Did you know that a lot of bassists start learning to play between the ages of seven and nine? Bass guitars are a great instrument to pick up from an early age–but no matter how old you are, it’s never too late to learn.
Bass guitars are often overlooked. If you’re wondering, “Why should I play bass when I could become the lead guitarist?” you’re not alone.
However, learning to play bass guitar comes with a ton of benefits you may not be considering. Plus, while it can be a simple instrument to learn, it’s still a challenging one to master.
Want to learn more about the many bass guitar benefits? Read on and get inspired to start learning today.
Learning to Play Can Make You Smarter
Okay, so this particular benefit goes for just about any instrument. When you commit to learning any instrument, you stand to give your brain a serious boost.
Playing an instrument exercises quite a few “zones” in your brain. It can help to improve your hand-eye coordination, increase your ability to focus, and spark the urge to learn. Studies have also found that playing an instrument strengthens neural plasticity.
Neural plasticity refers to the brain’s ability to react to stimuli quickly and with ease. People with strong neural plasticity often have better emotional regulation, stronger decision-making skills, and improved memory.
It’s Easy to Get Started With a Bass Guitar
Some instruments are easier to pick up than others. This is, in part, due to the expense of different instruments.
No matter what you want to play, you can almost always find a low-cost version of that instrument. However, you may have to sacrifice quality in order to do so. (For example, there’s going to be a major difference between a $50 keyboard and a $200 keyboard.)
When you’re looking to buy a bass guitar, you’ll find that there are plenty of high-quality options in the $100 range. (Check out more on where to buy a bass.) Students can pay for in-person classes or supplement their lessons with free online tutorials.
Plus, bass basics are simple. It won’t take long to learn how to play some important scales and chords. You can play a lot of songs once you have a few of these in your back pocket.
There’s Always Room to Grow When You Play Bass
Lead guitarists aren’t the only ones who get all of the attention and praise. Think about some of the greatest bassists of all time: John Entwistle, Geddy Lee, Les Claypool, Victor Wooten–the list goes on.
Yes, it’s easy to start playing bass. However, you’ll find that it’s an instrument that allows for endless growth. If you want to become a master bass player, you can keep practicing, keep experimenting, and keep improving.
The best part? When you start playing an instrument that is so forgiving and yet filled with possibility, you stand to make a positive impact on your confidence levels. Nothing makes us feel sure about ourselves quite like setting out to learn something new and learning it well.
Playing Bass Can Lower Stress Levels
Do you ever turn on a great album and find yourself lost in the music? Does the right song seem to melt your stress away? Do you turn to music any time you need an escape from your day-to-day life?
It’s no secret that we use music as a natural emotion regulator. We listen to sad songs when we need a good cry and upbeat songs when we’re looking for a burst of joy. If listening to music can have such a big impact on your stress levels, imagine what playing music can do.
In fact, you don’t have to imagine it. Studies have found that playing music, whether alone or with others, can help to turn off our stress response and ground us in the moment. If you’ve been trying to figure out how to deal with anxiety (or help your child to deal with anxiety), playing bass could be the right move.
Playing Bass Can Introduce You to New Friends
At the end of the day, a bass guitar is not the lead. While it’s not impossible, it’s on the difficult side to write a song using only a bass guitar. If you want to get into the groove of making music as a bass guitarist, you’ll probably need to find a few people to jam with.
In other words, learning to play bass opens up a door to new friendships. Not only are there tons of other musicians who are looking to jam, but there are also tons of bands looking for a bassist. One of the major perks of picking the overlooked instrument is that someone is going to need you to lay a sweet bass track for their tunes.
Where can you find other musicians who will want to play? Nowadays, it’s not hard to connect with musically inclined folks. Check out online forums for musicians in your community, head to open mic nights and mingle, and talk to your bass teacher about possible leads.
Pick Up a Bass Guitar Today
If you’ve been thinking about picking up an instrument, we urge you not to overlook the power of the bass guitar. When you learn to play bass, you unlock tons of potential and loads of benefits that simply can’t be beaten. What are you waiting for?
Looking for more inspiring ways to change your life for the better? Take a look around as we cover everything from where to buy an RV to improving your credit score overnight. We’re here to help you along on your next big adventure.
