Guitarists looking down on bassists?

[Ronzo]

Next time your guitarist starts getting holier than thou, do what I do. Start a Jam in Db or Gb - usually shuts em right up.

If I did that in Db, I’d get a momentary blank stare - then they’d play C# minor, and we’d be back to E. Again.

Then, they’d say I need to downtune to C#. Because “It will sound heavier, man!”

 

[MikeBass]

Yeah, I have that problem every now and then.
I usually learn one of the guitar solos and when they don’t expect it, I double it with them. Shuts them the hell up about being a lesser instrument pretty quick.

 

[Mark_70]

Never had that happen. I may have been lucky so far - or just something that doesn't happen a lot.

Regards
Mark

 

[Michedelic]

Anyone got this monkey's number? It sounds like he's easy to work with.

 

[swarfrat]

When I started picking up drums, my instructor (who had some airplay in the 90's), whips out a guitar for something or other... and he's a better guitar player than I am. Sort of made me think of the Mark Rober video:

 

[fdeck]

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

Today violists are valued because nobody else can play that damn clef. A relative of mine is a pro level violinist, and playing viola has greatly expanded her gig work.

 

[Stewie]

There is one drummer who always finds a way to try to put me down at jams. I just don’t get up with them. Everyone else I’ve played with in the last 40 years has shown, and received, respect and friendship. If you have a continuous problem with guitarists, perhaps it’s you,

 

[rtav]

TBH, no guitarist I’ve ever seriously played with had anything close to a snobby attitude of guitar over bass. Online is a total BS-palooza so all bets are off there, but in real life it has never ever happened IME.

It depends on the guitarist, but if i came across someone in a band situation with a snotty attitude towards my instrument one of us would have to go. However that’s fortunately a hypothetical situation for me.

 

[lfmn16]

that was a difficult sub-theme/POV for me to deal with when i first joined TB and started posting...like a rodney dangerfield joke "i don't get no respect" = where does that stuff come from?

We teach people how to treat us. If we don’t respect ourselves, why would we expect others to respect us?

 

[groooooove]

meh. i've heard lots of good and lots of bad of both guitar and bass playing.

not responding to this thread is probably harder that either guitar or bass playing ever could be.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

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...

I’ve not encountered snobbery or having anybody look down on me as being “just a bass player” once the “bullets start flying”. The only snobbery I’ve encountered is from self-indulgent writers and and arrangers that are convinced of their own significance, most of which wouldn’t know how to write a logical bass part if their lives depended on it.

 

[Rolling Thunder]

I play guitar and hang out in TDPRI and I absolutely reject this premise. There is zero snobbery against bass players. I actually said something tongue in cheek once and got a backlash from guitar players defending bass players.

I really can’t stand these kind of threads. If you feel insecure about playing bass, learn guitar. Don’t put it on guitar players. I see WAY more bashing of guitar players by bass players on here than the other way.

I agree with you that this is a "pile on" thread. There is another one from a few days ago regarding effect pedals where everyone replies "nope, hate 'em" or "does a DI count".

As far as TDPRI, I was regularly on there until a few years ago. The tonewood or nitro vs poly threads are eye-rollingly bad. What really turned me away was the general demeanor. Just too many angry old men with axes to grind.

 

[bholder]

Anyone got this monkey's number? It sounds like he's easy to work with.

I call dibs. Already got the perfect drummer lined up...

Invalid Link Removed

 

[JRA]

I call it “Battered Bass Player Syndrome”.

sounds right! some actually seem to depend on it and prefer it (the syndrome) --- must fit their 'life narrative'.

The only snobbery I’ve encountered is from self-indulgent writers and and arrangers that are convinced of their own significance, most of which wouldn’t know how to write a logical bass part if their lives depended on it.

so we're going from guitarists to writers/arrangers? it seems that i do more of that than playing these days --- but i only write bass parts that i'm capable of playing = in case i have a shot at that, too!

 

[primusfan1989]

I always sense a certain snobbery against bass players.

Are we gonna act like the opposite of that doesn't happen here on a regular basis? I see tons of ribbing and snobbery directed at guitarists on here...I don't even have to look that hard for it

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

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...

Pretty much. Guitar doesn't need to even play the song, as long as they're in key. One off note on bass, and you can feel it.

 

[Blackfishfinger]

If you feel a guitarist is looking down on you, clearly you need to either hire shorter guitarists, or invest in a pair of elevator shoes.

 

[Obese Chess]

The only thing like this I've ever experienced is good-natured joking around with other bass players about us not being real musicians or having the easy job in the band. Guitarists don't give me any grief and neither does anyone else. Not to my face, anyway.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

sounds right! some actually seem to depend on it and prefer it (the syndrome) --- must fit their 'life narrative'.


so we're going from guitarists to writers/arrangers? it seems that i do more of that than playing these days --- but i only write bass parts that i'm capable of playing = in case i have a shot at that, too!

I play a fair guitar as well, so I guess I come across with a bit of street cred dealing with guitarists.

BTW, I can appreciate a good writer /arranger/producer, but I play the ink regardless with no attitude. In my mind, I’m the bassist, I’m not paid to be a critic.

 

[Ronzo]

Today violists are valued because nobody else can play that damn clef. A relative of mine is a pro level violinist, and playing viola has greatly expanded her gig work.

Good to know! My older granddaughter is in the All-County Orchestra at her school district - up for first chair. She plays beautifully.