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Cocky "musicians" in the Audience.

#61
Number of strings does not equal talent. The best justice is doing exactly what you did, just getting up there, tearing it up and having a good time! Kudos to you for handling it well!
I imagine that guy felt like a douche after seeing that (as well he should). I don't understand the motivation for going to try and tear someone down BEFORE seeing them actually play. I have never really had that happen to me, I guess being a tall guy and one-handing my amps onto stages prevents people from talking smack. :D Playing the bass well certainly doesn't hurt either!
 
#62
I understand this won't work for the OP, but I compare 5 string basses to pick ups with lift kits when someone starts the 5 is cooler than 4 b.s.. The "5 string is cool" a**hole looks confused and I explain I'm incredibly well hung and need neither a 5 string bass or a lifted truck to feel like a man.
I have a greater problem with the "you play bass because you are a frustrated guitar player". I laugh it off usually and say that the only frustration I felt as a guitar player was trying to find a bass player.:bassist:
 
#64
I love to play along with people like that... basically let them know that I'm eviler than they think, and I like it that way. I mean, when asked recently why I don't solo I really answered with "I don't need to, I'm too handsome and I'll attract attention anyway".

I also have some stock phrases like "your neck is narrower than your head" or "good taste is for boring people" or "I have nothing against playing music normal people like" that can be used in a lot of situations work great for shutting people up. Well, the first one only works if you're a guy with a neck that's wider than your head, obviously. But it works surprisingly well.

necks.jpg
 
#68
KillerNeuron said:
Saturday night we played a really great show at a bar, and as we were setting up, one of our guitarists sat down to restring his guitar. Some idiot came up and started harassing him about changing his strings and how its a terrible idea before a show... then he asks, "so does your bass player play a 4 string or is he a real man and plays a 5?" I just stood there, staring at him (lace covered boobies and all) and simply said "4 string." He looked at me like I was scum and said "oh, don't worry, one day you can be a real bassist, like me." I almost hit him. What a douche. Since when did number of strings equal skill?

He sat at his table sulking for the rest of the night while I tore it up (obviously he realized that this little 4 string girl can get around a fretboard), and all his friends were cheering for the "hot bass girl" while he just sat there looking like a little bitch. It made me feel so good. I don't understand why some people try to intimidate others with fictional crap, acting like some music god. I would never approach a band and try to establish my prowess when I am but an audience member.

Anyone else ran into little dweebs like that? What do you do?

:bassist::spit:
Click to expand...

Sounds to me like he had a problem with the fact you were a female bass player and the 5 string comment was a you need to be a man to play a 5 string.lol You handled it well. I never bother listening to what people have to say about me. I know who I am and what I am able to do with just these 4 strings.
 
#69
I've been that music dweeb before, I have to say, seeing it now makes me hate it even more. Luckily, he'll probably (hopefully) grow out of it and learn that music is a thing that enriches your life and that you enjoy, as opposed to just using it as a means of defining people.
 
#70
Let's see..... Other responses....

I don't need a 5 string to compensate.

Why, do you need a real man?

I may not have a 5 string, but I have a G string.

I only need 4 strings.

Why do you worry about down there (my bass), instead of up here? (my boobies)

If I think of others, I will add them.

edg
 
#71
I played 4-string for 26 years and was never subjected to the OP's treatment by an audience member. Lucky, perhaps? What I usually hear from guys is "Wow, um, you're pretty good..." I sometimes wondered if they were planning to finish the sentence with "...for a chick", and I got the impression that some were using it as a pickup line. This was occasionally confirmed when one of my friends would later hear them grumbling about "that bulldyke bass player" (unspoken: who didn't respond to my come-on).

A few months ago I started playing 5s after taking a year to piddle around with BEAD, so maybe I will begin hearing comments about playing something whose neck looks too big for me to handle. A lot of the male bass players in my region play 5s, but I have only seen the women with 4s.

I don't get why some musicians feel the need to get in their peers' faces and cut them down. When I go out to see other bands, I try my best to be nice. Even if I don't like their music, I often approach the bassist to ask gear questions. Some have been a little snotty at first (not sure if it was due to the chick thing or if they were jerks in general), but most were pretty cool once they realized that I was just curious about their equipment.

This weekend when I played at a multi-band benefit (the soundguy's wife's Ampeg made all of us bassists sound fantastic, incidentally) I chatted with a couple of other bass players. Both were quite willing to talk to me, even the guy who I used to think was very anti-social based on his demeanor when I've seen him out before.

To the OP, I think your adoring fan was hitting on you and doing a really bad job. I'm not trying to generalize this to all men (I'm in a band with 3 of them and they have been terrific), but some guys still haven't figured out that insulting a woman's ability to play is not a good way to score with her. Maybe too many of them buy into the idea that women perceive any attention as good, even if it's negative?
 
#72
guitar ed said:
Let's see..... Other responses....

I don't need a 5 string to compensate.

Why, do you need a real man?

I may not have a 5 string, but I have a G string.

I only need 4 strings.

Why do you worry about down there (my bass), instead of up here? (my boobies)

If I think of others, I will add them.

edg
Click to expand...

Haha How about....

Why play 5.... Can't handle 6?

It's not about the amount of strings, its how you play with your raised action.

5 strings huh? I bet your amp is a mini.

(If you play piano): 5 strings? I can play 230 :spit:

:bassist:
 
#73
Mesa XI said:
my god, I'm cocky and all but at least I'm polite about it. I would have knocked that guy on his ass, after thoroughly tearing him apart on stage. In my opinion a REAL bass player would play a 4 string, a 5 string player's playing with a handicap (no offense to any 5ers out there, just how I've always felt)
Click to expand...

uh... yeah. So what about those of us who routinely play both without giving it a second thought? Or better yet, how about those of use who play 4s and 5s with different tunings all in the same set? What's our handicap, again?

I can tell you what our handicap isn't: a small mind. ;)
 
#75
I like to give my strings 2-3 days (plus some good stretching of course) to get settled in before a gig.

I missed the pic, but I'd say the young lady did just fine.
As I understand it:
douche hits on cute girl only to find out he's just insulted her,
and she knocks him on his a$$ by playing a killer set.

Well done!
 
#76
KillerNeuron said:
Saturday night we played a really great show at a bar, and as we were setting up, one of our guitarists sat down to restring his guitar. Some idiot came up and started harassing him about changing his strings and how its a terrible idea before a show... then he asks, "so does your bass player play a 4 string or is he a real man and plays a 5?" I just stood there, staring at him (lace covered boobies and all) and simply said "4 string." He looked at me like I was scum and said "oh, don't worry, one day you can be a real bassist, like me." I almost hit him. What a douche. Since when did number of strings equal skill?

He sat at his table sulking for the rest of the night while I tore it up (obviously he realized that this little 4 string girl can get around a fretboard), and all his friends were cheering for the "hot bass girl" while he just sat there looking like a little bitch. It made me feel so good. I don't understand why some people try to intimidate others with fictional crap, acting like some music god. I would never approach a band and try to establish my prowess when I am but an audience member.

Anyone else ran into little dweebs like that? What do you do?

:bassist::spit:
Click to expand...

The best response is "Where are you playing tonight?"
He will either leave or sit there and keep his mouth shut. Either way you win.
 
#79
Ive been a 5 plsayer exclusively for 20 years now, and its only 5 more damn notes than a 4!! A statement like that is proof of amateur status, and in all likelyhood, no real skills at all. I had a Tobias Killer B 6 in my hand at guitar center once that played incredibly, the price was right, and I put a deposit on it. Then after playing it a few times I realized I was lost on the damn thing, and took my deposit back. Its so not about the strings....and in time, if he's not a complete idiot, he'll learn that too. Oh, and Tony Levin plays a 3 string musicman, as does the bassplayer for the Preseidents of tyhe United States of America....keep rockin girlfriend, and laugh at the silly people....its thr best way to go.
 

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