Both the cello and the bass guitar have an equal number of pros and cons along with steep learning curves for playing them. Therefore, it comes down to personal preferences and musical tastes. There does seem to be a consensus on the difficulty in learning cello because there are specific techniques and postures a musician must execute to play it properly. Also, it’s very technically demanding, requiring precision and a great attention to detail. The bass guitar is much easier to hold and set up. Plus, the frets make note mastery much easier and its use is flexible. It’s also a little more forgiving in terms of technical skill and tuning. Yet others say the cello is easier because it’s smaller than a bass guitar, which means there isn’t as far of a distance to reach notes.