Making the switch: more playing?

Depends on whether you sing or not! I don't know if it's just me, but I can sing and play rhythm guitar at the same time - but if I'm playing bass, I find my vocal melody tends to follow the bassline rather than the actual melody.

:D :D :D

Vic

Oddly enough, I have a friend who has primarily been a bassist for at least 15 yrs. His current gig is playing as a guitarist (mostly rhythm, but some lead) and back up vocals.

I find that I cant sing if Im playing the bass but have no problem if Im playing the rhythm guitar.

Paul

I think the singing part is something that anyone can work through--some of the great singers were also bass players. It may not be easy, at first, but it is certainly doable!

I'm more interested in the switching from guitar to bass. When I scan Craigs List and other musician boards, I see losts of ads for bass players--so much so that I'm certain that a decent bass player will never lack for work. Perhaps thats just a New Jersey....but I doubt it. Bass seems like the land of opportunity!

Anyway, I'd like to hear from guitar players (especially strumming rhythm players like me) who made the switch. Was it difficult? Did it take a long time?

I may, and please pardon the pun, be totally off base here but I think that "strumming rhythm" guitar players tend to have an easier time of making the switch to bass than lead guitar players owing to their awareness of the importance of rhythm and rhythm patterns. Plus, many strummers (especially ones that play solo) have already learned to incorporate short walking basslines into their strums, so they also have a sense of how to fill in spaces with bass lines.

It doesn't take long to get reasonably competent. With some concentrated practice, you might be able to surprise yourself at how quickly you make the change. But, as with almost any instrument, moving from a competent beginning to an interesting intermediate does require time and practice. It's an ongoing thing, again like any instrument. And it's a lot easier to get better faster "on the job," as it were. Next time you're at your local neighborhood jam, show up with a bass and see how things go!

Peace

Honestly, guitar players are a dime a dozen. Throw a rock anywhere and chances are good that you'll hit a guitar player (or the wife of one, or the friend of one, or the sister/brother of one). Bassists and drummers are harder to find, though. So, IMHO, yes, you are likely to find more work/opportunities as a good bassist. In the bands I've dealt with, we spent more time looking for bassists and drummers than anything else.