Guitar player switching to bass

Hi Stella!

You should have no problem.  The main challenges relate to timing, which is different than the strumming patterns you have been learning.

Check the Bass lessons here for more info.

-Laz

bass is pretty easy once you can play guitar.  At the very least, you just play the bass note of each chord the guitar is playing.   Or if it's more bluesy, you can do walks using the 1,3,5 notes of whatever chord the guitar is playing.  

I started playing bass the same as you.  My friends band needed a bass player and asked me if I wanted to play.   I said "sure what the heck".

That's about what I did, but I'd been pining for a bass anyway.  You'll need to build up you finger strength, but that will come just by playing.

I made the transition very easily indeed. There's little differences you have to get your head round, but overall it's a fairly seamless transition.

The tips of your fingers will hurt for a little bit, due to the change in size of strings.  You get used to it pretty quick though.  Also, IMO, the more time you spend playing your bass, the better you will get at doing lead and rythym on a regular 6-string.  Playing both gives a better perspective on things.  I say, give it a shot.  Have fun!

Thanks for the encouragement everyone!  
Since posting that message, I've borrowed a bass, my friend has written out his songs in tab and I've been practicing every day with his CD!  It's really fun and I'm really enjoying it, it's great to think it will help me with my regular 6 string guitar playing too.
On the subject of practice - how does everyone structure theirs and how much time do you devote?  I would have thought that little an often was a good idea so say, an hour or two a day broken into two sessions perhaps??
Stella  :)

That sounds like a pretty good schedule. It also depends on how focused you are while practicing. You know, plucking a note for instance, but with full awareness of how you're plucking it and where on the string and how hard or soft and how long you let the note continue -- all aspects of that particular note. Even 15 minutes a day working with complete focus is better than 2 hours of just doodling around. It doesn't seem like you're a doodler though -- you're serious about this.

And yes, it'll help your regular guitar playing too. I've played both for quite awhile now and they both contribute to each other; sometimes in musical understanding, sometimes in just finger strength or dexterity. When I pick up the guitar after a long jag on the bass, the strings feel like nothing under my fingers. When I'm trying to come up with an interesting, different bass line for a song, I think of what the notes of the chord would be on the guitar. They interact.

Also, there's probably more actual jobs for bassists rather than guitarists. You'll be in more bands if you're a bassist. :)

Lol that's true...when I asked my guitar teacher if he could get me in a band he said it would be hard...but he said if I played bass I could get in a band instantly...bass players are is such demand...

I don't know, things go in circles. Once bass players are in demand everyone buys a bass. Then the people who were going to be drummers buy basses and drummers are sought after. Regular guitarists will always be ten-a-penny, which is why I play all three. Shabba!

I might be getting together with some guys soon to jam.  One guitar player, I contacted and he has been jamming with another guitar player.  I've been invited along, so I said, hey I'll just bring my bass and play that.  It is nice to be able to play other instruments.  I am still working on my drumming. I am a long way off on those, though.

Jamming's so fun! I could never do drums though -- way too much coordination involved, lol. It's hard enough playing with two hands - throw in two feet and...forget it hehehe.

Have fun!

I could never do drums though -- way too much coordination involved, lol. It's hard enough playing with two hands - throw in two feet and...forget it hehehe.

Both hands AND feet?  No thanks.

One of the reasons that I took up the bass (as opposed to guitar) is that I like the odds better -- 4 strings, 4 fingers...   ;)

Thank you Demo...I am very serious!  I'm just about to buy my own bass guitar and have been practising with my friend at his place.  We hope to have a practise in a studio sometime in the next couple of weeks, which will be really nerve-wracking but lots of fun - and that's what it's all about in my opinion!
:)

That sounds like a pretty good schedule. It also depends on how focused you are while practicing. You know, plucking a note for instance, but with full awareness of how you're plucking it and where on the string and how hard or soft and how long you let the note continue -- all aspects of that particular note. Even 15 minutes a day working with complete focus is better than 2 hours of just doodling around. It doesn't seem like you're a doodler though -- you're serious about this.

And yes, it'll help your regular guitar playing too. I've played both for quite awhile now and they both contribute to each other; sometimes in musical understanding, sometimes in just finger strength or dexterity. When I pick up the guitar after a long jag on the bass, the strings feel like nothing under my fingers. When I'm trying to come up with an interesting, different bass line for a song, I think of what the notes of the chord would be on the guitar. They interact.

Also, there's probably more actual jobs for bassists rather than guitarists. You'll be in more bands if you're a bassist. :)

I have found a great book for warm-ups and speed building.  Its called  Bass Fitness - An Exercising Handbook and it has 200 patterns to build speed, strength and finger independence.  It also really helps timing when you use it with a metronome.