The Student Room Group

Can you learn Bass on a four stringed Guitar?

I want to learn Bass guitar. I've got a Guitar that's only got four strings, can I use that instead of a Bass Guitar?
Errrr, not really.
You can learn what notes to play and when and where they are in relation to each other on the fret board, but the actual process for playing bass guitar is very different to a guitar with four strings.

If you want to learn bass guitar, buy a bass guitar. I bought one less than a month ago that cost less than £100 (new) and it is good. I plan to upgrade almost everything on it over time, but the point is that a cheap bass can still be very much playable and sound good!
Original post by Manitude
Errrr, not really.
You can learn what notes to play and when and where they are in relation to each other on the fret board, but the actual process for playing bass guitar is very different to a guitar with four strings.

If you want to learn bass guitar, buy a bass guitar. I bought one less than a month ago that cost less than £100 (new) and it is good. I plan to upgrade almost everything on it over time, but the point is that a cheap bass can still be very much playable and sound good!


How long does it learn to play? Because I don't really want to get a bass guitar because I doubt I'd spend enough time playing it.
Reply 3
If you can play guitar you can play bass, in that the position of the notes is the same and you can use a pick and it will sound okay, but typically if you want to get good at playing bass you want to play bass, obviously.
Original post by similarBlank
How long does it learn to play? Because I don't really want to get a bass guitar because I doubt I'd spend enough time playing it.


Define "play". Most people can play along to simple songs after an hour or two with a good teacher.

But to be as competent as someone like John Myung of Dream Theater you'd need to practice multiple hours a day for years
Original post by Manitude
Define "play". Most people can play along to simple songs after an hour or two with a good teacher.

But to be as competent as someone like John Myung of Dream Theater you'd need to practice multiple hours a day for years


"Play" as in I could apply to join a band as a bass player.

Also, is it more complicated to learn than piano or what?
Original post by similarBlank
"Play" as in I could apply to join a band as a bass player.

Also, is it more complicated to learn than piano or what?


That would depend on what band you're joining and how competent the other musicians are!


It's not really possible to say if it's easier or not. Anyone with a finger can get a note out of a piano, but to get a clean note out of a bass guitar you have to do two different things with your left and right hands and it takes a bit of practice to make sure the note is played cleanly. You have to press down with a certain amount of force with your left hand (assuming you're right handed) as well as mute the other strings with your left (and/or right) hand. With your right hand you play the string in one of several different ways, but not too hard and not too soft. And you have to do these things at the same time or it sounds wrong. But that's just to get a single note of out the instrument. With piano you can play multiple notes at once with both hands.

Ultimately you can't really compare most instruments with each other in terms of "this is more difficult than that". I'm pretty good with instruments that have strings and frets, but I'm utterly hopeless with all wind instruments I've tried to learn. That doesn't mean wind instruments are harder, just that I've played guitar far far more than anything else, and the skills I've got translate well to bass guitar and mandolin (which are my second and third instruments).

Essentially, the more time you put in, the better you will be. And in my experience, when you hit a certain level of skill, playing becomes a lot more fun because you're playing songs you really like and it sounds great. Where that skill level is will depend on your music taste!
Original post by similarBlank
I want to learn Bass guitar. I've got a Guitar that's only got four strings, can I use that instead of a Bass Guitar?


You can as long as it's temporary, the notes are same but an octave lower, it will feel much different on a bass as the fret spacing is much larger and the instrument is heavier. I don't recommend playing bass with a pick to start; use your fingers. It will feel different playing bass as the strings are much thicker, so it may be a rocky transition. When I first wanted learn bass I was using an acoustic guitar for a few weeks and the transition wasn't so bad other than getting used to the mass of the instrument the fret spacing and as a result, rhythm, which is very important for bass. And you won't be able to play slap (I presume, I've never actually tried doing that on a guitar), which is so fun. Just get a decent bass.
Reply 8
I totally agreed with NotNotBatman's post above.Just make sure the notes are the same.Find a guitar tuner and make sure it tunes to E A D G. It is good for beginner, i mean for newbies to get an idea to play before playing with the real bass guitar.

Quick Reply

Latest