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Do you feel you need to justify your instrument?

#41
When people ask me if bass is easier to play or learn than compared to a guitar I always reply... "Yes. Bass is easier to play in the same sense that an 18 wheeler is easier to drive than a Ferrari. "

They are two different tools for doing two different jobs and they require completely different skill sets. Some skills most folks don't even think about.

If you want to play jazz because it allows you to drive your "truck" more like a "sports car" that's fine. Just make sure you arent doing it because you lack the more support-oriented skills.
 
#43
Have no problem with the instrument, sometimes it is ok to play root-5 ... my problem is more in the mentality that we lay the groove so others may shine or that we only support others musician.

In my point of view, everything in the bass create the groove, not just the f***ing drum and the bass. We don't support either, to me every "part" is essential to have your card castle, remove juste one part and the whole thing will fall appart.

Everyone is important for the melody, harmony, rythm
 
#47
WashburnAB95 said:
I play acoustic guitar and bass. Guitar is a lot more complicated than bass. You can spend a life time learning all the details. However when it comes times to making music, I find it WAY easier to make music on guitar. Mostly becusae it is a poloyharmonic instrument. Almost anything with harmony sounds good.

Yes I believe the bass is simpler. However the simplicity of the bass makes it so very challenging. In most circumstances you only get one note at a time and it has to be very well placed. For me I find these limitations make it much more difficult to be musical. Yea while somebody can show you all the notes and proper techneque and be playing in a very short while, you will spend a lifetime learning how to be musical on the bass.
Click to expand...

I agree with this and really like the way you put it.

Like you I also play guitar, although I play bass much better and have for much longer, but I find it's pretty easy to get people oooohing and aaaahing over a simple fingerstyle melody and talking about how "good" (ha ha) I am on guitar.

At a gig last year during a break I overheard some folks talking about some individual they knew, what a great guitarist he was and how they were surpised he was playing bass in his band, the inference was that bass was a waste of his talent. :rolleyes:

I only smiled, that's all one can do anyway.
 
#48
If your talking about just finding the root and playing along to some simple rock/pop songs then yes, the bass is easier if not for the fact that your learning to play a single note instead of chords. I teach a "rock band" to elementary school kids and 9 times out of ten if the kids haven't played an instrument before the one with the bass is always able to get through an entire song before the one learning guitar.

Now if we are talking about actually playing bass lines and holding down a tight rhythm with a drummer vs. playing complicated chords and shredding solos then I agree with the idea that the two instruments are different animals and each have their own challenges.

If you just want to follow along in tune to a simple song, a bass is probably easier to get by on (I've seen it happen).
 
#49
I find the bass is definitely easier than the guitar - fewer variables. It still takes time to get really good at it with all of the theory, technique, chops, styles, etc., and rhythm is more of an issue as compared to guitar, plus mistakes are more obvious. But it is absolutely easier; just not "easy" to play at a high level. I figure stuff like harp, trumpet, drums, and piano are also more difficult, though I don't know how to play those, so it's hard for me to say definitively.

For me, it took a great deal of maturity and musical experience before I quit caring about showing off and proving myself. It's something I cared a lot about when I was less sure of myself. I think the attitude of proving yourself on bass comes mostly from meatheaded guitarists. There's definitely a belief in those circles that a bass can be played well enough by a properly trained monkey. Just go on any number of guitar forums if you want proof. Then again, guitarists are historically insecure, so it kind of all circles back to that.

But to answer the original question, some of the time. I will always try to play to the song, but I add in things to keep me interested as the song allows.
 
#50
Justify my instrument? No.

The band asked me to play with them. That alone is justification enough.

Nothing wrong with simple lines either. Less notes = less room for error. Stop playing and watch everyone turn and look at the bass player with that look "what's goin' on?"

Whatever you play, play it well and people will think it is easy, because you make it look easy.
 
#51
Well, play what you wanna play... If you're playing a lot of clubs and bars, yes, many people are sorta clueless about the relative musical value of your instrument. BUT!!! I think you'd find that there's usually a few who do get it, and can appreciate good playing, whether it's simple or complex. By way of instrumental analogy, lots of people think harmonica is "simple" too, and yes, anyone can poot a few passable licks on one within 5 minutes... But if you wanna sound like Little Walter or Junior Wells or Charlie Musselwhite or George Smith, you've got a lifetime of work to do!
I can recall seeing Rosie Flores play at some country barn around Austin, with her band at that time including Terry McBride (later of McBride & The Ride) on bass. Terry didn't do any showboating, never did, but he played those "simple" lines with perfect time, perfect tone, cheerful attitude, and total mastery and musicality of the material. And the dancers sure as hell noticed! I've heard a lot of folks playing the same sort of style, sure; but hearing someone nail it makes an impression. When a very elderly couple took the floor, and within a few minutes everyone else moved aside to watch them 2-step, because they were so damn good at that "simple" dance- lemme tell you, the whole damn band was grinnin' ear to ear.
If you've really got something to say/play, rest assured that someone out there is digging it.
 
#53
Sir Squier said:
I find the general consensus amongst both musicians, and the general music-listening audience is that bass is an 'easy' or 'simple' instrument.
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Perhaps this is the general consensus among inexperienced musicians, but not among people who actually have a clue. I am fortunate enough to play with professional and professional caliber musicians, all of whom have a very high regard for the bass.
 
#54
Jefff said:
As I have gotten older, I have found it is best to ignore most people.
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^^^AMEN!^^^

As for the thread, there is no GOD or BIBLE that says how a bass should be played. Wanna play simple, DO IT! Wanna play complex, DO IT! (and everything in between)

IMHO, playing bass requires a mental attitude. What does that mean? It's hard to explain. But.............I've heard outstanding guitarist pick up a bass and start playing it. And they play it pretty good but................there's something missing. It's the mental state of mind that a bassist has and the guitarist doesn't.

Playing bass is about a certain kind of mental attitude and state of mind. I find this in almost 100% of bassists.

And for the question, "Do you feel you need to justify your instrument?" The only thing I feel I need to justify is that me and the kick drum are the masters of the low frequency.
 
#56
I tend to be a busy player. I like melodic bass lines. However, I try to be tasteful. I also play to the song, so I'm not afraid of keeping it simple when I feel it is appropriate, but again, I will keep it tasteful. If I'm going to play one note, I'm going to play that one note the BEST way I can. That might mean a rhythm syncopation, or an effect, nothing at all, or whatever floats my fancy.
I only play in bands who appreciate bass, and aren't intimidated by competent and creative bass players. Thus, I end up in bands who encourage me to do more, as it offers a change from the typical "lead breaks." If the band doesn't like it, I'm outta there. No harm; no foul. To each his or her own. That has never happened though. Perhaps it is the music styles I tend to play, or perhaps I can gauge a band pretty quickly. I don't know.
Regardless, I don't care what the audience thinks. I have found that whatever you do, there will be some people who enjoy it, and some who don't. So, why try to appeal to everyone? It doesn't work. So, I surround myself with people who enjoy what I do and how I do it, and the audience who appreciates what we collectively do as a band will show up and enjoy it too.
I kind of live by Robert Plant's lyrics in "The Ocean." "Play for free, play for me, and play a whole lot more." Oddly, I end up making money at it too. :)
 
#59
Not in the sense that people might think its an easier instrument, but more in the sense that guitarists think bass players are frustrated guitar players. Or that "metal" bass players aren't as good as other bass players in other forms of music like Jazz or Funk. Some are better, some are worse.
I've only ever played bass and have always had a passion for it. The people that know me understand that this wasn't a decision I made because I couldn't handle guitar or because a band happened to need a bass player. The people that don't know me and watch me play quickly figure out I'm not a "safe" bass player that just plays root quarter notes.
 

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