# band restructuring... anyone play both bass and guitar?



## ajcoholic

I have been playing rythm guitar/vocals for a local band for the past year. Its been great, as the lead guitar player is very good and a laugh to play with - I am learning a lot. However, the bass player (who has been playing with the guitarist for years) was the weak link in the band - as he often let personal problems interfere with weekend gigs, his playing was getting very unreliable and he was slow to learn songs.

The lead guitarist loves to take requests and play stuff on the fly (these are always weekend rock cover gigs at the local bars) and I am pretty quick to follow along - but the bass player couldnt and would often just stand there without doing anything.

Long story short, we have regrouped as a three piece. The drummer, lead guitarist and I all take turns with lead vocals - but now both him and I will take turns playing guitar and bass.

I used to own a bass years ago and played quite a bit. AFter a few rehersals I think this will be a blast, as I forgot how much fun it is to groove along with the bass vs a 6 string. I just bought a used Fender Jazz bass and we have our first gig in a few weeks as a 3 piece. Looking forward to it - the only thing I am not sure of is the singing and playing bass part (it took me a long time to get comfortable playing guiytar and singing) but thats what practice is for...

Anyone else play in a band where you share both guitar and bass duties?

AJC


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## Mooh

ajcoholic said:


> I have been playing rythm guitar/vocals for a local band for the past year. Its been great, as the lead guitar player is very good and a laugh to play with - I am learning a lot. However, the bass player (who has been playing with the guitarist for years) was the weak link in the band - as he often let personal problems interfere with weekend gigs, his playing was getting very unreliable and he was slow to learn songs.
> 
> The lead guitarist loves to take requests and play stuff on the fly (these are always weekend rock cover gigs at the local bars) and I am pretty quick to follow along - but the bass player couldnt and would often just stand there without doing anything.
> 
> Long story short, we have regrouped as a three piece. The drummer, lead guitarist and I all take turns with lead vocals - but now both him and I will take turns playing guitar and bass.
> 
> I used to own a bass years ago and played quite a bit. AFter a few rehersals I think this will be a blast, as I forgot how much fun it is to groove along with the bass vs a 6 string. I just bought a used Fender Jazz bass and we have our first gig in a few weeks as a 3 piece. Looking forward to it - the only thing I am not sure of is the singing and playing bass part (it took me a long time to get comfortable playing guiytar and singing) but thats what practice is for...
> 
> Anyone else play in a band where you share both guitar and bass duties?
> 
> AJC


Not currently, but I started playing both bass and guitar (and other instruments) in the same group in 1977, and did so on and off until 2007. Rock covers, blues/rock originals, celtic, etc. (Right now I gotta cover guitars/keys/lapsteel/mandolin/banjo.) 

I suggest that you have a rig sharing arrangement/agreement, or your own separate rigs, and certainly your own instruments. Have a stage mix that allows the drummer to hear all your rigs, this may require creative monitor placement...or not. Try to make instrument changes quick and easy by setlist efficiencies, stands, etc. 

Peace, Mooh.


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## Big_Daddy

I shared guitar/bass in a power trio in Vancouver in the mid '80s and it was a lot of fun. Like you, learning to sing while playing the bass was ....um....interesting. But doable.:smile: Have fun!


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## ajcoholic

Mooh said:


> I suggest that you have a rig sharing arrangement/agreement, or your own separate rigs, and certainly your own instruments. Have a stage mix that allows the drummer to hear all your rigs, this may require creative monitor placement...or not. Try to make instrument changes quick and easy by setlist efficiencies, stands, etc.
> 
> Peace, Mooh.



Thats why I bought a bass - he has his own (a 5 string, I prefer a 4) - and a decent Peavey bass amp. We both of course have our own guitars and amps and gear. As for the bass duties, I think both bass'es running into his amp with an ABY pedal (set up to select either one or the other bass into the one amp) will work. The main bar we gig at has a small stage and real estate is at a premium... 

The lead guitar player is sort of the band leader and he is quite good at arranging the setlist for little if any down time. As it was, we both used a few guitars and swapped them out quickly. I dint see any difference putting the guitar down on the stand and grabbing the bass... just make sure the volumes are down 


AJC


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## Powdered Toast Man

This is almost exactly how I ended up playing bass. My 4-piece band broke up and when three of us decided to re-form I agreed to switch from guitar to bass and 'give it a try'. Well, I ended up being a bassist for the next 4 years! Lately I've gotten back into playing guitar but I still have my bass rig and basses and I do love bass! It's a completely different animal. I found you can't just bang away and flail away on it like guitar - way more precision is required. I also found it improved me overall as a musician as I learned so much more about rhythm and song structure.


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## zontar

I've considered this in the past with bands that I was trying to get started and we could never find the right bass player, then you find a possible bass player, but they go with the band that already is gigging.

I was hesitant in a way though, because I was afraid I'd become _the_ bass player, no knock intended against bass players--just it wasn't what I wanted to do on a full time basis.


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## Fajah

Powdered Toast Man said:


> It's a completely different animal.


How true. I got back into playing the bass for pretty much the same reasons that others have already mentioned. Comparing my bass playing as a full time bassist as opposed to my playing when I was switching back and forth is night and day. I still play the guitar but only for my own personal enjoyment and to keep my chops up but I would say that I have a bass in my hands 90% of my playing and practice time.

I did find over time that switching between guitar and bass became a bit frustrating musically. I always feel the need to improve and I found it hard to practice both simultaneously. I ended up choosing the bass to focus on mainly because I was having too much fun.


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## guitarsmark

Sounds like a pretty cool idea - for $hits & giggles during the end solo of our last set, I have started pulling out all the cheese and playing a wild solo behind my head where the bassist will hammer on his notes, and pluck my solo for part of it... its kinda fun, we might swap out duties on a couple songs though, I started as a bass player many moons ago, and he is a pretty smokin guitarist too - might have to run it by him.


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## ajcoholic

Tonight we had our first rehersal that was structured like a gig... we play three sets of a dozen songs.

We have set up the song list so I play guitar for half the set and then swap to bass (and of course the other guitar player does the opposite).

I have found singing while playign the bass is even harder at times then the guitar - but its getting better with each practice so I know it will be do-able.

I think this will be a lot of fun! With both myself and the other guitarist being able to put in fills and other stuff on the bass - it really makes the music "fuller" if that makes sense - I do miss the sounds of two guitars + bass, but I feel it will be just fine.

AGain, just needs more work - as it is a big change in the band set up.

AJC


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## Peter

Our jam band does not gig, but we do rotate instruments fairly regularly. If you think singing and playing bass is hard you should try singing and playing the drums!


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## Powdered Toast Man

Peter said:


> If you think singing and playing bass is hard you should try singing and playing the drums!


I find playing drums and singing way easier than playing guitar and singing. Reason being that with drums you're only concerned about the time of the song whereas with guitar/bass you're playing one rhythm with your hands and singing another with your voice. It's hard for me to do both, but drums + voice = no problem!


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## zontar

Powdered Toast Man said:


> I find playing drums and singing way easier than playing guitar and singing. Reason being that with drums you're only concerned about the time of the song whereas with guitar/bass you're playing one rhythm with your hands and singing another with your voice. It's hard for me to do both, but drums + voice = no problem!


I can't sing & play guitar at the same time--so I get this.
I can't drum either, so that's out--I could probably sing more easily playing bass than guitar--but then some songs I find more difficult on bass than guitar.


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## ajcoholic

Playing guitar and singing took me a while (months) of steady practice and continues to be something I work on all the time.

Playing bass and singing is not what I would say is "harder" more so than it is different. Its just something I need to work on over the next month untill we have our first weekend playing at the bar. 

I also dont play drums (well, I had a friend's kit a number of years ago stored at my place, and taught myself to play some fundamental rythms - I am not 100% drum-dum) but I imagine singing and playign drums would again be different and I can see it being more difficult if you are playing something other than a steady 4/4 beat..

AJC


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## Fajah

I can sing and play guitar without thinking about it since I've been doing it all my life. When I first tried singing and playing the bass simultaneously, I had a tough time and still do because I don't practice. It's a good thing I'm never in a musical situations where I have to.

What blows me away are bass players like MC Divinity (Beyonce's bass player) or Meshell Ndegeocello who can rap and play at the same time. 

Check this out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7P_2a6uLig


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## ajcoholic

Well, its about time!

After a few gig's I had to bail on due to work and me beiing out of town, our new 3 piece has NYE and the following weekend booked at a local bar.

We have been rehersing weekly, and playing bass has been a lot of fun I have to say, if not tiring on the fingers/hands.

I am finding (as I suspected) singing and playign bass is coming along with practice... nothing is impossible with enough time/effort I guess!

AJC


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## marcos

*Band restructure*

Good for you AJ.Playing bass and signing is quite a handfull at first but if you work hard,it will become second nature.Our bass player left our band in the early 70's on a monday and i was appointed the new bass player for the next gig witch was on the comming weekend.Performing with a 7 piece showband and doing a 30 song repertoire in one week took a lot of effort but it was worth it.Nowadays,i am back on guitar but i sometimes go out and play bass for fun to fill in. Watch out you dont develop any physical problems,ie.,tennis elbow etc....This happened to me 2 years ago when i auditioned for a band and worked on some songs for a week. Its hard on the fingers also.So keep at it and good luck with the gig NYE.:smilie_flagge17:


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## ajcoholic

I got a set of flatwounds for my jazz bass - still sounds punchy yet its SO much easier on the fingers...

AJC


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