I hate psychology and yet i wonder...

Ric Fish · #1 10-12-2011, 07:29 PM

For the most part...Do you think playing the bass appeals to people with a certain personality? Do most bassists you know have similar dispositions? Just curious to see if anyone believes that musician "stereotypes" exist because the instruments attract the same types of people.

dougjwray · #2 10-12-2011, 07:45 PM

I do appreciate psychology, and I'm convinced that certain instruments attract certain personalities, the same way that certain professions do. There's no doubt about it.

Elrend · #3 10-12-2011, 07:49 PM

Not really, no.

Spectrum · #4 10-12-2011, 08:05 PM

Since bassists and guitarists and drummers have different images in the public eye (rock stars play guitars, drummers are all crazy like Animal on the Muppet Show, what's a bass?) there's bound to be some sort of head-shrinking to that.

John Wentzien · #5 10-12-2011, 08:08 PM

All bass players are either "RUBES"....

.....(or...a-holes)

**bassistjoe93** · #6 10-12-2011, 08:09 PM

I think there's merit in that train of thought. I think it takes a special kind of person/personality to want play bass.

BagelBruin · #7 10-12-2011, 08:14 PM

Eh... Generally yes, but hard to make a concrete bass stereotype.

Wasted Bassist · #8 10-12-2011, 08:20 PM

People with a desire to play guitar but without the balls to say no when the band asks you to switch. (kidding...)

**Matthew_84** · #9 10-12-2011, 08:36 PM

I don't know if it's as much personality traits as it is just a general preference for the sound. I don't play bass because I want to provide the bassline for the band. I play bass because it is my favourite sounding instrument. I think that's more likely caused by things in my childhood and environment than personality.

Pj,Rj,Hj · #10 10-13-2011, 01:37 AM

Very possible for some Bassists myself included. Not unlike many teens when I first picked up the Bass I wanted to do "the other" as a point of identity. Still I'd never would have stuck with it purely on being "alternative" and I always appoached it as an instrument in it's own right (so much so that I pretty soon stopped listening to punk and most rock at around 14yrs old and moved to Soul, Disco and New Wave which certainly went against my peer group). I was also the kid who had the Longboard instead of the then more common Short Board thruster Surfboard.

LennyPenny · #11 10-13-2011, 01:52 AM

Very interesting topic IMHO!
I don't think it can be generalized by saying that all people with personality x are likely to play bass more than personality y. On the other hand, I like to believe that it does take a particular kind of personality to want to play bass, i.e. maybe more mellow, background-dwelling, etc.
That being said, I think a big influence is what kind of music you grew up with. If you mainly listened to funk, disco, soul (i.e. bass heavy music) or rock, metal (guitar heavy music), chances are that might have steered you in a certain direction. But I listened to Led Zep, Jimi Hendrix, Nirvana, RHCP and I still wound up playing bass (after 14 years of guitar, that is).
Maybe, I just throwing ideas around, your hearing could also be a big factor. If you're sensitive to certain frequencies, like treble hurts your ears, bass makes you need to poop, etc., but find other frequencies more pleasing, that could also steer you towards a certain instrument.

Ric Fish · #12 10-13-2011, 07:28 AM

I always knew I wanted to play an instrument, but it took years for me to find bass. I started with piano, tried clarinet for 2 weeks, bought an acoustic guitar which was a fantastic dust collector, and then finally had the revelation that the bass was what I had been searching for all along. It happened to me instantaneously when I first heard "my name is mud" by Primus. I loved that deep sound. So, sound definitely had a lot to do with it for me. But being around musicians frequently I do find that guitarists are usually similar in disposition and attitude, and bassists as well. Obviously, it's not stone. But it is interesting.

Jmac66 · #13 10-13-2011, 07:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matthew_84

I don't know if it's as much personality traits as it is just a general preference for the sound. I don't play bass because I want to provide the bassline for the band. I play bass because it is my favourite sounding instrument. I think that's more likely caused by things in my childhood and environment than personality.

+1 I've always liked the sound of bass, ever since a kid even listening to music, I've always cut the mids and highs and boosted the lows to make the bass stand out.

dogofgod · #14 10-13-2011, 07:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jmac66

+1 I've always liked the sound of bass, ever since a kid even listening to music, I've always cut the mids and highs and boosted the lows to make the bass stand out.

+ 1
In general, if the band im listening to does not have a bass im very disappointed.

I have always thought the bass was really cool. Never really thought about playing guitar.

punkinfantry · #15 10-13-2011, 08:01 AM

a solid rhythm section trumps 3 minute guitar solos any day of the week

jnuts1 · #16 10-13-2011, 08:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matthew_84

I don't know if it's as much personality traits as it is just a general preference for the sound. I don't play bass because I want to provide the bassline for the band. I play bass because it is my favourite sounding instrument. I think that's more likely caused by things in my childhood and environment than personality.

this^ - had a guitar & drums & they did nothing for me. the first time i picked up a bass i knew that it was for me.

dannylectro · #17 10-24-2011, 09:47 AM

I think most bass players are mostly there to support their band, and are not usually all that interested in being the primary focus. Happy contributors, good listeners, and team players in other words. I also think that's why most bass players I know are very nice people.

KenHR · #18 10-24-2011, 10:14 AM

Most folks, when they learn I play an instrument, guess that I play bass right away. I've also often been told that my personality/bearing/whatever is quintessentially that of a bass player. No one's ever been able to tell me specifically why that is, though.

Muaguana · #19 10-24-2011, 10:21 AM

Given the wide range of personalities we have here on TB, my vote is "no, the appeal of an instrument does not have anything to do with the personality of an instrumentalist."

dougjwray · #20 10-24-2011, 10:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dannylectro

I think most bass players are mostly there to support their band, and are not usually all that interested in being the primary focus. Happy contributors, good listeners, and team players in other words. I also think that's why most bass players I know are very nice people.

^ That makes sense to me.