Guitar to bass was about a 10 year effort for me, with only the past 3-4 years being able to play in a modern rock band with confidence. I play some funk/gospel, but with a pick - so it's not really legit, but holds the bottom end down enough to continue to be asked to play.

I own a 4 string, but have borrowed a 5 string Ibanez SR505 (got one for sale, I'm in the market), and it's really not a difficult transition to add in the lower B-string, because of the consistent tuning interval string-to-string. For some songs, that lower B-E availability just hits the spot.

When I learned, I used a book called 'Teach Yourself Bass Guitar' or something of that nature. What I recall very specifically was where the book suggested to begin learning the fretboard - and it was unexpected.

The book picked the d note on the A string, or the 5th fret on the A string as 'home base'.

I didn't question it, and after putting the time in, I realized the wisdom of picking this specific starting location:

1. It's somewhat centrally located on the fretboard. No long stretching to start off all the way down to fret 1. It's a very natural place to hang your fretting hand.

2. It allows one to learn the 'pattern' across the fretboard both at higher/lower frets and higher/lower strings.

3. It breaks one free from 'middle C' keyboard training thinking if you are a keyboard player.

4. It is a bit easier than starting in a flat key.

5. It makes you realize that as a bass player, it's time to give up the idea of open string key signatures as being preferred. I fear no key as a bass player; something I can't really say as a guitar player - I rely on capos when I play guitar; a Kyser for acoustic, and a G7th for my electric. I would say that I fear key signatures even less than when I play keys, and I've played piano since 1976, and rock/gospel keys since about 1990 or so.

I'm not fancy on bass, but I get the job done, and stay out of the way of the rest of the band. And it's fun.

Another tip is to make yourself flash cards. I made a deck of flash cards of every note on all 4 strings, at open through 12th fret, and I kept them in my work bag. For many months, a couple times a week, I quizzed myself through that deck. It's only 48 cards. I think now there are apps for your phone which will do the quizzing.

Then the big one - I played with a band that was infinitely more gifted than I was. They let me. You'll find that with bass, there's very few of them to go around. Don't be afraid. You are going to make mistakes. But for the most part, if you can even just hit the root note of the chord on the right beats, or the right side of slash chords at the right beat, you're in. With very rare exception, simple playing works just fine.

That might be offensive to some who consider themselves proper bass players, but if you ask any of them about their first gigs, what I just typed above tends to be true.

What I have to yet learn after 10 years:

1. I need to learn finger plucking. 90% of my playing is with a pick, but there are some styles which just never sound quite right played with any combo of pick, mute, you name it - and need that other tone.

2. I would like to learn thumb popping/slap technique, but it's not been a need so far, and trying to teach myself this has been unsuccessful.

3. A whole bunch of stuff I don't even know I should know!

But above all, take ye the story of the invention and purpose of the bass guitar written by none other than Tony Levin - he of worldwide bass and Chapman Stick playing:

https://papabear.com/product/bassbook.html

While it is a funny and tongue-in-cheek parody, it is generally true as to guidance and purpose of playing bass.

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