10 reasons it sucks to be a bass player(in no particular order)

[frankencow150]

1-Girls like the lead singer more than you.
2-If the lead singer is not available, girls will go to the lead guitar player, not you.
3-Gear is more expensive.
4-If you wanna solo, its gotta be really fast, complicated and covered in effects.
5-People will ask you to play rap songs on bass,because rap songs have "phat" basslines.
6-Bass has 4 strings,therefore its very easy to learn and succeed on it.
7-When you go to the bass section all you can hear is "higher ground".
8-No matter how good you are Fieldy can still make "cool sounds".
9-Bass strings are soooo expensive!
10-Wait,theres only 9 reasons it sucks to be a bass player!Theres gotta be way more for drummers and guitarists though...

[iplaybass]

HEAVY gear... one of my pet peeves. (because I'm a weakling, of course)

Hearing "Hey, that one's got more strings... isn't it better?"

Also hearing "What bass? I can't hear it... Isn't that just the guitar?"

I'm sure there's more... I just get tired of hearing guitar players whine about carrying around their little combo amp like they were moving a sofa or something.

[joke]

What's wrong with "Higher Ground"?

[*ToNeS*]

Requests for slap. In the context of punk.

Somedays I could just take a ridiculously large axe to someone's head.

[frankencow150]

Originally posted by joke
What's wrong with "Higher Ground"?

Its a nice bassline but its probably the easiest that sounds good,and people always play it and then non-musicians think theyre phenomenal.

Yeah I hate the heavy gear too. Also,its hard to hear yourself when play with guitarists.

[*ToNeS*]

Originally posted by frankencow150

Yeah I hate the heavy gear too. Also,its hard to hear yourself when play with guitarists.

You, my good sir, are playing with the wrong guitarists.

[Freaky Fender]

if there are more than 2, you could get kicked out to be the manager...

[frankencow150]

Originally posted by Freaky Fender
if there are more than 2, you could get kicked out to be the manager...

You must really hate that group of kids...
Start your own band and mak it 10 times better than theirs,that'll teach em'.

[blackmetal27]

thats what my guitarist and i did now e play the music we like

[john turner]

Originally posted by frankencow150
1-Girls like the lead singer more than you.

not in my experience.

2-If the lead singer is not available, girls will go to the lead guitar player, not you.

again, not in my experience. i've always scored the best looking chicks at the gigs my bands played. (before i was married, of course)

3-Gear is more expensive.

i don't know about that - be glad you don't play a symphony instrument.

4-If you wanna solo, its gotta be really fast, complicated and covered in effects.

not true, but you do have to know what you're doing to make a good solo. music theory is your friend.

5-People will ask you to play rap songs on bass,because rap songs have "phat" basslines.

never happened to me.

6-Bass has 4 strings,therefore its very easy to learn and succeed on it.

hee hee. again, this just doesn't happen to me, wonder why. seriously, i never even dealt with this crap when i played 4 strings. probably because i didn't hang around wingnuts who would say that kind of crap.

7-When you go to the bass section all you can hear is "higher ground".

it rules not to have to go to a music store to buy gear .

8-No matter how good you are Fieldy can still make "cool sounds".

i'd pay good money, and a lot of it, to see fieldy try and play one of my basses.

9-Bass strings are soooo expensive!

work hard, get good, and treat bass seriously and professionally, and you can work towards getting an artist deal with the string company that you like. certainly helps on the wallet.

10-Wait,theres only 9 reasons it sucks to be a bass player!Theres gotta be way more for drummers and guitarists though

yeah, i think there are, a lot more


man, i don't know what it is, but i never deal with any of this crap.

[tummage]

Top ten reasons ala Dave Letterman:

Girls like the lead singer more than you

#10 guys who can't play well, do any way, and force all the pretty girls to seek out the lead singer.

If the lead singer is not available, girls go for the guitar player

# 9 Said guys are ugly too and force the remainder of the pretty girls to seek the lead guitar player.

gear is more expensive

# 8 If untalented, ugly ogres could actually play well, money wouldn't matter, they'd have more gig's than just Moe's pizzaria on route 10 out by the airport on Tuesday night from 5-8.

If you wanna solo it's gotta be really fast, complicated and covered in effects.

# 7 If Tin earred, ugly, untalented bass players who can't play or get laid, do a solo. It's usually really fast, complicated and covered in effects, instead of rhythmically interesting, melodic and pleasant.

People will ask you to play rap songs because they have reall "phat" basslines

# 6 The aforemention miscreants, usually are put on the spot to play inane simple rap basslines, can't because of the previous reasons, and further alienate audiences for those who can and are willing to throw a fan a little respect and a snippet of a song, in appreciation of their being in the club, paying for merchandise, and having a good time, helping you to have a "good" night.

TABLE 5 YOUR PIZZA IS READY

Bass has 4 strings and therefore, easier to learn and succeed at it

# 5 Perhaps their lack pf physical prowess and mental abilities let's them assume that less strings means easier.

I pose this question to the board.

Is it not, in fact, harder to be proficient with less strings? After all would you take your car to a mechanic who's only tool is one wrench?

When you go to a bass section all you hear is higher ground

# 4 When real bassist go to a bass section, they are bombarded by, those who shall remain nameless, to get a free lesson and asked to show them the "right" way to play higher ground.

No matter how good you are Fieldy can still make "cool" sounds

# 3 Sounds does not neccessarily mean musical. (see above 7 reasons)

Bass strings are sooo expensive

# 2 Here we go. If they, those that are perpetrating a heinous fraud on the entertainment seeking public, could play, a world of free or very inexpensive strings would become available.
ie; pretty girls with jobs that you meet at gigs go after work and buy you strings and never asked to be paid back. Good players give lessons aside from gigging and are usually affiliated with some type of store making strings highly affordable.
And let's not forget King Conklin's suggestion of an artist endorsement.

Wait there's only 9 reasons...

# 1 Unlike the Forsaken, good players can "afford" to take a few minutes off from practicing, relax, and answer inane questions.

Hmmm. I have 10 maybe that's why I get the girls!

Before I married one that is.


All in Fun,

Tummage

[ldiezman]

Originally posted by john turner


not in my experience.



again, not in my experience. i've always scored the best looking chicks at the gigs my bands played. (before i was married, of course)

Its all about the mullet

I've never really had to deal with most of that stuff either. I had a guy tell me he didn't like bass because it was so simple and he only played guitar... well i invited him to come play my bass and show me a thing or two.... after humiliating him, i showed him the door and offered him some bass lessons.. i think he dropped out of school... i don't think that had anything to do with me though ....

[Ryan Berry]

People will ask you to play rap songs because they have reall "phat" basslines

If anyone asks me if i know any rap i play rappers delight cause thats the only rap bass line i've ever heared that i thought was impressive/groovy.

[Lisa Weiss]

Originally posted by frankencow150
1-Girls like the lead singer more than you.
2-If the lead singer is not available, girls will go to the lead guitar player, not you.

All I can say to that is....Thank God!

Lisa

[slick519]

Originally posted by frankencow150

6-Bass has 4 strings,therefore its very easy to learn and succeed on it.

Quote:
Hearing "Hey, that one's got more strings... isn't it better?"



Man, that really sucks. look at my signature! of course, my guitarist buddy thought that. When I bought my bass, my guitarist friend had already been playing around a year about then. ( it didnt help he was a prodigy! ) but he made me look really bad for about the first month, he was just a jackass about it all the time, getting frustrated that i couldnt "jam" that well.

now, i am getting lessons, and after only 4- 5 months of playing, i am succesfully playing in a gospel church band (HIS church) and am gettting paid to do so. the guitarist friend is still practicing scales!!

=w=Slicks=w=

[jbplayer]

Can't say I have any of the nine plus problems mentioned. I can't think of any down side to playing bass. Well maybe one. Having to turn my amp off after the last song of the night. Bummer.

[luisnovelo]

I'm not related to any of those reasons listed..

Maybe a fact that sucks to me is that being the bass player, you need more power to amplify your sound than other instruments, whether it is at a rehearsing or a gig (sp).
I've always practiced with amps from 100 to 300 watts against 15 to 60 watts for guitars..

[Stupidnick]

Originally posted by john turner



it rules not to have to go to a music store to buy gear .



i'd pay good money, and a lot of it, to see fieldy try and play one of my basses.

....Hey John.. Fieldy doesn't play bass.. remember? HeS a PeRKuSsIoNiSt oN bAsSs...WOooOOrdD HomIe G. PiMp DaWwG

[SpankBass]

Another bad thing about being a bassist is that (IME) too much is expected of you. Whenever I sit down and play with some guitarist friends, they usually say something like "Play a cool riff to this!" and they go on and start playing the chords. Thats all fine, but it seems like pulling teeth trying to get them to tell me what chords they're playing. "Uhh I'm playing this one (shows finger position that I can't make out), I think its E or something." Heaven forbid I ask them what key its in.

Ya know? Its like they get mad that you don't improv. some amazing bass riff right on the spot. Well thats my experiance anyway...

[supergreg]

"Wanna be in a band. We play easy stuff like Led Zepplin and Deep Purple"