Bassist=idiot

[One Drop]

In the end, Bass is usually a low glory role to fill.

Oh, you said ROLE. I got scared for a second.

 

[BassChuck]

I have never seen any experienced musician be disrespectful of their bass player. They know how critical the bass is to the band's overall sound. A great rhythm section is worth its weight in gold!

This.

I think the bass player gets an extra dose of 'attention' when putting music together simply because, as any educated, experienced musician knows, if the bass is lacking... the band is lackin.

 

[Jazz Ad]

Funny that this topic comes out so often.
I can't say I have ever been discriminated against as a bassist.
It's always been a lot of fun and respect for what I was doing.
As long as I can remember it's always been the coolest spot to be in a band, unless of course you want to show off.

 

[Actium]

It's just as silly as the other ways we poke fun at the other instrument players.

 

[klejst]

I have never felt like the idiot or everyone was out to get me, however the bassist is kind of the butt of the joke of a band, especially in guitarists eyes, and with that you typically catch some flak your way from them. I typically do see it being guitarists and the sometimes the singer who are always trying to tell the bassist (or even the rest of the band) what to do and how to play. Some of the "advice" they offer may be decent enough to consider, however most of it is guitarist just being guitarist. Most of it can be your band mates just messing with you too and just just have to be easy going and laugh it off sometimes. Be confident in yourself and you abilities.

 

[chuck norriss]

If someone said that I'd punch that person in the face then quit.

 

[Session1969]

i was saying i was insulted, i just thought this happens to all bass players, but i understand. thanks for the input guys

That happened to me when I was starting out with my friend in Jr. High who was a guitarist. It turned out that it was just his insecurity as a person. At a party in high school, I overheard him telling someone that he was playing with a bunch of nobodys (we were all just pups in a town of 5,000 !) as if he wasn't.+ I wasnever the type of person who could feel better by putting others down. Karma is amazing, though. Shortly after, a band from Seattle (minus their bass player) moved to town (who were in their late twenties to early thirties) and took me under their wing. Two months later I played my high school homecoming dance and was playing at bars on the weekends my Jr. and Sr. years in high school. I went from knowing a dozen or so songs to over a hundred. Right after I graduated, I moved to Las Vegas where I played for twenty years.

My advice is to stay confident , use it as motivation to improve and find better situations for yourself throughout this amazing journey of life. Most importantly , be around people who appreciate you.

 

[BassGuyFL]

It's unfortunately a notion that the bass player is the one that got "stuck" on the non-glamorous instrument and/or bass is so easy that anyone can fumble around on it and no one will notice.

In my band I'm the most musically knowledgeable and I do things like run the sound and be a jack of all trades tech/IT guy/sequencer editor plus not sucking on my instrument. I'm not the greatest but it would be a tall order to replace me

The key is to make yourself invaluable. If someone doesn't appreciate your talents move on to greener pastures.

 

[MrNecroVOL]

I am always the target in my former bands. Even though I always practise try new things and learn more everday sooner or later I always get the same line " You ain't good you suck and can't play". But it does not let me down cause I know what I am worth and where the band went with me and now the band is dead I am just being honest.

 

[pudgychef]

On the other side of the coin, I know of a lot of bass players that were either the least talented guitar player in teh room or were a non-playing friend-of-the-band that got handed the bass as the "easiest" to play. It's no secret that in the "skill required to just get by" category bass is the easiest, at least in a rock context. Seriously, it's one string at a time, one healthy finger on the left hand, 8th notes picked from the right hand. Bam, you're in a rock band. I think that's where the reputation comes from.

That said, I took up bass as a guitar player in a town that needed bass players. I played it like a guitar player at first. I got by. It was easy. Then I worked hard at actually playing bass. Now I'm almost invisible to the rest of the band except for the drummer who's much more satisfied with his playing now that he's got somebody to work with. If I miss a practice, though, I come back to "man, we really sound bad without you". That makes me pretty happy.

So I guess I'm saying to put up with the put downs, try to learn from your band and others, and when you've gotten to the point where nobody notices you but they can't live without you you're in. Make the drummer happy, that makes the audience happy.

+1

My advice is to keep pushing your skills to the next level, while being humble and patient with those that give you a bad time. Another poster referenced going back to recordings to check your accuracy when another player says you didn't get it right on covers. This happens to me every now and again with our front man, who is playing rhythm and is a former bass player. When I suggest we go back and listen, a fair amount of the time I've done it correctly. When I haven't, I learn something and am glad for it.

I was at a jam session the other night and a cat who is a great blues lead player got up and was going to show the house how to really create a groove for the blues on a bass. Turned out on bass he forgot the feel and grease of the blues and was a stacatto root note player with no grease at all. Go figure.

Moral of the story: Keep working hard, learn something every day and don't let it get to you. And, if it does get to you, find some other cats to play with that appreciate what you're doing.

Good luck.

Koog

+ 1

I've had the experience of rehearsing as a fill in with a band where I added a few embellishments to a song and was told it was "too busy" (it wasn't). I responded by playing the basslines from their recordings VERBATIM...still too busy. The guitarist finally said "all I want is roots, nothing else".

hmm while that may be a let down in a regular gig, I would think that as a 'fill-in' you expect to receive and follow fairly specific directions...it is their band after all

Oh, you said ROLE. I got scared for a second.

FTW!

I am always the target in my former bands. Even though I always practise try new things and learn more everday sooner or later I always get the same line " You ain't good you suck and can't play". But it does not let me down cause I know what I am worth and where the band went with me and now the band is dead I am just being honest.

well saying 'you suck..' and offering pointers/constructive comments are two very different things...ime bands tend to have one or two driving forces/bigger egos - if you aren't one of those two your options (as I see it) are -assume and be happy in a support role OR stomp you feet and demand a bigger role/respect/free ice-cream - then accept the results..

 

[MrNecroVOL]

In my area in the south of france guitar players always take themself for steve vai and co. Some of them are really good and know when to give out pointers and help less talented people. But for most and especailly my former band members thought they were god in everyway possible but did not have the skills.

I take pointers from anyone as long as they dont treat me like crap just to be 'cool' in front of there friends.

 

[addylewis]

Indeed? Then they've never heard Stanley Clarke, Chris Squire, Les Claypool, Flea, Victor Wooten, Jaco, Louis Johnson, Jack Bruce, Geddy...(insert name of your choice here) etc, etc, etc.

Oh yeah...coz every NON-BASSIST knows those names

 

[basseux]

It's no secret that in the "skill required to just get by" category bass is the easiest, at least in a rock context.

No it's the drums.
Carrying a drum kit isn't a skill.

 

[Al Rivera]

Sounds like some should take a few lessons......I've never had that vibe. Maybe you need to up your bass game.

 

[MrLenny1]

Hmm, sometimes you have to ask yourself, did I do my homework?
Do I come prepared at rehearsal? If so maybe the others are to blame.
My issues are with the guitar players not doing their homework.
Goodluck.

 

[Space Pickle]

no i only play with other idiots

 

[Hot Rats]

10 1/2 years...not bad.

 

[fdeck]

no i dosent



That said, virtually everybody I play with is appreciative of the bass. And it's not like I'm some kind of virtuoso or anything.

 

[Old Garage-Bander]

lol, sometimes, i feel like i am the smartest one lol

i love how when playing with a band, the bassist is always targeted s the guy that dont know how to play or dont know what hes doing. like everyone in the band constantly has thier eyes on me or telling me what notes to play....dose anyone else have this problem?

the thing is, i am easygoing, i do know what im doing, and i am a great listener and love constructive criticism, i just thought people have this notion about bass players thinking that its the easiest instrument or look at us as the "lesser" beings.....but im very confident in my instrument and very professional about things

If trying to figure out if this is something happening in your band?
Or something you see happening regularly in another band?
Or if you are unconsciously projecting some of the common stereotypes?
There can be different solutions depending on which it is.

 

[Element Zero]

@Old Garage-Bander i don’t think OP is going to reply since he hasn’t logged on since 2012. Love zombie threads sometimes btw.