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Wayman Tisdale Not A "True" Bassist?

#83
FlatwoundFunk said:
Yeah. That's the album I was referring to earlier that I think is a good album to check out. Good catch
FF
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Solid bass work on that album. One of the last, if not the last, he released. It's NOT the only album that he plays solid bass lines on though. Here's one that he was in solo mode on but but check out the backing bass line especially toward the end of the track. Dude could play ALL the bass he wanted to....

 
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#85
Like you I appreciate and enjoy Wayman's music and beautiful spirit.

All respect to my fellow bass players there are all sorts of opinions that seem to be popular about what makes a bass, bass player, bass players role and bass amp that I respectully remain contrary.

Opinions are like butt holes everyone has one and they all stink at least a little bit from time to time.
 
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#86
This cracks me up. He played the bass line (bottom) on his CD's too and played the melody and lead parts on piccolo bass. I know what the deal is here for real but I don't discuss politics or religion :-) Jaco played horn lines on his fretless so I guess he wasn't a real bassist either :-)
 
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#87
Kragnorak said:
It's funny: Entwistle gets lauded as a great bassist although in interviews he always bragged about his guitaristic abilities. But in many rock bands people hate to hear anything guitaristic coming from the bass and say things like "doesn't anyone just play bass anymore?" (The correct answer to that is "of course!")

So what about Thundercat? He plays a style of bass that I love, where he can move fluidly from playing bass lines to writing songs around baritone-guitar type jazz chords. Is he also not a real bassist?

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I see that you didn't get the memo that the moment you leave the 4 strings realm you play a complete different instrument that need a complete different mindset ... :D and so you don't play bass or bass-guitar anymore
 
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#88
wintremute said:
Today I learned what a piccolo bass is. So it's a bass tuned 1 octave higher. I don't understand what the big deal is. It's just a tuning. Why would people say it's not a bass? If I get a 7 string guitar and tune it really low, is it no longer a guitar?
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it is because you don,t hold the root playing quarter or if you dare 8th note ... you enter the realm of guitar frequencies ... it is like "this is my turf get eff out"
 
#90
Just proof that music is analog, not digital. Everything blends back and forth in both directions. Baritone guitar and piccolo bass? Sure, why not. I have heard music where the bass went way up high and the guitar was comping down low, essentially swapping positions. It sounded great.

And, who cares what anybody else thinks.
 
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#91
Soooo...........how 'bout all those downtuned guitars? Are they no longer guitars? There are no longer any rules when it comes to musical instruments these days. Play what you like, how you like, anytime and anyway you like! Who cares. It's all about the music! Stop putting limits and labels on things!

I still don't like music stands on stage!! ;)
 
#92
DWBass said:
Soooo...........how 'bout all those downtuned guitars? Are they no longer guitars? There are no longer any rules when it comes to musical instruments these days. Play what you like, how you like, anytime and anyway you like! Who cares. It's all about the music! Stop putting limits and labels on things!

I still don't like music stands on stage!! ;)
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Dont you label? I dont limit at all. I even play a four string guitar myself from time to time. Only difference i dont see it as a bass guitar. If i see a band and there is a drummer, singer, guitarplayer and a piccolo "bassplayer" ...well to me that band lacks a bassplayer. Nothing wrong with that. But that is how i label things :-)
 
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#93
Labeling is a vague term because you have to use labels to describe things but in the sense of how a bass player interprets his art, he's still a bass player. He's trained and worked at becoming a bass player. Sometimes one wants to expand beyond bass specific frequencies to further his art. Using a Piccolo bass does not de-validate one as a bassist. Just using another tool to convey his art. Would it be any different than Marcus Miller playing his Bass Clarinet? Is he no longer a bassist? Would defining them just as a musician be a better description for you? Whatever works man! Again, who cares what one uses to create his art? Artists use different tools to create their art. If they don't use a brush or pencil, is he not an artist?
 
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#95
DWBass said:
Labeling is a vague term because you have to use labels to describe things but in the sense of how a bass player interprets his art, he's still a bass player. He's trained and worked at becoming a bass player. Sometimes one wants to expand beyond bass specific frequencies to further his art. Using a Piccolo bass does not de-validate one as a bassist. Just using another tool to convey his art. Would it be any different than Marcus Miller playing his Bass Clarinet? Is he no longer a bassist? Would defining them just as a musician be a better description for you? Whatever works man! Again, who cares what one uses to create his art? Artists use different tools to create their art. If they don't use a brush or pencil, is he not an artist?
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I totaly agree. Marcus is a bass player even if he plays the clarinet from time to time...but i think we both agree that a clarinet is not a bass, even if it is being played by a bassist.
 
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#97
Electric bass guitar and six string electric guitar are best viewed as different sections of a continuum, with some overlap as well as a number of intermediate stages (ERB, ERG, piccolo, baritone guitar, bass VI). Many bassists are simply too obsessed with distancing themselves and their concept of the instrument they play from guitarists and guitars - I have much more sympathy for so called "failed guitarists" than guitarophobes. I'm aware I have little company in this but I'll survive.

To the OP: he played an instrument called piccolo bass (pace whoever tries to redub it differently from common usage), with bass guitar pizz technique to boot, so he was at the very least a piccolo bassist. He also played basslines to the same tunes, so yes, he was a bassist.
 
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#98
Words today in the American English language have no definite meanings. Over time, definitions and emphasis will change undoubtedly. No matter what it was or is, it may not be the same in the near or far future. We should have had a inkling of this when Run-D-MC said, "Not bad meaning bad, but bad meaning good!"
FF
 
#99
I've always enjoyed Wayman's music, having acquired most all of his solo recordings. When I decided to buy a bass a few years back, his piccolo bass was the sound I was after. Stupidly, I thought it was a regular bass strung with ss and played in the higher octaves. Now, I know better, but I never considered him anything other than a bass player.

As for the video of the bass fest, I personally feel he had musical talent but was not a bass virtuoso. I don't think he shines in that type of a musical situation. I had a similar reaction to Verdine White in another video.

Much more important than their bass virtuosity (or lack thereof) is my sincere appreciation and enjoyment of the music they made or helped make. I still routinely listen to both Wayman and EW&F.
 
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