comments on the street - Page 6

xxjazzbassist · #**101** 05-04-2011, 11:09 PM

My favorite is when i'm carrying my upright, stool, gearbag, and bass guitar out of the music building and people will stand at the door and say, "Man it must be tough to open doors with all that stuff" and then proceed to watch me try and open a door with my feet and head...idiots

. The happiest day of my bass playing career was the day they installed automatic doors that open at the push of a button for persons with disabilities. Unfortunately i kicked the button one day and as the door was opening a vocalist walks by and say, " i knew you bassists were handicapped"

moles · #**102** 05-05-2011, 04:00 PM

You mean you haven't learned to turn around and use ass power?

I've usually got the door open and am halfway to the stage by the time they can ask "Hey, can I open that for you...?"

Xwolf Okami · #**103** 07-06-2011, 04:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrew Tanner

So when walking the bass around, nobody ever gets, "I bet you wished you'd taken up the piccolo instead!"?

You should see the looks I get when I reply, "Oh, I play that too."

arthquel · #**104** 07-17-2011, 03:03 AM

I just graduated from highschool a month ago, but for the last four years I've had to put up with people telling me to "slappa da bass". Once or twice I'd be fine with, but at every public performance with high school kids around...

cept, of course, from the people that call my bass a cello.

Simandl Fan · #**105** 07-17-2011, 05:22 AM

I flew once from NYC to Minneapolis with my bass, and was called over the PA for pre-boarding along with families, etc. Not only was it called a cello, they didn't even pronounce it correctly- "Mr. Livingston and his sello may now board the plane"...

HunterBrodt · #**106** 08-28-2011, 04:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by arthquel

I just graduated from highschool a month ago, but for the last four years I've had to put up with people telling me to "slappa da bass". Once or twice I'd be fine with, but at every public performance with high school kids around...

cept, of course, from the people that call my bass a cello.

Same here. I hate this. I've gotten to the point where I'm quite rude about my response.

ThumpPlunkJunk · #**107** 08-28-2011, 05:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HunterBrodt

Same here. I hate this. I've gotten to the point where I'm quite rude about my response.

I don't even know where it's from.

I play some rockabilly tune and they usually smile or say excited things and that's the end of it.

bejoyous · #**108** 08-28-2011, 09:45 PM

One time in Orchestra London, we were rehearsing a Pops show. The piece we were working on had this crazy flute part. She had to play a variation of whatever tune it was with all these runs of 32nd notes. Meanwhile the basses just had a simple root-fifth on beats 1 & 3 part.

I leaned over to my stand partner and whispered, "Don't you wish you played flute?"

She whispered back, "No way!"

JayB · #**109** 08-29-2011, 03:56 PM

I'm a short little dude, an appearance thing compounded that I'm lugging this big thing all over New York City on public transit. I haven't gotten the "big guitar" thing in a second, but people always ask me if I wish I picked a different instrument. I tell them that other instruments don't sound like this big ol' thing, and give them a smile. They smile back like I'm nuts, which is probably fair.

Frankly, I like that people are intrigued and excited about the instrument. I mean, I am.

HunterBrodt · #**110** 08-31-2011, 09:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ThumpPlunkJunk

I don't even know where it's from.

I play some rockabilly tune and they usually smile or say excited things and that's the end of it.

It's from a movie called "I love you man". The worst part about it is that the quote comes up when there talking about reggae. I guess this is the only thing people think of when they see an upright bass?

tornadobass · #**111** 09-01-2011, 05:43 AM

Sometimes that "big cello" thing works in our favor. A friend told me he spotted such a beast in a pawn shop - even a sign on it that said "cello" - and bought it for $180.

In reality, it was a 1/2 size Christopher bass in good shape.

He's mainly a drummer, so owning a 1/2 size bass for this price is a great opportunity.

ThumpPlunkJunk · #**112** 09-01-2011, 08:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HunterBrodt

It's from a movie called "I love you man". The worst part about it is that the quote comes up when there talking about reggae. I guess this is the only thing people think of when they see an upright bass?

Probably. But still, it's better than "cello", "oboe", or "big guitar". I don't expect most people to know the name for the instrument, but "slappin' the bass" is better than those misnomers any day of the week. At least they're honestly friendly when they say it, too.