So I'm getting a bass guitar ... any advice?

Yesterday I ordered one of these:

http://www.thomann.de/gb/cort_gb35a_3ts.htm

I'll have it by tomorrow or at least by next weekend. I've been playing the guitar for almost two decades and I'm quite good at it, but I know that bass playing is a bit different, especially the picking hand.

So ... any advice from experienced bass players is greatly appreciated.

Something tells me I should try something easier first ... 

One thing: Never, NEVER start playing the bass. You don't get the girls with four strings and not playing any solo.
Seriously, try easy riffs: I started with Bauhaus' 'Kick In The Eye' (funk-like rhythm) and some Black Sabbath riffs. Cream's 'Sunshine of Love' or BÖC 'Cities on flame with rock'n'roll' can be easily learned.

I think the stuff from Pastorius is a bit difficult to play when you're just starting to play. Not everything he made is as difficult as the intro of Stranglers' 'No More Heroes', but it still requires a good dexterity.

Whatever you do just actually learn how to play bass. I'm sick of hearing what is obviously guitarists hacking away on a bass like it's a guitar missing strings.

himtroy wrote: Whatever you do just actually learn how to play bass. I'm sick of hearing what is obviously guitarists hacking away on a bass like it's a guitar missing strings.

Geezer Butler never played Bass before he joined Black Sabbath (He used to play rhytm guitar)
And i see what you mean, but he's really got his own bluesy style.

I was looking at the credits for a John Paul Jones solo album and have this utterly useless piece of advice:
get one with as many strings as possible.
After all you can take strings away but you can never add additional ones.

When I got my bass (long time guitar player here too), I literally just played along with James Brown greatest hits repeat after repeat. I've been playing now (bass) for over 12 years now, and I approach it completely differently than a guitar. It's actually taught me alot about guitar, as I used alot of shapes / licks on guitar, but on bass I know exactly which scale degree of every chord I'm playing. It seems wierd, but it's easier to do because the instrument is so much simpler in a melodic sense.

Practice control, fingers, be patient. Dont get scared of huge frets and strings. Very soon it will become natural and enjoyable!

Dont play chords, dont plug it in distortion, please! At least not at the beginning.

After that, when you grab a guitar, you will think its tiny as a mandolin

Slartibartfast wrote: Interesting advice, bass is mostly about the arpeggio (I looked it up I may not be using the right term exactly ), I'm trying to think of bassists that actually do chords and no one comes to mind.  I'm pretty lousy at guitar chords so maybe I really should take up bass. By the way Mike, feel free to single out the shipping service that screwed you over by name.

Stanley Clarke does some chordal stuff, as did Jaco.  It's not as common as on guitar, though..

My main advice: Have fun with it, you've now ordered guitar's smarter brother.

Other than that, at least IMO fingerstyle is much better on bass than playing with a pick.  Unless you NEED the pick for something you want to play (for example some of the Yes stuff which would be nigh-impossible to play without one) give your fingers a good workout instead.  Oh, and once you're comfortable with the larger frets and such...go fretless, it's a lot more fun.    I play a lined fretless, that way I have the general idea of where I should be playing, but it's a lot more free, and if you ever want to transition over into double bass you won't be as lost on its monster neck.