Originally Posted by: StringybarkIs it played the same way as any guitar but it's just a bass tone?

The short, easy answer is that the notes are the same, yes. On a standard 4-string bass all the notes and frets are the same as the four thickest strings on a regular guitar.

You can play chords on a bass, but they usually sound too muddy due to the low frequency nature of the thick strings.

In rock/pop music, the bass often plays the root note of the chord that the guitar is playing.