Is a bass player really necessary?

[FacStudio]

Music without bass sounds rubbish! There are some exceptions, but its a good rule of thumb.

Of course, that doesn't have to be a bass guitar. You could 'fart' the notes if you really wanted too.

 

[MacMiahans]

Honestly, that's the opinion of someone who hasn't played with a real bass player. If your bass player is just following root notes and only following the guitar then they're not doing their job.

Or... you've come into a huge bass player community to troll...

 

[KBass]

No jazz players here?
Is there no concept of an independent voice in that register?
Organ trios are fun to listen to but the bass part is just enough to support the harmony. But a bass player adds melodic counterpoint because he's not over-multitasking. I really don't care for groups with keyboard bass because the keys players don't think like a bass player. I'm a jazz bassist. People come to see me because I give them the experience of seeing a JAZZ bassist. No bass, no jazz.

 

[saabfender]

Low notes are not enough. It needs to thump. That’s why B3 players thump the pedals as they play the bass part with the left hand.

Anything that doesn’t thump is insufficient and loses out to things that can.

 

[Tom Winstead]

"Is a bass player really necessary..." On behalf of all of the members of this forum, eff you. That is all.

 

[Asylum-49]

But if you got rid of the bass player, who would the guitarist(s) nick all their ‘Licks’ from and then pass them off as their own.... yes I am bitter.

 

[ErikavonT]

OOH My. Release the Hounds!

 

[The Czar]

Bass is awesome, but no you don't NEED to use any instrument you don't want to.

I have a game that I created for composition and songwriting. I call it a master builder. It's like rolling up a Dungeons and Dragons character but in song form. You do one roll to see how many instruments you can roll up on the instrument table, you roll to see what the first chord or note that will be played is and you roll on another table to see what time signature the song starts in.

I rolled up one song that all I can use is drums and percussion, vocals and cello.

You can add tables that tell you how many parts there should be in a song, what each part should sound like or the feel of sections, or time signatures for each part. I've narrowed it down to 3 maybe there's four I might be missing one. And the instrument table consists of whatever you have that you can play.

 

[BMI]

I'm pretty sure that not having a bass player is illegal...

 

[Geoff Wood]

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.

A guitarist could cover the higher notes, but generally not at the same time as playing the guitar parts. And yes strings do make a difference. The tone would not be the same at all - try it, all loose and floppy.

Nobody 'needs' a bass, but equally nobody needs a guitar.

 

[The Czar]

Probably the best answer " Follow your heart"

 

[soulman969]

Yes.....next question?

 

[ptooner]

Do you know how many bass players it takes to change a lightbulb?
None, the keyboard player will get it with his left hand.

 

[Kragnorak]

I feel like you don't really need one.

I notice that genre is not specified in this thread...

Having watched Animals as Leaders live, I conclude that bass is not really necessary.

Having watched SMV live, I conclude that guitar is not really necessary.

Having watched any number of rappers perform on Saturday Night Live without a backing band, I conclude that instruments are not really necessary.

 

[Kragnorak]

No jazz players here?
Is there no concept of an independent voice in that register?
Organ trios are fun to listen to but the bass part is just enough to support the harmony. But a bass player adds melodic counterpoint because he's not over-multitasking. I really don't care for groups with keyboard bass because the keys players don't think like a bass player. I'm a jazz bassist. People come to see me because I give them the experience of seeing a JAZZ bassist. No bass, no jazz.

FYI, I play keys as well as bass. But when I play keys it's harder to get my left hand to 'think' and groove like a bassist. I actually find it easier to multitask:

 

[Dave Neal]

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.[/QUO

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.

Punched a guitar player in the face once... it felt great.... no bass no band.

 

[xhawk5]

Worst post ever!

 

[cracker973]

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.

Listen to a polka band with a tuba, then listen to a polka band with a bass guitar and then tell us what you like better.

 

[ThudThudThud]

 

[Dave Neal]

"Is a bass player really necessary..." On behalf of all of the members of this forum, eff you. That is all.

I see what you did there!