Responding to "the bass is a lesser instrument" comments

[vvvmmm]

And when ya hand 'em the bass, request that they play without a pick.

FWIW, I've played guitar 35 years or so, bass mebbe 17 - I sweat more playing bass, from concentration, not physical effort.

 

[GreyBeard]

It's music and each instrument plays and important part. Take away any of them and it is diminished.

 

[packhowitzer]

Is it a lesser instrument? meh. maybe. I dunno. But I know this - every time I take the stage, I'm the loudest one. So I've got that going for me.... (which is nice)

 

[Tnavis]

It's been years since i've heard this question, but my stock response is to just ask the person what they do for a living. Then say "Huh. That sounds easy".

 

[Machiavelli]

When this happens, I cry in a corner because I have a brittle ego.

 

[Hevy T]

Person : Bass is easy, you only have to play one note at a time

Me : here have at it! By the way your first song in this set is Tommy the Cat!!

 

[16notes]

 

[Richland123]

If it was easy, everyone would do it.

 

[Thumpin6string]

Guitarist: Bass is easy, you only have 4 strings!

I'll never hear that comment with either of my basses. If I did get some stupid comment from a guitarist, I would tell him my 6 string is bigger than yours.

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

Another thread here got me thinking - what are the best responses when someone gives one of the multitude of "the bass is a lesser instrument" comments? You know, the "you only have 4 strings" or "you're only playing one note at a time" comments other musicians like to make.

So what are some of the good comebacks people have come up with? And if they are specific to another instrument please note as well.

Example:
Guitarist: Bass is easy, you only have 4 strings!
Bassist: Yeah, but at least they stay in tune for more than one song.

Less notes, more room for error.

Bigger instrument, have to stretch farther.

Thicker strings with higher tension, have to play harder.

Its not what you play, it's how you play. It doesn't matter how the hell your stum a guitar, it always sounds good.

Yup, it is easier to play. That must be why I'm always in time, right?

 

[Mili]

Driving unicycle is much easier than a car. (Same logic)
Btw I think playing chords is easiest thing in music and a guitarist 90% of time is doing it.

 

[Andy Daventry]

My guess is the worst musician in a group is often the bass player so it would stand to reason that playing bass is easy to most people's observation. Hard to argue if you are chugging along playing root notes only in your songs.

I switched from guitar to bass because I was the best bass player in the band and we got fed up playing with lousy bass players. I think, after you get past your teen years, that's not uncommon.

 

[Bassique]

I've also almost never gotten that type of comments. Quite the opposite, few guitar players have said things like: "that thing you did sounded cool" and "how can your fingers move so fast". Sometimes in a recording situation there can be jokes like, "some mistakes on the bass doesnt matter because it can barely be heard anyway" but I just laugh at that kind of things.

 

[cnltb]

Responding to "the bass is a lesser instrument" comments
Why would you respond to this?
If forced to, I'd just ask 'What makes you say that?'

 

[jamro217]

Easy money. That's why we're outnumbered by guitarists ten to one, yet in a gigging band it's only two to one...

 

[Brad Johnson]

Guess what? Bass is easy. Easy to get a useful sound out of it. It's certainly not an oboe or trumpet.
Why be offended?

But like most instruments to actually get good at it takes work. That is not easy.

People have all sorts of preconceived notions about bassplayers, from being a failed guitarist to other things. If it's true, why get angry about it? In my case it had nothing to do with why I chose bass so no problem.

Something else that I offer to people is that six string bass is great for a lazy bassist. Most look really confused at that while a few actually get that having so many notes available without requiring a fretting hand position shift means less movement.

 

[QORC]

I don't care what people think/say about bass. it's the only instrument I ever wanted to play. And I taught myself. I know that it takes more talent to play well than is apparent to the average person. But I don't care. I chose this instrument. A rhythm instrument. a support (not lead) instrument. A part of a machine, not a solo instrument, and without a bassist, the machine does not sound well. My satisfaction largely comes from within

 

[SteveHeissner]

I play along with it.

Drunk guy at the bar: "Bass is easy, you only have 4 strings!"
Bassist: "Four strings? What the hell? I only know how to play 2 of 'em."

 

[JRA]

It's funny but I've been playing for over 40 years and Talkbass is the only place where these type of comments have been mentioned. I have never had anyone make a negative comment about bass or my playing.

I've been playing for three decades plus and never heard such a comment (except from people here with inferiority complexes).

I've never had another musician make those kind of comments.

i've never heard those comments either --- out there in the real world. i only read that 'anxious' sentiment here.

Hell, I just responded to two Talkbass threads telling me that my "bass is a lesser instrument."

wow, TB members are their own worst enemy sometimes! good luck with your "lessor instrument!"

 

[el murdoque]

on guitar you have to have the dexterity to play chords ... on bass ... pluck the E strings and you are done.

Yes, that is mostly true, at least for beginners. When you have a band with competent musicians, let's say drums/git/keys/bass, and you have to fill one spot with a person that has absolutely no musical experience,
I'd wager that the band in total will sound gig-worthy fastest when you give that person the bass.
You CAN get away with banging roots all night. Make it straight 8ths on top of that as long as it's some kind of rock music. The band won't sound too bad as long as the rest do their thing well enough.
Other Instruments will require more practice to sound gig-worthy because they stick out more.

But go only a little past that and bass suddenly stops being easy.
When someone tries to downplay the role of the bass,
my usual answer is 'Sure, people listen to the guitar, but they dance to the bass.'