Guiatarist's who THINK they are bassists

[Dusty89]

Why is it that every guitarist I've ever met say that they can play the bass? The other day I was jamming with a guitarist who asked to pick up the bass for a while. I asked if he played bass also and said no, but that the bass was an easy instrument. He started stringing together a bunch of guitar licks up and down the neck, basically, he sounded good by himself, but couldn't hold down the bottom end for crap. It annoys me how so many guitarists say the can play the bass while bass players are honest and say no, just bass. Don't get me wrong, some people truly can play both. The bass is a special instrument that goes far beyond raw technical skill.

[DaDrew2112]

I can play some guitar so idk. It's that ultra guitar ego i think, you know, where no one else matters really and we're all here just to back up the guitar. For Rock anyway...

[SMILEYSIXX]

I deal with this guy on a daily basis in jazz band who fancies himself a good bassist AND drummer. Dude has no rhythm, constantly pops the strings off the pups, and is generally bad, yet thinks he is great. Can't understand him at all...

[loinmute]

If a working guitar guy doesnt understand the importance of the pocket and rhythm section: their pretty darn delusional.

[superbassman2000]

just to play devil's advocate, I wonder if it's more perception--i mean, look at all the bass players that everyone on TB admires--they play what you might consider "guitar" licks and nobody seems to say anything about that. I mean, I bet if Bill Dickens played the same riff, would any bass player say anything?

[BrandonBass]

most guitarists i know are pretty competent bass players. If they practised to metronome and understand a bassists role, they should do fine in most contemporary context.

ben kenney is a converted bassist and boy is he sick

[dudelove]

fieldy from korn thinks his guitarist, before they started, now look at him, he rocks his bass

[Johnny Crab]

Zoom H4 to the rescue, it doesn't lie or have favorites.
Record the guitarist playing a song you play on bass in a band context.
Record yourself playing the same song in a band context.
Listen.

Got to do this when a guitarist was invited to "sit in a song" on my bass.
Texas Flood by Stevie Ray Vaughn got called.
Geez......
Got it on mp3.

Brandon has a point. Boston's bass wasn't too bad for being guitared.

[Snuggles]

I had a dispute with a guitarist over something or other which led to me leaving the band shortly before they recorded their demo. The guitarist went out and borrowed a bass, and laid down the bass tracks for the demo himself.

The result? His tone was essentially Bass at 3 O'clock, everything else cut out as much as possible. Played with a pick. We were still somewhat friends, so I asked to listen to the demo. The bass was rhythmless, it rumbled along under the guitar with indistinct, boomy tones. Frequently--irritatingly frequently--there would be bass fills, little run downs from higher frets and strings that you could hear, but not appreciate because their actual musical tone was buried in senseless EQ. Overall, it was some of the worst "bass playing" I have heard. For the most part it was musically sound. He was completely on key, and usually on time. However, he liked a fundamental understanding of how the bass is used in music. The fills, which would occur every few seconds, did nothing more than ruin the songs.

Even he realized that it sucked. He is a fantastic guitarist, and he has a good theoretical knowledge, but this was at a time where despite his skill in guitar, he was a musical child. He had little appreciation for outside ideas or other instruments. He just knew that he was a guitarist. Eventually, he asked me to do the tracks however I liked. I did end up doing the demo for them, but I declined to be part of the band.

The lesson? Anyone can hit strings with a pick. It takes a bassist to play the bass, and a guitarist to play the guitar. There's more to it than the mechanics.

[sammyp]

i've been a lead guitarist for 25 years....for me it was easy cause i love traditional pocket bass playing - less is more...and i hate pick bass ..my left hand ability definately is an asset but it's totally two different worlds and functions inside a band ....a few blues scale guitaristic riffs up a bit higher work nice when laid in at the right time ...

[Dusty89]

I guess I shouldn't let a few bad experiences give me a close minded attitude. From what I've heard, it sounds that many guitarists are more than capable, heck, even rock at playing the bass. I guess it does make sense. However, when it comes down to brass tax, a bassist will fill the required bottom end like no one else. Some guitarist, who are naturally gifted, can do it all, but others should stop pretending. That sound about right?