Really hate the misconception about bass players

[ejaggers]

Guilty.... I can't play guitar. On the other hand, my ex-band leader who I worked with for years suck at bass Big Time!!!

057912

 

[Ronbassman]

I see you're pretty easy to manipulate, OP.

 

[awilkie84]

That used to bother me a little, but I've come to believe that people in general are fairly dense, and a good number of bass players are indeed, iffy or failed guitarists. Big deal

You can tell the difference between a bass player and a guitar player playing bass. They have completely different fingering styles, and riffs/picking techniques.

 

[spade2you]

I play both and do an alright job.

 

[marko138]

Rest assured that a true bass player is well respected by his musical peers. There are some ignorant ones that don't value the ability to keep the groove. Most good bands want and need a "Real" Bass player.

Well said, that pretty much sums it up.

 

[GlamJam]

Guitarists are failed bassist. bass was to big for them to handle.

 

[smperry]

I originally wanted to learn the acoustic, but my mom (bless her heart) hired a bassist to teach me the 'guitar'. Honestly that was an awesome mistake she made because I quickly fell in love with the bass and couldn't imagine myself playing anything else.

A few years down the line, as I really started playing in bands, studio's and churches, I realised that other musicians have this assumption that if you play bass its because you aren't good at playing guitar. I felt annoyed because I didn't want to be looked at as an inferior musician and at that time since I was starting to really like the electric guitar, I decided to pick it up.

Forward a couple of years to the present, I now mainly play the electric guitar and I am very happy with my decision, but I still play bass. I love both of them equally even though I pay attention and bop my head to what the bassist is playing most of the time lol.

I just want to know your thoughts on this issue on how others view bassists (as people who can't play guitar) and if there is some truth to it

not sure if serious. It's not true for me; I just [DEL]like [/DEL]love the bass. I can't speak to other musicians, but the guitarists I've played with know better than to say something like that in front of me. Drummers know that good bass players are special.

wrong forum? bassists maybe? or humor? off topic?

I'm not sure about this either, but trying Bass Humor.

 

[nojj]

A hard bassist is good to find.

I play both bass and guitar, but bass is my primary instrument.
Folks are quite startled when they find out I'm a bassist while doing guitar gigs.

 

[Webtroll]

I don't know that I'd consider myself a failed guitarist. I started on guitar and played it for years, and even played a few gigs as a guitarist. That said I never cared about being a guitarist, I just liked the attention girls gave me when I played. As a note I'm not a good singer, but I found it reasonably easy to sing when playing guitar, and near impossible when playing bass even now. When a friend talked me into playing bass for his band I found I had a knack for bass, and the more I played with people the more I liked it. If starting on guitar and ending on bass is being a failed guitarist, so be it, but I don't think it defines how I got here.

 

[joebar]

in thirty years of playing bass I have never had anyone tell me I am a failed guitarist.

 

[Munjibunga]

I originally wanted to learn the acoustic, but my mom (bless her heart) hired a bassist to teach me the 'guitar'. Honestly that was an awesome mistake she made because I quickly fell in love with the bass and couldn't imagine myself playing anything else.

A few years down the line, as I really started playing in bands, studio's and churches, I realised that other musicians have this assumption that if you play bass its because you aren't good at playing guitar. I felt annoyed because I didn't want to be looked at as an inferior musician and at that time since I was starting to really like the electric guitar, I decided to pick it up.

Forward a couple of years to the present, I now mainly play the electric guitar and I am very happy with my decision, but I still play bass. I love both of them equally even though I pay attention and bop my head to what the bassist is playing most of the time lol.

I just want to know your thoughts on this issue on how others view bassists (as people who can't play guitar) and if there is some truth to it

I play bass because I'm not good on guitar. I'm not that good on bass, either, but I'm better at that than guitar. I think that's true of pretty much all bass players. Nathan East, at least.

 

[FretNoMore]

There may be misconceptions out there, but I have yet to meet a musician - or anyone else for that matter - that looks down on me for playing the bass. People whose opinions matter to me know that the bass has an important role and that is takes skill to play it well, just as any other instrument. I know that if you take away the bass then the groove stops and people leave the dance floor.

How other people look at me and what I do is largely their problem, what's in their mind does not affect me. If someone actually says something ignorant just smile and agree and they will lose interest and walk away.

 

[Howlin' Hanson]

I play bass because I'm not good on guitar. I'm not that good on bass, either, but I'm better at that than guitar. I think that's true of pretty much all bass players. Nathan East, at least.

THIS. And that's why we have a Mediocre Bassists Club, of which I am a proud member. Maybe I'd be a better bassist if they took the microphone away...

 

[gumbynotpokey]

Most people with thinking like the OP mentions are not musicians.

That said, guitar and keyboard are looked upon as "real" instruments by some musicians, as opposed to others, such as bass.

 

[ArtechnikA]

I am an evolved guitar player.
But all my years of guitar were rhythm - not lead.
I know how to keep time and I'm clued in to the changes.

Interestingly, working on bass lines and listening to 'melodic' bassists like Michael Manring and Jaco has improved my guitar...

 

[Pet Sounds]

I am an evolved guitar player.
But all my years of guitar were rhythm - not lead.
I know how to keep time and I'm clued in to the changes.
...

Me, too. I can still hold my own on rhythm guitar and play a little lead, but bass is more fulfilling for me.

 

[Joebarnes]

With all the down tuning and drop tuning and efforts to increase the bass and go lower by many guitarists these days, I think the pertinent question is "Why do guitarists want to be bassists?"

 

[Mike M.]

A failed guitarist? I've heard more than my share of bass players who make me feel like I'm a failed bass player!!

But I do my best.

 

[jmattbassplaya]

It really depends on the scene, IME. I was in a group that fell under the 'jam' genre, and everyone was always very supportive of the bassist and his role in any jam group. Even non-musicians who listened to the genre appreciated the bassist and sometimes would think the bassist was the one who made certain bands so great.

Honestly, the only misconception that bugs me these days is that the guitarist and/or singer are always the band leader and/or the lead songwriter.

 

[avvie]

My guitarist made an uninformed comment that I was a frustrated guitarist who took up bass....and I was all like "NO, I'm a frustrated DRUMMER. I like my guitar playing just fine and I'm much better at it than you!".