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Having a bass player is now optional

#41
ArtechnikA said:
Someplace in my stash of vinyl I have a Chet Atkins record from the 60's where he played what he called the 'OctoBass' guitar - a regular electric with bass-tuned E and A.

Michael Hedges did a bunch of recordings with a Harp Guitar, which had an outboard set of (IIRC) 4 bass strings. "Because It's There" comes to mind.

Now there were both primarily solo artists, but you're right - these are not new concepts...
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And let's not forget The President of the United States of America, with their guitbass and bassitars.

The thing is, so many bass guitar players think that 'bass' mean 'bass guitar' or (for some little more open minded types) 'double bass'.

Bass is not an instrument, it's a register, a frequency range of notes. Just because the tune doesn't feature a traditional bass instrument, it doesn't make it any less valid that tunes that do.

If you're the type of person that has no respect for other styles, genres and experimental music that do not feature a bass guitar in their lineup, then you forfeit the right to call yourself a musician and music lover.
 
#42
Well, M couldn't even be bothered finishing the writing of his name so it's no surprise he didn't bother to finish filling his band. :D

Anyway, this has been going on for a long time. You probably don't remember The System. They were a synth-pop duo in the 80s: just a keyboard player/programmer and a singer.
 
#45
I think The Doors recorded with several talented bass players who had worked with Elvis and The Beach Boys, and some tracks were played by Leroy Vinnegar (who played with Stan Getz, Chet Baker and other big jazz acts).
 
#47
The main reason for "No Bass Player" is almost always money. I have seen several acts recently on Jimmy Fallon where there is no bass player. It's simple economics. One less member in the band means more money for the rest. I see more and more acts these days putting the bass responsibility on the keyboards or pre-recording the bass parts and running them through a sequencer or other equipment during a show.
 
#48
FerK said:
I think The Doors recorded with several talented bass players who had worked with Elvis and The Beach Boys, and some tracks were played by Leroy Vinnegar (who played with Stan Getz, Chet Baker and other big jazz acts).
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Beginning on Strange Days and for the two LPs following, the credit read: "Douglas Lubahn, occasional bass." Wiki says he was offered a position, but declined to stay with Clear Light.
 
#49
No instrument is unreplaceable. I have a digitech jamman sampler. For my band it's mainly used for orchestral instruments, piano, and synth sounds, but i can also use it to play drums as i have drum virtual instruments and can program the midi then put the drums on the sampler so we can even play without a drummer. For my own jamming at home my little laptop home studio plays all the backing tracks so i can practice. I have an esp 7 string baritone guitar and a pod hd for recording guitar tracks. So I can literally record everything put it in the digitech jamman then bring the jamman and my bass gear to an open mic night and be a one man band
 
#52
srxplayer said:
The main reason for "No Bass Player" is almost always money. I have seen several acts recently on Jimmy Fallon where there is no bass player. It's simple economics. One less member in the band means more money for the rest. I see more and more acts these days putting the bass responsibility on the keyboards or pre-recording the bass parts and running them through a sequencer or other equipment during a show.
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Actually, I think the current "no bass" trend is the result of other musicians not wanting to deal with bass players who seem to want to do nothing but solo constantly. :hiding: :D
 
#53
srxplayer said:
I see more and more acts these days putting the bass responsibility on the keyboards or pre-recording the bass parts and running them through a sequencer or other equipment during a show.
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One act that I really enjoy that does this is Beats Antique.
They perform as a 3 piece - A drummer, Clairnet/Sax, and Guitar/Everything Else.
The band leader trigger pre-recorded bass/synth tracks.
They have a fourth member, she's a belly dancer and will sometimes play some additional percussion/
Theyre a great band, Im seeing them again next week.

The band that I used to play with and quit last April has been playing without a bassist. I think, though, in their case its more due to not being able to find someone.
 
#55
Jookbox said:
It happens.
2euii49.jpg
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The keyboards are wireless and the vocal mic is apparently plugged into the guitar. Clearly, they have no need for a bassist!:D
 
#57
DAVID DRAIMAN's new band Device doesn't have a bassist. They arguably fill in that gap with a seven-string guitar tuned to drop A and frequent double-bass drums.
 
#59
Bass players were always optional. The interesting thing is how many bands across many genres DO employ a bass player. And I think I know why: the other band members like to have a bass player to listen to during the performances.
 
#60
Bass lines played on many instruments such as keyboards (piano, organ, synthesizer) and brass/woodwinds (tuba, bass saxophone, bass clarinet, contrabasoon...) carry out the musical function, however only stringed instruments seem to sound convincing, especially for dancing.

Other instruments have to stop and start momentarily for every note change while the decay of tones sounded on string basses like cellos, contrabass and bass guitar overlap. There is no space between the notes, whereas our ear picks up a momentary pause on other bass instruments. This continuity and a vibrating string mass sound more rhythmic to us - as drum skins do. Try playing staccato bass lines and watch the dancers leave, but listen to the power and authority of an open E on double bass - it's tone is more interesting - even sparkling or hypnotic.

But then there is boogie-woogie piano... seems to work fine on its own - but add the root-fifth of a string bass behind it, and you have the beginnings of true rock & roll...

Root-fifth... are bass lines mimicking our mother's heartbeats?
 

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