Female bassists and your thoughts...

[SquierJazz72]

Take my blindfold test, please.

I did, just because you left it there. All I hear is great bass playing.

Now, when one compares Esperanza to Jaco, or the like, of course I can tell the difference. Two different players(from two different times, I might add).

I don't think it has much to do with gender. Sorry. I'd gladly agree with you ForSix, if I did, but, as yet, I don't.

 

[P-oddz]

I'm all for it! One of my favorite new players is Nicole from Vuvuvultures:


She plays an Orange tube amp and she's a gear and effects nerd... that's awesome!

I think the hardest part for a female player in general is to be accepted as a true talent and not just a pretty face, or be used as a sexy gimmick to sell the band. Unfortunately, the type of music you are in to OP (metal), is predominately a sausage-market (sorry metal guys, I used to be a big metal head and there's no denying it's true), and the acts that do have female players are often leathered up or dolled out for extra appeal.

Personally, I think the attitudes you are receiving from other players about "not looking right" has less to say about you being a female, than it says about the genre and its insular attitudes. My advice, keep playing and looking, and maybe in the meantime find if there are any other genres that appeal to you that you can maybe branch out into.

 

[SquierJazz72]

I think the hardest part for a female player in general is to be accepted as a true talent and not just a pretty face, or be used as a sexy gimmick to sell the band.

Very true. Still. I watch a few talented female musicians(mostly guitar and bass) on youtube, and in among the sincere admirers of their skill are the inevitable stable of "back to the kitchen " taunts. Rather sad.

Unfortunately, the type of music you are in to OP (metal), is predominately a sausage-market (sorry metal guys, I used to be a big metal head and there's no denying it's true),

There's exceptions, but overall, I just can't deny that either.

 

[bass81800]

the thing is, most people rather ignore differences than tolerate diversity. and whenever someone points out the latter he is regarded as sexist/racist/etc.

while skill, ability and taste are mostly gender neutral, outside the music ime females are more emotional, criticism is often taken personally, sometimes unwillingly so. they also tend to care less about money and principiles, are friendlier and tend to trust strangers more. they like to be friends with the band or one of the members rather than colleagues.
many males share these traits too though. to me, it's a little hard to work with emotional people (no matter what gender) because i'm impolite and militant.
the band in my signature is 50% female. and they are of the best musicians of their age i've met. that leads us to the next topic, even more argued about: age.

One of the biggest lessons for me, being female, was learning to develop a thick skin when it comes to criticism and things that happen in bands. I just could not have survived without this, nor learning how to hang with the guys. It is something that one of my female bass teachers taught me and I also learned by studying her reactions to events. Not something that is natural for me either. I recently gave a female musician friend some helpful criticism, and it was taken wrongly, was never invited back to play at her jazz sessons. Thinking she could learn something about some friendly criticism too.

Not sure what you mean about not caring about principles. I have never engaged in stealing gigs!

 

[Raymeous]

Um Jo Bench from Bolt Thrower was the first to come to mind, however there are also bands like "The Iron Maidens" (all female tribute band) that rock like nobody's business. Female bass players do exist in the metal scene but they are rare.

A little bit on Wanda Ortiz "Steph Harris" of the Iron Maidens
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I am a guy but even I get sick of hearing female musicians getting hit with "..not bad for a girl" types of comments. People can be stupid sometimes. Just keep rockin' and enjoy what you do.

 

[Roy Vogt]

Ok, I'm going to wait about one day to let everyone check out the soundclips on post #109 and then I'm going to name names. See if you can guess which one is Carol Kaye and which one is Joe Osborne!

 

[foxxiroxx]

Hey hey! I'm another female bassist myself! It was cool to read people's thoughts on this.

Some people have a problem with it. I think it's strange since playing bass - gender doesn't really make a big difference. *shrugs* Other times I feel overly patronized. Other times still I feel like I get a little more consideration/help carrying things, etc... than a male might, - the latter is.... alright.... nice, even - but still is a way I think I'm being treated differently.

 

[NickBEADG]

I think it's great, very respectable and good to see. Lots of women don't consider it, they should.

 

[905]

WOW.
This thread.

"You should wear steel toe boots and kick them in their genitals!"
"+1"

"Anyone who doesn't think female guitarists are SEXY as hell is not a man. Not a reeeeaaaal man, anyways."

"And you can tell the sonic difference between a man and woman bassist?"
"Sure. Esperanza Spalding, and.. drumroll, please.... Jaco."


Here's my 2 cents. The band will choose whichever applicant bassist they want for whichever reasons they want and if that doesn't suit you, find a different band.

 

[backup]

Not sure what you mean about not caring about principles. I have never engaged in stealing gigs!

not this kind of principles. i'm talking about generally being more tolerant towards unprofessional deeds of others. things like cancelled rehearsals, late payment, lateness. if people who do these things get caught by me it probably won't end with a "i understand you, it's ok"

 

[NickBEADG]

All that remains

 

[qervo]

My little girl is 7 and she is learning how to play the bass. I think it's wonderful .

 

[Rokoko]

A fantastic band (well more like a backing band) with several female musicians is The Cardinals backing Ryan Adams. On "Cold Roses" both the bassist and pedal steel player are female, which i found out by accidently reading the liner notes. They are definetly not second rate to any guys in the business, best alt country record and probably my favorite record as well.

On the other hand there are some serious equality issues regarding women in bands. Karin Drejer (from "The Knife"), said in an interview that a contributing factor to moving away from regualr band type indierock music that she played in her previous band "first floor power", was that she had experienced several times that the soundguy would practically mute her guitar... probably assuming that the girl would only have a guitar for show and not actually be playing anything worth listening to... sexism is, sadly, widespread in the musical community.

 

[Silver Blues]

WOW.
This thread.

"You should wear steel toe boots and kick them in their genitals!"
"+1"

"Anyone who doesn't think female guitarists are SEXY as hell is not a man. Not a reeeeaaaal man, anyways."

"And you can tell the sonic difference between a man and woman bassist?"
"Sure. Esperanza Spalding, and.. drumroll, please.... Jaco."


Here's my 2 cents. The band will choose whichever applicant bassist they want for whichever reasons they want and if that doesn't suit you, find a different band.

Yeah, this thread did kind of go downhill. Big surprise.
I'll admit I was the one who +1'd that, but I think I caught the OPs metaphor there. Obviously no one is going to go kick anyone in the nuts with steel-toed boots. (I hope.) And if they do I had nothing to do with it.

What matters though is the opinions on female bassists, the original aim of this thread. Some true and sensible things have been said and some less sensible and untrue things have been said. It's a fact of life.

IMO, IME, YMMV and all that.

--Silvie

 

[Richland123]

Lizzy Hale is a guitar player but Halestorm is a heavy band.

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[qervo]

Beyonce has an all girl band , here's the bass player

http://youtu.be/NSNXvW6u82Q

 

[chee666]

Sean Yseult was at my bands last show in December friend of a friend that was bad ass. I used to see white zombie in the clubs in NYC back in the day .

 

[etoncrow]

I don't have the time to read seven pages today; maybe tomorrow; but, the OP could not have looked very far for women of similar interests. I saw Vixen in the 80's and they are still around in whatever incarnation this is: Invalid Link Removed

 

[bass81800]

not this kind of principles. i'm talking about generally being more tolerant towards unprofessional deeds of others. things like cancelled rehearsals, late payment, lateness. if people who do these things get caught by me it probably won't end with a "i understand you, it's ok"

Got it! But, I, personally, have little tolerance for anything or anyone who or that is late or cancelled. Just me, obviously can only speak for myself.

By the way, OP, who has now turned male, 'grinding my gears' is not exactly something any female would say. Do any of your girlfriends or wives use this phrase??? Also, any female musician, like myself, would be hyper vigilent of other female musicians in their chosen genre, which, obviously you are not. Anyway, this makes for a great discussion.

 

[hernameisrio]

I have been a minority in many boys' clubs for most of my life: skateboarding, playing guitar, playing bass, snowboarding, being a tech, being on the camera crew in the film biz, working at recording studios, sports, climbing trees, short hair, etc.

I love all those things so much, that I can't ever fathom my gender being relevant at all. I'm sure it's affected others' treatment of me over the years. I've been called names and got beaten up a couple of times. But none of this has ever stopped me.

I see sexism everywhere, but I decided long ago to rise above it and to just do what I love doing. If guys don't get it or think I don't belong, it still doesn't matter to me, because I'm still gonna be happy doing what I do.