Musician or Bass Player?

[Slevage]

Who said anything about ownership? Someone who plays the bass is playing a musical instrument. A person who plays a musical instrument is a musician. The word is being sprinkled with professionalism and showmanship and knowledge of musical theory and a bunch of other attributes that are not part of the basic and common usage of the word.

Who said anything about dogs,
I'll stick withal bass players are not musicians.

 

[Gorn]

Who said anything about dogs,
I'll stick withal bass players are not musicians.

That's fine. We can all use words how we please. It can make communication difficult but that's okay too.

 

[abracadunphy]

Mini carrots

 

[Element Zero]

My vote was both. I consider myself a musician first since I didn't start with bass. Bass is just the medium I use to make music 90% of the time.

 

[Joe Nerve]

Musician.

But I'll up your ante, and call myself an artist.

I play bass, guitar, and sing. I also play a little drums, keyboards, and given enough time with pretty much any instrument - I can get something nice to come out of it. I've also acted in many plays, like to write, draw, and paint. I enjoy creating. In any way I can. I feel that makes me an artist.

 

[micguy]

I pretty much show up to shake things. If the notes I play fit with the music, bonus.

 

[ofajen]

On a good day, I resemble a musician.

Otto

 

[RED J]

All chihuahuas are dogs but...and so on.

Bad analogy misclassified rodent hah !

 

[Smooth_bass88]

I'm a professional musician. The instrument I use to play music is electric bass (bass).

 

[Tom Bomb]

I'm a military drummer known to have strayed – so not the carrots but hickory sticks then licks.

 

[emblymouse]

Bass Player. Always have been. When I was like 9 we used to play Beatles and run away from imaginary girls all over the neighborhood. I had 2 bass ball bat basses. One regular, the other a 'fuzz' bass. I am dead serious. Once I saw Paul's album credit for fuzz bass I was all over it. Rubber Soul methinks that about fits the timeline.

 

[AztecViking]

Bass is one of the closest instruments to farting and I always knew I was good at that.

 

[HolmeBass]

Yes, page 6! TB does not disappoint.

 

[superdick2112]

Aspire to be simply a bass player or rock star, and chances are you'll wind up a hack bassist in a crap band.

Aspire to be a well-rounded musician, and you might end up actually earning respect & a decent living writing & playing music.

 

[stratovani]

I'm a musician AND a bass player - I'm a bassist!

 

[Nickweissmusic]

I was inspired to play bass thanks to Iron Maiden's Steve Harris. In interviews Harris claims to have no formal musical education, no knowledge of theory, and in one interview said he didn't know what scales are. Harris has arguably been responsible for inspiring millions of people to take up bass guitar. His band has sold millions of records, travelled the world many times over and played in front of countless millions of people. Does his ignorance of the mechanics of music disqualify him from being considered a musician?

Not at all. Anybody who makes a living playing music is a musician. He's a music writer and innovator too. Theretical knowledge isn't one of my criteria. Music existed long before staff paper. BTW, he knows musical mechanics just fine, he's writen in major and minor keys, etc. Not being able to express that on paper or in words doesn't preclude being a musician.

 

[BurnOut]

I feel I'm a bass player/parsnips kinda guy

 

[AztecViking]

I played piano, trumpet, french horn, guitar and skin flute ( then bass ) and am a better visual artist than musician. So I'm just a creative flunky who can't decide exactly what to do with his life.

One of my paintings...

 

[Hevy T]

I only play bass...

 

[pudgychef]

Enthusiastic Hobbyist!

many hundreds of gigs logged, toured, travelled, recorded - but I don't make my living from it...so hobbyist fits best at this stage for me, I think....

...that or Jerkface McGillicutty...