Let's face it: bass guitar isn't that hard

[David Jayne]

A piano has 88 keys and it's even easier to play badly than bass. A trumpet only has three valves and most people couldn't blow a single note. Then you have Les Claypool playing his Whamola with one string. The outward complexity of an instrument is irrelevant but the man on the street has no idea. And as others have said, most regular folks have little idea of what the bass actually does. Unfortunately a lot of bass players don't, either. : D

 

[Bunk McNulty]

In the immortal words of Garry Tallent:

 

[10cc]

I have met some Brazilian tambourin players who totally blew my mind. Let's face it, tambourin isn't that hard to play, most 1 years olds can play the tambourin.

I saw a band years ago open for Los Lobos and they had a fellow who did a tambourine solo and then backed it up with a triangle solo. It was very entertaining

 

[Mantis Tobaggan]

It's the easiest instrument to play poorly, maybe the hardest to play really well.

Not trying to bust on anyone, but if we don't respect our own instrument, why should we expect anyone else to?

Most of the people I know that think it is easy are half-assing their way through the songs; they don't learn the notes, don't really have the groove, aren't paying attention to what everyone else is playing and don't really have the fundamentals mastered.

If you want to be a GREAT bass player, you need to lock with the drummer, mesh with the guitar, support the vocals, enforce the groove, and play as precisely as possible - all at the same time. That's not easy.

Yes it is. Play the correct notes and stay in time with your drummer.

 

[bassbully]

If you think playing bass is as simple as one finger one fret then you have missed the boat for 22 years..

 

[David Jayne]

Yes it is. Play the correct notes and stay in time with your drummer.

If only. I suppose for some kinds of music that's enough. Jazz, funk, blues, soul, R&B, Latin..... it isn't.

 

[10cc]

George Porter had about as simple lines as any on his Meters stuff I thought.

 

[lermgalieu]

I wish this thread would die

 

[amusicalperson]

Not that I don't appreciate cool tapping, slapping techniques, wild runs, chords, etc. but the older I get the more I recognize the elegance of simplicity.

I tend to favor the Leland Sklar method. If I can get away with just playing whole notes I will. I try to add as little as possible to the overall song. We are servants of the music. Groove on my brother of the low end!

 

[khutch]

I haven't read all 18 pages, just the first post, so I doubt what I have to say will be original to this thread or will have much chance of being read by many people. Compared to some instruments it certainly is easy to make a sensible sound come out of a bass guitar. Of course the same could be said of any keyboard instrument or any other stringed instrument as long as you pluck the strings and don't try to bow them. And unlike most other instruments you don't have to have a lot of music theory or skill to make a solid contribution to a band. You have to understand simple chords and be able to find the roots, fifths, and appropriate thirds on the fretboard. This is stuff you can learn in a few weeks of practice. You also have to have or have to develop a sense of rhythm and timing. Some of us are either born with this or pick it up from listening to music and some of us have to work at it but again you can get to a useful level of skill with a few weeks practice. So buy a bass guitar and become a competent band member in two or three months. It is quite doable and many have done.

But do you want to become a bassist who is revered by everyone on TB and widely acknowledged as one of the greats by everyone who listens to music? If so, then you will find that bass guitar is as hard to master as any other instrument and just as with every other instrument there are a great many who try and fail. They don't fail completely, they become quite proficient and artistic. It is just that getting to that ultimate level is beyond most of us. Because of the role that bass plays in a band it is easy to become a competent bassist and relatively easy to make a living at it. Don't kid yourself however, becoming a master bass guitarist is exceedingly difficult. And don't disparage your own skill even if you have tried and failed. The top level of any human endeavor is reserved for only a few individuals of exceptional skill and giftedness. If your band mates are happy with what you do then what you do is good and chances are you will only get better as you play more.

 

[mikeyjm2]

We are servants of the music.

Yes! When I forget this I stumble.

 

[10cc]

I'm sure it's been mentioned but it just depends on the song. It can get a little tricky singing lead but after you figure that out its pretty much auto pilot. I just play for the song every time.

 

[10cc]

I haven't read all 18 pages, just the first post, so I doubt what I have to say will be original to this thread or will have much chance of being read by many people. Compared to some instruments it certainly is easy to make a sensible sound come out of a bass guitar. Of course the same could be said of any keyboard instrument or any other stringed instrument as long as you pluck the strings and don't try to bow them. And unlike most other instruments you don't have to have a lot of music theory or skill to make a solid contribution to a band. You have to understand simple chords and be able to find the roots, fifths, and appropriate thirds on the fretboard. This is stuff you can learn in a few weeks of practice. You also have to have or have to develop a sense of rhythm and timing. Some of us are either born with this or pick it up from listening to music and some of us have to work at it but again you can get to a useful level of skill with a few weeks practice. So buy a bass guitar and become a competent band member in two or three months. It is quite doable and many have done.

But do you want to become a bassist who is revered by everyone on TB and widely acknowledged as one of the greats by everyone who listens to music? If so, then you will find that bass guitar is as hard to master as any other instrument and just as with every other instrument there are a great many who try and fail. They don't fail completely, they become quite proficient and artistic. It is just that getting to that ultimate level is beyond most of us. Because of the role that bass plays in a band it is easy to become a competent bassist and relatively easy to make a living at it. Don't kid yourself however, becoming a master bass guitarist is exceedingly difficult. And don't disparage your own skill even if you have tried and failed. The top level of any human endeavor is reserved for only a few individuals of exceptional skill and giftedness. If your band mates are happy with what you do then what you do is good and chances are you will only get better as you play more.

Great post. I've always thought that musicians from the the earlier days were always better than what's around today. I listen to stuff from around the 60's-80's and it seems that the musicians back then were much more qualified. That's just me though.

 

[rtslinger]

OP that's like saying playing guitar chords are difficult. I disagree I think if you are talent enough any instrument can be "easy" I think getting it right is the hard part. timing, accents, feeling the groove and convey that feeling through the instrument is what I am talking about. Notes are notes like playing bass on Guitar hero they are just that notes stale, static, lifeless. But when a player breaths life into it and his personality comes to the surface, that is when the magic happens. As a bassist I pride myself on being the best I can be. It has been a major part of my life and many know me Rob....aka rtslinger as a Bass player and proud of my accomplishments.

 

[Lumdingo]

Okay, here's a challenge for everyone here. You may not like the music, but please give it a listen or three and decide for yourself.

One of the most inspirational pieces of bass work I've ever heard, and it still gets me going , is the bass playing in Fastway - Fastway. It's performed by Mick Feat, a professional session bassist who, in my mind, shows exceptional skill in this work.

Tell me why this work is great or not great. In my opinion it's some of the best bass playing I've ever heard.

Point of interest: When Fastway formed it was FAST Eddie Clarke (Motörhead) and Pete WAY (UFO), but Ozzy's Sharon Ozbourne made sure they could never make that album together... I'll let you look up the rest if you like. Fascinating stuff.

 

[BassBrass]

you'd think recorder is "easy" until you meet a professional recorder player who can play in any key without thought and can sight-read anything including baroque music... but I will also say that trumpet is Much harder to play (and maintain chops) than bass, but that can be an advantage because for ten years (or 10,000 hours) you are working like an athlete to create a listenable sound while getting the head learning, the rules and rep...just pity the people who have to listen to you until you get a pleasant sound...

 

[10cc]

Okay, here's a challenge for everyone here. You may not like the music, but please give it a listen or three and decide for yourself.

One of the most inspirational pieces of bass work I've ever heard, and it still gets me going , is the bass playing in Fastway - Fastway. It's performed by Mick Feat, a professional session bassist who, in my mind, shows exceptional skill in this work.

Tell me why this work is great or not great. In my opinion it's some of the best bass playing I've ever heard.

Point of interest: When Fastway formed it was FAST Eddie Clarke (Motörhead) and Pete WAY (UFO), but Ozzy's Sharon Ozbourne made sure they could never make that album together... I'll let you look up the rest if you like. Fascinating stuff.

Is it a song titled Fastway or the entire album titled Fastway? Either WAY the album is cool. You had me at UFO!

 

[10cc]

Wonder what Dusty Hill would say?

 

[Joe Nerve]

It's the easiest instrument to play poorly, maybe the hardest to play really well.

Not trying to bust on anyone, but if we don't respect our own instrument, why should we expect anyone else to

Hmmm... Color me crazy but I think it's much easier to play a violin, flute, or saxophone poorly than a bass. And tougher to play them really well, as well. I can think of many instruments that require a lot more skills and technical know how... Not to mention a whole new skill within itself to simply produce a note that sounds good. My cat can get a good sounding open E out of my bass. She doesn't stand a chance with a tuba.

Why also would saying something is easy be disrespecting it? I don't get the connection. Because something is easier to do than something else means it's not worthy of as much respect? I don't think that way.

 

[zisme]

it's hard for me to judge, having learned guitar first. while my fingers are already calloused and my fretting hand does what it's supposed to, the bass challenges me in different arenas - namely my rhythm and timing. i'm much more 'in my head' when playing bass, counting and following different queues. guitar playing seems more instinctual to me, but that may just come from playing it longer.