Whoa Boy!!

[Salsa_1960]

IDEAS is the perfect icon for this thread! I play acoustic guitar, 5-string-banjo, mandolin and piano/organ/keyboard.

My pastor approached me at church this afternoon and asked if I knew how to play bass guitar.

I told her I'd never tried but I just bought a mandolin in July and picked right up on it. (I play by ear and teach myself).

There's a bass guitar at church (and no-one plays it). She encouraged me to come by the church when my dd is at school and give it a wing. I told her I just might.....but I gotta tell ya, I know very little about bass guitar except that it seems to be a background instrument.

She suggested bringing some CD's and playing along with them. (I think I'll bring my capo too since I'm brand new at this and will probably stick to "G" "D" and "C" for starters....."A" if I feel brave.

Any thoughts? Is a bass guitar tuned much like the violin family? (My mandolin is tuned similarly to a violin, BTW). If it is, that will help since I know mandolin chords.

When I'm playing the bass, am I almost playing the percussion, if you will? (Much like the mandolin is percussion in bluegrass). Does the bass set the beat? (Bam Bum Bam Bum Bam Bum) or do I go beyond (1 and 2 and 1 and 2 and 1 and 2 and 1 and 2...)? We're not talking hard rock here. This will be for praise songs and maybe some light Christian contemporary.

I'm open to suggestions. Ideas. Weblinks. Prayers.

~Sandy

 

[chrisforshort]

Hey Dude, I play guitar and my church of like 500 needed a bassist on the spot, so the worship leader grabbed me and said: Just play the note on the lead sheet and make up any rythm that flows to the songs. So I did that and it was that easy.

 

[Rocki]

i play guitar and bass..

bass is almost the same as a guitar, and has the same tuning... you just play the bass note... when you get better you can add little licks here and there..

 

[chrisforshort]

For a four string bass, the notes are 4th string - E(open) F(1st fret) F#(2nd fret...) G G# A A#... 3rd string - A A# B C C# D D#... 2nd string - ...D D# E F F# G G#... 1st string - G G# A A# B C C#...

 

[Salsa_1960]

Thanks. I was going to try it out today but couldn't get hold of someone who could hook me up to the sound system. I'm getting together with someone tomorrow, though, who's going to hook me up.

He was telling me he's never seen anyone use a capo on a bass guitar. (Won't go around). Sigh. Can't use it to cheat.


~Sandy

 

[chrisforshort]

Yeah, if there is a massive 5th string it starts with the open note of B

 

[JahRawks]

A bass guitar is tuned exactly the same way that you tune the bottom four strings of a guitar, E for the bottom string, or biggest string if you're not used to the terms bottom is actually the top string if you're looking down at it, anywho, E A D G are the tunings from largest string to smallest, you don't hafta worry about capo's or chords or anything on a bass, all it is is the actual notes that are on the paper, the bass basically keeps the beat like a drummer, it's pretty simple, if you can play guitar, you'll pick up on bass pretty quick. God Bless-
Nathan

 

[Rocki]

He was telling me he's never seen anyone use a capo on a bass guitar. (Won't go around). Sigh. Can't use it to cheat.


~Sandy

i never use a capo.. even for guitar... i refuse... i'd rather play bar-chords... or play funky chords

 

[stephen1964]

Electric Bass is OK, but I prefer the sound of an upright accoustic bass. It is so much deeper and natural sounding! Also it's easier to make the transition from accoustic to electric bass rather than vica versa (like learning to drive an automatic after you've already mastered a stick shift).

Just my .02...

 

[Salsa_1960]

i never use a capo.. even for guitar... i refuse... i'd rather play bar-chords... or play funky chords

IMHO, it's harder for women to play bar chords. Takes more strength in the muscles of the hands and even if the muscles are built up, women's hands are usually much smaller. I jam once a month. (Bluegrass). I'm the only woman in the bunch. Besides the muscles needed for barring, it's also harder for me to reach/stretch my fingers (they're short)....and I've been playing guitar for 33 years now, so it's not a matter of practice. My hands just are too small to make certain chords easily-- bar chords in particular.

I can bar an E (minor) and E (major) ok, but that's about it. I'm 5'4" and only wear a size 7 (women's) shoe.

~Sandy