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Through my own experience it is rare to find a regularly performing double bassist who does not also possess both competence and confidence when called upon to undertake the role as bass guitarist. However, the self proclaimed electric bass player can often be daunted by its ancestor and in this case misses out on the chance to engage with a new sound world and musical approach.
Indeed, on a personal level a good grounding on both instruments is complementary; however, stylistically one must also be aware of there contrasting natures. Obviously the speed and agility in which the double bassist may manoeuvre around their instrument can be far slower, thus altering the compositional approach to the bassline. This may in turn dictate the genre to which the two instruments are best suited i.e. The expressive and agile playing that characterises funk or fusion styles is best recreated using the bass guitar.
The instruments timbre can also be a deciding factor as whether to use one or the other. The orthodox approach in much acoustic music such as many jazz styles and folk is to use the double bass as to ground the music within a particular sonic theme, whilst also ensuring the bass part is not overly prominent in music where a vocalist traditionally takes the prominent role. However, if the musician has to balance his sound with a thick array of sound objects and textures, the bass guitar's larger frequency range and response to EQ methods cements the bassline's role within the music.
To be a multi instrumentalist is no doubt a blessing, however when it comes to two instruments such as these that share a history, function and organology, the benefits of pursuing both disciplines can be both artistically and professionally rewarding.
