Guitarists looking down on bassists?

[SmokinJoe992]

After numerous failed attempts to play guitar, I picked up a bass and was playing in a band within 4 months. I get where a mediocre guitarist could possibly feel a little superior to a beginner bassist. It is way easier to get started on bass. However, once you reach the intermediate stage, they are about the same. To me this meme says it all.
FWIW after playing bass for several years I finally learned how to play the guitar, and in no way do I feel superior to someone that just plays bass. Maybe I am doing it wrong.

 

[Jefenator]

I may have detected a whiff of what I call "guitar chauvinism" in the early days in some really bad garage bands.

My enduring impression after 25 years of gigging is that every player is important to the group and that every instrument is hard to play well.

 

[Mannyinnewyork]

That’s never been my experience but I am sure there are fools on both sides of the equation. When I was a guitar player, I was always thrilled when I played with a good bass player.

 

[lfmn16]

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

I think a lot of it is in your attitude too. I've always considered myself an equal member of any band I was in, but more than a few on TB act like as a bass player you should huddle in the corner and hope no one notices you; you're there to serve and be happy with whatever scraps you're tossed. No wonder they don't get any respect.

 

[smeet]

FYI: during the 18th and early 19th centuries, the worst violin players were told to play viola.

That’s different. The viola is a dumb sounding instrument, meant to be felt and not heard. On most of the Berlin Philharmonic’s most popular recordings, the 1st chair violinist recorded all the viola parts. Nothing like the bass.

 

[JMarkD]

Sure, some of them do just as some bassists look down them. It is a juvenile response most common among garage band types. Seasoned musicians know better, understand the roles of each instrument and appreciate the good players.

Most pro guitarists are well aware that the music lives or dies with the drums and bass. They appreciate the freedom a solid rhythm section gives them. Let's face it, bass may be easier to play (it's really not) but one wrong note on the bass can kill the whole tune.

As for myself, I am more concerned what the drummer thinks of my playing.

 

[J-Mags]

Historically the rock bass player has been whichever of the 4 or 5 untrained teenagers in the band was the worst musician. Since they could only play rudimentary parts, the problem eventually became built into the style and was compounded over the years, and the whole genre became a ridiculous knee circle jerk reaction of “less is more” for the bassist. No jazz band or classical orchestra ever picked out the worst sax or violin player and told them they had to play bass.

No, but sometimes the music teacher picked out the tallest kids.

 

[two fingers]

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...

Two things come to mind.

1) It's not all guitarists. Some people are just jerks. Some jerks happen to play guitar.

2) In some ways, we've done it to ourselves. There are quite a few bass players in my area who learned how to thump 1/8 notes on the root of a chord and that's as far as they will ever go. They can learn a few simple bass lines by ear that deviate slightly from the root. But they have no idea what they are playing or why. They can't participate in any intelligent discussions regarding theory. You can't correct them using musical language.... like, "You're playing a minor third over a major chord there, pal." You have to say "Hey, you're playing an Eb where you should be playing an E." They've been playing in working bands for years. I'm not saying everyone has to have a firm enough grasp on theory to be able to teach it. But many bass players lean toward less knowledge regarding chord structure than anyone else in the band (IN MY EXPERIENCE and IN MY AREA). I run sound some. I have heard the discussions when bands are trying to squeeze one more run through of a new song into sound check. Many guitarists and keys players can throw out numbers or chord voicing names. Bass player says "Huh?" Guitar player says "Dude, just play a C."

Historically the rock bass player has been whichever of the 4 or 5 untrained teenagers in the band was the worst musician. Since they could only play rudimentary parts, the problem eventually became built into the style and was compounded over the years, and the whole genre became a ridiculous knee circle jerk reaction of “less is more” for the bassist.

This is pretty much the history behind people looking down on bass players. In many cases, the bass player in startup bands was the kid you could talk into buying a bass.

I have read the stories here, and even from now-famous bassists. "I became a bass player because my brother's friends were starting a band and needed somebody to play bass. So we went to the local pawn shop and bought one and I joined the band." That kind of thing lends itself to the theory that "Playing bass is stupid easy."

 

[WG Plum]

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...

Well, I don't play with blues dentists so I wouldn't know. Drummers are the ones that get my unending respect. They're the ones who absolutely, unequivocally, cannot EVER screw up.

 

[Pings Bass]

Maybe in the rock world where a lot of players are self-taught, guitar is the main instrument, and bass parts are relatively simple? (Thinking of EVH justifying paying his bass player less.)

I rarely work with guitars, but I've never met a rock guitarist who had the musicianship to look down his nose at me. Plenty of jazz players could, but in my experience, they're a lot less ego driven than rockers, in addition to being more musical.

 

[Mvilmany]

One of the reasons I like playing with the guitarist in my band is because he’s a total 180 from the typical guitarist stereotype.

 

[Element Zero]

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.

Yes… his generalization of guitar players is what I was trying to emphasize as being a bit far fetched.

 

[MultiScaleMale]

It's always been the drummer for me, but I've also played with some great drummers so it's not all drummers. But that one guy in particular.... if he needed a lung transplant and I had 20 in my freezer, I'd turn down a million dollar offer from him. I guess I should be concerned why I have 20 lungs in my freezer, but that's not the main part of my terrible analogy.

 

[SmokinJoe992]

I have probably looked down on more guitar players than bass players in my time playing with others. Compared to most bass players or other musicians, guitar players tend to be:
1) less knowledgeable about musical theory. Depending more on chord shapes and capos. It is not unusual for a guitar player to not be able to communicate to others what the actual key or chord they are playing is.
2) They tend to be more resistant to changing keys or tunings than other band members. I asked a guitar player to tune to Eb once, and he told me he could not do that without getting a set up done on his guitar.
3) They tend to be less versatile than other musicians. Meaning they can do one thing reasonably well, but if you ask them to play something outside their style it doesn’t work out great. For example, I played with a guitarist that loved EVH, and he could do the EVH thing pretty good, but if you asked him to play a Beatles song it sounded like Van Halen covering a Beatles song. The types of guitar player I have encountered are Clapton guy, Metal guy, EVH guy, Chicken Picker guy, Classic Rock guy and Acoustic Capo guy.
4) They tend to be more resistant to adding new material than other musicians, particularly anything outside their comfort zone. In many cases claiming the song is overplayed, wouldn’t sound right, or is boring to play which translates to it is hard to play, I don’t like it enough to learn it, or there is no 10 minute guitar solo.

 

[Topkat13]

Just because you claim to have experienced this on an individual basis doesn’t mean it’s widespread. Ever tried saying “hey mister guitarist I’m picking up a negative vibe… what gives dude”? Is it possible this is not related to the instrument you play/he plays? Big generalization…little proof. I know many guitar player that would invalidate your claim.

 

[Element Zero]

Please note I said MANY, not ALL.

MANY = A LOT

I’m really picky about who I gig with so I guess I’m just lucky to never have run into those types of players.

 

[WI Short Scaler]

1-Find the right musicians and it's not a problem

2-Don't think of or describe yourself as "just" the bass player. Realize how important your role is in creating a groove and make it your own

3-Don't accept the "stand in the back away from the lights" attitude. But if you refer to rule #1 it won't be a problem.

Being in a 3 pc my role is hugely important after being married for 20 years when we formed this 3 pc, my wife finally said "I know what you play now" because you can be heard. Our guitarist plays his thing, our female singer keeps the tempo on cajon, and I work between the two to give them both a foundation. It's fantastic.

I "up" my value by being able to sing fairly well, run the sound and the lights at our gigs. I realize not everyone can or wants to do that though.

 

[J-Mags]

The guitar player in my band respects what I do on bass, because when we started, we were both guitar players, and I switched to bass. He knows how hard I've worked to try to get up to speed.

And to whoever is disrespecting us eight note guys (I can do more, I swear!). The reason that no one's dancing to your band is that you categorically refuse to ever be an eight note guy.

 

[dkelley]

I'm 5'7". They always look down on me.

 

[DblG]

see my profile pic.