Basses only have 4 strings

[FissioN]

Hehe. I'm a 14-year-old, and I play on a six string bass. Those poor, poor fellows are uneducated in bass.

 

[PsyDocHill]

Just Halifax, really.

There is a huge tradition of indie music here (back in the 90's they called it "the New Seattle"), so there is a strong thinking of "famous Halifax Indie Band X didn't need a bass with extra strings, so we don't either." Don't try and play a PRS guitar or a 6+ piece drum kit or a 6 string bass. Jazzmasters, Jags, Fenders, Rics, anything indie is ok.

It's not a bad thing at all. There's a huge amount of innovation and inventiveness. Alternative guitar tunings, crazy drum setups (one guy in a great band uses 2 snares, 2 floor toms, kick, and two ride cymbals), and a huge variety of music being created. I'd say Halifax is pretty near the top of the game compared to Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, anywhere really. It's just part of an extremely creative environment that feeds on itself... it's hard to explain, but it's almost like if you're using standard modern gear you're probably playing boring jock rock that doesn't inspire anyone, and that's not what the scene is about here.

Weird, I know.

I think that traditionalism w/regard to instruments is blasphemous toward the Indie approach. Here's why:

Given that the label (hate labels) "indie" derives from the word "independent," it seems, sadly, that the "Indie" music scene in your area is not that independent at all, unless you're misrepresenting it in your prose. From what you wrote, I see that people up your way are independent to experiment with alternative tunings and what have you, but only with "traditional" instruments.

That's absurd: If you're not free to choose how many strings you play in an Indie band in Halifax, NS, without getting 'tude from your so-called peers, then you're really not independent at all, and the judgmental ones are not independent music thinkers. So it ain't "Indie," "Seattle" comparison notwithstanding.

I love the gobs of snow y'all get in Halifax, honestly I do, but thank God (thank you too) I'm not there anyhow.

Actually, I'm on an aggressive North-American job-hunt right now and... Oh, no, I've got a job-offer in the Halifax-area that's quite attractive, but it's in a smaller town than aforesaid city, so maybe my tour of the area during my recon-visit will reveal that things are actually different than the bleak scene you depict, even in Halifax-Seattle its very self! I've always played in "Indie" bands. Wherever I played, we were viewed as such and, often, heard as such because of the originality of our musical output. Nobody, like I previously wrote, whether in the US, NL, or UK ever even blinked if someone showed up with an instrument that didn't fit the norm. Why? Because the whole idea of independent music is to play whatever you want, free of any creativy-shackling "norms."

Norms aren't normal in Indie, by definition.

 

[PsyDocHill]

Hehe. I'm a 14-year-old, and I play on a six string bass. Those poor, poor fellows are uneducated in bass.

Oh dear, I just quoted from a classic rock tune.... I must be non-Indie. Obviously that ain't true: But isn't it beautiful how we can learn from all sorts of musical styles, even those that we don't call our own? Then we incorporate aforesaid influences, or choose--emphasis on choice--to avoid them.

That's "Indie" playing; that's the hallmark of any independent, creative musician or band, whatever the stylistic label that happens to be affixed to him/her/it/. Labels are for retail-outlets.

Dig into your six-string and its awesome BEADGC strings (or whatever they are on your bass, homes) and I hope you have a great time with it and go far. But you don't consider me "non-Indie/Independent" because I play fivers, right? Precisely: You've already got a healthier 'tude than players four times your age.

Best of luck !

 

[john turner]

I was in a music store checking out the basses. A couple of teenagers walked over and were checking out what was hanging on the wall. One said, "Look a 5 string bass!" The other said, "That can't be. Basses only have 4 strings!" If that wasn't enough, he had to say it again in a different way, "If there are more than 4 strings, it's not a bass!" No I didn't say a word. It wasn't worth it. Besides, the first one finally replied, "Dude! It's all about extended range. You see guitars with 7 strings and you still call them guitars!"

i have 7 string basses that are probably older than those "kids". i say kids in quotes because my 7 string fretless is convinced they're not actually human. human beings are -intelligent- enough to know what a bass is.

i tried to convince my bass otherwise, but, you know, he's a teenager.