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Bass player mental health?
- Thread starter settedollar
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- bass player health player
Gaolee
Official leathers tester and crash dummy
Drums keep time.
Bass keeps the groove.
All else is fluff.
Any other questions?
Bass keeps the groove.
All else is fluff.
Any other questions?
Sure someone would notice, most likely the drummer, and they'd most likely start whinging about your naked on-fire ass being right in their face.
Worst case, give the singer a bear-hug and catch them on fire too, that'll get you noticed.
I have never cared what people think of me as just a bass player and my playing. Like a lineman in football or the 12th chair violin in a big symphony. I'm on the team and I come to play.
Most people don't even know how to tell the difference between a guitar and a bass.
Ask 100 people what instrument Sting, Mark Sandman, Claypool, Flea, McCartney play and 90 will say guitar. It's about the attitude on stage, not the instrument.
Flea, for example, is the most recognizable member of Red Hot, doesn't sing. It's the attitude. On stage, on interviews, composing songs, on photos. Not about the instrument, in my opinion.
Ask 100 people what instrument Sting, Mark Sandman, Claypool, Flea, McCartney play and 90 will say guitar. It's about the attitude on stage, not the instrument.
Flea, for example, is the most recognizable member of Red Hot, doesn't sing. It's the attitude. On stage, on interviews, composing songs, on photos. Not about the instrument, in my opinion.
It's a very common thing if you look at it as an attention thing rather than seeing what you do as serving the music you play.
Bass is never really noticed until it's missed or missing. That usually means you're doing something right. If you want the attention then you should be there as the lead player but in your average band setting you are there to lock in the rhythm section. That's why just like on a les Paul there's the rhythm section (bass, drums, and rhythm guitar) and there's lead (lead guitar, soloist, and vocals), sure you can have both, but bass soloist never sell out crowds or cross genres with the same effect as a guitarist might. Statistically the numbers do the talking: more people will go to see John Mayer, Eric Clapton, or Metallica for guitar and vocals than they will to go see Sting, Victor Wooten, or Flea.
Bass is never really noticed until it's missed or missing. That usually means you're doing something right. If you want the attention then you should be there as the lead player but in your average band setting you are there to lock in the rhythm section. That's why just like on a les Paul there's the rhythm section (bass, drums, and rhythm guitar) and there's lead (lead guitar, soloist, and vocals), sure you can have both, but bass soloist never sell out crowds or cross genres with the same effect as a guitarist might. Statistically the numbers do the talking: more people will go to see John Mayer, Eric Clapton, or Metallica for guitar and vocals than they will to go see Sting, Victor Wooten, or Flea.
best thing you can do for your mental health is recognize where you yourself are causing mental discomfort that doesn't have a purpose and be mindful of those thoughts and don't let them linger. worrying / feeling badly about who is paying attention to you would be you causing yourself mental discomfort. Just play the music and enjoy it.
Exactly this. If you are commanding attention, playing well and putting on a show, you are going to get attention. If you are not, well then guess what, you are not.
I've never cared if anyone came out to hear me play bass. I want them come out to hear the band amd to dance, talk and drink. If the band sounds great you're golden and if the band doesn't sound so good your superior skills won't lift it up enough to matter.
I'm glad you said this. I have mad respect for Wooten, but his playing leaves me cold for some reason. I thought it was just me.
To the OP: start singing, dude. Everyone loves a singing bass player.
I think a lot of people come to see and hear Mark King of Level 42. That bass player is pretty much the out front man of Level 42. Trying to keep up with him could wear me out fast.
Still I realize bass is like the truss work and support beams of a bridge. It is really meant to hold the whole thing up. But at the same time, is not really meant to be a lead instrument except for occasional solos or songs with a bass domination.
Still I realize bass is like the truss work and support beams of a bridge. It is really meant to hold the whole thing up. But at the same time, is not really meant to be a lead instrument except for occasional solos or songs with a bass domination.
