"Why is your guitar missing strings?"

Tupac · #1 08-20-2011, 11:09 PM

Have you ever come across people who didn't even know what a bass was? I've had someone who came over to my house say that line. In their defense though, no one ever mentions basses. I didn't know what one was until probably 12 years old to be honest.

WilliamSandoval · #2 08-20-2011, 11:14 PM

People always ask me, "Why does your guitar have such fat strings?".

Nalte · #3 08-20-2011, 11:19 PM

I was pretty clueless until very shortly before I started playing. When I was looking for my first bass on CL, I saw ads for 5 string basses, and I thought, "What is that! I didn't even know they made those!" I am now enlightened.

thatdude · #4 08-20-2011, 11:21 PM

People ask me to play them a song on guitar then ask if they can play it.

**Staccato** · #5 08-20-2011, 11:22 PM

Say: "It plays better that way!"

or

Say: "This one has fatter strings and makes up for the difference."

pocketgroove · #6 08-20-2011, 11:31 PM

I have never been asked this before, except by young kids when I volunteer in the elementary school music classes. I guess people around here are just in the know...

Raven2k360 · #7 08-22-2011, 02:02 AM

I think I've heard, "Oh, you play guitar?"

Umm, no....thanks for playin', better luck next time. lol.

cracked_machine · #8 08-22-2011, 02:26 AM

I've also had

(In a haughty rhetorical tone) "Hmmm...Can't think of many bands where the bass player sings?"

If the bass player stands up front and sings it really confuses some people lol.

But often no one notices the bass player and when they do they just assume it's another guitar.

Transpired a friend I was talking last week didn't realize Paul McCartney played bass!? They figured because he was out front singing meant he played guitar. They thought Harrison was the on bass!? And this friend is about 60-ish, so he has a bunch of original Beatles records. Granted he isn't a musician, but just wow!

baskruit · #9 08-22-2011, 02:26 AM

I still cringe every time people mention my 'guitars'. My wife and family are now educated enough, maybe not to recognize a bass as such but at least they know that's what I play.

I was almost 18 when I started playing but I've known the difference between the two from a very young age. I believe that I did think of the bass as an easier instrument for people who weren't good enough at playing guitar. I know better now.

However when people ask me if I also play guitar I say no (which is true) and I just say them that I only have five fingers on one hand so there's no way I could play a six string instrument. Or that on a four or five string instrument I have statistically a better chance at hitting the right string.

dave64o · #10 08-22-2011, 08:36 AM

My mother-in-law still insists I play guitar (which I kind of do, I just haven't touched a six-string in many years) and always asks when I'm going to play her a song. I remind her yet again that I play bass rather than guitar and am told -yet again - that it has strings so as far as she's concerned it's a guitar. Then I tell her yet again I don't know anything she wants to hear and I'm told yet again that anybody can strum something so I should do that and she'll just sing one of her songs. And yet again I have to just suck it up and walk away so I don't say something I'll regret.

If she had no musical background I could sort of understand. But this is a woman who sang professionally when she was young and has been singing in her church choir for 60+ years. You'd think that somewhere along the line something would have sunk in.

champbassist · #11 08-22-2011, 10:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dave64o

when I'm going to play her a song.

You can play her a song on bass, can't you? Maybe some choral stuff?

boynamedsuse · #12 08-22-2011, 10:53 AM

Yes--learn a melodic line on a bass and sing to it.

With regard to the OT, two of the bass players in my church (we rotate) never heard of a short scale bass until I showed up with one. It's all an educational process. Sometimes we are the teachers and sometimes we are the students.

Richland123 · #13 08-22-2011, 11:05 AM

I tell people that I put out twice as much music with 2 less strings than a guitar player.

Infrasonik B. · #14 08-22-2011, 11:13 AM

The best has to be ''That's a big violin!'' when I pull out the DB lol

I was thinking of getting a quiver made in the shape of a chin-rest just to confuse people even more

Johnny Crab · #15 08-22-2011, 11:16 AM

So you can play this on it:
Seth Horan - Something Pretty - YouTube

MonetBass · #16 08-22-2011, 01:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dave64o

My mother-in-law still insists I play guitar (which I kind of do, I just haven't touched a six-string in many years) and always asks when I'm going to play her a song. I remind her yet again that I play bass rather than guitar and am told -yet again - that it has strings so as far as she's concerned it's a guitar. Then I tell her yet again I don't know anything she wants to hear and I'm told yet again that anybody can strum something so I should do that and she'll just sing one of her songs. And yet again I have to just suck it up and walk away so I don't say something I'll regret.

If she had no musical background I could sort of understand. But this is a woman who sang professionally when she was young and has been singing in her church choir for 60+ years. You'd think that somewhere along the line something would have sunk in.

Ha! Great story, Dave.

I've learned over the years not to bother responding to such comments. But then again, I can always pull out one of my six-stringers, hold it next to my bass, and ask "See the difference?". Or hold my EB next to my DB and say "These are essentially the same instrument. Still think I play guitar?".

Quote:

Originally Posted by Infrasonik B.

The best has to be ''That's a big violin!'' when I pull out the DB lol

I was thinking of getting a quiver made in the shape of a chin-rest just to confuse people even more

Then you can proceed to ask "Could you help me get this under my chin?".