Last updated: March 02, 2024Venturing into the vast landscape of music, particularly the realm of stringed instruments, often brings one to the crossroads of choosing between the guitar and the bass. For those standing on the brink of this critical decision, the question typically echoes – which instrument is easier to start with? In an endeavor to enlighten the beginners on this enigma, we’ll delve into an expansive exploration of these two iconic instruments. Our journey will illuminate why many beginners might find the bass a more approachable starting point in their musical pursuits.
When you examine music’s DNA, one of the most captivating reasons for beginners to feel inclined towards the bass is the innate simplicity of basslines, particularly prominent in genres like rock and pop. A bassline forms the rhythmic and harmonic foundation of a piece of music, providing a pulse that drives the music forward.
In most popular music, basslines are constructed predominantly of single notes played at different rhythms and rates. This linear nature of the basslines often equates to a straightforward entry point for beginners.
In contrast, consider the guitar, an instrument known for its multi-layered complexity. Guitar parts frequently feature a dense tapestry of arrangements such as intricate chords, fingerpicking patterns, and advanced techniques like hammer-ons, pull-offs, and slides. When you juxtapose this intricate nature of guitar with the straightforwardness of basslines, the reason why many beginners find bass more approachable becomes evident.
Let’s illustrate this with an example. If you compare the bass and guitar covers of the iconic song “Tonight, Tonight” by Smashing Pumpkins, the bassline majorly sustains a single note for a significant duration. At the same time, the guitar part weaves a melodic thread that flits between different chords and individual plucked notes, requiring a broader spectrum of techniques to execute.
As you begin to acquaint yourself with the techniques of playing these stringed instruments, you’ll discover another reason why bass could be a more comfortable starting point – finger plucking. Finger plucking, the default technique for playing the bass, involves using the fingers (usually the index and middle fingers) to pluck the strings.
This tactile engagement, the very act of using one’s body parts to create music, often resonates more intuitively with beginners than using an external tool like a plectrum or pick, commonly used for playing the guitar.
Furthermore, the art of strumming a guitar with a plectrum demands the mastery of both up and down strokes, introducing an additional layer of complexity to the learning process. Finger plucking, in contrast, predominantly involves an upwards stroke, simplifying the initial learning phase and providing a smoother learning curve.
For those setting their sights on mastering the guitar, learning chords is an integral, inevitable part of the journey. A chord is when multiple notes are played simultaneously, forming a harmonic set. These chords require a careful arrangement of fingers on the fretboard, a skill beginners often grapple with. Barre chords, in particular, are notorious in the learning process. These chords involve a single finger holding down multiple strings across the fretboard, demanding considerable strength and precision.
However, when you look at the world of bass, chords are less common. While chords exist in the bass vocabulary, their presence is less frequent and tends to be more basic than guitar chords. Thus, beginner bass players can often focus more on mastering single notes before diving into the world of chords, making their musical journey a tad less daunting.
Beyond the musical complexities and learning curves, another dimension to consider when comparing the ease of learning bass versus guitar is the physical nature of the instruments. With its long neck and larger frets, the bass guitar may initially seem more imposing than a standard guitar. However, this size difference can actually simplify the initial learning process.
The bass’s broader fret spacing often makes the notes easier for beginners to find and hit accurately. This contrasts with the smaller frets on the guitar that may require more precision, especially when dealing with chords that require the player to fret multiple strings simultaneously.
Moreover, standard bass guitars usually have four strings compared to the six strings of a typical guitar. With fewer strings to worry about, novice bassists can concentrate on mastering one string at a time, thereby gradually building their comfort and confidence.
However, the bass’s larger size can be challenging for some, especially for younger learners or those with smaller hands. It’s also worth noting that the strings on a bass are thicker and require more strength to press down compared to the thinner, more flexible strings on a guitar.
Even before you strike your first note, one aspect of your musical journey that can be intimidating is understanding and setting up your gear. Whether it’s a bass or a guitar, you’ll need an instrument, an amplifier, and possibly some accessories like cables, a tuner, and a carrying case.
For beginners, the setup process for a bass can often be less overwhelming. Typically, a bassist needs a bass guitar, an amplifier, and a cable to connect the two. On the other hand, a beginner guitarist may find themselves dealing with a broader range of gear and accessories. For instance, they might need to choose between an acoustic or an electric guitar, decide whether they need a pick, and potentially explore the world of guitar pedals and effects.
Furthermore, tuning a bass can be simpler for beginners due to the instrument’s fewer strings. Standard bass guitars only have four strings to tune, whereas most guitars have six. This means beginners can get into playing faster and focus more on the notes and less on the setup.
It’s important to remember that while starting with the bass may seem simpler in many aspects, this doesn’t mean the instrument lacks depth or complexity. As you progress and your skills grow, you’ll encounter more advanced techniques and theories, such as slap bass, complex rhythms, walking basslines, and using scales to create melodic basslines.
Similarly, while the guitar can seem daunting at first glance, once you’ve mastered the basics, you’ll likely find that your skills progress rapidly. Guitar techniques such as fingerpicking, soloing, and complex strumming patterns can open up a wide range of possibilities for expression and creativity.
Whether the bass is more fun than the guitar is a largely subjective matter, as it depends on individual preferences and what you find enjoyable in music. Some musicians find joy in laying down the rhythm and providing the foundational elements of a song, which is often the bass’s role. Others might find the guitar more engaging due to its role in providing melodies and harmonies and its prominence in many genres of music. Essentially, both instruments have unique qualities that can make them fun to play – it simply depends on what you’re looking for in your musical journey.
Due to several factors, bass guitars can sometimes be more expensive than regular guitars. The primary reason is the size and materials. Basses are larger, and they require more materials to make. The strings are also thicker and more costly to produce. Additionally, the electronics within a bass, especially for electric basses, can be more complex. It’s also worth mentioning that market demand could play a part: guitars are more popular and produced on a larger scale, which could drive down the cost. However, this isn’t a universal rule, and you can find both basses and guitars across a wide range of price points.
Yes, there are chords on bass, much like on a guitar. A chord is essentially a group of notes played together, and this can be done on any musical instrument. However, chords aren’t typically a fundamental part of most bass lines in popular music genres. This is because playing multiple low-frequency notes simultaneously can often result in a muddy sound. That being said, some bass players do utilize chords for specific artistic effects, especially in solo performances or in genres where the bass has a more melodic or harmonic role.
If you already know how to play the guitar, you have a head start in learning the bass. Many of the skills you’ve developed, such as finger strength, hand-eye coordination, and understanding of scales and chords, are transferable to the bass. However, it’s important to understand that the bass has a unique role in music, often focusing more on rhythm and less on melody compared to the guitar. So while having guitar skills can certainly help, you’ll still need to adjust your mindset and learn new techniques to play the bass effectively. It’s akin to knowing how to drive a car and learning to drive a truck – there are similarities but also important differences.
Both the bass and the guitar offer unique experiences and contribute differently to the musical landscape. The question of which is more fun or which is easier to play often depends on individual preferences, musical interests, and even the specific style or genre one wants to play. While the bass may be more expensive due to materials and construction, and despite it having a different function in the musical ensemble, it’s an instrument that allows for great expressiveness and innovation.
Furthermore, it’s crucial to remember that learning any instrument, be it the bass or the guitar, is a journey. A journey that requires patience, practice, and a deep love for music. So, whether you’re drawn to the rhythmic pulse of the bass or the harmonic complexity of the guitar, the most important thing is to find joy and satisfaction in the process of making music. After all, that’s what playing an instrument is all about: expressing yourself and bringing life to the music you love.
