How To Play Bass (even for guitar players)

[@DavidDiMuzio]

That trampoline metaphor is on point!

[@Seriouslycantplayguitar]

dope metaphor, was thinking the same thing

[@mattbertrand9496]

I’ve never though of it that way, but makes perfect sense

[@ATotalDork]

You forgot to mention the most important thing about playing bass; unlike a guitar, you will have to play in time with a bass

[@t3hgir]

hah!

[@scottstrand1874]

If a bass player makes a mistake always glare at the drummer as though the drummer is at fault. From the book of excuses for musicians.

[@artinrahideh1229]

No u always have to play in time😂

[@grantonrigney9208]

@BilboTheDev Lol says you with how many different bands, tours, record albums and fans?

[@grantonrigney9208]

@BilboTheDev True but you can't slander others passion or talent so rudely just because your insecure.

[@Beastintheomlet]

I’m a bassist who just came by to see the explanation. Absolutely well done. Now if someone can make it so my guitar playing doesn’t sound like a bassist I’d be much obliged.

[@guillaumedelormeraie]

Simple: play more :D

[@BH-fi1sb]

try playing more than one string at a time 🤣

[@jimthethirdprobably]

@@BH-fi1sb bassists play chords too

[@sansocie]

Sweep picking ?

[@jimthethirdprobably]

@@sansocie you just gave me an idea 'picks up bass'.

[@jonlohrenz5446]

As a lifelong guitar player who just bought his first bass yesterday, the timing of this video is a little too perfect.

[@alba7or]

Same here I bought my bass literally a week ago so perfect timing

[@ill_hex8103]

Rhett watches you in the dark corners of your life.

[@kiereluurs1243]

Well, that was really useful in a nutshell.

[@leafdude81]

Bought mine today lol

[@Lorenzo_Strozzi]

Lol Same!

[@StarQueenEstrella]

One thing I remember seeing in Adam Neely’s video on this was that it’s a good idea to cut off the bass notes in time with the drummer’s snare. It’ll sound much tighter that way.

[@PhillipAlcock]

You got it! Was messing around jamming with our drummer before the rest of the band showed up and tried playing through the snare and cutting off like you said. Sounded amazing!

[@paulya1269]

Totally agree... i’m a guitarist first , but also play bass on my demo recordings. Everything sounds better when tied into the snare.

[@emzee1148]

Adam Neely is off his rocker about 90% of the time.

[@StarQueenEstrella]

@@emzee1148 the guy’s a pro bass player, and has a master’s degree from Manhattan School of Music. I’m pretty sure he’s not “off his rocker”.

[@emzee1148]

@@StarQueenEstrella His interpretation of theory is ultra conservative and inconsistent at best.

[@scottkidwell3601]

Shortly after I started learning how to play guitar, I picked up a bass. I would learn (or write) guitar parts, then learn (or write) the bass part. It has helped in my amateur career... When looking to join/ form bands in my 20s, I noticed bass players were in high demand. Easy transition, and I got a lot of bass gigs along the way. Know more, play more 😉

[@emilyadams3228]

There's an old saying: If you're a guitar player, you'll always have friends, but if you're a bass player, you'll always have work.

[@robertf1309]

From playing bass for 17 years, I've learned a few critical things in order to be successful with bass. 1) Stay on the same wavelength with the drummer. 2) You are the most important member and don't let the guitarist tell you anything different. 3) Root notes, root notes, and root notes. If you know the root notes to any chord in a song, then you can write anything. 4) Keep it simple 5) Know the difference between when it is okay to stay with the guitarist and when it is okay to go rogue. 6) If you use effects, you don't need to go crazy. A good preamp, compressor and an overdrive will take you very far. 7) Darkglass is your best friend 😂

[@dev--null]

Nailed it...

[@JPuckett89]

No body is going to the show to watch the bass player. Having an the idea that you’re “the most important member” is a piss poor attitude. Everyone needs each other to be successful, no one wants to watch a bass player on stage by him/herself. If anyone is the most important it’s whoever is carrying the melody.

[@simon_patterson]

@@JPuckett89 I'll have to disagree with you there. I'm a guitarist not a bassist, but the bass is definitely the backbone of the music. Sure, nobody goes to see the bass player, but that doesn't change the fact that nobody will come at all if the bass isn't on point. Guitarists, keyboard players and even vocalists can be a little off and the music can get away with it. Not so for bass. If a song is like a house, then the bass is the foundation. Everybody takes the foundation for granted, but the whole house cannot stand without it. Houses can be made of all kinds of things, good bad or ugly, but the foundation is essential no matter what is layered on top of it. Same with bass; everything must be layered on top of it. This makes bass the most important part.

[@emilyadams3228]

@@simon_patterson Totally. Even non-musicians get that.

[@void0094]

That's why people think bass is boring.

[@johnfitzgerald1055]

My bass playing strategy: go from one note to the next note in the sexiest way possible.

[@danmorrison8746]

So like Steve Buscemi near the end of Airheads?

[@uhMaxx]

lmao exactly

[@a.reallymcrealperson256]

@@danmorrison8746 😆

[@geraldchan7395]

That’s really great advice 👍🏼

[@ALSutton]

As a bassist can I say this is the best explanation of this to guitarists I have ever seen. Great job!

[@Garythefireman66]

I definitely agree for starting out, less is more, but when you get a solid foundation, look at the bassists in some of the best rock bands in history: John Paul Jones, John Entwistle, Chris Squire, and Geddy Lee, and see how they made their bands so much better by playing less at times, and just balls to the wall at others. Bassists don't get the love they deserve, but neither do offensive linemen in (american) football.

[@rishz7857]

Thin Lizzy's Phil Lynott BEST EVER.

[@jaydenwhitlen1489]

Chris Squire could really do th opposite of that at times though

[@aarondrs2]

If less is more, then the bassist on Nothing else matters was a prodigy :O

[@duvan-solis]

Tell me, tell me, tell me.... Where is the foot, man? I only see a sport with hand mostly.

[@MetalZoned]

Perfect analogy!!

[@matthewsears4563]

I got a bass about a year ago, mostly to record tracks at home, and have really enjoyed the challenge of approaching it as an entirely new and different instrument. Also, now I hear bass lines in all music much more clearly, which helps me appreciate songs a lot more.

[@seagers_studio]

Loads of great info here. As a guitarist I swapped my P-bass for a short scale bass recently and it made a WORLD of difference. Especially if you have smaller hands.

[@RC32Smiths01]

I have always thought that if you know guitar, you should also learn bass and vice versa! Both really have their perks.

[@brisleeadams]

Agreed, just got lent a 90's honest to God Washburn bass, having a lot of fun with it trying to learn those Duran Duran John Taylor bass lines!

[@RC32Smiths01]

@@brisleeadams Awesome for you!

[@destroyer28100]

I started off as a bassplayer and learning guitar was easily one of the best things I could've done to improve my playing. Really helps for knowing what to play when now that I know guitar and vice versa

[@RC32Smiths01]

@@destroyer28100 It absolutely opens up a lot of opportunities!

[@Gainovermg]

I’ve been a guitar player for 20 years now, just now getting into the bass and really trying to learn it instead of playing it like a guitar, just tuned lower. Lol

[@TheBeriking]

This is crazy. Literally 3 hours ago I had a discussion with my brother (a bassist) about wanting to try to learn a little bass, mainly to improve on my groove feel and rhythm skills. I come back home and this notification is waiting for me. Talk about signs! Awesome intro to the subject, you covered all the big questions. Thank you all!

[@WillyPDX94]

I think the most important thing in bass playing is to find the pocket, which is more than just timing your notes to coincide with the drummer's beat. It's a feel thing that's hard to define, but you'll know it when you hear it. When people talk about a band having a great groove, they're responding to musicians who are playing in the pocket. Playing in the pocket is critical when playing jazz, blues, and funk but it applies to all genres of music. Would make an interesting video to demonstrate how this works, Rhett.

[@christopherb.2658]

When I got a bass, the perfect song (for me) to get me started was was learning Jesus Just Left Chicago by ZZ Top. It taught me about keep time with the drums, keeping the melody and it was a straight forward playing pattern. It totally showed me the difference between bass and playing guitar. Jesus Just Left Chicago and Blue Jean Blues are my two favourite songs to play on bass.

[@allancrow134]

I've played the guitar for over 40 years. About 20 years ago my wife(who is a very good vocalist) brought home a beautiful small body Warwick Bass and then did a very good job of learning how to play and accompany herself. She refuses to use a pick. :) Now I don't have to leave the house to get in on some decent jamming. She started by binge learning a bunch of Al Green songs. I often pick it up and play it because it sits on a stand beside my guitars and because it's fun. Bass is a special instrument. It's the glue that holds everything together.

[@eghii]

I switched from lead guitar to bass in the 1970s when my blues band needed a new bass player and all I could find were Clapton wannabes. I found out many of these things listening to the great blues bands of the times. But the bit about being in sync with the drummer was really really key. My drummer turned into my best friend and we loved rehearsing just bass and drums in the off days between band rehearsals. Pretty quickly we were able to just follow each other in whatever direction the music called for without thinking or talking about it.

[@bernardhossmoto]

Philip is a great teacher, like you. There is a great trend now happening in modern rock: The bass has been mixed lauder with a lot of productions recently. I also came from guitar and I love playing bass and I love the sound of the bass.

[@bernardhossmoto]

@@fuzzfuzz4234 how is that?

[@ciaranocraobhach]

Learning the bass means really digging into what makes a chord ... a chord! You can really gloss over the fundamentals as a guitarist and learn where to put your fingers but not think about why you're doing it.

[@brucesmith9144]

I remember telling a guitar player you can’t play a G7 chord where a Gmaj7 is called for … oops! 😆

[@fribersson]

Been playing guitar and bass for decades. Very nice to see *how* this was explained. Good tips and good teacher(s).

[@grantkoeller8911]

Age 62, I've played since I was 13, I gig professionally on a $50 pawn shop bass, it has a 2004 p. bass body made in Indonesia by Fender Squier, with a 1989 Korean Squier II neck. The aftermarket pickguard is a plastic tortoise shell with .105", .085", .065", '045", nickel wrap steel core round wounds by 7250's Fender strings, made by D'Addario ,with colored ball ends. I kept the vintage style 4 string bridge. It sounds great!!!!

[@mykhedelic6471]

Phil is the man-- he can groove, arrange and is a good hang. Bass makes us strong, it's The Force: it's around us, binds us. You can rock out without it, but when it drops in, shit gets real.

[@rodjames5771]

Got my first Bass one week ago! This was a fantastic lesson to forever keep in mind what is important and don't stray off target. Thanks so much for making this!

[@gordonroylambert]

As a guitar and now bass player...this was an incredible amount of useful information in a short amount of time. Well done!

[@cathalwhelehan]

I've had a MIM Fender P in standing my guitar room, completely unplayed for about five years now (a friend left it here years ago but is now sadly no longer with us and his family told me I could keep it) I've often thought about trying to learn it properly but I never got beyond a couple of minutes of noodling here and there (unplugged too - as I never had a bass amp for it, so not really much fun). I recently got myself a GT1000 (and an FRFR speaker), though, and a few weeks back I thought about firing up one of the bass amp models on there, just to see if I like it. Again, though, it didn't get past the thinking stage at the time. This video has definitely awoken the desire to try it out properly, so many thanks Rhett for doing this video!

[@TimOatesOnBass]

This is one of the best explanations I've seen for playing bass as a guitar player. It's amazing how many guitar players think they can play bass and don't even attempt to figure out the differences. Well done!

[@stanwray5663]

Rhett - I cannot thank you and Philip enough for this video . About a year ago , I bought a new Fender American Performer P bass , and a used Fender Squier 5 string P bass . I am a beginner on bass and have total hearing loss in one ear . ( which I am very self-conscious about ) Trying to learn on both at the same time was not a good idea , so I put the 5 string aside for the time being . I think I'm now ready to experiment with the Squier a bit . ( better pickups and new strings ) Because of the hearing loss , trying to pick out the tonal differences between , say , round wound and flat wound strings , I felt I wasn't really hearing much of a difference . But in your vid I could easily discern the subtle flavors . I don't know what you recorded the audio with , but stay with that . Philip's explanation of a bass players role helped me TREMENDOUSLY . Thanks again to both of you . ( Did I mention I'm 64 years old ? )

[@NoUseForAName0626]

Yes!!! Love that little grove at 10: 28 and on!! As a Bass Player that's exactly why I switched to playing bass after playing the guitar after a year. (That's been about 20 yrs ago now) Love that bottom end and just the tone of a Bass guitar! Phil gave some really great advice to get started as a Bass player!!

[@IllusionOfTodd]

Thanks Conrad for doing this! Thanks Rhett for hosting! It’s helped me a lot as a guitar player who at times plays my late brothers bass.

[@scottdobry3859]

Your bass player’s journey mirrored mine. Started with a Tele P-Bass, then a jazz bass, and finally ended on a mustang with flatwounds. It’s THE sound.

[@juliusschwencke142]

..had a Mustang with flat wounds in the 70s. Now my go to is my Gibson 2012 Gibson SG bass, with a 79 P bass in reserve. Life is good.

[@stuartdickson6251]

Riding the rhythm with the drummer has a special enjoyment, and you’ll get way more jammin in cuz, frankly, guitar players are a dime a dozen. A thoughtful laid back competent bass player makes the jam work. You’ll get invited back. Oh, years ago I was asked to pick up the bass and warm it up as the bass player in my buddies hot band was gonna be late. I thought I sucked, and thanked the drummer for his patience and carrying thru. He said, “well at least you play on the beat” Thought it was a mild slag, but no, he later told me some players are tough to play with cuz they can’t really “ lock in”, and seem oblivious to what he’s doing. So work on your rhythm, and listen listen listen to what’s happening on the kit. Hours of enjoyment, and it will improve your guitar playing and ability to fit in to live ensemble playing.

[@DobDog151]

Super helpful. Just bought a bass after a year of not being able to play with my buds so I could add some to recordings. This helps a lot. Cheers!

[@scottpickett9779]

Same just started working on bass a month or so. Learned some parts of songs but now with this info look out. Thanks Rhett & Phil

[@JW23551]

The muting thing is far and away the biggest struggle for beginning (and even some seasoned) bass players. Great vid!

[@Peepeestorm]

As a bassist, this video is straight up on point. Also, the precision bass is one of my favorite basses of all time. I have six of them

[@waynedwyer6509]

Great need-to-know stuff here. I am primarily a guitarist but I have a bass that came as part of a deceased estate sale of musical/studio gear. Philip's tip about muting the unneeded notes notes by following through and touching the string above the one above is invaluable. Good playing is as much about the notes you don't play as the notes you don't. Thanks for this video.

[@Ramskull5]

Your channel changed me from a EMG metal head to literally taking theory for jazz and getting 2 p90'd guitars 😂

[@Ten80pete]

The "play less" recommendation is so spot on, and when I picked up my first bass (I got a 6 string, thinking it would basically be a 1:1 as far as playing style), I took a full day to listen specifically to bass forward songs (I.e. Running With The Devil, Takin' A Ride, Hair of the Dog. You get the idea) and the thing that surprised me more than anything was how few notes were played, but also how deliberate those notes were. This was a great video, and is so helpful. Thanks for explaining the "Whys" of techniques as well, and not just "Don't play like a guitarist... loser!"

[@Driftuner]

Just bought my first bass last week and man i gotta say, ive been having way too much fun with it. Recommend every guitar player to buy a bass, not only is it a ton of fun but it also makes you look at a stringed instrument differently. I love it

[@JeremyLeech]

I've been playing bass just about as long as I've played guitar. I do use a pick. The funny thing is, at church, I play more bass than guitar (I also play drums) however, I tend to use felt picks and they work really well.

[@charleswidmore5458]

Thanks for the tips. Bought my bass just over a year ago and have been struggling coming from guitar.

[@watch2learnmore]

This was clear, concise, and actionable. This will help me create better bass lines in Garage Band when I need to make backing tracks. Awesome lesson. Thanks Philip and Rhett!

[@denisershov655]

this video is exactly what I've been looking for after having played guitar for over 15 years and grabbing my first bass just a couple of weeks ago. thanks, Rhett

[@toddbeeman5933]

This was a cool video idea. I enjoyed hearing the advice for a "guitar player." I play mostly acoustic guitar.. I've got a small collection. But I also have a Fender P-Bass for my at home recordings, sometime I'll add bass to a loop, etc. I've never had the passion/desire to truly dive deep into the bass guitar and devote enough time to become an impressive bass player, though I like to believe other musicians don't feel let down when I occasionally fill-in for a bass gig. There seems to be a lot of available work if a musician can fill that bass spot and do a good job.. at least I've noticed personally/locally significantly more opportunities for a bass player, than a guitarist or drummer. And of course, bonus points when you can sing some harmony lines! Sending peace & love from Missouri -Todd

[@RudyGOfficial]

Learning multiple instruments help with songwriting and overall understanding the important roles each instrument plays. Great work!

[@joaoppar]

Nice video Rhett!! I'm a guitar player who's looking forward to buy a bass, now that I know the basics, I'm more confident to buy it! Thank you!

[@valuedhumanoid6574]

I was making my own backing tracks. Programming drums with something like Superior Drummer 2.0 is actually pretty easy and straight forward. Programming bass lines is near impossible for me. No matter what I try it sounds like a computer. My local GC had just gotten in Squire Bronco shortscale basses in for $150 each. Very basic, one p/u, one volume, one tone. Plus, a shortscale is very familiar to a guitar neck. Once I got the basics down, something strange happened. I actually began to improve as a guitarist. Having some bottom end experience will really take your musicianship to a new level. The combination of the two is just natural.

[@pcanarsky]

As a guitarist who’s been playing more bass lately, this is very very helpful. Thank you!

[@Bubba-zu6yr]

“Guitar player that plays bass” here. lol, I have to tape three fingers together to “not sound like a guitar player”... you may laugh but it works for me.😅 Good ‘boots on the ground’ vid, thanks Rhett! 👍🏼

[@SoneNando]

Learn some chris squire and geddy lee lines an you will need to remove that tape

[@Bubba-zu6yr]

So you’re saying my Django Reinhardt school of bass isn’t going to work?😅

[@arthuralzamora7331]

Hey Rhett - explaining it very well, I remember my 2 fingers were sore for days & I thought I was doing great than listened to the recording, I so overplayed it, erased it all. Typical guitarist playing bass! Great video!

[@Drgeoffkennedy]

Great video. As a guitar player, I recently bought a Squier Bronco bass for my daughter, which I have shamelessly appropriated. This was very instructive about how to approach the bass as a guitar player.

[@chesterburnett3466]

Just starting out on my bass journey and I found this video to be extremely helpful. A lot of good tips that I will definitely follow up on. Much appreciation, cheers.

[@joepriestle1024]

I bought a Squire bass at a pawn shop a few months ago just to use for home recording. This video is a Godsend. Thanks.

[@SEOTeamBerlin]

thanx a lot for this video, reminded me of good old and new times ;-) - I've always been a fan of interdisciplinary attitude, no matter in which part of life. So at age 15 I came to the bass, from before keyboards (accordeon and piano) and drums, and from the accordion's "bass" (=left) side, I was already trained perfectly in the pentatonic circle :) - And I still love&play all my instruments : Gretsch drums, Roland e-drums, Kawai upright, Ibach baby grand (+ 6 el. keyb.), Hohner acc., Warwick Corvette bass - and recently I've started to learn guitar with my vintage Ibanez SG and Hoefner 12string acoustic :-D - gtx from the Lake of Constance, Swiss German border

[@josephfish6593]

Definitely need to pick up a bass, I'm looking at a Schecter Stiletto.

[@Tuliomurillo]

Highly recommended

[@Dusta_Rhymes]

Stilettos are fantastic, you won't be disappointed

[@benjamindewey3841]

Great job! A while (!) back I took a hiatus from guitar and played bass exclusively for about 12 years before switching back to guitar about 10 years ago. I still occasionally fill in on bass as needed, and still really enjoy setting the musical foundation for the band and vocalists. Playing bass helped me learn to really listen to the drum groove, and also enhanced my ability to listen to what the other instruments were playing. Thanks to you and Philip!

[@ridesingletrack]

Loved this. Would be great if you could keep going with it. I'd be interested to hear more about how he chooses notes, how he thinks about progressions and transitions between chords, other key techniques to develop, etc. I'm a guitarist first, but need to spend more time with my bass too! And overall, just wanted to say that I dig the channel. Appreciate what you do. Cheers, man!

[@ampthebassplayer]

TalkingBass is a fantastic KZbin channel that will give you more instruction like what you're asking for.

[@brendanlovejoy8679]

I've been playing bass and guitar for many years...this is great advice..so true...rock on dudes

[@timothyschafer6584]

Just purchased my first bass + amp setup. I went with the Fender Duff McKagan Deluxe Precision Bass Black, Ampeg Rocket Bass RB-115 1x15 200W Bass Combo Amp Black and Silver, and a Fender Precision hardshell case.

[@Wanderer_XJ]

This was a great episode! One of my favorites so far. Very informative, along with a cool laid back presentation. Phil would be a great teacher.

[@tomfoolery2082]

Iv done both along the way , i think of it as a bass part ,like a baritone singer in a choir in high school or college . Tht helps me keep my bass thinkin and not jump to a 6 string lead break . Love the channel

[@LatentPoet]

I'm in the market for a bass right now, i started this journey as a guitar player now learning bass and this video pops up. Perfect timing Rhett.

[@robbhawkins8360]

Perfect timing Rhett I'm switching over to bass , because bassist are needed in my area more than guitarist, my first gig was as a bassist even though I was a guitarist about 30 years ago , yep I'm a boomer lol . thanks Rhett your video's are great .

[@eanroad]

I am a guitar player that just got a bass two weeks ago and I am so thankful for this video! Thank you!

[@Fudmottin]

I recently started learning guitar. I've been finding the fret board complicated. But for my right hand, I've been experimenting with all sorts of ways to strum and pick. One of the ways is walking my fingers up the strings towards the low E string with my thumb on the low E. I'm rather amazed at the different sounds one can produce on a guitar (acoustic only so far for me) with the strings open and how I pluck or strum. I'm not so wild about using a pick. I can get very similar tone by using my finger nails.

[@stanwray5663]

Lindsey Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac is a great example . I invite you to listen to the intro of " Silver Springs " . He is finger picking and using the volume pedal . It is so beautiful it just might bring tears to your eyes . ; )

[@gonepickin990]

I have P-bass and an Epi Allen Woody short scale. Soon after buying the short scale it became my main bass. Yes, I have have flats on it. Love it!

[@FINELINEVAN]

Good video, as a guitar player/keyboard since the 80s when Midi was introduced I was heavy into laying midi tracks with drum machines. Once I got these understanding you speak of finding that pocket with the bass drum, Laying the Bass tracks was my favorite part of the tracks I laid, even though I played it on Keyboards the method was different but the principal was the same. It took me awhile to get good at finding that groove. The band I was in used the midi tracks to play live with,it was a ton of work I dont miss doing. I understood doing the dance music we were doing how important it was to get the perfect groove with the Bass for the song to be successful to get people up. But less is best for people to feel that groove..

[@stephenbarton2625]

Picked up guitar about 7 years ago and just built my 2nd bass and really wanted to understand it more. I was shocked how many tips I picked up. Thank you for this!

[@hotwaff]

Flat vs. Round just blew my mind. I only play bass for backing tracks for guitar, and I've been using round forever. For some sounds they have too much snap and I end up "fixing" it in the mix. So glad to have learned this!

[@fredherfst8148]

I love playing with the kick..I've had some great times with drummers, pretty much without the others noticing!

[@benzuckerman]

Super interesting and useful. Thanks for sharing! I particularly liked the trampoline analogy - MAKES PERFECT SENSE!

[@jeffanderson8384]

I picked up a Squier Jaguar short scale PJ bass a few years ago just for goofing around (love it!). It really helps to appreciate where the bass sits in the frequency. Suddenly I'm hearing the bass in music I've listened to for years. Anything by Bowie.

[@rcboals]

Thankyou!!! As a 60+ year guitar player and having half @$$ed attempted bass a few time (pre KZbin and internet days) I just gave up. I just bought a short scale Gretsch G2220 and your video is absolutely perfect. I can know I can do this thang! :) Long Live KZbin and helpful people like you that put together great understandable videos because you love the music.

[@Luvutoo]

Geddy Lee, Lemmy, Peter Hook, and Mike Kerr are my inspirations to move to bass and haven't looked back since

[@RCKaudiosmasher]

Great video. I like that Ampeg V4B in the background. I play my bass through a V4 with the bright switch off.

[@BigBerias]

Out of all the how to’s i have watched, this definitely is the best out of all! Very good video

[@interpolagent9]

I've thought about trying bass in the future. Still relatively new to 6 string guitar but learning to play bass could be helpful for me, and give me some diversity. Thanks for the great and easy to understand video.

[@fuzzysurf1083]

Sure, there may be some difference tonally between a P-bass and a Jazz bass but the bigger difference is in the narrowness of the Jazz bass neck, especially at the lower positions. Some guitar players, like those of us with smaller hands, might find the Jazz bass neck to be more comfortable.

[@ampthebassplayer]

I've taught 10 year olds on P basses. I think the hand size thing is overblown. Yes, it will feel strange and "too big" at first, but you'll get used to whichever you choose. Just make sure you get a good set up done because that will be important for playability and comfort.

[@liamjordan5948]

This was great guys! Thanks so much!

[@jwnrocks]

I’ve had to fill in on bass a few times, and just concentrated on the root notes to get through a rehearsal. This was very helpful regarding how to approach muting, and matching the bass drum. Thanks!

[@theeardrafter]

Thanks for this Video! thinking about noodling on a bass. Its often when we gather we need a bass player

[@rickmiller1840]

So Cool! Nobody ever talks about this stuff. Learned a bunch. Awesome Channel. Peace and Best Wishes from one (of your many) Canadian 🇨🇦fans.

[@goodandbadtimes]

50 years a "Short Scale" Bass Player. Yep... a Rick and P Bass along the way. Short Scale much preferred. Truth. Could never wholly embrace "Round Wound" (Wire Wound) strings. Flat Wound much preferred. Without question, one the best "Jams" I've watched Rhett. Good call. Listen to your gut. Ears get tired. Kudos lads. Thank you.

[@Davydd2]

Thank you both. I have been thinking of learning bass.

[@buaidhnobas1ify]

Thank you. This video opened my eyes and ears when it comes to playing. Rhett, love your channel. I will be coming back for more.

[@pts5217]

Wow! Never knew Al Franken was such a great bass player.

[@inconnu4961]

LMAO I see what you mean. But I actually LIKE the bass guitarist; he has charisma. The same can not be said about Franken.

[@jeffreymclean3358]

Great advise with playing less! I’ve been learning bass the last two years as a guitar player and this advice is exactly what I have discovered in past 6 months which I feel had really helped me the most in advancing in musicality and technique too :) thanks for always dropping free knowledge to we blessed you tubers Rhett!

[@juliusebola9389]

This channel is great. I've really learned a lot since I subscribed.

[@telecasterbear]

I have been playing guitar since 1975. I am 60 years old now. Earlier this year, I purchased a 1975 fender precision bass, and have been playing bass 99% of the time. I am enjoying the ride. I like how Philip uses the word "information" when describing the sound of the string or the bass.

[@MrFelo17]

Great video, I'm a guitar player and started playing bass like 4 years ago. I bought a Squier P-Bass and a Fender Rumble 50 amp. Thanks for the sharing the knowledge and the techniques 🤘🏻

[@michaelbutler2312]

very well done. as a guitarist and bassist this is one of the best transitional explanations i've heard. thanks

[@kevinmorris7722]

Wow, what a smart guy. Love the trampoline analogy.

[@cesarrivas3743]

I've been a guitar player for many years, but in the last weeks I've been asked to play bass in my church and other bands, so... perfect timing thanks!

[@billybaru82]

Great info here. Locking in with the drummer, creating the pocket and playing less... but with the goal of playing for the song...supporting the parts and your bandmates... decent gear.. and showing up for the gig and knowing your parts... will go a long way. Rounds vs. flats... understanding that ... scale lengths. great advice. :). Great video! :)

[@jimplaysric]

I owned a Rickenbacker 4003 for 27 years, and never had an issue with spurious notes ringing, but now I have a Jazz Bass and sometimes I use a piece of foam to mute, I've also thought of trying to use tape a la Carol Kaye.

[@jackcarter5364]

When I started bass, I found songs with a repetitive bass line to help build up a solid, consistent right hand technique. I think a perfect example is the sampled bass line from Massive Attack's "Safe From Harm". It's a repeating B A B F# A B B A ( 2 0 2 on A, 2 on E) fill that goes for about 5 and a half minutes. It pulls double duty in building right hand endurance and developing a consistent finger technique on one string, and jumping between two strings. If you really want to extend it out - practice with the Perfecto Mix version

[@flogginga_dead_horse4022]

Started playing bass 40 years ago also been playing guitar 38, I can't decide which I enjoy more...

[@JoeR203]

I had an Ibanez Soundgear SR400 bass back in the 90s. I decided I needed a bass again so just last week (3-8-21) I got a cheap Ibanez Gio GRS200TR. Man the SR400 was so much better sounding and easier to play. But I just have to get used to bass again. Now I'm thinking of getting one of the short scale Mikro basses.

[@BlueSkies32]

Nice job Rhett, can always count on you for an insightful video, as a guitarist who grew up listening to McCartney, Rainey, JP Jones, Jamerson, Edwards, Hungate. I love playing bass and this was perfect. Thanks for the set up tips, tweed amps, pedal board assembly, p90s postings too. All very interesting and helpful.