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Public bass ignorance

#41
BassPenguin22 said:
Recently I was talking to a band mate's father and when I explained that I was the bassist in his son's band he replied "Bass guitar, like the white stripes?"...:eyebrow: The white stripes dont even have a bass player... Do some people not know the difference between guitar and bass or am i just b****ing about something stupid?
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Maybe dad was totally hip, and fully aware that there is no bassist in the White Stripes. Why would he mention that band, out of the many thousands of possible bands? Maybe he was trying to make an in-joke with you, and you totally missed it.

Did you consider that possibility? Not every dad is an unhip dufus.

PS Yes, I'm a father.
 
#42
Becoming a bass player, you've accepted the fact that some people will we act like this. However, it's up to a good player to change people's perspective. By him saying white strips he either means that bass players aren't needed or he just doesn't understand; either way don't worry.
 
#45
BassPenguin22 said:
Recently I was talking to a band mate's father and when I explained that I was the bassist in his son's band he replied "Bass guitar, like the white stripes?"...:eyebrow: The white stripes dont even have a bass player.
While this may be a relatively stupid thing to point out but it made me think about theese sorts of things. I have had people say stuff like "Why does your guitar have such thick strings?" etc.
Do some people not know the difference between guitar and bass or am i just b****ing about something stupid?
Click to expand...

:D
One time, my guitarists' dad came to a show at a bar. And between two songs he was chatting loudly with someone upfront, and I heard him say: " guitar does all the stuff, and bass doesn't do anything up there except for kinda going 'bom....bom....bom' ", while he's doing the big air-bass gestures with his arms and mouthing very-slow single notes. :rollno: (now my lines are pretty busy)
So the next song starts, except I chose not to play anything. ;) Just stood there and glared while them in the crowd had that puzzled look....then I learned forward and shouted to him, "yep sounds stupid now without bass huh?
:p
 
#46
If you eat a particularly delicious dish, can you distinguish each ingredient and how each contributes to the taste of the dish? I know I can't.

Similarly, for an average person, they listen to a music--it's either good or it's not. They can't distinguish why it's good, or how each instrument contributes to the music. It can be the texture, the groove, or the interesting chord progression--but they can't discern that much.

So they certainly can't distinguish the instruments from each other.
 
#47
It's a funny time to read this thread as a plumber just came around and said "Oh your guitar only has 4 strings". Now, while I am of the belief that I shouldn't expect him to know and it only makes sense, he did say he used to play guitar... So that's a bit odd. Not that I actually care, everyone's knowledge of instruments is different, I just thought I'd add it to the thread.
 
#49
Wow, am I missing something? In 38 years this has absolutly never, ever happened to me. Everyone I know knows what a bass guitar is, and why it's different from a guitar. I've come across people who were suprised that my bass has 5 strings though. It was always "I thought bass guitars had four strings". Do I hang out with smarter people? I don't think so. I think there is a lot of grief here over a non issue. If it did happen I hope I would just take a breath and then calmly educate the person instead of being a jerk about it. Hey we're the ones who decided we wanted to do this, so naturaly we have to educate ourselves. All the stuff we know and take for granted about this simply isn't even on most folks radar.
 
#50
Caca de Kick said:
:D
One time, my guitarists' dad came to a show at a bar. And between two songs he was chatting loudly with someone upfront, and I heard him say: " guitar does all the stuff, and bass doesn't do anything up there except for kinda going 'bom....bom....bom' ", while he's doing the big air-bass gestures with his arms and mouthing very-slow single notes. :rollno: (now my lines are pretty busy)
So the next song starts, except I chose not to play anything. ;) Just stood there and glared while them in the crowd had that puzzled look....then I learned forward and shouted to him, "yep sounds stupid now without bass huh?
:p
Click to expand...

HAHA thats pree ossim man :bassist::bassist:
 
#55
Caca de Kick said:
:D
One time, my guitarists' dad came to a show at a bar. And between two songs he was chatting loudly with someone upfront, and I heard him say: " guitar does all the stuff, and bass doesn't do anything up there except for kinda going 'bom....bom....bom' ", while he's doing the big air-bass gestures with his arms and mouthing very-slow single notes. :rollno: (now my lines are pretty busy)
So the next song starts, except I chose not to play anything. ;) Just stood there and glared while them in the crowd had that puzzled look....then I learned forward and shouted to him, "yep sounds stupid now without bass huh?
:p
Click to expand...

I would imagine the rest of your band had some pretty puzzled looks too.

You really left your band hanging?
At a paying gig, in front of an audience, just because of a perceived slight during a “bragging Dad” conversation that you weren't even in but just accidentally overheard?
 
#56
BassPenguin22 said:
Recently I was talking to a band mate's father and when I explained that I was the bassist in his son's band he replied "Bass guitar, like the white stripes?"...:eyebrow: The white stripes dont even have a bass player.
While this may be a relatively stupid thing to point out but it made me think about theese sorts of things. I have had people say stuff like "Why does your guitar have such thick strings?" etc.
Do some people not know the difference between guitar and bass or am i just b****ing about something stupid?

BP
Click to expand...
Are you sure your chain wasn't being yanked? In fact, are you sure the guy wasn't me?
 
#58
I have a story that beats 'em all and it goes like this :

about 6 months ago I went to Mcallen to pick up my sterling , so everything was okay , I got it , and headed to the hotel , I checked in and the receptionist lady told me : "hey do you play guitar? " , it was kinda obvious question to ask , since I had a gigbag on my back , I politely replied " no, I play bass guitar" , and I get the usual : "what's that? like a guitar? " , I replied "no , looks like it , but it is a different instrument" HEADS UP THIS IS THE POINT WHERE THIS IS THE BEST STORY , she said " Ohh ! , is it like a piano? "

I just turned and left ,wich was kinda rude but I think It was the best decision
 

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