Play more than one instrument

Also, I was thinking of taking up the bass guitar too. Is it similar to playing the guitar, or is it more like learning all over again?

It's very similar in what you're playing and the theory is obviously the same. As well, you have the four strings that are in the same tune as the bottom four of the guitar so guitar definhetly helps in transitioning to bass. That being said, the technique is verrry different for playing bass and the job of a bassist is different too...more related to keeping the beat going and giving the song body.

edit: there's a thread going on in the bass section about transitioning from guitar to bass.

THe nice thing about learning another instrument is that you don't have to learn music all over again -- just mechanics.
Also, I was thinking of taking up the bass guitar too. Is it similar to playing the guitar, or is it more like learning all over again?
Both. It's similar in a lot of ways, but at the same time it's a different beast, with unique challenges.

It was easier and harder in a way learning piano after guitar. I'm no pro at the moment but I'm still learning. It's definately nice to be able to figure our chords and scales on the piano from what I knew on guitar. Bass is a lot of fun to learn because it is very similar to guitar so you have to learn more new styles than new techniques if you know what I mean.

When I was thinking of learning bass in addition to guitar, a friend of mine said he thought that learning a second instrument always gave him more insight into his primary instrument. I think that's true. You become a more well rounded musician.

Learning bass is fun if your primary instrument is guitar. A number of techniques and skills transfer, but you'll find yourself using them in a different context and thinking about the music differently. That's what contributes to being more well rounded, I suppose. You use the bass differently from guitar and it's fun to learn those differences.

There are always some things you retain when moving from one instrument to another - your ear, for instance. If you've worked at guitar long enough to have control over your tone, you'll pick up that control faster on a new instrument, because you know what to listen for... a lot of musicianship is about learning to hear, rather than just learning to play.

After that, it depends on how closely related the instrument is. Fretted instruments all work the same way, so a transition to another fretted instrument will be easier than one with completely different mechanics, like trumpet or flute.

Sometimes the mechanics look the same, but they're not. I got serious about piano after I learned guitar, and I thought the left hand would come easily. I was wrong - the motions are different, and use different muscles. They just look the same to the uneducated eye.

Within fretted instruments, a switch to bass will be easier than one to mandolin or banjo, because the bass is tuned in the same intervals as the guitar. You won't need to re-learn where the notes are.

I learned recorder first, so learning the guitar was fundamentally a matter of learning where the notes were on the neck, and chords became a matter of learning the shapes. It didn't make actually playing the guitar any easier but at least I had the basics.

I try to find time to practice my mandolin, which is a fairly straightforward learn so far as chords are concerned, but the string pairs are all upside down and it's still throwing me after almost six months.

Best,

A :-)

I agree with Noteboat...the ear does travel with me to other instruments.
also, I think the hand / muscle/ eye coordination works to our advantage.

I play acoustic and electric guitar. Bass is a riot.
I play slide too; lap steel and pedal steel.
another instrument that has me is the oud. a fretless instrument from the middle east; precurssor to the lute and guitar.
it all relates.

The second instrument I'm trying to learn at the moment is voice.

I'd hopefully imagined that if I got the guitar part nailed I'd just sing over it. Of course, it turned out that the voice is an instrument in its own right and needs training and practice just like guitar. The knowledge from the guitar helps, but it's only a small part of the deal.

Like the sound of bass though. Might as well add that to my GAS list... :)

second, third and fourth instruments are much easier to learn, plus the enthusiam for them seems to be much higher once you're proficient at one. i started out taking piano lessons when i was a kid, but i quit for years before i started playing guitar. now, i've played guitar, drums, bass, harmonica and sung in bands or in front of crowds, i'm teaching myself bach preludes on the piano, and can break it down on the banjo from time to time. it gets in your blood.

I agree with Noteboat...the ear does travel with me to other instruments.
also, I think the hand / muscle/ eye coordination works to our advantage.

I play acoustic and electric guitar. Bass is a riot.
I play slide too; lap steel and pedal steel.
another instrument that has me is the oud. a fretless instrument from the middle east; precurssor to the lute and guitar.
it all relates.

I've actually found that learning bass has improved my ear. My ear traveled and learned a bit on its journey.

Like Alan Green, my first instrument was recorder....I think the same is true for about 95% of Brits, the schools will teach you because recorders are cheap and you can buy your own recorder easily, thus saving them money...

I dabbled at violin, but always wanted to play guitar....got my first cheapo nylon-strung acoustic at 16 with my very first wages, a year later bought an electric...I wasn't allowed to buy an amp though, so I had to have a lead made for me....Jack plug to 5-pin DIN, went in the back of my stereo, had to play with headphones though....

Since then I've dabbled with harmonica and keyboards, but I'm at a disadvantage...never having learned to read music, I have to play everything by feel....

I've been playing bass for a few months now, just about moving on from playing root notes to getting a few runs together....

But I can still play "Nights in White Satin" and the theme from Kung Fu on the recorder....

:D :D :D

Vic

Learning music is alot like languages. The first one is hardest, and they get progressively easier from there.

Once you know a keyboard instrument, a stringed instrument, a woodwind, a horn and a percussive instrument, anything else you learn becomes trivial.

As has been mentioned above, knowing to read music is really important in making the journey easier.

One of the reasons I refuse to teach anyone guitar without teaching them to read music is that you never know when you might decide that you want to pick up a second, third, or fiftieth instrument . .. and it's simply wrong to not develop your skills as a musician along with your skills as a guitarist.

I learned to play guitar first then my brothers band needed a bass player so i started playing bass for them.Never actually learned to play bass just made it up as i went along.PLayed the bass for the next five years without ever "learning" to play it eg learning bass lines ,scales etc.Since we played our own material I thought it actually helped not being bogged down with conventional bass playing techniques,styles.etc.
So in answer to your original question if you want to play bass you should find it pretty easy if you can play guitar.

I started with guitar but no lessons. I had to take violin when I was in school b/4 the parents would consider another instrument. Got through the violin and got my guitar. (still have it)

All my friends were in the school band so I wanted to play trumpet/coronet. Anatomy problem, lips were too big so I had to go with Trombone. The next year I learned baritone. (Try hauling that to school on your bicycle. :x )

While playing guitar I took up drums as our drummer wasn't showing up for practice and our new guitarist was playing circles around me. :shock: 30 years later I'm back with the guitar and this time learning everything I can. I picked up a new bass last month and found that learning it, helped me to understand basics about the guitar and vice-versa.

For me it's all been natural. I'm a lucky guy.