What to tell to that stupid guitarist?

Searchin · #1 10-20-2010, 09:12 AM

Yea, the question is just that. I bet that anyone in here has faced one of those guitar players that say "Well, I can play the bass too, if I can play that super difficult solo on my guitar"

It may be easy to answer for anyone that knows how to make a good slap or improvisation, but what can a not-that-good bass player tell a guy like that? What can I say, what nice riffs can I learn to shut that guy up?

Thanks in advance

BAW · #2 10-20-2010, 09:13 AM

you can learn that music and art isnt a competition

Rockingbird · #3 10-20-2010, 09:14 AM

At that point I play something on my bass (typically a Dream Theater line) and hand it to him, saying "Your turn".

Searchin · #4 10-20-2010, 09:18 AM

@BAW: True, indeed. But, in this case, I really gotta show him that, or I may lose a great opportunity to play.

@ Rockingbird: Which Dream Theater lines?

The Mouse · #5 10-20-2010, 09:19 AM

Ask him "Did he ever see his mother in the shower" just before he goes on stage?

He won't bother you again..

Dan Knowlton · #6 10-20-2010, 09:23 AM

The answer for all except three of the many guitarists I've played with would be - "Yeah, you can play the notes but your groove sucks!" IMHO - guitar is about wanking everything, bass is about the space between the notes.

Just my cynical $0.000000002.

Dan K.

Phalex · #7 10-20-2010, 09:27 AM

I just wholeheartedly agree with those guys. "Yep, bass is easy."

I don't get my panties in a bunch, and I don't give them satisfaction. Big deal. You either get it or you don't. If you don't get it, no amount of argument will make you get it, and if you do get it, there's no argument.

Joe Pass could play the bass line and the guitar part at the same time! I never heard him play a bass guitar, but I betcha he would have been great at that too.

dalkowski · #8 10-20-2010, 09:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Searchin

What can I say to shut that guy up?

"Your mom told me the same thing while I was shaving her back."

waleross · #9 10-20-2010, 10:05 AM

Yes bass guitar looks easy but thinking and functioning as a bass player is more than "slapping your monkey". I am playing guitar and i have a new found respect for electric guitar, still holding down the bass line when the guitarist is going insane is not as easy as it looks......I say turn down the guitar please and turn up the bass and drums...

ster · #10 10-20-2010, 10:22 AM

I am lucky to be in a band where the lead guitarist was actually the former bassist in our group and got kicked out because he was terrible. This guy is a phenomenal guitarist and saxophone player-can't play bass worth a sh** though. It's a different mentality.
Just give him your bass and say go ahead and play me the bass line to "I Saw Her Standing there". Not only will it sound like he's a guitarist I bet his hands will be killing him halfway through it!

Exploiter8 · #11 10-20-2010, 10:31 AM

Just tell the guitarist to go buy a bass and amp and join in the fun!

X8

mikerophone · #12 10-20-2010, 10:34 AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgaBGu7Mlvo
There's sadness in that smile. There's sadness in that chord structure.

Meddle · #13 10-20-2010, 10:35 AM

My latest mind-bender for my guitarist and synth player is:

"Try and say twice as much with half as many notes.... then do that again."

Its cheesy but I hope they apply it to their over-playing.

Bass_Thumper · #14 10-20-2010, 10:47 AM

Just keep doing what you're doing. The guitar player just hasn't gotten to the point where he understands that just because they both have stings doesn't mean that they are approached in the same manner. Maybe he would like the sound of the music without a bass in it when you leave. He can always chew that over

Don't ever feel trapped into playing in a situation just because. You have to weigh the cost of dealing with a jerk all the time with the actual benefit you get out of it.

anonymous101511 · #15 10-20-2010, 07:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Searchin

Yea, the question is just that. I bet that anyone in here has faced one of those guitar players that say "Well, I can play the bass too, if I can play that super difficult solo on my guitar"

It may be easy to answer for anyone that knows how to make a good slap or improvisation, but what can a not-that-good bass player tell a guy like that? What can I say, what nice riffs can I learn to shut that guy up?

Thanks in advance

just take his pick away and say 'play it like a man'

Super Dwarf · #16 10-20-2010, 08:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Searchin

Yea, the question is just that. I bet that anyone in here has faced one of those guitar players that say "Well, I can play the bass too, if I can play that super difficult solo on my guitar"

It may be easy to answer for anyone that knows how to make a good slap or improvisation, but what can a not-that-good bass player tell a guy like that? What can I say, what nice riffs can I learn to shut that guy up?

Thanks in advance

i play his solo on my 4 strings, or break it down to two strings.

jacofox · #17 10-21-2010, 06:42 AM

I always get 'Bass is easy, you only have four strings to deal with'...then I pull out my six-string

bossman1989 · #18 10-21-2010, 06:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jacofox

I always get 'Bass is easy, you only have four strings to deal with'...then I pull out my six-string

+1

But IMO 6 string is ****!

When ever I get told that "bass is easier to play because it has 4 strings" i tell a guitarist to play a riff, then i go and make it better with "the funk"

stupid guitarists annoy me!

Florox · #19 10-21-2010, 07:14 AM

Uno, music isn't a sport. Dos, I think most guitarrist say bass is easy because most bass players in rock play from 3 to 4 notes in a song. Sadly, that is the truth, so what they're not really getting is that playing something simple on any instrument is easy. Play a chord on his guitar and go all :"Oh man, that was so hard!" He'll most probably want to shred, in which case you should remind him that the aforementioned. Also, that you can be the best soloist on earth, but a solo on normal music rarely takes up more than 5% of a song, which is basically means he ain't proving anything by soloing really good.

fullrangebass · #20 10-21-2010, 07:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dan Knowlton

The answer for all except three of the many guitarists I've played with would be - "Yeah, you can play the notes but your groove sucks!" IMHO - guitar is about wanking everything, bass is about the space between the notes.

Just my cynical $0.000000002.

Dan K.

+100000000000

Well said Dan