Just read this on a guitar forum :)

[Jarrett]

Just saw this over at TGP

"IMO the problem is the way that non-guitar players hear the guitar. Which is why it's dangerous to put too much credence to what the bass player says."

[somedumbguy]

Don't we as bass players say the same thing about guitarists?

[WJGreer]

Originally Posted by Jarrett

Just saw this over at TGP

"IMO the problem is the way that non-guitar players hear the guitar. Which is why it's dangerous to put too much credence to what the bass player says."

Sounds like another way to say "everyone else is wrong and I am right".

I read once that an inordinate percentage of music producers are also bass players. The author's contention is that our role in bands requires us to listen more closely to the entire sound spectrum than other players do. I'm not sure I agree, but the article made me feel important so I remembered it.

[Meyatch]

Awesome advice for guitar players that play solely for other guitar players

[Jim Campbell]

Originally Posted by WJGreer

Sounds like another way to say "everyone else is wrong and I am right".

I read once that an inordinate percentage of music producers are also bass players. The author's contention is that our role in bands requires us to listen more closely to the entire sound spectrum than other players do. I'm not sure I agree, but the article made me feel important so I remembered it.

i think there is something to be said for a bass guy being in a perfect position to see the big picture

[john turner]

Originally Posted by somedumbguy

Don't we as bass players say the same thing about guitarists?

alot of bassists do, yeah. people are people, and egos are delicate, no matter what instrument they play. for every 1 who is really both confident and open-minded enough to consider other folks' opinions about their playing and sound, there are many whose egos won't let them, regardless of instrument.

[Fretless1!]

Originally Posted by Jim Campbell

i think there is something to be said for a bass guy being in a perfect position to see the big picture

So do I.

What is TGP? Got a link?

[Jarrett]

http://www.thegearpage.net/board/sho...7&postcount=24

[waleross]

Since I've been taking guitar lessons for about 4 months I see both bass and guitar as one instrument. My guitar instructor played both bass and drums in rock groups and I the idea is to learn songs learn your part no matter what. I go on the Fender guitar forums and what they say about the bass if anything doesn't matter. Playing the bass like the drums you have to have thick skin from guitards......

[wideyes]

I think the percentage of real musicians is rather even across the board. It's just that more idiots want to play guitar than any other instrument. I'm not being facetious here.

[JohnMCA72]

Originally Posted by wideyes

I think the percentage of real musicians is rather even across the board. It's just that more idiots want to play guitar than any other instrument. I'm not being facetious here.

+1 here. I think that maybe the guitar doesn't screen out the idiots as well as bass. By that, though, I mean those who really want to play bass, as opposed to those who really wanted to play guitar but couldn't, & think bass must be "easier" for some reason.

[Goatee220]

Originally Posted by JohnMCA72

+1 here. I think that maybe the guitar doesn't screen out the idiots as well as bass. By that, though, I mean those who really want to play bass, as opposed to those who really wanted to play guitar but couldn't, & think bass must be "easier" for some reason.

I think guitar and drums get more "glory", and that tends to attract more knuckleheads than bass.

[wideyes]

Originally Posted by Goatee220

I think guitar and drums get more "glory", and that tends to attract more knuckleheads than bass.

You got it.

[xxfaux_punkxx]

" And with out giving credence to the bass player the guitarist has no rythm to go off of, which will of coarse be heard by non-guitarist."

[ScreaminSGs]

I took violin, clarinet, & sax in orchestra, concert band, and stage band for 6 years in school before I took up guitar and bass. I was trained to be just a piece of the whole.

Most guitarists learned to play creating the entire song by themselves, a lot like pianists. Many guitarist's goal is to play lead in rock songs. Their musical exposure is very narrow. Most guitarists don't understand the role of the other players in a song. They see the role of the rest of the band as giving the guitarist a platform to shine.

In most rock music, the meat of the song is the bass and drums, the guitar is the fluff. If the bass and drums lock up the guitarist can do most anything. The bass and drums is what you dance to, not the guitar.

[capnsandwich]

Playing a song is a lot like building a house. You have a foundation and dimensions(drums and bass), you have structure (rhythm guitars, keys, harmonies), and you have aesthetics (lead vocals, lead guitars, musical hooks etc.) In order to understand how a house will stand and how strong/well built it is you need to get down to the foundation of it. That goes the same way with music. In order to see how well written a song is or how well it's structured, you need to get to the basic rhythms and foundation of it. A guitarist can only do as much as the rhythm section will allow him. If he goes overboard then it'll stick out like a sore thumb and "collapse", thus leaving him looking and sounding like an idiot.

This guy posting this is like a painter telling a concrete/block layer how to build a house. Hey painter, shut up and paint. We'll do the heavy stuff. You just make it look good when it's done!

[caeman]

I am curious if the opinion of "My instrument is superior" comes mostly from players that were never in band. I was in band from age 10 through graduation. All those years drilled the idea into me that music is a team effort*.

If you did not grow up in that environment, how would one expect to understand that? Especially with an instrument -- guitar -- that is portrayed in the media with such vigor as to believe it really is the hand of god in the band.


*excepting the solo acoustic act of a guy and a guitar.

[Sartori]

Originally Posted by ScreaminSGs

I took violin, clarinet, & sax in orchestra, concert band, and stage band for 6 years in school before I took up guitar and bass. I was trained to be just a piece of the whole.

Most guitarists learned to play creating the entire song by themselves, a lot like pianists. Many guitarist's goal is to play lead in rock songs. Their musical exposure is very narrow. Most guitarists don't understand the role of the other players in a song. They see the role of the rest of the band as giving the guitarist a platform to shine.

In most rock music, the meat of the song is the bass and drums, the guitar is the fluff. If the bass and drums lock up the guitarist can do most anything. The bass and drums is what you dance to, not the guitar.

People dance to rock music?

[Sartori]

Originally Posted by caeman

I am curious if the opinion of "My instrument is superior" comes mostly from players that were never in band. I was in band from age 10 through graduation. All those years drilled the idea into me that music is a team effort*.

If you did not grow up in that environment, how would one expect to understand that? Especially with an instrument -- guitar -- that is portrayed in the media with such vigor as to believe it really is the hand of god in the band.


*excepting the solo acoustic act of a guy and a guitar.

Same, I was also a band kid.

And so I also have trouble understanding how people can have the mindset that the music is all about them and everything else is extraneous.

[Ric5]

Originally Posted by Jarrett

Just saw this over at TGP

"IMO the problem is the way that non-guitar players hear the guitar. Which is why it's dangerous to put too much credence to what the bass player says."

We just can't worry about what guitards say ... it is not like they are intelligent or musicians or something ...