People choose one instrument over another, like a bass guitar over a regular guitar, for a variety of different reasons. What makes someone choose a tuba over a flute or drums over a glockenspiel is mostly just the person's preference.  People choose what they like to listen to, what they like the look of, and what they think will be the most fun or the easiest to play.  Many people who want to learn a stringed instrument choose the bass guitar, because it has a reputation as being easy to play, without giving much consideration to the rest.  But if you're thinking of learning the bass guitar to play with friends or even as part of a band, you can make sure it's a match for your personality first.

You don't mind not being the star or the one in the spotlight. If you want to be the lead person in the band, unless you sing lead it's unlikely you'll be the 'star' while playing bass guitar. Many people prefer to be more behind the scenes.  They like to be a vital part of the music and having fun without having all the attention focused on them all of the time.  A person like this would make an ideal bass player in a band, because the bass can be as vital as the drums for keeping a rhythm, and it's key for forming the right chord at the right time, but it's a much more subtle role than lead singer or lead guitarist. Some jazz along with the occasional rock song will have a bass solo, but it's far more rare than a lead guitar solo.

You have a good sense of rhythm and ear for chords. While anyone who makes music needs a sense of rhythm, some instruments can get away with being imperfect in this area.  A lead guitarist might have a less than perfect sense of timing, but he or she relies on the drums and the bass guitar to set the rhythm and keep the song moving at the correct speed.  Even if some guitar lines fall behind or go to fast, it's easy to get back in time at certain spots thanks to the clear beat laid down by the bass player and the drummer. The good news is that if tempo is a problem for you, it's an easy problem to work on.  Get a metronome and practice!

You're content with a simple musical part. While bass guitar is an important part of a band, the bass part usually doesn't offer a whole lot of variety. At its simplest, the bass part will only require different notes based on the chord at the time in similar rhythms throughout the whole song. For some, that would be only repetitive and boring.  For others, it's perfect.

Look at yourself and what will be required of you if you choose to play bass guitar, and you'll be able to tell if you're a good match for the instrument.

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Originally posted 2009-01-08 14:50:58. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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