Guitarists looking down on bassists?

[MtManiac]

I’ve been playing since 1982, and the only guitar players who looked down on me as a bass player were teenagers, back when I was a teenager.

They still needed a bass player.

Most of them are not playing anymore.

They’re only d**k-measuring, which is something only insecure people do.

In one ear and out the other.

 

[buldog5151bass]

A musician is a musician.

The fact is, it is easier to play a simple bass line than many other instruments, I'd say the same for drums. But any instrument takes work to play well.

I seldom encounter what OL says, but I try to play with good musicians. This thread complains about people making these generalizations against bassists, at the same time it makes it against guitarists...

 

[MtManiac]

Well, yes. The best guitar players in the world are going to be better than most bass players. And most other guitar players, and most drummers, etc etc. Comes with the territory of being among the best in the world.

The reverse is also true - the best bass players will be better than the average guitar player.



I mean, sure, he’s just strumming some chords, but better than most guitar players.

There are a lot of guitar players.

 

[Plain Old Barry]

A monkey can pick up a Strat, plug into a Deluxe Reverb and go to town over a backing groove lol...

I can be that monkey, and I'm not a real guitar player.

 

[Spidey2112]

I've never heard 'Fire the guitar player', on this forum.

 

[HardNHeavy]

pffft they dont want to admit bassists make them sound good, and that their leads sound like sht without any groove behind it. Dont get me started on rhythm, "hold my beer and just watch my fingers"...literally the convo i had with my guitarist friend the other night.

 

[lark_z]

Music with no TAB in front of them and it gets quiet.....

 

[The Mogpipe]

I'm sure this sort of thread has been done a billion times before but as a multi-instrumentalist who's a member of a guitar forum I always sense a certain snobbery against bass players. As someone who's played both lead electric guitar and filled in on bass I can tell you that the later is harder; even at a meat and potatoes level. As a bassists filling in you ALWAYS gotta be on the money. A monkey can pick up a Strat, plug into a Deluxe Reverb and go to town over a backing groove lol...

When suggesting songs for our list, I tell my guitarist, 'cmon man, it's easy!' He replies, every time, sarcastically, ' Oh look, the bass player says it's easy'. Most all of these songs I will have also learned on guitar, attesting to the fact that they are 'easy' on both guitar AND bass!

 

[MynameisMe]

Maybe the guitarists you’re used to playing with only know one solo.

Please note I said MANY, not ALL.

 

[lfmn16]

I've never heard 'Fire the guitar player', on this forum.

Are we talking about musicians or are we talking about drummers?

 

[dBChad]

Never happened to me, but I play both.

If it were to happen, I just remind them of guitarists habit of spending $4-6K on some boutique high gain amp trying to get the heaviest sound possible, and it still sounds anemic until I plug my bass into a passive DI straight into a channel strip and ring out low pedal tones.

 

[60bass]

Don't overthink this. Just move the guitarist off the drum riser and onto the main stage. Then the guitarist is at eye level with the bassist. No more looking down at the bassist. /s

 

[BassDaddy77]

It's been my experience that usually the people looking down on others (in any situation in life) are mostly unhappy with themselves. They think putting people down lifts them up, but nobody wins in that scenario. Ever. Life isn't a contest. He/she who dies with the most toys (or talents) still dies.

 

[fhm555]

Maybe the guitarists you’re used to playing with only know one solo.

IME, it’s mostly people who are self taught and only good at a very narrow range of styles or genres who slag on other players as a way to compensate for their feelings of inadequacy. I’ve seen them do it to not just bass players, but whichever member of the band they’ve discovered they can browbeat and not receive any blowback beyond a hangdog look after being dogged down by the alpha member of the pack. I’ve had people try that poopie with me, but i’m oblivious to it, which drives them crazy because I’m too thick to realize i’m the focus of their passive aggressive attempts to use me as an ego boost. My favorites are the ones who try to play stump the band. They rip through their repertoire looking for something another band member will struggle with so they can tell them how easy it is.

 

[Bunk McNulty]

The only guitarists who look down on me are taller than I am.

Yes! I play with two guitarists and they are both taller than I am. We all look down on the drummer. He's the shortest.

 

[Helix]

They’re only d**k-measuring, which is something only insecure people do.

Why would anyone measure a duck?

 

[bholder]

I take great delight in telling guitar players I don't need a capo, just tell me the chord progression and I will transpose in my head.. they often look at me blankly....

I had the same reaction trying to teach my guitarist a riff - "just watch me, it's easy" - forgot I was playing an unlined fretless!

 

[Spidey2112]

Are we talking about musicians or are we talking about drummers?

Yes.

 

[Eli_Kyiv]

Why would anyone measure a duck?

View attachment 4415796

To know whose duck is bigger, of course.

 

[lbbc]

Never had this problem in 44+ years of playing bass...of course, I rehearse and perform with adults who respect everyone on stage