Is The Black Bass Player Stereotype True?

[4001]

How about the white bagpipe player stereotype?

[funkytoe]

i do think that bass players get more respect in the black community. A good bassist is held in high esteem in the black community. Amongst caucasians, he's just the worst "guitarist" in the band.

[Zombierockstar]

Originally Posted by funkytoe

i do think that bass players get more respect in the black community. A good bassist is held in high esteem in the black community. Amongst caucasians, he's just the worst "guitarist" in the band.

Lol! This is awesome...and true!

[SBsoundguy]

Originally Posted by funkytoe

i do think that bass players get more respect in the black community. A good bassist is held in high esteem in the black community. Amongst caucasians, he's just the worst "guitarist" in the band.

I find this to be true at least in my experience.

[Red_Merkin]

In case anyone here hasn't seen it yet:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4E9TGlDxE48

[tekdiver500ft]

Originally Posted by Red_Merkin

In case anyone here hasn't seen it yet:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4E9TGlDxE48

I've never seen an entire episode of South Park (too old, I guess - oops, there's another stereotype), but that was frigging hilarious!

[Deoindra123]

Originally Posted by jgroh

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4E9TGlDxE48

"Token how many times do we have to go through this...Your black, you can play bass!" Hahah

[Peace Cee]

Well, I took guitar lessons starting at age twelve. 5 instructors later...frustration. Picked up a bass at a party in 11th grade. Shazaaaam! I don't know man. In the words of Token: "G*D Damnit!

[mozilla314]

If you said that most R&B and Funk bass players
were black and most Rock bass players were white,
then I would agree with that. But I don't agree that
most bassists are black in general.

[Brad Johnson]

ha ha.

[papilgee4evaeva]

Eh, I learned piano and percussion before I even touched a bass.

But I've sung bass for years. Does that count?

[BayStateBass]

Honestly, I never really thought about it. And it still doesn't seem like anything I'd think about.

I never really put the choice of instrument and color/ethnicity together.

I don't see where the two have anything in common.

[gareth dunster]

Realistically black people have always punched above their weight in all areas of music. Also Black musicians are stereotyped as being more "street" and that credibility passes onto the band they're in, even if the rest of them are white and credibility is pretty important or at least perceived to be.

[two fingers]

I have the best time with those stereotypes! One of the bands I sit in with every now and then has a black guitar player and singer, while the drummer and I are white. We do everything from Brick House to Sweet Home Alabama. (Just a very typical side project pub cover band.) But I will get on the mic and say something after Sweet Home like "Do not adjust your television sets. You DID just witness a black guitarist and singer doing Sweet Home. And while you're still trying to wrap your head around THAT, me and the other white guy are gonna kick off some Brick House!"

The looks on people's faces is PRICELESS! They look like "Um..... did he really just say that and junk? Is it OK for me to laugh?" Meanwhile, all of us in the band are about to roll. That black guitarist is more redneck than me. He knows a lot more white guy music than I do. And I have to teach him Motown stuff. Go figure.

So, yes, it's out there. I would say that non-musicians believe it more than musicians do though. The general public at large thinks that all the best bass players are black. While skin color never enters my mind when I am digging or hating a bass line. I never think about it at all until a blatantly NOT stereotypical situation like that band comes around.

But man that is fun to me! I really need to video that and youtube it sometime so you guys can see their faces. I'm laughing right now just thinking about it! But I always take great joy in the discomfort of those who try to be PC.

[SactoBass]

Originally Posted by BayStateBass

Honestly, I never really thought about it. And it still doesn't seem like anything I'd think about.

I never really put the choice of instrument and color/ethnicity together.

I don't see where the two have anything in common.

+1

I think about skin color about as much as I think about eye color or fingernail length. I guess that makes me somewhat of a misfit in this world of human-generated stereotyping. From my perspective, we humans, regardless of physical features, are just a bunch of silly bugs running around on this planet.

[ArvindJayaram]

Dude, of course, it's true.

In fact, black people are better at *all* instruments.

But America is the biggest economy in the world. And white people control all the money in the USA.

But white people didn't want to listen to black people playing.

The record industry caught on and now white bands are de rigeur. You know, rustle up some college boys, get their daddy to bankroll the project....

- Jimmy Rage

[Red_Merkin]

Originally Posted by ArvindJayaram

black people are better at *all* instruments.

Does that include Bagpipes, Glockenspiel, Theremin, and Banjo?

[JakeF]

Originally Posted by Red_Merkin

Does that include Bagpipes, Glockenspiel, Theremin, and Banjo?

I'm fairly certain bagpipes can never be played well.

Know what the call a person who can play bagpipes but never does? A gentleman.

[SactoBass]

Originally Posted by JakeF

I'm fairly certain bagpipes can never be played well.

Know what the call a person who can play bagpipes but never does? A gentleman.

LOL! I remember being somewhere with my Dad a few years ago (some public place where people gather and wander around), and there was a guy playing the bagpipes. My Dad said to me, "I sure wish he would find the note he's looking for!"

[dbase]

Most, if not all of my bass idols are black bass players, My guitar idols are all white.. go figure.