Musician, or Bassist? (Or, if you're cheating, both!)

[Deluge Of Sound]

Just curious as to how TB defines itself, as to whether you are a musician, a bassist, or both.

What do I mean, you say? Well...
I remember reading an interview with Les Claypool where he said something to the effect of the bass happened to be his instrument, but that what the bass was to him was like an artist drawing a picture with a sharpie instead of a pencil, or watercolors, or chalk, or whatever. Likewise Justin Chancellor writes a lot of his parts on guitar (I realize these dudes are very contemporary players by the instrument's timeline, but they're what's coming to mind). These guys are people I'd consider "musicians," in the regard that the instrument they play isn't perhaps as important as the songs they write.

On the other side of the coin you have the people who are very into the idea of the bass guitar/electric bass (and the double bass, for that matter). These are the dudes for whom the instrument is much more important than the parts that they are actually playing. I'd consider these guys the "bassists."

So, TB, where do you place yourselves on this obviously-too-simple line?

[David J.]

Bassist!

[MyUsernameHere]

I play guitar, keys and upright. When I was doing the music thing for a living I got more than half of my gigs because of the guitar (go figure). Numerically, I own more guitars than basses and the guitars are more valuable monetarily. I also use the guitar and bass about equally when writing.

Yet for some reason, I always describe myself as a bass player who also plays ____ and when I want to discuss music its always from the perspective of a bassist. For example, this is the only music forum I bother to go on.

Guess that makes me a bassist.

[xshawnxearthx]

started on guitar and really sucked still after a year. good friend who was trying to teach my guitar said that i would probably make a better bass player because my hands were big and i had problems with chords. so i picked up a bass and started playing. after a few years on bass i picked up the guitar and the rest is history.

bass is my life, but i love playing guitar, and even singing. if i had to pick one instrument to play forever it would be bass.

[kebbs]

You ask a tough question, but a valid one. I strive to be an artist, then a musician, then a bassist (all amateur hehe). I just seem to identify myself with the bass: its sound and role are very compatible with me.

I do encounter people who are strictly into guitar/bass/piano/whatever. And then there are those who appreciate music for what it is, and hear it all around them. They perceive instruments as what they are - tools that organize and produce unique and audible frequencies. So according to what I just described, the former group are primarily the "-ists": guitarists, bassists, pianists, while the latter are musicians. But each one of them has to be the other one as well, no? So the dichotomy you're proposing is actually a very fuzzy continuum that is always subject to personal interpretation/opinion.

I hope this answer makes sense, but I doubt it answers your question adequately. We need more posts.

P.S. I voted "both".

[Josh Ryan]

Musician.

[KrisH]

When I played professionally, it was as a bassist. After I quit that, I began re-learning acoustic guitar, and started honing my skills on the electric guitar, too. I feel competent enough now that I could perform on either of these instruments, but I'm putting myself at liberty again as a bassist (who also plays ______ ), because I'm most comfortable with it. Probably because I did it exclusively for so many years. But I do consider myself a musician who plays bass, among other things.

[keb]

Musician; bass is part of my balanced, nutritious musical diet.

My heroes in my formative years were guys like Geddy Lee and Sting; guys who are tagged "bassists" but are actually multi-instrumentalists in disguise. I've kinda followed down that path, being bass is my "primary" instrument, but I do most of my writing on guitar and sometimes keyboards. I can't do bass alone, I enjoy the hell out of playing other instruments too much.

[Ramsy]

Musician.
I write most of my stuff on keyboard, a lot on bass and occasionally guitar.
Played keys in my old band The Grand Silent System for about 7 years and didn't once play bass live for that time.
But I still consider bass my main instrument.

[Colonel Monk]

Bass is an instrument.

People who play music are musicians.

For some reason, I've never liked the "-ist" terms.

Organist, Vocalist, Drummist(?), Guitardist, Bassist, Cellist, Trombonist, Flutist (hate IT!), Bongoist, Harpist, Bag Pipe-ist, Clarinetist....

You get the picture - I just think it's clumsy or something.

I play bass, trombone, guitar, and fool around with other instruments as well.

But to each his/her own. I'm still gonna use the "bass player" emoticon.....

[TDYooper]

I am NOT a musician by any measure. I can not call my self a bassist, in the technical. In truth, when it comes to music, I am a Ringer, one who plays Hand Bells. I tend to the 6 bells from D4 to G4, as well as swooping out with my neighbors, as needed. This being a ‘Talk Bass’, I presumed it to refer to the stringed instrument, and have never brought up the percussioned bells.

I will include a demo clip as soon as I can… http://s262.photobucket.com/albums/i...ThreeKings.flv Hope your in a Christam mood.

When I could play, I used the bass as a therapeutic friend. I played for me, but would join in with others from time to time. I didn’t play for pay…

I don’t know if this answers the question, but it’s what I do

TDY

[kesslari]

I've performed playing bass, guitar (long time ago), world music playing percussion, singing, etc.

I had a funny experience that opened my mind to who i was.
I was playing in a Turkish band, and a friend who had a really good Celtic band asked me to play with him. Thing was, I played an entirely different percussion instrument than is played in Celtic music (and the techniques are very different for each).
I said "hey, you really should get someone who can play Bodhran (the Celtic drum) and he said "no. I'd rather have a musician who can learn an instrument than an instrument-player who is not a musician".

I thought that was a pretty wonderful compliment. Really fun band, too, and opened me up to a whole different musical world.

[Bobbo 77"]

Órale,
I think "both" would be what we should shoot for! A Musician who love's to play the Bass, That's me!
Bobbo 77'

[dogbass]

Probably neither though I aspire to be both.

[HaVIC5]

Well, bass is the chosen instrument for me on which I do all my playing, but I do all my writing on keyboard. The two sides of my musical personality come out on different instruments - performance on bass and composition on piano - but the way I see it, it's all music.

[MysticMichael]

Originally Posted by Deluge Of Sound

Just curious as to how TB defines itself, as to whether you are a musician, a bassist, or both.

What do I mean, you say? Well...

I understand what you're getting at. But the way you've defined it really does present a false dichotomy. Because at least IMHO, if you consider yourself a bassist yet have little focus on the complete context of what you're playing, then not only are you not a very good musician, you're probably not a very good bassist either. Because there's a certain degree of essential musical sensitivity & awareness that's missing there. And no amount of technical ability, raw chops or inherent "feel" for the instrument can compensate for it...

Possibly a more precise dichotomy would be between "artist" and "technician". As much as I love playing the bass guitar, I try to always write, listen and play for the overall picture - bearing in mind that my part is usually just one of several. At the end of the day, I don't think there's any other way - if you want to do it well...

Musician.

MM

[Dave Muscato]

I started on piano when I was about 3, took up violin about 5 years later, then clarinet and saxophone 2 years after that, guitar after that, and bass when I was 18. Bass is now my favorite instrument, but I agree with Les Claypool as quoted above... It's just an musical instrument, like a pen is a writing instrument - and so is a pencil, a Sharpie, etc. My musical "voice" (what I hear in my head) is usually the bassline, but when I'm playing piano, it's the piano-part. It's all music.

[gweimer]

I put myself as both, but with a few caveats. I grew up in a musical family - my mother was a former concert harpist and piano teacher. I had a little formal training (from my mom, and from playing Euphonium in grade school orchestra). At the point where I took up the bass, my eyes could read music, but my hands could not. Even in grade school, I found that after two or three times through a piece, I would be playing from memory, and by feel, rather than read the charts. I have working knowledge of music (basic chords on guitar, and some inversions on piano), but am no way technical enough to compete with real pros.

[SeanGotBass]

Musician as a whole I would say. Lets say when you are writing out some bass lines, you would probably be thinking in terms of the melody and structure of the song. Thats where the musician part of you kicks in.

I wouldn't define myself as a musician into that 'pro' term but I define me as a musician in terms of the mindset.

[Raul Amador]

Musician... hence the name of the Mag.....