Responding to "the bass is a lesser instrument" comments

[RVRSCO]

You're right...with practice anything is easy.

 

[bassdude51]

"Bass is easier because you play less notes."

Come back..................(6 secs)

 

[Medicine Man]

Musical instruments have a certain learning curve for beginners, of which bass has one of the easier entry points. Once you move past that first stage, becoming a master musician any instrument is equally difficult I meet so many people who tell me they are a bass player. I meet so many musicians who tell me they can't find a bass player because the field is saturated by beginners who haven't progressed to a useful level.

 

[Rabidhamster]

I just hold my right hand up, make a two fingered plucking motion and laugh.



And for the record keyboard is the easiest instrument to play - all the notes are laid out right there, they're not even weighted. Push the button make the sound.

 

[40Hz]

I say, "Good. Who needs to work that hard?"

^This.

Seriously. Since when has having to fight with your instrument ever been considered a good thing?

We bass players don't see the point in working hard just for the sake of working hard.

We prefer to work smart

 

[JW56789]

'OK. Here, YOU do it'.

IF it was that easy, why is it so few guitarists double on bass if need be. It's like organ and piano: They both have keys, but are vastly different in the way their results are achieved.

It's so rare to be very good on both, that aside from the late Walter Becker, I can think of few recordings where via multitracking, utterly great guitar and bass parts are played by the same guy.

 

[40Hz]

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.

Really? I've been playing for over 40 years too. And I've heard comments like those many times out in the wild.

 

[Dirk Diggler]

Only requires a 2 letter response.

F and U!
LOL

 

[Real Soon]

Someone said on here a while back, "When I start playing, women start dancing"


Drummers with juicy ?uest/Dilla rhythm chops can have the same effect, but those cats are working hard. We can do it with fingers, a head nod, and a smile (or funk face). And I like it like that.

 

[Nick Danger]

Only a moron or egomaniac guitar player would make such a comment. The proper response would be to turn around and walk away. You don't want the stupid to rub off on you.

 

[The Mogpipe]

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.

When I suggest a new song, that I have already taken my guitarists limitions into consideration before picking said song, so I sell it to him with a 'c'mon it's not that hard', he comes back at me with, 'yeah, easy to say when your the bass player'.
Well I gotta sing the song AND play it!

 

[DrayMiles]

It's not the instrument that matters, it's the player... Their imagination, and if they actually have anything to say...

 

[Smallmouth_Bass]

Each instrument has their difficulties and with bass, it's often more in the subtleties.

 

[fhm555]

I've found the best way to avoid having to make up snappy comebacks to insults is to not hang with people who sling baseless insults.

 

[Mili]

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

 

[DavC]

i play - piano , bass , gtr , sing ...

to get good at any of these takes practice ...!! and a rather natural ability for pattern recognition ...

i guess my answer would be .... ' well , you can suck at anything ..!! '

 

[Axtman]

Bass: Easy to play. Hard to play well.

 

[Mvilmany]

By responding you lose the argument.

I agree. It's an immature statement.

 

[seansbrew]

I most often hear that people play bass because they failed at guitar .
But I also don't care and don't bother to reply.

 

[Deleted member 271037]

Bass requires a completely different skill set then guitar. I have yet to see a good "guitar-bassist" in any genre except metal. When showing off/shredding, sure, an average guitar player can come across as a great bass player. Because of this certain style of guitarists sometimes make good bassists in some specific metal genres where the bass is more about shredding and the sound is distorted upper mids rather than actual bass. But when it's time to lay down a groove, keep the song together, all the stuff the the bass is traditionally supposed to do... they fail miserably.

Saying the bass is a lesser instrument than the guitar is like saying the bassoon is a lesser instrument than the clarinet because they play fewer notes. Or that the viola a lesser instrument than the violin. Or the cello a lesser instrument than the viola. Or the double bass a lesser instrument than the cello. Instruments in lower ranges play fewer notes because of physical limitations and because that's what sounds right for the arrangement (unless it's a bass solo piece of course). Consider the physical limitations of a .130 string compared to a .009. Which is also why the use of chords isn't very useful for bass unless you're doing solo stuff in the upper ranges. Ask a guitar player to play his chords on bass and I'm sure he will agree.

Any guitarist who says the bass is a "lesser instrument" is completely lacking musical insight. Playing less notes = doing what the bass is SUPPOSED TO DO.