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What does bass is easy mean?!

#42
People probably assume bass is easy because of a subconscious idea that bass has only four strings (of course there are 5 and 6 string basses but you get the point) and more space between strings and a longer neck. Also believing (mistakingly of course) that arpeggios on bass are not as difficult as chords on guitar.

Yet if its so 'easy' why is every band in every neighborhood usually missing the 'one' bassist as its perverbial missing piece of the puzzle. If stellar bassists are hard to find...bass isn't 'easy'. Hold an audition for a drummer or a guitarist and you'll see a line forming outside longer than the post office on Xmas eve. Yet that band could go months in finding the bassist they're looking for that has the tone and time that takes a lifetime to master (if it is ever mastered.)

Mainly I believe its just how the instrument looks. I couldn't play a harp if my life depended on it...but it sure LOOKS hards cuz it has a zillion strings. Whether its a difficult instrument or not I really don't know. Its perceived to be hard as bass is perceived to be easy.

What doesn't help matters any is the fact there are a lot of mundane 'pro' bassists out there in 'prominent' bands.
 
#43
I think that another thing to consider is that a guitarist that understands the concepts of passing tones, chordal tones, the modes etc and can rip out guitar solos using all of that can be a strong bassist but a bassist that knows all that stuff and picks up a guitar can't necessarily bust out a killer guitar solo.
 
#44
Llama's Rage said:
I think that another thing to consider is that a guitarist that understands the concepts of passing tones, chordal tones, the modes etc and can rip out guitar solos using all of that can be a strong bassist but a bassist that knows all that stuff and picks up a guitar can't necessarily bust out a killer guitar solo.
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I would venture to say that it may be easy for said gtr player to play a solo on bass, but there's a simple matter of time that he'll have to deal with before he'll be a strong bassist. I would also venture to say that the bassist may have an easier time soloing on the bottom four strings of a guitar than the gtr player will have trying to play tastefully simple.

But I understand what you're implying.
 
#45
Being a true bassists requires a different mindset you must be a team player regardless of the style of music
Although there is the virtuosity route but that has a different set of rules besides we have the most important job of being in a band I'm sure that counts enough
I mean would you dance with music without the bass?
BTW- sorry for going off topic a little
 
#46
Yeah right bass is easy, pfffft! Yeah I have seen the bassist at the bar ridding the E string, I seen a lot of those kind of bassists. But I have also seen a lot of guitarists that just play bar chords. I equate those kind of guitarists to the E rider bassist. But in order to be a good bassist one has to have an incredible sense of timing, rythum, and groove. You can be a good guitarist and be a little sloppy or off time and nobody will know (Malmsteen, Zappa to name a few) but that's suicide for a bassist. There is no room for rythmic error and little for chordal error.
 
#48
Jace The Bass said:
Being a true bassists requires a different mindset you must be a team player regardless of the style of music
Although there is the virtuosity route but that has a different set of rules besides we have the most important job of being in a band I'm sure that counts enough
I mean would you dance with music without the bass?
BTW- sorry for going off topic a little
Click to expand...
ANY good musician should be a team player, regardless of genre or choice of instrument. Letting guitarists or anyone else get away with that kind of diva attitude diminishes the fun of the music overall for EVERYONE in the band.

People need to get over themselves -- yes, bass is easy. I don't know what's with all the self-esteem issues or instrument-envy manifesting itself in people getting their boxers in a bunch because someone pointed out the blatantly obvious, but the fact remains that just because something's easy to do, doesn't mean you can't do it really bloody well. And bass is no harder to "master" than any other instrument, so don't give me or anyone else the "Yeah, it's easy to learn, but way harder to master" crap -- and harder than what? Guitar? Piano? Sousaphone? Seriously, get over it and play your instrument.
 
#49
Govithoy said:
And bass is no harder to "master" than any other instrument, so don't give me or anyone else the "Yeah, it's easy to learn, but way harder to master" crap -- and harder than what? Guitar? Piano? Sousaphone? Seriously, get over it and play your instrument.
Click to expand...

How do you master a insturment? :rolleyes:
 
#51
Govithoy said:
ANY good musician should be a team player, regardless of genre or choice of instrument. Letting guitarists or anyone else get away with that kind of diva attitude diminishes the fun of the music overall for EVERYONE in the band.

People need to get over themselves -- yes, bass is easy. I don't know what's with all the self-esteem issues or instrument-envy manifesting itself in people getting their boxers in a bunch because someone pointed out the blatantly obvious, but the fact remains that just because something's easy to do, doesn't mean you can't do it really bloody well. And bass is no harder to "master" than any other instrument, so don't give me or anyone else the "Yeah, it's easy to learn, but way harder to master" crap -- and harder than what? Guitar? Piano? Sousaphone? Seriously, get over it and play your instrument.
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Frankly, it sucks to spend thousands of hours in pursuit of mastery of an instrument, only to have someone tell you that what you've invested so much of your time and your life into is easy. It sucks to make sacrifices (everything you do has an opportunity cost) and spend hour after hour in the proverbial woodshed, and then be made to feel as though there's something wrong with you - after all, if what you're doing is easy, then it shouldn't take as much time and effort put into it, right? That's why these kind of comments drive me insane and I'll tell someone how I feel about it immediately when I hear them.
 
#52
MacheteJames said:
Frankly, it sucks to spend thousands of hours in pursuit of mastery of an instrument, only to have someone tell you that what you've invested so much of your time and your life into is easy. It sucks to make sacrifices (everything you do has an opportunity cost) and spend hour after hour in the proverbial woodshed, and then be made to feel as though there's something wrong with you - after all, if what you're doing is easy, then it shouldn't take as much time and effort put into it, right? That's why these kind of comments drive me insane and I'll tell someone how I feel about it immediately when I hear them.
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Frankly, I don't get it, James. Unless you actually believe what they're saying, why would you give a rat's *** what anyone else says?

I sure as heck don't. I know that most people don't even understand the function of bass in music... they just know when it's bad or missing;)

:hyper:

I've been playing about thirty years. That doesn't change the fact that from the beginning I knew bass was one of the easier instruments to initially pick up and make a coherent sound. Funny thing is, in those thirty years I've never had anyone come up to me and tell me bass was easy. If they did, I can guarantee it would phase me about as much as someone telling me my bass was ugly. I typically smile and say thanks when that happens.

Unless there are self esteem issues (generally speaking), I don't get it. I really don't.

Heck, being a concert percussionist isn't easy but would anyone try to persuade others about how hard it would be to play cowbell in a Partridge Family tribute band?
 
#53
Govithoy said:
ANY good musician should be a team player, regardless of genre or choice of instrument. Letting guitarists or anyone else get away with that kind of diva attitude diminishes the fun of the music overall for EVERYONE in the band.

People need to get over themselves -- yes, bass is easy. I don't know what's with all the self-esteem issues or instrument-envy manifesting itself in people getting their boxers in a bunch because someone pointed out the blatantly obvious, but the fact remains that just because something's easy to do, doesn't mean you can't do it really bloody well. And bass is no harder to "master" than any other instrument, so don't give me or anyone else the "Yeah, it's easy to learn, but way harder to master" crap -- and harder than what? Guitar? Piano? Sousaphone? Seriously, get over it and play your instrument.
Click to expand...

My guess is that some bassists couldn't cut it on guitar.

Just like people said.

:hiding:

Me...? I switched from brass to bass. After I'd been playing bass for a while I bought a guitar and a few effects. Guess what... I found wanking on the guitar to be much easier than I anticipated. I decided to focus on bass;)

Because it's harder.
:hiding:
 
#54
Govithoy said:
ANY good musician should be a team player, regardless of genre or choice of instrument. Letting guitarists or anyone else get away with that kind of diva attitude diminishes the fun of the music overall for EVERYONE in the band.

People need to get over themselves -- yes, bass is easy. I don't know what's with all the self-esteem issues or instrument-envy manifesting itself in people getting their boxers in a bunch because someone pointed out the blatantly obvious, but the fact remains that just because something's easy to do, doesn't mean you can't do it really bloody well. And bass is no harder to "master" than any other instrument, so don't give me or anyone else the "Yeah, it's easy to learn, but way harder to master" crap -- and harder than what? Guitar? Piano? Sousaphone? Seriously, get over it and play your instrument.
Click to expand...


I find that the physical demands of playing bass well are much more challenging than that of playing guitar well. Of course, other factors enter the equation such as how an individual is constructed, dimensions, strength, etc.

Bass is a bit easier to get started with and to reach a point where one can play bass adequately in some forms of music.
 
#55
Brad Johnson said:
My guess is that some bassists couldn't cut it on guitar.

Just like people said.

:hiding:

Me...? I switched from brass to bass. After I'd been playing bass for a while I bought a guitar and a few effects. Guess what... I found wanking on the guitar to be much easier than I anticipated. I decided to focus on bass;)

Because it's harder.
:hiding:
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I started out on guitar, reached the early intermediate skill level and then switched to bass. I played guitar in two bands and have played bass in many bands. I never lacked work as a bass player. I won't call myself a bassist. I'll leave that title for the educated folks that play in orchestras.

Bass has always been my primary musical instrument preference. Learning guitar helped a lot in learning to play bass. I still play both.

One can make bass simple or difficult. However, not all difficult playing styles are good and not all simple styles are bad.

As someone else said, who cares what others think? If you really love something, you have no choice but to do it. Most folks with the big mouths can't play any instrument, simple or difficult. I am not jabbing at anyone on the forum.
 
#56
But still, if you can do a great guitar solo and shuffling (watch michael angelo) and says bass is easy, then they are able to do the same solo on a bass guitar.
How would it sound if the bass was playing exactly the same as the guitar player all the time? Not good..
 
#57
Suckbird said:
But still, if you can do a great guitar solo and shuffling (watch michael angelo) and says bass is easy, then they are able to do the same solo on a bass guitar.
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That has nothing to do with nothing. Most people can wheeze out a good freight train sound on a harmonica... that bears no reflection on Toots Thielman.

In that respect harmonica is easy.

How would it sound if the bass was playing exactly the same as the guitar player all the time? Not good..
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Who knows how it would sound? It might sound fine. Especially if you have something else going on like another guitar doing another part or keyboards, etc. Unison playing can be very powerful.

Here's the obvious follow-up... IYO how would it sound if the guitar was playing exactly the same as the bass player player all the time? Not good?

:hmm:

Now tell me what that has to do with the level of difficulty of initially making a sound on either instrument?

:hiding:
 
#58
Artisan said:
I find that the physical demands of playing bass well are much more challenging than that of playing guitar well. Of course, other factors enter the equation such as how an individual is constructed, dimensions, strength, etc.

Bass is a bit easier to get started with and to reach a point where one can play bass adequately in some forms of music.
Click to expand...
Actually, I very much agree here. Mind, guitar initially requires more dexterity and finesse, but I agree -- it's less physically taxing to play guitar than it is to play bass guitar (and ESPECIALLY upright bass -- that's a whole different level of stamina).
 

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