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I Tell You, We Don't Get Any Respect

M

martinmcfly

Inactive
Jul 3, 2011
437
1
#1
It is such a pleasure to communicate with my fellow bassists here on TB who know just how important the Rhythm Secton is to a Band. Just the other night we went out with a couple to a Mexican Restaurant that had a live 60, 70, & 80's cover band. They were pretty good. However, the male of the couple (my friend?) started bashing the Bassist saying all he does is play dum pause, dum dum, pause, dum, pause, dum dum. Not only did he say it once, he kept pointing it out repeatedly. Needless to say, I was kinda getting irritated because first, this guy doesn't play any instrument at all, and second, that is not at all what the Bassist was playing. BTW, this couple likes to invite themselves to our house in Palm Springs and stay in our Casita for a free vacation, and it was my wife who initially made friends with the girl (who is a grouch) so they're really her friends and I just put up with them. This is basically how he was portraying it. 4/4 time. A on the 1st beat and E on the third, and that's all he's playing
 
#5
Heh, reminds me of a conversation I had years ago with a friend. This was before I even started playing bass. We're watching MTV and a Duran Duran video comes on and my friend says, what's up with that guy? His guitar only has four strings and he's just plucking it with two fingers. He sucks!

Yep, John Taylor sure does suck! Hahaha!
 
#10
etechstan said:
everyone knows that the bass player is the equivalent to the pro football place kicker.
Click to expand...

ah....that is true....to people that DON'T play music :p

The bass player, in reality IMO, is the equivalent of the entire Offensive line. Even if you have an awesome QB (Lead Guitar), great running backs (Drums) and some great tight ends (rhythm guitar) without a Center and the offensive line, the QB and the guys who catch balls/gain yards are toast.

Depending on your wife's friends husbands musical taste, tell him to listen to his favorite songs and imagine (or if you go on youtube they actually have a few) it without the bass in it. See if he still likes the song...

The place kicker is like.....I dunno the second or third Rhythm guitarist in a band :p Good for the extra point but that's bout it...
 
#11
The best Bass players in the world get paid to, sometimes, play a straight 8 single note pattern ..... they play it because they know that's what the song needs..... in which case they play it "in the pocket" masterfully with, maybe, one or two classy & tasteful fills at the appropriate places.


:bassist:
 
#12
I hope at the time that this 'friend' made that comment about bass players that you called him out on it and let him know that it's not OK. By being passive, friendly or letting things slide will just allow more situations to come up like that... and continue to be taken advantage of..... people who aren't musically inclined think the singing and lyrics is the only part to music. I would not welcome anyone to stay in my home that offended my life choice or career. No matter who or what they were to anyone in my life.
 
#15
So instead of "dum pause, dum dum, pause, dum, pause, dum dum" perhaps he wants to hear "dum be da do whump tink a tinka throp do dodo bum de da la brrrrrrr dum dum do be da do...."

Take him to Guitar Center next time.
 
#17
Mykk said:
I hope at the time that this 'friend' made that comment about bass players that you called him out on it and let him know that it's not OK. By being passive, friendly or letting things slide will just allow more situations to come up like that... and continue to be taken advantage of..... people who aren't musically inclined think the singing and lyrics is the only part to music. I would not welcome anyone to stay in my home that offended my life choice or career. No matter who or what they were to anyone in my life.
Click to expand...

I think the same thing. The guy knows I play Bass and so is really insulting me, and yes, I basically told what that hillybilly in Deliverence told the guy who said. 'I like the way you wear that hat.' I think it was the second time he made the comment I just annoyingly looked at him and said, 'You don't know nuthin'. You know how someone says something to you that pisses you off and you go home and think of the perfect thing you SHOULD have said? Well, I think the way I answered him was pretty good.
 
#18
Unless a Bassist is a lead singer or is up front and playing leads on Bass like Jaco or Stanley Clark or jumping all around like Dee Dee Ramone, Bassist's are almost ignored by non-musicians. However, like someone said here. Take the Bass out of the song and it sounds very empty. In fact, at this one gig I was in my car between sets transferring Flip HD Video to my laptop cuz the memory wasn't gonna be enough to record the whole gig. Suddenly I hear them starting the next set, Elton John's Saturday Nite, I walk in and sit down and listen (with daggers in my eyes). It sounded so empty without me. Needless to say, I quit that band soon after, but that's another story.
 

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