Bass is more than just a guitar with two fewer strings. It has a different tone, scale length, feel and musical role, and in many cases it requires a different conceptual and technical approach.
Guitarists who are new to playing bass will often double the guitar part one octave lower. There is certainly a place for lockstep octave doubling—just listen to Aerosmith’s “Sweet Emotion,” Led Zeppelin’s “The Ocean” and Pantera’s “I’m Broken.”
But there is so much more that can be done with the bass guitar
https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/guitarists-guide-playing-bass
I'll highlight my fav tips :
1. Play for the song - Who reallly wants to sit through a bass solo?
3. Lock in with the drummer - True story....If they sound good, so will you.
4. Use Octaves and fifths - There's a simple roadmap, root, 5th, octave.
5. Tone is in the hands - Not just fingerstyle/plectrum, but where you pick, what kind of attack you pick with.
8. Get your timing solid. Bassists be like "Drummers can't count...guitarists arn't any better" ?
And one he doesn't directly talk about - slap bass is overrated as a musical technique. It's cool and occasionally useful - but like sweep picking or tapping - it's not something that you'll find regular use for. I think a solid fingerstyle far more useful day to day (and supremely funky when you are playing staccato).
Any bass playing stories/tips from the 6 string clan? Share away!
