Is bass mostly a percussion instrument?

[FretlessMainly]

What if the OP had used the word "percussive" instead of "percussion?" Why do some players prefer the attack of a pick and others the attack of the fingers? Doesn't that speak to percussiveness as opposed to rhythm? Rhythm is established by the meter and duration of notes; percussiveness is defined by the articulation of your notes. So, some player's styles are more percussive while still being rhythmic (and potentially harmonic and melodic) while other player's styles are more focused on rhythm, harmony and melody only (or some assemblage thereof).

 

[Red Rover]

Maybe it was a percussion instrument 3 years ago but it isn't any more. It was decided in the great debate of 2012.

 

[Major Softie]

This is a weird string, with 1/2 the people arguing semantics and 1/2 the people arguing music, and way too many not recognizing the difference between each other's approaches.

The definition of a percussion instrument is screwed up, and the way people perceive the definition of percussion is even more screwed up. Pianos are, by definition, percussion instruments, but no one considers them percussion instruments. Most (not all) people speak of percussion instruments as a group of instruments that do rhythm but not melodies, but xylophones and vibes are certainly percussion instruments, yet they play melodies. People speak of "percussion" and "rhythm" instruments as though they are synonymous, when they are anything but.

Basses are part of the rhythm section, but are string, not percussion. Vibes are percussion instruments but not part of the rhythm section. Pianos torque the whole percussion definition in a way that no one can come to agreement.

Bet you had no idea what a hornet's nest this whole thing was, did you, OP?

 

[RandomBox]

I consider it to be a rhythm instrument more than a percussive one.


And now I learned that I may be mistaken for a guitarist-turned-bassist in the future, since I usually play with my fingers relatively close (my pinky isn't strong enough for fretting, so I only use my index, middle, and ring fingers.)