You’re an adult deciding between bass and guitar. Both have their appeal. Both can launch you into a band. Furthermore, both teach you music in fundamentally different ways. As a result, the bass guitar vs electric guitar question is one of the most common starting decisions adult music students face.
This guide compares the two instruments honestly, with no agenda about which is “better.” Specifically, we’ll cover the physical differences, the musical roles, the learning curve, and the realities of playing each one in a band. Therefore, by the end, you’ll have a clear sense of which instrument fits you better, or whether you should learn both.
The Physical Differences Between Bass and Electric Guitar
Bass guitars and electric guitars look similar at a glance. However, the physical differences are significant once you pick them up.
Number of strings
Standard electric guitars have six strings. Standard bass guitars have four. Furthermore, the bass strings are tuned an octave below the four lowest strings of a guitar. As a result, bass covers the lower frequency range of the music.
Five and six-string basses exist, but they’re less common for beginners. Therefore, most adult bass students start with a four-string instrument.
String thickness and tension
Bass strings are much thicker than guitar strings. Specifically, a bass low-E string is roughly twice the diameter of a guitar low-E. Furthermore, bass strings have higher tension, which means you need more finger strength to press them down.
This affects beginners differently. Some adults find guitar strings cut into their fingers more painfully. Others find bass strings tire their fretting hand faster. Therefore, your physical experience depends on your hand strength and finger sensitivity.
Scale length and weight
The bass guitar has a longer scale length than electric guitar, typically 34 inches versus 25.5 inches. As a result, the frets are spaced farther apart, requiring bigger hand stretches. Furthermore, basses are typically heavier than guitars, often by 2 to 3 pounds.
If you have small hands, this matters. Specifically, “short scale” basses (30 to 32 inch scale) exist for players who want bass sound without the long reach. Therefore, don’t dismiss bass for hand-size reasons without trying a short-scale instrument first.
Musical Role: What Each Instrument Does
Beyond physical differences, bass and electric guitar play very different roles in a band. Therefore, understanding these roles helps you decide which appeals to you more.
What electric guitar does
Electric guitar is the harmonic and melodic centerpiece of most rock and pop music. Specifically, it plays chords, melodies, and lead lines. Furthermore, the guitar often handles the most prominent musical elements, the riffs you hum and the solos you remember.
As a result, guitar tends to be the more visible instrument. People who want to be in the spotlight often gravitate toward guitar.
What bass guitar does
Bass guitar is the rhythmic and harmonic foundation of most music. Specifically, it locks in with the drums to define the groove, while also outlining the chord progression underneath the harmony. Furthermore, bass is what makes a song feel like a song rather than just a melody.
Bass is less visible than guitar but no less important. In fact, every bassist will tell you that the entire band falls apart without solid bass. Therefore, if you want to be the foundation that makes the band sound good, bass is your instrument.
The “I want to write songs” answer
If your main interest is writing your own music with chords and melodies, electric guitar (or acoustic guitar, or piano) is probably the better choice. However, bassists can absolutely write songs, you’ll just need to develop chordal understanding even though you don’t typically play chords on bass.
Difficulty: Bass Guitar vs Electric Guitar for Beginners
Both instruments are accessible to adult beginners. However, they’re hard in different ways. Therefore, “difficulty” depends on which challenges feel manageable to you.
Why bass can feel easier early on
Bass typically plays one note at a time. Specifically, you don’t need to press down multiple strings to make a chord. As a result, beginners can play recognizable bass lines within their first lesson. Furthermore, the simpler note-by-note approach lets you focus entirely on rhythm and tone in your early months.
Why guitar can feel easier early on
Guitar has more accessible early “wins” in the form of chord-based songs. Specifically, you can play simple three-chord songs from your first few lessons. Furthermore, the lighter strings are easier on tender beginner fingertips.
The truth about long-term difficulty
Both instruments require similar time investment to play well. Specifically, both demand consistent practice, both involve technique work that takes years to master, and both require musical understanding beyond pure technique. Therefore, the question of “easier” matters less than the question of “more interesting to you.”
The Cost Difference
Both instruments require similar startup investment. Therefore, cost shouldn’t be the deciding factor. However, here are realistic numbers.
Beginner instrument costs
A quality beginner bass costs $300 to $500. Specifically, the Yamaha BB234, Squier Affinity Precision, or Ibanez Talman are all in this range. Furthermore, a quality beginner electric guitar costs roughly the same, $300 to $500 for instruments like the Squier Stratocaster or Epiphone Les Paul Special.
Amplifier costs
Both instruments need an amplifier to be heard at performance volume. Specifically, a quality practice amp for either runs $150 to $400. Furthermore, most adult beginners start with a small practice amp and upgrade later.
Accessories
Both instruments require strings, picks (for guitar, bass can be played without), straps, cables, and tuners. As a result, you’ll spend $100 to $200 on accessories regardless of which you choose.
Bass Guitar vs Electric Guitar: Playing With Others
Eventually, you’ll want to play with other people. Therefore, consider how each instrument fits into a band.
Bass demand vs guitar supply
Every band needs a bassist. Furthermore, fewer people choose bass than guitar. As a result, bassists are in higher demand. Specifically, if you’re an adult hobbyist looking to join a band or jam session, you’ll find opportunities much faster as a bassist than as a guitarist.
This isn’t theoretical. At Musicians Playground’s BAND+ program, we constantly need bass players. Furthermore, bassists are typically the first ones placed when we form new bands.
The role you’ll play
Guitarists tend to compete for spotlight moments. Specifically, they want solos, they want to play the lead riff, they want to be heard. Bassists, by contrast, are typically the band’s most cooperative player. Furthermore, the bassist’s role is to make everyone else sound better.
If you have a temperamental aversion to ego competition, bass is your instrument. If you genuinely want the spotlight, guitar might suit you better.
Sound: What You’ll Be Playing
Both instruments have distinct sounds. Therefore, listen carefully to records you love and notice which instrument grabs you.
The bass sound
Bass produces low-frequency, sustained tones. Specifically, you feel bass as much as hear it. Furthermore, bass is the rhythmic backbone that drives a song forward. As a result, great bass playing makes you want to dance even before you consciously process why.
The electric guitar sound
Electric guitar produces a wide range of mid- and high-frequency sounds. Specifically, it can be clean and chimey, distorted and aggressive, twangy and country, or jazzy and smooth. Furthermore, this range gives guitar enormous expressive flexibility.
If you love the way guitars sound, solos, distortion, jangly chords. That pull is real. However, if the bass parts of records are what you’ve always noticed, that’s equally telling.
Genres Where Each Instrument Shines
Both instruments appear across all genres. However, certain styles emphasize one over the other.
Genres where bass shines
Funk, R&B, soul, hip-hop, jazz, reggae, and Motown all feature bass prominently. Specifically, bass lines often define these genres more than the guitar parts. Furthermore, learning bass opens these styles up to you in a way that guitar can’t.
Genres where electric guitar shines
Rock, metal, country, blues, and indie often feature guitar prominently. Specifically, the guitarist tends to be the band’s lead voice in these styles. Furthermore, guitar is more visually associated with these genres for most listeners.
Genres where both are equally important
Pop, alternative rock, and folk-rock typically feature bass and guitar in equal proportion. Therefore, your choice in these genres comes down to personal preference.
If you land on bass, our adult bass guitar lessons in Boston and our adult guitar lessons both run out of 33 West Street in Downtown Crossing, so you can try both instruments in the same studio before you commit to one.
Should You Learn Both?
Some adults wonder if they should learn both instruments. The answer is yes, eventually. However, you should master one first.
Why one at a time
Learning two instruments simultaneously slows your progress on both. Specifically, you’ll spread your practice time too thin. As a result, you’ll feel mediocre on both rather than competent on one. Therefore, pick one and commit for at least a year before adding the other.
The crossover benefits
Once you have one instrument under your belt, the other becomes much easier. Specifically, the music theory transfers, the rhythmic skills transfer, and your ear training transfers. Furthermore, many bassists find guitar trivial to add, and vice versa.
At Musicians Playground, our membership lets you take lessons on multiple instruments. As a result, many of our students start with one and add the other after they’ve established basic competence.
&…
