We are all familiar with guitars, stringed instruments that produce beautiful music when their strings are plucked by fingers or a pick. Over the years, another instrument has emerged, the bass guitar or simply bass, which looks similar to a guitar and produces melodious music as well. However, there are differences between a bass and a guitar.
Key Takeaways
- Pitch range is different between the two instruments, with bass playing music an octave lower than a guitar.
- In a band, bass plays a supportive role alongside the drummer while the guitar typically takes on a lead role.
- Guitars have six strings, while bass guitars have four strings. Bass strings are thicker and require more effort to play than guitar strings.
Guitars have been around for centuries and are played by plucking their strings with a pick or fingers. They consist of a wooden box attached to a long neck, with strings connected to both the hollow box and the neck. There are two types of guitars: acoustic guitars and electric guitars. Guitar strings are made of either nylon or steel, and their vibration produces the tone amplified by the hollow wooden box. Electric guitars, invented in the 1930s, have a solid body and amplify sound electronically.
Bass guitars are also musical instruments that use string vibrations to create music. They appear similar to electric guitars but have a longer neck, smaller body, and must be connected to an amplifier to produce sound. Bass guitars typically have four strings, although there are also five-stringed and six-stringed versions available.
The difference between bass and guitar lies in their pitch range, role in a band, and string composition. Bass plays music at a lower pitch and serves a supportive role in a band, while the guitar has a higher range and often takes on a lead role. Additionally, guitars have six strings, while bass guitars have four thicker strings that require more effort to play.
