sadly there are a lot of "bassists" that are failed guitarists. and it's these so-called bassists that people get their generalized negative views from. Don't like being called a failed guitarist? Then stop running your mouth and start showing people what a real bassist is capable of!
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Are bassists looked down upon?
- Thread starter Thundersteel
- Start date
Rob, I dont look tough, I think tough.
And I'm an old man son, so tough is relative !
Dont let some fool dis ur world with some irrelevant opinion. Be true to yourself, not others opinion of you.
And I'm an old man son, so tough is relative !
Dont let some fool dis ur world with some irrelevant opinion. Be true to yourself, not others opinion of you.
A good guitar player can provide some rhythm and melody.
A good bassist can provide bottom, rhythm, melody and percussion.
If guitar players ceased to exist ( perhaps because of some freak meteor strike or selective disease ), two good bass players could carry on and almost nobody would notice.
Let's see two guitar players do that. Sure they could switch octaves, but thats nowhere near the whole deal and we know that.
JKT
A good bassist can provide bottom, rhythm, melody and percussion.
If guitar players ceased to exist ( perhaps because of some freak meteor strike or selective disease ), two good bass players could carry on and almost nobody would notice.
Let's see two guitar players do that. Sure they could switch octaves, but thats nowhere near the whole deal and we know that.
JKT
Bassists looked down upon? Only if from jealousy. Bassists and Drummers are usually the only player in their individual categories in a band (you can have two guitars and keyboards but one bass and drums usually). If we bassists change the note we play we control the resolution of the chord. Chords are built from the bottom up and we can make a chord into another or cause it to be a poly-chord ( Emin/A ).
We can play with the drummer or compliment him with patterns/rhythms of OUR choosing. I think being a bassist is being in a pretty exclusive club. How about you?
We can play with the drummer or compliment him with patterns/rhythms of OUR choosing. I think being a bassist is being in a pretty exclusive club. How about you?
I agree Bassland. We build the foundation. I noddle around in an orignal rock band. Let me tell you, the guitarist and lead vocalist have mini orgasms when I lay down a righteous bassline to their " new song". IT makes it live and breathe.
BTW, a general rule of thumb in all my personal endeavors, I dont cotton much to anyone looking down at anyone.
Who gives the right to judge?
BTW, a general rule of thumb in all my personal endeavors, I dont cotton much to anyone looking down at anyone.
Who gives the right to judge?
Funny thing that, My guitard started his music life on Bass, couldnt get it down so he picked up a guitar instead. Not saying hes a good guitarist now like!!!
My advice is if you ever find yourself in a situation where one of the other musicians criticizes an entire instrument (in this case calling bassists failed guitarists, or saying bass is easy to play) - quit.
That person knows absolutely nothing about music.
That person knows absolutely nothing about music.
There are a lot of guitards who don't *get* the difference between the instruments - they think a bass is just a big guitar.
I actually had a conversation with the guitard in my band this morning where he said "you know, I was listening to a U2 song this morning and that bass player is just playing a few notes but like with the drummer. It was pretty cool."
I actually had a conversation with the guitard in my band this morning where he said "you know, I was listening to a U2 song this morning and that bass player is just playing a few notes but like with the drummer. It was pretty cool."
Yeah I once had an associate giving me a little ribbing about being a bassist, the usual "only 4 strings" etc blah blah, until I showed him the 6-string unlined fretless I had at the time and he was like "...oh." It's always entertaining to watch the clueless guitarists try to fumble around on something like that. 
But inevitably some will go "why do you need all those strings?" which directly contradicts the "LOL only 4 strings!!!!!!" thing they had going earlier.
(Side note: I've been playing guitar as long as I've been playing bass and it's really the best of both worlds to me. Love 'em both!)
Really, the bassists and guitarists should just set aside their differences and coordinate their attacks on something more worthwhile... like drummers.
But inevitably some will go "why do you need all those strings?" which directly contradicts the "LOL only 4 strings!!!!!!" thing they had going earlier. (Side note: I've been playing guitar as long as I've been playing bass and it's really the best of both worlds to me. Love 'em both!)
Really, the bassists and guitarists should just set aside their differences and coordinate their attacks on something more worthwhile... like drummers.
Yeah, I suppose it bothers me a little too. It was likely just a failed attempt at humor, as is often the case. Of course, the truth of the matter is REAL musicians aren't in the habit of insulting other musicians based on the instrument they play.
Craig
They are both difficult to learn. Bass forces people to get up and move their asses in sexually suggestive ways if you play it right.
I don't really agree with that, there's plenty of other ways to play the bass in a band setting, in my opinion
Of course that's also depends on what kinda' music you're playing.I didn't become a bassist to be the lonely looking dude standing completely still next to the drum-set, looking tough and just being silently noticed. I don't feel I have to play guitar to break that stereotype neither
I've never had problems with guitarists. Keyboard players, however, have been another story. I don't mean to generalize, but it seems ego is required for the instrument.
My band fired their last keyboard player. He was invading everyone's space, not listening to what everyone else was doing. I tried to tell him he didn't need to use his left hand so much, that I could handle the bass, but he couldn't stop being a one man band within a band. He was talented enough, but he didn't need to be in a band!
My band fired their last keyboard player. He was invading everyone's space, not listening to what everyone else was doing. I tried to tell him he didn't need to use his left hand so much, that I could handle the bass, but he couldn't stop being a one man band within a band. He was talented enough, but he didn't need to be in a band!
hmm...
The guitarist in my current band was the bassist in my last band. Honestly, I feel like I get far more respect than I deserve from him, as he is a really solid player regardless of instrument.
I have a casual side-project with a guitarist who typifies the classic "guitarist attitude". He's also 10 years younger than the other guy, and has 1/10th the chops.
The moral of the story is:
Who thinks that bassists are failed guitarists? Typically young guitarists with their own musical issues to work out. The fans? With them it is all about attitude and presence.
Remember, the average topless girl in the crown just sees you as the rockstar with the biggest guitar.
The guitarist in my current band was the bassist in my last band. Honestly, I feel like I get far more respect than I deserve from him, as he is a really solid player regardless of instrument.
I have a casual side-project with a guitarist who typifies the classic "guitarist attitude". He's also 10 years younger than the other guy, and has 1/10th the chops.
The moral of the story is:
Who thinks that bassists are failed guitarists? Typically young guitarists with their own musical issues to work out. The fans? With them it is all about attitude and presence.
Remember, the average topless girl in the crown just sees you as the rockstar with the biggest guitar.
If you expect to correct the ignorance of every person you ever encounter, your life is going to be difficult.
Just be grateful you don't have to work with a gui-TARD like that, and resolve that you NEVER will if you have anything to say about it.
(N.B. Was Charles Mingus a "failed pianist?" By all accounts he was an accomplished keys player but prefered the bass for performance, using the keyboard only for composition.
(Go figure).
Remember, the average topless girl in the crown just sees you as the rockstar with the biggest guitar.
And since we bassists are so much more "inclusive" about everything, we would NEVER compare *tatas* among those girls, preferring the largest.
Right?
