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We bassist are so under appreciated!

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#41
Eric Albany said:
We bassist are so under appreciated! We are always second or third to the guitarist(s)! I mean, why can't we be the most dominant sound in a song second only to the singer(s)!?!? It's un fair. And a lot of people don't know what the bassist's name is, but they sure as heck know the guitarists' name and the singer's name. It's drivin me crazy. Plus, we don't get as much respect as the guitarists do. Have you ever heard a kid say "When I grow up, I wanna be a bass player." No it's always "When I grow up I wanna be a guitar player." or "When I grow up I wanna be a drummer." or "When I grow up I wanna be a singer." Does any one else out there feel the same way?
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What are you playing music for?
I personally find the function interesting and enjoyable to fulfill, which is that of the bassist - a bassist that understands that function and fulfills it with some headroom, knowledge,skill and creativity has a lot of power in and influence on the musical context.
I don't need accolades,such as those you describe and am quite happy just getting booked again,feel appreciated by those I work with and for - those who understand my role and like the way I fulfill it.
I also feel appreciated when the audiences like what the group I happen to work with do because my role within it is quite a responsible one.
So my short answer is "No."
 
#42
Eric Albany said:
We bassist are so under appreciated! We are always second or third to the guitarist(s)! I mean, why can't we be the most dominant sound in a song second only to the singer(s)!?!? It's un fair. And a lot of people don't know what the bassist's name is, but they sure as heck know the guitarists' name and the singer's name. It's drivin me crazy. Plus, we don't get as much respect as the guitarists do. Have you ever heard a kid say "When I grow up, I wanna be a bass player." No it's always "When I grow up I wanna be a guitar player." or "When I grow up I wanna be a drummer." or "When I grow up I wanna be a singer." Does any one else out there feel the same way?
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I'm guessing that you are a little younger based on the language "when I grow up I want to be....".

I'll tell you what. What frustrates you now, works to your advantage later. The fact is, there are billions of guitarists out there. And while there are many bass players also, there are far far fewer. However (almost) every band needs a bass player so... do the math. You will find yourself in demand if you keep at it.
 
#44
Eric Albany said:
We bassist are so under appreciated! We are always second or third to the guitarist(s)! I mean, why can't we be the most dominant sound in a song second only to the singer(s)!?!? It's un fair. And a lot of people don't know what the bassist's name is, but they sure as heck know the guitarists' name and the singer's name. It's drivin me crazy. Plus, we don't get as much respect as the guitarists do. Have you ever heard a kid say "When I grow up, I wanna be a bass player." No it's always "When I grow up I wanna be a guitar player." or "When I grow up I wanna be a drummer." or "When I grow up I wanna be a singer." Does any one else out there feel the same way?
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You chose bass.
 
#46
As for people, yes, not many care about the bass and they usually run to the guitarist and the drummer. But as far as fellow musicians, I've had more complements on my licks and style than that of the guitarist in our band at gigs. I'd rather take the liking of people that know what the hell is going on rather than a bunch of numbed out market junkies (aka "normal people").
 
#47
This thread is getting weirder than I thought :D

IMHO Respect and Appreciation are not the same as attention/ credit/ demand/ domination..

With all my respect to you all: I'm sad to read some strange comments here.. :(
 
#48
My only advice to you is to ask yourself, whether you play music to seek fame or seek a better understanding in music. If you need recognition and attention, try something like silly videos on YouTube that went viral..

If you're any good, eventually people will hear you, and recognize you, and you didn't even need to try to do anything. Just do your job, practice, get better, be non judgemental, and some other life skills that most people don't have.


And another thing.. Grow up :)
 
#49
To put this in simple format, I play bass to make music, not for recognition. A bassist is a musician FIRST, just like a guitarist, pianist, singer, etc. Our role is not the role of being in the limelight or out in front. Our role, in a band anyway, is to supply a solid foundation for the rest of the music.

Rock stars, OTOH, do it for the recognition. They like to be seen, heard, and recognized by their fans. It's a way for them to feel important. I'm not saying that a rock star isn't a musician but a lot of them couldn't switch to jazz or funk at the drop of a hat. There's always the exception but more often than not, they do it for the nookie.

The question you have to ask yourself is this: Which one are you?
 
#50
mastershake said:
Most people probably don't even know what a bass.
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But they will probably notice if you stop playing. Bass isn't a "glory" instrument and I kind of like that. I prefer to be upstage and out of the way. Musically I like to be mixed properly. The lead singer/guitar players can have all the attention. Just make sure I get my money before I leave.
 
#51
Most non-musicians have no idea what the bass does in a band, my wife can't really hear the bass unless she is looking at my hands when I play and then she gets it.

Also when someone asks you to play a song on the bass it is not as instantly recognizable or as impressive as a guitar or keyboard to the average listener.
 
#52
I've suffered from this too when I was younger and my solution was to overplay and try to solo fast whenever possible, to get attention. Luckily I've grown older.

My later solution has not been to minimize my playing and shutting up in the band, not at all. I've just realized that the bass is such a great instrument to play everything, you can find interesting things in almost every kind of music.

Simply, finding the right groove and feel is so great when you hear that the song sounds good. If the band is equal enough that everybody thinks the same way, there will be no competition for the fame, but everyone makes their best to make the song sound good and they can still get their spot when it's the time. At least in the nicest bands i've played it has gone like this.

On the other hand, I'm very interested in solo bass playing and playing chords, melodies, solos and all kinds of stuff during songs too, but I've tried very much to find the right time for everything. In other words, I've tried to make bass playing interesting to me AND to the listener but at the same time not sacrifice the song to my experiments.

One of the best moments was after a normal cover gig when one guy came to me and told me that he had found my playing interesting to listen but at the same time he thought that it had not been too dominating and had supported the songs. I was very happy, my job was done :)
 
#55
Sorry mate your not making any sense! Cliff Burton was the one who died on tour nothing to do with James Hetfield. Cliff Burton MADE the sound of Metallica and guess what? He was the bassist which proves bass does get credited. Ron was in the band yonks before they got signed.

Second bassists are unappreciated in metal because metal was born under the characteristics of soaring vocals and lead guitar. If you listen to any other music you will find the bass being a critical instrument.
 
#56
JoelCMJ said:
Sorry mate your not making any sense! Cliff Burton was the one who died on tour nothing to do with James Hetfield. Cliff Burton MADE the sound of Metallica and guess what? He was the bassist which proves bass does get credited. Ron was in the band yonks before they got signed.

Second bassists are unappreciated in metal because metal was born under the characteristics of soaring vocals and lead guitar. If you listen to any other music you will find the bass being a critical instrument.
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Thanks man. I never really payed attention to METALLICA's pre-fame stuff. Mostly because that was during the 80's, a decade or more before I was born.
 
#58
As a bassist I surely don't feel underappreciated. I play tons of local bar band gigs and some festivals, almost every weekend. Many people don't even know which guy the bass player is, we are all guitarists. Even my wife sometimes asks which one is the bass player when we are watching a band. This is common among women, most don't care or even pay attention to the difference between being a bassist or a guitarist. However, if you perform well, are active, smiling, putting on a good show, etc. THAT will get you some attention, not if you are holding either a Precision or a Les Paul.

True though that with the big bands that the name of the bass player is most likely lessor known than the guitarist or singer, but that is because in most cases the singer and guitarist are the main songwriters and are more exciting performers.

As a bassist, it is all up to you. Write, perform, lead the band and you will get noticed. Just lay back and play your parts, let the others take the spotlight on stage while you stand solidly next to the drummer, then yeah, no one may know your name. It's all up to you!
 
#59
Alright. In an attempt to make a valid point. How many of you have heard of Duff "Rose" McKagen? How many of you have heard of Slash? How many of you have heard of Axl Rose? How many of you have heard of Izzy Stradlin' ? How bout Steven Adler?
 
#60
Eric Albany said:
Alright. In an attempt to make a valid point. How many of you have heard of Duff "Rose" McKagen? How many of you have heard of Slash? How many of you have heard of Axl Rose? How many of you have heard of Izzy Stradlin' ? How bout Steven Adler?
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I've heard of all of them, what're you getting at?
 
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