Howcome people who don't play an instrument think bass is easy

mv209 · #1 07-19-2008, 08:51 PM

You know what's sort of a funny thing? When someone makes fun of me for playing bass, asks why I'm playing bass, or tells me that it's easy to play it's someone who doesn't know how to play any instruments.

Example:
My friend: Why did you choose to play bass it's so easy, you just pluck strings with your fingers and it only has four strings.
Me: How would you know? Have you ever played a bass?
My friend: well, um, kind of, in a way, eh, no.

4 strings don't make an instrument easy

Example:
1. No one has ever thought of the violin as being easy.
2. Cut the 2 lightest strings of of someone's guitar and see if the instrument is easier for them

Playing with your fingers, slapping and popping are all harder than playing with a pick

tom once dead · #2 07-19-2008, 08:55 PM

when people ask me that i just do a little tapping thing, and they shut up

bobinverted · #3 07-19-2008, 09:00 PM

The next time someone says that to you remember... a bass guitar is also a good weapon.

THWACK!

knarleybass · #4 07-19-2008, 09:01 PM

They think it's easy because so many great players make it look so easy.

jim primate · #5 07-19-2008, 09:02 PM

it is easy. guitar is also easy. as are drums. so is piano.

wind instruments, those are hard.

mv209 · #6 07-19-2008, 09:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jim primate

it is easy. guitar is also easy. as are drums. so is piano.

wind instruments, those are hard.

I agree with that if, these instruments aren't easy why else would they be so popular, and almost anyone who picks up these instruments will learn at least one song, but it's the fact that they think that bass is a whole lot easier than guitar and drums.

WyrdoBass · #7 07-19-2008, 09:22 PM

I really hate people who say that...I totally agree that noone says violin is easy, cello, etc. And as a cellist noone has ever told me that it's an easy instrument.
It seems like bass is just seen differently. My friends think that bass is essentially a retarded guitar. Yeah. Let's see a guitarist lay down a groove without buzzing.

capnsandwich · #8 07-19-2008, 09:24 PM

The answer is ignorance. They have no clue about music so they pretty much go with the standard school of thought that the bass is an easy instrument to play. The bass is one of the easiest instruments to learn and begin on but one of the hardest to master. Any mature musician will tell you that they appreciate a good bass player and that a good bassist is a hard commodity to come by.

steve66 · #9 07-19-2008, 10:48 PM

Bass is easy. That must be the reason why were in such high demand.

SpectorBass308 · #10 07-19-2008, 10:50 PM

Any instrument is amazingly difficult to master

AlphaMale · #11 07-19-2008, 10:54 PM

Actually I think the four strings make it harder.
You can't just keep going down the scale vertically;.

Munjibunga · #12 07-20-2008, 02:58 AM

Because it is.

4StringTheorist · #13 07-20-2008, 03:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobinverted

The next time someone says that to you remember... a bass guitar is also a good weapon.

THWACK!

True. The Steinberger is an excellent weapon. Good heft. club-like shape. Carbon composite neck. You can whack someone upside the head and still be in tune.

I always feel safe when I happen to take a stage with my Steinberger XP-2.

James Hart · #14 07-20-2008, 03:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Munjibunga

Because it is.

yup... downright simple.

Funk 'N' Stein · #15 07-20-2008, 05:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Munjibunga

Because it is.

I totally agree....it aint rocket science!!!

TheDarkReaver · #16 07-20-2008, 09:32 AM

Compared to a lot of other 4 stringed intruments it is easier to start learning.

jsingles · #17 07-20-2008, 09:46 AM

cuz they think playing only 1 note at a time MUST be easier

it really just is ignorance and the lack of bassists as frontmen in pop these days.

Disappear · #18 07-20-2008, 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4StringTheorist

True. The Steinberger is an excellent weapon. Good heft. club-like shape. Carbon composite neck. You can whack someone upside the head and still be in tune.

I always feel safe when I happen to take a stage with my Steinberger XP-2.

I love your Avatar!

I started learning wind instruments first. There is so much you have to know about and manipulating your mouth to do it and terms, styles of playing, legato staccato etc...
Now learning the bass, I find there is just as much to know, if not more. You don't hear woodwinds talking about having different woods in their clarinets. I had to learn all about the strings, pickups, wood tones, frets etc.

Guitarists can go shove it! Without us [bassists], they would sound too plain... unless they were good. We improve the sound.

I suppose people think bass is easy because, let's face it, you can get away with playing the root of the chord.

ilikeindie · #19 07-20-2008, 10:25 AM

If I hear someone say "It's easy! It only has four strings" one more time...I don't even know..

bl2112 · #20 07-20-2008, 11:36 AM

This happen at my art class. My friend brought his bass for the after school hang of musicians or students who think they are musicians........... This one girl said I can play better then you. I said ok here play this. I play the yyz main riff. Thats not hard. Then a part of portrait of tracy. She shut up. Plus my other friend is crazy and started cursing her out and all this otehr stuff.