Last weekend my twelve yr old grandson was here for a visit so I got him to help my check the efficacy of my soundproofing.
For six string guitar, I showed him how to strum an Em and an A. I went outside and listened at various volume / tone combinations. No probelem, he almost sounded musical at points.
For my bass I showed him the equivilent notes. He had a lot of trouble with that for some reason.
Since Bass was my first instrument and because I used it for most of my professional career (with some excpetions) it seems simple to me but maybe I'm wrong. I do know that playing bass well is not so bloody simple.
I also know that since I got serious about guitar and started using that for songwriting instead of my bass my life became much easier. Playing chords on bass can be a chore...
I've been lucky in most outfits in that they wanted a musician, not just a bass player. Yet I always keep in mind Dave Mustaine's infamous comment "I equated playing bass with playing kazoo!" And then he met Cliff Burton and changed his mind.
Talbot