• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Is a bass player really necessary?

Status
Not open for further replies.
#241
1 1 huh 1625506_826008667472037_7523089328130944071_n.jpg
 
#248
bearfoot said:
what's the harm? It's just a question. Are we a bunch of snowflakes now?
Click to expand...
I don't know you, but I'm not. It's not just a question on when it's on a BASS forum. It's really just disrespectful to those of us that have worked hard at our craft. He's got 7 posts in 10 months and it wasn't worded as a question, it was a proclamation. I'm expressing my opinion, as allowed by the Talkbass rules.
 
  • Like
Reactions: bearfoot, tnicholson1138 and zZippy
#249
et0518 said:
I feel like you don't really need one. A guitar is only an octave higher and it can still cover a lot of the notes that a bass guitar does. Also, you could just use an eight-string guitar and tune the lowest string down to a low E. I know that some bands have eight string guitarists as well as bassists and the bassists play the same notes as the the eight string guitar players, but the bass will make the low end sound "fuller" because of how thick the strings are. But I don't think that really makes any much of a difference. I know this question might make me appear ignorant, but this is my own judgement.
Click to expand...

Is a bass part needed? Of course. It is the basis of western music. What register the notes are is immaterial. I played enough guitar playing bass parts with my thumb long before I picked up a bass.

The million dollar question should be: is it essential that music have an electric bass, or a double bass, and the answer to that is no. Bass parts in commercial music today are mind numbingly simple, most could be played on a keyboard.
 
#251
Jewce said:
All you need in any sort of decent successful band is bass and drums. Literally nothing but bass and drums. Rythym and timing. Everything, EVERYTHING else is simply just filler. Melody, lyrics, ambiance = filler. Rythym and timing makes it music. Even acoustic guitar and vocals, with nothing else, is rythym and filler, or pointless noise. Oh, and bass sounds exponentially better than a guitar hitting low notes. Guitars sound like trash after low B. And it never gets close to the fullness. No matter how you tweak your amp settings, pedals, etc.

So in conclusion,
Yes, a bass player is half the important parts of a band. And no, you are not important at all.
Click to expand...
Agreed! I've had a trio for about a dozen years, doing all kinds of music: bass, drums and, wait for it....sax! --No keys, no guitar, but plenty of music!!!
Another band, albeit more successful, with the same format: Morphine...and that bass player used a 2 string bass, tuned in fifths....with a slide....awesome sound!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jewce
#254
et0518 said:
I feel like you don't really need one. A guitar is only an octave higher and it can still cover a lot of the notes that a bass guitar does. Also, you could just use an eight-string guitar and tune the lowest string down to a low E. I know that some bands have eight string guitarists as well as bassists and the bassists play the same notes as the the eight string guitar players, but the bass will make the low end sound "fuller" because of how thick the strings are. But I don't think that really makes any much of a difference. I know this question might make me appear ignorant, but this is my own judgement.
Click to expand...

This kind of troll threads appear from time to time.

The funny thing is that they never work for the troll, ahah!

All the troll finds in his attempts is polite answers, pertinent information about the subject and tolerance.

A few weeks ago some troll posted 2 or 3 provocative threads and one of them was about 80s music and how it all sucked. That turned out to be a great thread about the 80s and I got some good new music from there!


So, dear troll, we all know you keep coming to the thread searching for blood. I'm sorry man, this just isn't that kind of forum. Oh, and thank you for the great topic!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Humberto Silva
#255
lfmn16 said:
I don't know you, but I'm not. It's not just a question on when it's on a BASS forum. It's really just disrespectful to those of us that have worked hard at our craft. He's got 7 posts in 10 months and it wasn't worded as a question, it was a proclamation. I'm expressing my opinion, as allowed by the Talkbass rules.
Click to expand...
It's either a troll thread, or the OP is not responding because he got dogpiled by TB posters calling him a troll and wanting him banned for expressing an opinion they didn't like.

I see a lot of harm if the latter situation were true, and no harm in the little thought experiment of the question put forth, even if it had been trolling. As you know, we aren't allowed to criticize the forum, and anything someone finds "disrespectful", which is of course impossible to define, can bring a strike. So, I just think that we could benefit from being a bit more liberal about these things.
 
#256
I don't see this as a troll thread at all. I've definitely seen a lot more deviation from the standard drums, two guitars, bass and a singer format that defined "the band" for a long time. Seems to be more prevalent with smaller groups, Alice Merton comes to mind. She was touring with herself, drums, keys and guitar. Guitar was doubling on bass parts. And we've all seen the acoustic solo / duo format that rarely includes a bass. I've been playing bass for 30 years and I'm pretty partial to the electric bass. But if the winds change and bass falls out of favor in a variety of settings, I can always play guitar or keys or whatever. Improvise, adapt and overcome!
 
#258
bearfoot said:
It's either a troll thread, or the OP is not responding because he got dogpiled by TB posters calling him a troll and wanting him banned for expressing an opinion they didn't like.

I see a lot of harm if the latter situation were true, and no harm in the little thought experiment of the question put forth, even if it had been trolling. As you know, we aren't allowed to criticize the forum, and anything someone finds "disrespectful", which is of course impossible to define, can bring a strike. So, I just think that we could benefit from being a bit more liberal about these things.
Click to expand...
If someone’s words or actions convince me that they’re a troll, and I call them on it, the onus is still on them to persuade me that they’re not.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back