Will someone proofread my essay? It's over the importance of the bass guitar in music

[duo8675309]

Grammar nazis, I'm talking to you.

I figured it was relevant to this forum, and who better to proofread it than a bunch of smart bass players! Specifically it's a concept essay on the importance of the bass guitar in popular music. I tried to write it for an audience that has little to no knowledge of music, which is hard to do. The conclusion is a little rushed as well. I was tired and I've never been good with them anyhow. Be brutally honest; this is a college course and she takes her job a little too seriously if you know what I mean. Thanks in advance! (btw, i haven't added the parenthetical references or works cited yet as its just a draft, and the paragraph indents didn't make it through the copy and paste. )


When you go to a concert and feel the earth rumble beneath your feat, do you ever think what’s causing it? When you bob your head and tap your feet to a good beat, do you ever think what’s making it? You may have never noticed it or even know what it is, but the bass guitar is the instrument that has been defining popular music since 1951. The bass line provides the foundation of the chord being played and links the melody to the rhythm of the drums or on occasion provides the rhythm.
Although it may not seem like it, the bass guitar is relatively new to the music scene. Until then, the double bass was used to provide the low end to bands. Due to its large size and limited range in volume, players were looking for something more portable and suitable for larger venues. Leo Fender had just released his extremely popular electric guitar, the Stratocaster, and in lieu of its success decided to make a bass counterpart. Named for the fretted neck which allowed players to play each note with perfect intonation as opposed to the fretless double bass, the Precision Bass Guitar remains to this day the standard upon which nearly all bass guitars are made.
Since then, the bass guitar has taken a strong but subtle hold on the music scene. While it is not as popular as its six-stringed friend, no other instrument is used in such a wide variety of ensembles as the bass, as it is affectionately known. From jazz to rock, funk to pop, and even in classical settings, you can be sure there is a bass player holding down the groove and drawing you into the music. In fact, some artists, such as Victor Wooten, have made entire careers out of being solo bass guitarists.
There are three major parts to a bass guitar: the body, the neck, and the headstock. Generally, these are made of woods such as maple or ash, but other materials such as graphite have also been used. If you were holding the bass sitting down as if you were playing it, the body would be the part resting on your leg. Assuming you are right handed, your left had would be holding the neck, with the headstock at the end. The pickups, located on the body, use a magnetic field to pick up the vibrations of the metallic strings. The strings are attached to a metal plate called the bridge, located on the body, and span across the neck to the headstock, where they are attached to tuning pegs. On the front of the neck lies the fret board, upon which anywhere from nineteen to twenty-four frets are placed. Frets are strips of metal laid perpendicular to the neck. When a player presses down on a string and picks a note, the fret being played stops the vibration from continuing down the string, ensuring the note is perfectly in tune. Some basses are fretless, and the vibration is stopped solely with the pressure of the player’s finger.
In popular music, such as rock, the bass plays a supporting role. For this reason, the bass guitar often goes unnoticed through most of the song, being more “felt” than heard. This does not mean it is inferior to the other instruments, however. As Adrian Ashton said in his book, “Many people forget that the bass can carry the rhythm and melody, something rare amongst musical instruments.” This is best illustrated with a four-piece rock band.
Working with the drums, the bass provides the groove by either matching its notes with the strike of the drum or playing in syncopation with it. The relationship between the drummer and the bassist is very important to the band, as they perform together as one solid unit to make up the rhythm section. Professional bassists are known to spend hours on end working with a metronome in order to get their sense of time and rhythm as precise as possible.
At the same time, the bass works with the guitar to lay the foundation of the chord being played. While the guitar typically plays the notes of the chord simultaneously, the bass outlines this by playing them individually. The notes the bassist chooses to play have a dramatic effect on the overall mood of the chord. Usually the bass plays the root note of the chord, strengthening it and allowing the guitar to play other riffs and solos without making the song lose sight of the chord being played. Often the bass will “walk” along the scale, outlining all the different parts of the chord. A skilled bassist can even change the entire chord being played with just one note, depending on what the guitar is doing.
Still further the bass provides vocal harmony, bolstering the singer’s voice. Many singers use the bass line as a reference pitch. The low frequencies resonate through their bodies better, making it easier to match their voice with the bass rather than the guitar, which tends to have more technical parts. Bassists have to be careful not to get too complex with their playing to avoid throwing the singer off.
Many people think bass lines are simple because the bass is an easy instrument to play, but as you can see the reason is quite the opposite. As the mortar in the brick wall that is the band, the bass is very limited in what can be played because of all the other instruments relying on it. If played independent from the beat, the entire rhythm section falls apart. If played too melodically, the chord becomes weak with no foothold in the song. If played without regard to the vocals, the vocal harmony is changed and might not sound as the singer intended. The bass player has a huge responsibility in the band to keep things together; one that often goes unappreciated.
Just like yourself, music is a living, breathing thing, and the bass is the steady, beating heart keeping it alive. So next time you catch yourself tapping your foot to a song you like, take a minute and listen to the bass line. You just might hear a side to that song you’ve never heard before.

[Mark Wilson]

I'm gonna type as I go.

1) you spelled "feet" wrong in the first sentence.

[CrispyDelicious]

That's when I gave up.

[Mark Wilson]

your left had would be holding the neck, with the headstock at the end. The pickups, located on the body, use a magnetic field to pick up the vibrations of the metallic strings.

Hand*

[Mark Wilson]

For this reason, the bass guitar often goes unnoticed through most of the song, being more “felt” than heard

Doesn't sit right to me. maybe...say something along the lines of...hell i don't know. think of something. "more 'felt' rather than being heard" or something.

[Mark Wilson]

As Adrian Ashton said in his book,

Who is Adrian Ashton?

[Mark Wilson]

as they perform together as one solid unit to make up the rhythm section.

Guitar and Piano are parts of a rhythm section, too.

Professional bassists are known to spend hours on end working with a metronome in order to get their sense of time and rhythm as precise as possible.

i'm being REALLY picky, but guys like Jeff Berlin are total advocates on NOT using a metronome. Maybe just say...SOME professional bassists? Or add in that there are people who don't believe in it. But that's another essay topic.

[Mark Wilson]

Many singers use the bass line as a reference pitch. The low frequencies resonate through their bodies better, making it easier to match their voice with the bass rather than the guitar, which tends to have more technical parts.

That's news to me...
kinda cool, but I've never heard that theory.

[Mark Wilson]

Bassists have to be careful not to get too complex with their playing to avoid throwing the singer off.

not a criticism, but...stupid singers.

[Mark Wilson]

Many people think bass lines are simple because the bass is an easy instrument to play, but as you can see the reason is quite the opposite.

What reason?

[duo8675309]

Originally Posted by CrispyDelicious

That's when I gave up.

Yeah that's really embarrassing. Hah. Keep in mind I typed this in one night, and it was rushed at that. Thanks, Mark. I would have never caught the had/hand thing. And I gave my reason in the following sentences, that part was kind of leading in to the rest of it. Or that was my intent.

[Mark Wilson]

Originally Posted by duo8675309

Yeah that's really embarrassing. Hah. Keep in mind I typed this in one night, and it was rushed at that. Thanks, Mark. I would have never caught the had/hand thing. And I gave my reason in the following sentences, that part was kind of leading in to the rest of it. Or that was my intent.

Maybe it was just a little unclear.

it's not bad to restate your point to get the point across.

[bass12]

Okay, although I haven't corrected every problem with your essay, I've changed quite a bit of it. Aside from any spelling, punctuation or grammar mistakes, I'd say one of your biggest problems is not backing up what you've said. You said this is for a college course? You may not yet have learned about the importance of acknowledging sources and covering your behind when making certain statements. A good place to start is by using words such as "perhaps", "often", "typically", "generally" and so forth. The use of such terms leaves you less open to attack by critics (in this case, your teacher). You'll notice places where I've added words such as "perhaps" and "often"...

Personal comments are in bold typeface. Otherwise, I have just gone ahead and made certain changes (you'll have to just compare your original with mine). Hope it all works out.

When you go to a concert and feel the earth rumble beneath your feet, do you ever think about what’s causing it? When you bob your head and tap your feet to a good beat, do you ever think about what’s making it? You may never have been conscious about it, but the bass guitar is an instrument that has been helping to defining popular music since 1951 (This isn't really true - do some research on who was using the electric bass during the early-to-mid 1950s). The bass line provides the foundation of the chord being played and links the melody to the rhythm of the drums, as well as helping to establish the rhythm.
Although it may not seem like it, the bass guitar is relatively new to the music scene (which music scene?). Until then, the double bass tended to be used to provide the low end to bands (tubas and trombones?). Due to the large size and limited volume capabilities of the double bass, bassists were looking for something more portable and suitable for larger venues. Leo Fender had just released his extremely popular electric guitar, the Stratocaster (in what year? Tell us), and in lieu of its success decided to make a bass counterpart. Named for the fretted neck which allowed players to play each note with perfect intonation as opposed to the fretless double bass, the Precision Bass Guitar remains to this day the standard upon which nearly all bass guitars are made.
Since then (since when?), the bass guitar has taken a strong but subtle hold on the music scene (which music scene? Be more specific). While it is not as popular as its six-stringed friend, the guitar, no other instrument is used in such a wide variety of ensembles as the bass. From jazz to rock, funk to pop, and even in classical settings, you can be sure there is a bass player holding down the groove and drawing you into the music (here you are confusing things. You've been discussing the bass guitar and now you're talking about classical music. New paragraph). In fact, some artists, such as Victor Wooten, have made entire careers out of being solo bass guitarists (this sentence comes out of nowhere. If you want to include it, I would add a separate paragraph on solo bass).
There are three major parts to a bass guitar: the body, the neck, and the headstock. Generally, these are made of wood (such as maple or ash) but other materials (such as graphite) have also been used. If you were holding the bass sitting down as if you were playing it, the body would be the part resting on your leg. Assuming you are right handed, your left hand would be holding the neck. The pickups, located on the body, use a magnetic field to pick up the vibrations of the metallic strings. The strings are attached to a metal plate called the "bridge", located on the body, and span across the neck to the headstock, where they are attached to tuning pegs. On the front of the neck lies the fret board, upon which lie anywhere from nineteen to twenty-four frets(some basses have more than twenty-four frets). Frets are strips of metal laid perpendicular to the neck. When the bassist presses down on a string and picks a note, the fret being played stops the vibration from continuing down the string, ensuring the note is in tune (no bass is "perfectly" in tune). Some basses are fretless, and the vibration is stopped solely with the pressure of the player’s finger.
In popular music, such as rock, the bass plays a supporting role. It is perhaps for this reason that the bass guitar goes largely unnoticed by many through most of a given song, being more “felt” than heard. This does not, however, mean it is inferior to the other instruments. According to Adrian Ashton (author of ...), “Many people forget that the bass can carry the rhythm and melody, something rare amongst musical instruments.” This multi-faceted role is, perhaps, best illustrated with a four-piece rock band.
Working with the drums, the bass provides the "groove" (you might want to define "groove") by either matching its notes with the strike of the drum or playing in syncopation with it. The relationship between the drummer and the bassist is very important to the band, as together they constitute the foundation of the rhythm section. Professional bassists are known to spend hours on end working with a metronome in order to get their sense of time and rhythm as precise as possible.
In addition to playing as a "unit" with the drummer, the bass works with the guitar to lay the foundation of the chord being played. While the guitar typically plays the notes of the chord simultaneously, the bass often outlines the chord by playing notes individually. The notes the bassist chooses to play have a dramatic effect on the overall mood of the chord. Usually, the bass plays the "root note" of the chord, strengthening it and allowing the guitar to play other riffs and solos without making the song lose sight of the chord being played. Often the bass will “walk” along the scale, outlining all the different parts of the chord. A skilled bassist can even change the entire chord being played with just one note, depending on what the guitar is doing.
Moreover, the bass provides vocal harmony, bolstering the singer’s voice. Many singers use the bass line as a reference pitch. The low frequencies resonate through a singer's body (says who?), making it easier to match his or her voice with the bass rather than with the guitar (or other instruments), which tends to have more technical parts. Bassists have to be careful not to get too complex with their playing to avoid throwing the singer off (I wouldn't say this because I'm pretty sure it isn't true for most singers).
Many people think bass lines are simple because the bass is an easy instrument to play (is it? Again, says who?), but as has been pointed out, the reason is quite the opposite. As the mortar in the brick wall that is the band, the bass is very limited in what can be played because of all the other instruments relying on it (ever listen to fusion? This definitely isn't always true. You need to specify the music you are referring to). If the bass is played in a rhythmically unstable manner, the entire rhythm section falls apart. If played too melodically, the chord becomes weak with no foothold in the song. If played without regard to the vocals, the vocal harmony is changed and might not sound as the singer intended. The bass player has a huge responsibility in the band to keep things together musically; sadly, this responsibility often goes unappreciated.
Just like yourself, music is a living, breathing thing (ummm - really? You might want to rethink that one), and the bass is the steady, beating heart keeping it alive. So next time you catch yourself tapping your foot to a song you like, take a minute and listen to the bass line. You just might hear a side to that song you’ve never heard before.

[HailCorduroy]

Originally Posted by duo8675309

and in lieu of its success decided to make a bass counterpart.

Should probably use "in light" or "in the wake" there. "In lieu" means in place of or instead.

[duo8675309]

First off, thanks to everyone who commented. I really appreciate it. Bass12, I really wish I had posted this thread earlier. I could have used that advice, but I had already left the apartment by the time you had commented. I'll definitely make sure I keep those things in mind, and she gives us a chance to revise our essays later in the year so I'll be sure and come back to this thread for reference then. I normally am pretty responsible when it comes to these things, but I contracted h1n1 a week and a half ago and haven't been feeling very well at all, so I put it off until the last minute. I admit, I typed that entire essay in about three hours and completely butchered the writing process. I didn't even research the subject so much as I typed what I knew, found an old bass book I had laying around and a barely relevant article on the school library's website and added in-text citations where they seemed like they fit.

I really wish things had turned out differently and I had more time to research it and write a proper paper. I think I did alright under the circumstances though. Plus it's a 1010 class, and she admitted the goal is less about our accuracy on the subject and more about our ability to put our thoughts into words. At any rate, here's the final version. I tried to revise it as best I could, but I really stretched time thin on this one. I'm hoping/expecting a C, but who knows. Again thank you all.


The Importance of the Bass Guitar in Popular Music
When you go to a concert and feel the earth rumble beneath your feet, do you ever take a moment to think of what’s causing it? When a beat captivates you and draws you into the music, do you ever consider what’s making you get lost in the song? Although often unnoticed, the bass guitar is the instrument that has been holding down the low end and defining popular music since its conception 1951 (Smith 29). The bass line provides the foundation of the chord being played and links the melody to the rhythm of the drums.

Although it may not seem like it, the bass guitar is relatively new to the music scene. Until then, the double bass was used to provide the low end to bands. Due to its large size and limited range in volume, players were looking for something more portable and suitable for larger venues (Ashton 7). Leo Fender had just released his extremely popular electric guitar, the Stratocaster, and in lieu of its success decided to make a bass counterpart. Named for the fretted neck which allowed players to play each note with perfect intonation as opposed to the fretless double bass, the Precision Bass Guitar remains to this day the standard upon which nearly all bass guitars are made (Smith 32).

Since then, the bass guitar has taken a strong but subtle hold on the music scene. While it is not as popular as its six-stringed friend, no other instrument is used in such a wide variety of ensembles as the bass, as it is affectionately known. From jazz to rock, funk to pop, and even in classical settings, you can be sure there is a bass player holding down the groove and drawing you into the music. In fact, some artists, such as Victor Wooten, have made entire careers out of being solo bass guitarists.

There are three major parts to a bass guitar: the body, the neck, and the headstock. Generally, these are made of woods such as maple or ash, but other materials such as graphite have also been used. If you were holding the bass sitting down as if you were playing it, the body would be the part resting on your leg. Assuming you are right handed, your left hand would be holding the neck, with the headstock at the end. The pickups, located on the body, use a magnetic field to pick up the vibrations of the metallic strings. The strings are attached to a metal plate called the bridge, located on the body, and span across the neck to the headstock, where they are attached to tuning pegs. On the front of the neck lies the fret board, upon which anywhere from nineteen to twenty-four frets are placed. Frets are strips of metal laid perpendicular to the neck. When a player presses down on a string and picks a note, the fret being played stops the vibration from continuing down the string, ensuring the note is perfectly in tune. Some basses are fretless, and the vibration is stopped solely with the pressure of the player’s finger (Ashton 13).

In popular music, such as rock, the bass plays a supporting role. For this reason, the bass guitar often goes unnoticed through most of the song, being more “felt” than heard. This does not mean it is inferior to the other instruments, however. As Adrian Ashton said in his book The Bass Handbook, “Many people forget that the bass can carry the rhythm and melody, something rare amongst musical instruments.” This is best illustrated with a four-piece rock band.

Working with the drums, the bass provides the groove by either matching its notes with the strike of the drum or playing in syncopation with it. The relationship between the drummer and the bassist is very important to the band, as they perform together as one solid unit to make up the rhythm section. Professional bassists are known to spend hours on end working with a metronome in order to get their sense of time and rhythm as precise as possible.

At the same time, the bass works with the guitar to lay the foundation of the chord being played. While the guitar typically plays the notes of the chord simultaneously, the bass outlines this by playing them individually. The notes the bassist chooses to play have a dramatic effect on the overall mood of the chord. Usually the bass plays the root note of the chord, strengthening it and allowing the guitar to play other riffs and solos without making the song lose sight of the chord being played. Often the bass will “walk” along the scale, outlining all the different parts of the chord. A skilled bassist can even change the entire chord being played with just one note, depending on what the guitar is doing.

Still further the bass provides vocal harmony, bolstering the singer’s voice. Many singers use the bass line as a reference pitch. The low frequencies resonate through their bodies better, making it easier to match their voice with the bass rather than the guitar, which tends to have more technical parts. Bassists have to be careful not to get too complex with their playing to avoid throwing the singer off.

Many people think bass lines are simple because the bass is a support instrument and relatively easy to learn, but as you can see, things are quite the opposite. What may come across as simple can be a very carefully calculated piece of music. As the mortar in the brick wall that is the band, the bass has many obstacles to overcome in terms of what can be played because of all the other instruments relying on it. If played independent from the beat, the entire rhythm section falls apart. If played too melodically, the chord becomes weak with no foothold in the song. If played without regard to the vocals, the vocal harmony is changed and might not sound as the singer intended. The bass player has a huge responsibility in the band to keep things together; one that often goes unappreciated.

Just like yourself, music is a living, breathing thing, and the bass is the steady, beating heart keeping it alive. So next time you catch yourself tapping your foot to a song you like, take a minute and listen to the bass line. You just might hear a side to that song you’ve never heard before.

Works Cited
Ashton, Adrian. The Bass Handbook. 1. San Francisco, CA: Backbeat Books, 2006. Print.
Smith, Richard. " Leo Fender's Bass Revolution: The Origin of Precision Bass & Jazz Bass." Bass Player. 7.9 (1996): 28-31, 34-36. Print.

[username n/a]

Originally Posted by duo8675309

Leo Fender had just released his extremely popular electric guitar, the Stratocaster, and in lieu of its success decided to make a bass counterpart.

Yeah, that's not true, but whatever.

[Eric Perry]

Originally Posted by Mark Wilson

That's news to me...
kinda cool, but I've never heard that theory.

Yeah, in my last band, the singer's IEM mix was predominantly bass. It used to make him crazy whenever I hit a clam. Hahaha

[cdef]

Originally Posted by duo8675309

[...] Leo Fender had just released his extremely popular electric guitar, the Stratocaster, and in lieu of its success decided to make a bass counterpart.

"In lieu of" means something like "instead of" or "failing that". Your intended meaning is probably "in view of".

Originally Posted by duo8675309

[...] The bass player has a huge responsibility in the band to keep things together; one that often goes unappreciated.

No need for a semicolon here, use a comma.