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

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Frederico's groove is great, but then all the wankadoo muddies it up and bores me to tears.
I guess I can appreciate the technical ability, not trying to disparage those that can, just not my thing, and not my definition of what makes a "good bassist".

YMMV and all that other rigamarole.

 

[RED J]

Good. I feel better now. All that work for nothing.

 

[bassbully]

I came to bass the same way, after years on the guitar, and I agree 100%

I also play both and agree. With guitar I lead more and there are allot of simple ways to get thru with guitar, not so with bass. I remember when I played bass in a country band and watching the guitar players strumming open chords all night while I had to walk the entire fretboard.

 

[Sixgunn]

I've been playing 30+ years and JUST NOW feel that I'm getting pretty decent....

 

[Gasman]

Well you got two kinds of bass players, a nice simplistic one laying down the groove and well you got this guy

Wow. Just....wow. As a groove based player who doesn't listen to much death metal, and generally dislikes gratuitous guitar solos and really doesn't like bass solos, I say THAT is awesome. Thanks for sharing. I will have to check out more from that band.

 

[bobba66]

If someone gets smacked on the head with a bass guitar I suspect they would consider it to be very hard. Very hard, indeed.

 

[Rogatien022]

I don't understand why this is such an "identity crisis"... Just play what you want, as long as it fits within the band and/or the style of music. Why does chops and talent matter that much? My goal, being in a band, is to render the music to it's best, whatever the style is. I want my band to sound good as an ensemble, I'm not interested in showing off - can't anyways - the band result counts more than my individual playing.

And playing is never boring, too easy or too complicated. I try to quickly adapt and render to my best. The band's sound will always prevail over my abilities. The band will always be more important than me. Otherwise I would go solo and do my stuff.

 

[Hopkins]

We don't play chords, but I can strum chords on a guitar and sing all day, but I cannot for the life of me sing while laying down a bass line.

 

[Mr.Ace]

We don't play chords, but I can strum chords on a guitar and sing all day, but I cannot for the life of me sing while laying down a bass line.

Amen brother

 

[gregmon79]

Its all about what you, the bassit, decides to play. It depends on what type of music you play. It depends on a lot of things. But you can make your playing as simple or as complex as the song calls for. You could say the same for any instrument. Or maybe youre just that good OP, that its just so easy for you

I most def do not agree with the stereotype that most think of bassists and how were the easiest instrument in the band to play, how we wouldnt be missed if we werent there. Such hogwash. People who really listen to and know mucic know that the bass is the glue to the band. It holds it all together while still helping keep the rhythm and melody going. I cant think of too many instruments that do that other than the bass side. So again, its up to the player. You wanna play country bass all day, go ahead, rock it! You want to play complex prog all day, rock it! But dont ever tell me what guys like Chris Squire and Geddy did was easy. Because it just wasnt. Its also about the process of writing and performing, composition too. All those things go into making a good musician a good musician/bassist. So when someone compliments you, thank them and move on. You dont have to think about it too much.

 

[mikeyjm2]

I cannot for the life of me sing while laying down a bass line.

That is a really tough thing, at least for me. I only really came into being able to do it by playing original music with a guitarist buddy (his compositions). I've found I can do backup now for covers, but only some covers. I can honestly say singing while playing is my biggest challenge as a bass player.

 

[Hopkins]

That is a really tough thing, at least for me. I only really came into being able to do it by playing original music with a guitarist buddy (his compositions). I've found I can do backup now for covers, but only some covers. I can honestly say singing while playing is my biggest challenge as a bass player.

But it also kind of fly's in the face of the theory that bass is easier than guitar, if one of theme can be played easily enough that I concentrate on singing vs devoting more of my brain to the bass line, that I cannot do both at the same time

 

[D M C]

Definitely not now! Everyone will tell me i feel inferior because i suck. I dont think i suck, i just feel like drums and guitar is harder so i get this weird inferiority at band practice. They have all been playing as long as i have.

I have been playing the drums for 45 years. I've started playing the bass guitar in earnest - not just noodling - in the last two years. They each require their own skill set and technique, but are similar in many many ways. You can as rhythmically and tonally complex as you care to to suit the style and feel of the song on either or both.

 

[tpaul]

I don't want playing bass to be hard, I want it to be easy. As easy as humming a tune.

Not there yet.

 

[lfmn16]

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

That sounds like an adequate bass player, not a great bass player.

 

[lfmn16]

I wish this thread would die

It did.

 

[gregmon79]

That is a really tough thing, at least for me. I only really came into being able to do it by playing original music with a guitarist buddy (his compositions). I've found I can do backup now for covers, but only some covers. I can honestly say singing while playing is my biggest challenge as a bass player.

But it also kind of fly's in the face of the theory that bass is easier than guitar, if one of theme can be played easily enough that I concentrate on singing vs devoting more of my brain to the bass line, that I cannot do both at the same time

I think it has to do with the way and what is played. Strumming is so much easier to sing with opposed to finger playing. Also the single notes are hard to hit and sing with. Its just tough. It has to do with the way our brains work. But I notice I can sing along with playing a ton better when Im strumming guitar chords. Fingering single notes, YEAH RIGHT!!!

 

[Mantis Tobaggan]

I wish this thread would die

Why? People seem to think it is interesting.

 

[twinjet]

Playing bass isn't hard. Playing bass well -- consistently writing and playing lines that make each part of the song feel good, while being in sync with the drums, not stepping on the melody, and in a frequency range where you're not clashing with the other instruments -- that's hard.
On the rare occasion I get complimented for my playing, I try to deflect it, because the best compliment a bass player can get is, "The band was tight."

This is something I relate to. When someone compliments me directly, humble mode activates and I say something like "oh, thanks - but what I do isn't anything special".

The things that flatter me most are when people feel like picking up their bass after hearing me play. My friend's dad told him he wanted to learn to play bass after hearing me play as a duo on stage once. That felt nice.

Of course, when someone says the band sounded tight, I get cocky in my head - yeah, that was pretty much all me!

 

[mikeyjm2]

Also the single notes are hard to hit and sing with. Its just tough. It has to do with the way our brains work.

Yeah, I think you're onto it being something with the way our brains work. The human brain really isn't wired to multi-task, despite what some folks think. And I agree that for whatever reason, it is easier for me to sing while strumming chords on a guitar rather than playing single notes on a bass.