player, though I like to believe other musicians don't feel let down when I occasionally fill-in for a bass gig. There seems to be a lot of available work if a musician can fill that bass spot and do a good job.. at least I've noticed personally/locally significantly more opportunities for a bass player, than a guitarist or drummer. And of course, bonus points when you can sing some harmony lines!
Sending peace & love from Missouri -Todd
I love playing with the kick..I've had some great times with drummers, pretty much without the others noticing!
Geddy Lee, Lemmy, Peter Hook, and Mike Kerr are my inspirations to move to bass and haven't looked back since
Excellent advice much appreciated. I am a guitarist with nominal bass skills & this was spot on! The shorter scale bass make a much easier transition & sound great!
Thank you, a lot of good information.. I play primarily guitar but I love playing around with my P-bass and am always looking for tips and techniques to improve.
Such good insight. As a guitar player much appreciated.
Great lesson/intro to bass!!!
Thanks for the tips. Bought my bass just over a year ago and have been struggling coming from guitar.
I bought a Squire bass at a pawn shop a few months ago just to use for home recording. This video is a Godsend. Thanks.
Thanks to you and your Bass player, great information buddy.
Great video! I learned quite a bit here. Thanks
I've been a guitar player for many years, but in the last weeks I've been asked to play bass in my church and other bands, so... perfect timing
thanks!
I've been playing bass and guitar for many years...this is great advice..so true...rock on dudes
Great info - and that blue Mustang sounds fantastic!
Rhett. Another highly informative video. Thnx