Hey! You are just the Bass Player!

[Revolver]

A long time ago . . . on a gig far away . . . somebody asked "what does the bass do anyway?" . . . I pondered the question for some minutes, and though I tried in vain to explain with words, I came up with what someone just mentioned. When it was time to play again, I hopped on stage, then looked the person in the eye and stopped playing in the middle of a song . . . They got it!

 

[Blind Rat]

Best shout out I had at a show. Between songs, vocals is blabbing about who we are and the next song, thanks for coming lines...random drunk guy shouts out at the top of his lungs "Hey bass player, I LOVE YOUR BEARD" We as bassists, all need to unify and rock beards...big, burly beards.

I agree 100%

 

[imustscream]

If a guitar player told me that my opinion didn't matter because I 'just' play the bass I'd take out my guitar and offer the same opinion again.

 

[bassakwards]

I ran across this while reading a review of the new van halen album, written by someone who thinks he is some kind of music critic:

"Can Wolfie play bass? Who cares? I'm sure he's competent. Because, really, who can't play bass? Fact: There are several trained apes playing bass in circus bands touring the country. They get way more chicks than Wolfie and they party way harder."

I wonder if the "music critic" can play bass, or any instrument at all?

 

[1SHOT1HIT]

B.A.N.D. -- Broken-Apart (&) Nobody's Dancing. //// Bassist-Always-Needed-Desperately.

B.A.S.S. -- Bassists-Are (a) Songs-Success. //// Bassists-Are (the) Singers-Soul.


Sorry I was bored, They're cheesy but they work.

 

[jmercer91]

I've always said that the bass was the glue that holds the guitar and the drums together.

but I also really like the white stripes and the black keys that have no bass.

However, if I came up with a song idea - to help the band - and was dismissed as you were, I would definitely have a problem with it, and would say something. Band members need to realize that groups don't work when you disrespect people.

Well, in their last three albums the black keys have had some serious bass, most notably on brothers. And they really didn't get much attention until recently. They're awesome live btw.

 

[morgansterne]

I play in a four piece and the singer who is a chords-only acoustic-only type of guitar player asks me what chords to play under the lead player's solo. He doesn't ask the other guitarist. I've just demonstrated over the past year I've been playing with them that I know what's up. Just last practice I asked the guitar player about his chord fingering cuz it looked like he'd forgotten he was in Drop D. (he hadn't, I guess it's just his way of muting the low string.)
I try not to be a jerk about it but sometimes I probably am one anyway.

 

[Audiophage]

It works with everyone though. "You're just the singer!" "You're just the guitarist!" "You're just the drummer!"

 

[jollygiantchris]

So true its weird to see people's attitudes about bass. My soon to be power trio is auditioning drummers and all the drummers we've seen so far have kissed the guitarists ass over how cool the songs are... Out of our 7 songs I wrote 2 by myself and the guitar player wrote one fully and the other 4 are pretty much half and half.

Yet everybody assumes he wrote all of it because I play bass Don't get me wrong though the guitar player is amazing and I feel lucky to be playing with him.

 

[Raudsarw]

The average person listening to you won't even understand the difference between a bass and a guitar. If you stand next to the vocalist instead of standing next to the drums, many people will assume you're the more "important" member. Whenever I'm closer to the center of the stage than the guitarist, I get lots of people coming to compliment me after the gig. When I'm next to the drummer, it's only other bassists coming to talk to me about my rig if even that.

As for respect from other band members, it's more about personality and talent than the instrument. Bassists quite often tend to be more introverted. Which can be good, we've probably all been around the self obsessed vocalists and guitarists who end up annoying everyone around them, but if act like "just the bassist", that is what people are going to see you as. And of course, if you're the most talented member of the band, other band members will notice and respect you for it, eventually.

 

[Old Fart]

In my humble opinion, bass is THE key, critical instrument. Guitarists who truly understand what's going on......they know that the audience comes for the drums and especially the bass. Drums and bass are the cake AND the frosting. Guitars are the decorations on top.

 

[walknbluez]

Just last night, the guitarist in my band says "Anyone who plays guitar can play bass". Yet I have to laugh whenever I see a non-bass playing guitarist try to play bass.

 

[awakefie]

When the drummer and I are on the dance floor fills quickly.

I can't for the life of me remember anyone rushing to the dance floor when the guitar player starts to play Van Halen's Eruption. Ever.

That's good enough for me.

 

[Mystic Michael]

Last Sunday we were working out a song and the two gutiar players could not figure out a chord transition. After listening to them go back and forth for about 10 minutes or so, I piped in with an alternate way to do it. All I got was: Hay! you are Just the bass player! Just????

I do believe I would set those boys straight. Right on the spot...

MM