Music is something that we all love in our way. The variety and kind of music available today are simply unbelievable. With hundreds and thousands of genres, it is never-ending.
Amidst all this, many of us love to play instruments or sing to become a part of this art, while some simply like to listen to it.
You all must be familiar with guitars, and their various kinds and perhaps even be aware of the purpose for which these different kinds are used.
However, if you have ever wondered about the difference between bass and guitar, you probably don’t need to go anywhere else.
In this article, we would explain this difference and also share our opinion on the controversial question of which of these two is better.
Bass and Guitar: Understanding the Difference
Although it is common for a novice or beginner to get confused between bass and guitar, with time and experience you would be able to differentiate quite easily.
A bass is usually large, at least as compared to a usual acoustic or electric guitar. Guitars mostly have 5-6 strings and are consisting of all octaves and all notes.
But bass is specifically used for hitting the notes of an octave lower than that of the guitar. It is for the heavy and hard-sounding notes that add flavor to a song or music.
Bass helps in putting down the base or foundation for the performance, associating with drums or beats.
On the other hand, a guitar as mentioned above would have 5-6 strings as compared to the 4 strings of a bass.
A guitar, be it acoustic or electric, is required for the main performance or the lead melody part of the song that goes along with the rhythm often from start to end.
The guitar is indeed versatile and balanced as it can moderately hit all three octaves if played correctly as and when needed.
Thus, a guitar is usually multi-purposeful while a bass almost always has just one function, which is to add heaviness or roughness to a piece of music.
If you have grown up learning that guitar is better than bass, we have some strong reasons to make you think otherwise.
Why Bass is Better Than the Guitar?
Although the general answer is that no instrument is better than the other. A good musical performance or charm is created with the right blend and mixture of all kinds of instruments.
Still, depending on the kind of flavor or music you are looking for, you might have to use either bass or guitar for your recording or performance.
Bass is certainly the right choice if you want to mix depth and seriousness in a song or music. They provide the very foundation on which your entire music can build.
And, the bass is well respected among the music community, with many early 90s rock songs having bass solos. It goes to show how creative one can be with bass.
Also, it depends a lot on the kind of style you want to adopt for your music. If you are just a routine music performer, you might be looking for a piece of rhythmic and melodious music.
Thus, it might not be ideal in such a case to opt for bass, therefore, always assess your needs first before opting for either of these.
Is Bass Harder to Play Than Guitar?
People generally have the notion that since bass merely has about four strings, it must be less complicated to play it and handle it as well.
However, in reality, both are different instruments and require different skills and knowledge to master. You cannot call one easier than the other.
Playing the bass requires a certain kind of skill that takes years to understand and get a good hold over, however, people generally learn to play guitar first, which is why it is the more popular choice.
Many people assume that if you have tried playing guitar and cannot play it well, the better option is to switch over to bass, however, it is a mere myth.
In reality, if you cannot play the guitar well, chances are you would also face difficulty in playing the bass.
It is tougher to get noticed as a bass player because most people focus on the lead guitarist and vocalist, without knowing much about the numerous instruments.
How to Become a Better Musician?
Being a good musician takes years and years of practice and hard work, however, you can become a better musician by simply adopting a few tips in your daily routine and practice
One of the most important ones is to have patience with your practice. It is often noticed that most of the people who give up learning music do so because they cannot wait too long.
You must understand that learning music is an intricate and complex process, which demands time and patience.
Finding the right teacher is the second tip that goes a long way in creating a difference between average musicians and great musicians.
The right teacher can guide you and turn you into a well-aware and knowledgeable artist, even though it is you who has to do most of the work.
Being aware of your instruments is another tip that is crucial in ensuring that you become a good musician and are aware of the intricacies of everything that goes on.
Perhaps the last tip would be to learn how to enjoy your music. Understand that learning music is a journey, and it can be spent best if you enjoy yourself while learning.
Conclusion
Therefore, in this article, you learned about the differences between a bass guitar and a normal guitar. We also shared some information on why the bass guitar could be considered to be better than a normal guitar.
But you must remember that you do not become a good musician or guitarist overnight. No matter which instrument you pick up to play, it takes years and years of long practice.
You must respect all kinds of instruments and their players, as they all have their roles to play in a performance for it to sound good.
