How do you describe your role when asked?

[Kukulkan61]

Man I don't do ....

 

[Samatza]

Father, Mother, psychologist, librarian, sound guy, repair technician, logistics expert and oh yeah... in between all that I play bass.

Our keyboard player once described it well. "When things go wrong we all stand around with our hands in our pockets while Samatza fixes it". That pretty much sums it up.

 

[roccobass]

We tease around a lot, but as a bass player, when asked, how do you explain your role in the band without sounding like an egotistical jerk?

 

[roccobass]

Hmm. Never been asked, myself. After careful thought , I say might answer:
I’m the guy who’s always ready to play.
(I do my homework, on time to practice etc)

 

[MrLenny1]

I go boom boom boom like the drummer
but with notes.

 

[bassinplace]

No one's ever asked me, but this is what I tell myself:

An automotive analogy: Drummer is the engine; I am the transmission, bandleader/frontperson is the body, guitarists are the hood ornaments.

I have a similar one to trains. The drummer is the tracks, the bass player is the wheels, the guitar/keyboards/horns are the engine and the singer is the steam.

 

[klejst]

"I'm the one on stage your girlfriend shakes her a** to out on the dance floor." - (One of) my direct go to lines when explaining the importance of the bass.

 

[bobba66]

I'm the throbbing member.

 

[IamGroot]

I was told I do great work behind the musicians.
I dont know if im a bassist or a proctologist.

 

[john_g]

Eye candy

 

[mindwell]

Point guard. I run the floor, set the offense, distribute the ball; do what I gotta do.

 

[EXCAV8]

Literally nobody has ever asked me anything remotely like that question.

 

[tb-player]

If someone asks me my role in the band, I tell them the only thing a non-musician will understand.

"I slappa de bass!"

(sorry)

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

We tease around a lot, but as a bass player, when asked, how do you explain your role in the band without sounding like an egotistical jerk?

I slappa duh baas

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

If someone asks me my role in the band, I tell them the only thing a non-musician will understand.

"I slappa de bass!"

(sorry)

Poopy! You beat me sucka dogg

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

How do you explain your role in the band WITH sounding like an egotistical jerk?

I am the glue that holds the entire band together. I am the song. Everything in every tune is built upon, and emphasizes my every motion. If it weren't for me and the drums, you would not be dancing. I am that feeling of utter bliss that sets noise into motion. The only thing necessary in music is a rythym (cough cough bass). I wrote every single song. I tell the drummer what he should be playing, and que him in dynamically. The best parts of the song are when everything cuts out, and the bass rocks on (truth actually. Well...its all true actually hahahahaha)

 

[Joe Nerve]

I am the glue that holds the entire band together. I am the song. Everything in every tune is built upon, and emphasizes my every motion. If it weren't for me and the drums, you would not be dancing. I am that feeling of utter bliss that sets noise into motion. The only thing necessary in music is a rythym (cough cough bass). I wrote every single song. I tell the drummer what he should be playing, and que him in dynamically.

I might like that even better than the soccer metaphor !

 

[tb-player]

Poopy! You beat me sucka dogg

I can't believe, in 9 pages, no one had already said it... lol

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

I might like that even better than the soccer metaphor !

Hahahaha, what's really funny is that all of that is utter truth. So, how do I tell people my role without any of that? I play bass. Or, I tell them that I marry the drums to the melody.

 

[Meaculpa]

I say my job is to keep the "glue" between rhythmic and melody. That is what I say to non musician folks. And if I can, I show the example of playing a groove with full band locking it with drummer and suddenly stops playing and I can see their faces with the expression of "oooh I seee". Lol.