Is Bass Worth Picking Up?

[GoCDerek]

I didn't read the whole thread yet (I'll do it when I'm done with this post), but it seems that some of you are saying that one can't play bass and recieve a large part of a crowd's attention - this is untrue. While I admit that many bassists will just sit on the sidelines and pump out root notes and nothing else, a good solid bassit who can improvise some witty fills or play brilliant countermelodies AND look like he's enjoying it will never go unnoticed by the crowd. In fact, I think a crowd notices the fact that the bass player, steryotypically the member of the band with less than no stage presence, is the one who is drawing most of the attention.

Flea? Geddy Lee? Gary Thain? Steve Harris?

edit: Ok, so other people made that point too, lol

Yeah, I made the thread mainly to get some reassurance on my decision, and to get some help on choosing a bass and amp.

 

[spectorlover72]

The guitar player is not necessarily as important as the bass player. After all, there would be no "guitar heros" without someone laying down the foundation for them to stand upon. I've been a bass player for 20 years, and chose to be one in part because everywhere I looked people played guitar. I wanted to be different and do something no one else was doing. Drums were out of the question because I lived with my parents in an apartment. Piano and keyboards did not interest me. I sucked as a singer. Bass was the only other option, and I haven't regretted my choice for even a millisecond. Along with drums, we keep everything glued together. That's true power!

In truth, I picked bass because I was a huge fan of Poison, and Bobby Dall had the coolest looking instrument, a neon green B.C. Rich Warlock. (I can just hear the collective gasp of all the fine players on this forum...) Hair metal rules!!

 

[oi_pride]

i was a guitar player for years, a very bad one, and everyone told me that i should play bass. so finally i did. i've been playing bass for years now and it was definitely the best decision i've ever made. now bass is a different animal than guitar, and it can be very hard to learn especially when you get into funk, jazz and fusion, but it is the most fundamental instrument in a band even in classical music you still have a bass or several. Richard Wagner invented a bass that took two people to play it, if bass wasn't worth picking up then why would he have made a bass that would rumble your seats. bass is the foundation in a band. Foundation is key to any structure. listen to Stevie Ray Vaughn great guitar player, yet no one gives credit to the other two guys laying it down. I would say that the bass is worth picking up even if you don't play bass, it will help improve your skills on guitar.