Thinking of focusing primarily on bass

[fingerguy]

I am iffy about posting this on here (no offense) for:
1. I am sure I am not the only to post this and yes I did Google searches and those results brought me to post this
2. I am just not sure

You would think my dilemma is a big deal when in the grand scheme of things it's just a hobby. Okay okay okay...I am getting to the point. I been a guitar player since I was in elementary school: never a great guitar player but still a guitar player. I don't know how long but for awhile now I been more consistent and dedicated with my guitar playing.

But when I first created an account on talkbass.com and posted was the day I got the bug to start playing bass. I have no idea why, but I had this desire that I could no longer ignore. So I went out and got a budget bass and a crappy amp and about a month or more later traded it in for a made in China Fender bass acoustic and aside from the size of the body I am quite happy with it.

My guitar playing has been a lot better since going to a teacher, but even though I still struggle with things but I just keep working on them. However, I notice the bass, things seem to come easier to me almost like I was meant to do them. From walks, to following rhythm to etc.

I know it's believed by many (not saying on here) that bass's are easier for XY&Z and that might be true or it might not be true. I think it's more about what were you doing on guitar before going to bass. Me I am a finger picker (hence the username fingerguy) and it's my specialty and where my passion is. So when I got the bass it was only natural I work on the finger technique than picking up a pick; just a personal preference people.

Anyway, between practice and lessons the bass isn't getting as much attention than the guitar is which at first wasn't much of an issue but lately I been finding it more and more that I want to put more effort into the bass than the guitar.

So what I am getting at, I was thinking about approaching my teacher and saying something in the lines of "I appreciate everything we have done, and what I want to know, would I be screwing up what we been working on for the past year to primarily focus on bass for now or possibly permanently?"

I am not sure why this is keeping me up at night, but at a point that I almost have to do it for my own sanity.

Thoughts? Comment?

[Mandobart]

Playing bass will enhance, not detract from playing guitar much like athletic cross training. Everyone plays guitar, many play it well, but a good solid bass player is harder to find.

[The Growler]

Originally Posted by Mandobart

Playing bass will enhance, not detract from playing guitar much like athletic cross training. Everyone plays guitar, many play it well, but a good solid bass player is harder to find.

Totally agree. I started on bass and then got interested in guitar, but most of my playing out is on bass.

I love playing bass, I would rather do that than anything. If there's a new project in the works or a one-shot deal coming up, I always want to be the bass player. I'm good at it and I can sing while playing, which not everyone can do.

However . . . . .

. . . . you can't solo gig as a bassist. Even if you're Flea, Victor Wooten and Billy Sheehan all rolled into one, people will watch for a while then get bored. So I've always stayed with guitar, particularly acoustic guitar.

But if you're ever getting something together and need a bass player . . . . .

[fingerguy]

Originally Posted by A-Mac

I love playing bass, I would rather do that than anything. If there's a new project in the works or a one-shot deal coming up, I always want to be the bass player. I'm good at it and I can sing while playing, which not everyone can do.

However . . . . .

. . . . you can't solo gig as a bassist. Even if you're Flea, Victor Wooten and Billy Sheehan all rolled into one, people will watch for a while then get bored. So I've always stayed with guitar, particularly acoustic guitar.

But if you're ever getting something together and need a bass player . . . . .

Not to go off-topic on a thread that I started, I find it interesting that Flea and Billy every time I see them jam it's always a 4-string bass while I see all these other players with 5 and up string bass's. Which has got me thinking, if those 2 are dedicated to the 4th, not to mention Bill played with Steve Vai, why go past 4? Especially considering they are 2 of a handful of highly respected bass players. I say that even as someone not a fan of Red Hot Chili Peppers but I sure love hearing Flea on the bass.

Let me clarify, a handful of bass players that are still alive.

Originally Posted by fingerguy

Not to go off-topic on a thread that I started, I find it interesting that Flea and Billy every time I see them jam it's always a 4-string bass while I see all these other players with 5 and up string bass's. Which has got me thinking, if those 2 are dedicated to the 4th, not to mention Bill played with Steve Vai, why go past 4? Especially considering they are 2 of a handful of highly respected bass players.

When I played bass with a country band, I added a 5-string because many the country songs of that day used some very low notes. But I really liked the feel and tone of my 4-string better. So I widened the nut slots a bit and tuned it B E A D, low to high. Anything I used to do on the G, I just played up the neck.

[Steve DeRosa]

Started on upright in high school, didn't own an electric until a couple years after college (a near-mint cherry-red '67 Epiphone Rivoli that I scored for $150 at Manny's), been a bass player ever since; as Mandobart said it was definitely a cross-training exercise (began playing guitar as a jazzer so this gave me a new perspective on analyzing harmonic content and building moving lines) as well as an employment opportunity (there was about a fifteen-year stretch where the only time I played guitar was either at home or with my students). Although I still keep a 5-string around just for the heluvit, as I've gotten older I find myself gravitating more toward short-scale instruments - either my Gibson SG Bass or my wife's Hofner; with a classic '60s setup (heavy flatwound strings and low action) the Gibson gives up nothing to my old Pedulla other than weight and long reaches - and if you're a Gordon Lightfoot fan looking to cop some John Stockfish mojo, patch one of these into your favorite Ampeg combo...

[Bill Yellow]

I play electric bass. I play acoustic guitar. I cannot play electric guitar at all and I don't care.

[LSemmens]

I started out playing Bass 43 years ago and took up the guitar to play bass better, apart from playing a friend's Bass once or twice in the intervening years, it's only in the last 10 that I have played Bass at all. I, too enjoyed the low B, so my first (recent) bass was a de-tuned Yamaha RBX 4 string, when that got damaged in floods a few years back, I got my Taurus 5 string. After a hiatus as the result of a MVA, that damaged my hearing, I am now getting back into playing. Currently Bass in our Church band.