When somebody calls bass players "failed guitarists"...

[Hopkins]

Where in this great land do these rude, judgmental, musicians and fans live. Because I have never encountered this behavior, or gear or instrument snobbery in the real world. I have never seen fans or musicians second guess the talent of a musician because of the instrument he or she chooses to play. I don't think that this behavior is at all common place, and I would guess that alot of it that comes up on the forum is made up for the sake of starting a thread.

 

[Killer Of Giants]

I have played bass 11 years, I have played guitar 8. I am a failed guitarist because bass is what I am passionate about and when it comes to guitar I may practice 4 hours in one sitting but I never enjoy it I like I enjoy bass, it feels unnatural. I am not nearly half as good of a guitar player then I am a bass player. Just because you can play guitar doesnt mean you can play bass.

I feel it takes a certain type of feel to swap over from guitar to bass I did it when I was 16 years old, there was always something about the bass that I really awed, now at 49 years old I don't regret a thing about it I consider myself a a good bassist and I can hang with just about any genre that is necessary I prefer to play metal, but I could play in a top 40/wedding band too enjoy your bass as much as I have over the years!

 

[Entwistle Fan]

Someone should have checked their spelling when making that!

 

[SirMjac28]

The only people I ever hear saying that are failed soundmen

 

[7dollarbologna]

I've sort of been accused of that many, many years ago - I remember saying "I've never played guitar before" (which is true)

 

[Stick_Player]

Never happened to me.

 

[Joebone]

So I'm starting out as a pro trombonist…1976, first steady gig is with a Salsa band…I hear what the bassist is doing, and have a few years of lame guitar (high school dance level) under my belt. One night in a church basement in Camden, NJ, I grab his bass during a break, start playing some of the patterns, and proclaim that I've got this covered.

His response: "Yeah, not bad, once you get some chops."

Me, to myself: "*** is that all about? I'm hitting the notes and catching the way the 1 chord hits on 4 or on the last eighth….I'm cool!"

I now realize what an entirely ignorant F*** I was.

Uniformity of attack? No. Plucking over the optimal location on a P-bass to get the right tone? No. Any attention to proper releases and note length, to build the groove? No. Could I have done what he was doing on the turnarounds or extended jams, in the way of fills? Heck, No! Did I REALLY have the time down as tight as I thought? Probably not.

He went on to gig with Horace Silver, Ray Charles, do national road tours with great theater gigs, first-call guy in Philly in many contexts….He has a killer pocket, a great sense of time, and is clean, Clean, CLEAN!

So now I've been playing bass, albeit as an ambitious hobbyist, for 7-8 years. And I often have a little voice inside my head saying "Yeah, not bad, once you get some chops."

The bass player drives the train. It's incredible how much control we have over the groove and intensity, particularly if we are in an improvised context as compared with playing parts on covers and rigidly structured tunes. We are the bridge between time and harmony, and if we choose to pedal through a set of changes, or to use unorthodox or unexpected note choices, we can entirely change the vibe…and we can choose how to play off of the drummer or other players to vary the texture, intensity, and even the direction of what's going on.

But so much of what we do is so, so subtle. It counts…it counts a lot for how things come off, but most folks don't know that.

Net net: civilians will rarely understand what the bass player does…some spectacular slapper/chopster might command attention the way a lead guitarist does…but that's an optional part of the job. The real deal…can you deliver the GROOVE?

 

[jazznrick]

I believe the particular sort of idiot who uses the phrase in question is:
1. The CLASSIC bedroom hero. We all know/knew one. He has two PRS's and maybe that Les Paul Zakk Wylde Les paul. He's a real shredder and can play all the death metal and led Zeppelin solos, but under one condition. He can only play them in his room and worthless outside of it.
2. 12 years old



And to all you TB'ers saying you couldn't or weren't the best at guitar so you switched to bass, do you have no self respect. I believe the majority of us took up the bass because we had a friend who just started playing guitar and maybe a drummer friend as well. On my 13th birthday I pulled my 2002 Squier Precision out of her starter pack like is was the GD Sword in the Stone and never looked back.

 

[Thomas Kievit]

I ask them how hard they failed playing the bass

 

[FretNoMore]

...
The bass player drives the train. It's incredible how much control we have over the groove and intensity, particularly if we are in an improvised context as compared with playing parts on covers and rigidly structured tunes. We are the bridge between time and harmony, and if we choose to pedal through a set of changes, or to use unorthodox or unexpected note choices, we can entirely change the vibe…and we can choose how to play off of the drummer or other players to vary the texture, intensity, and even the direction of what's going on.

But so much of what we do is so, so subtle. It counts…it counts a lot for how things come off, but most folks don't know that.

Net net: civilians will rarely understand what the bass player does…some spectacular slapper/chopster might command attention the way a lead guitarist does…but that's an optional part of the job. The real deal…can you deliver the GROOVE?

So right ...

I'm a mediocre bass player at best, but when I see people tapping their feet and dancing and someone comes up and says we're great then I know I have a big part in that even if no one else gets it. Bass and drums make the groove and though the bass role is somewhat thankless I'm satisfied with knowing how important it is. I don't need or even want the higher profile of a lead guitarist or singer, concentrating on the groove is enough of a challenge for me.

As to a response to someone saying something demeaning about bass players or bass playing (has never happened to me) I would just smile and walk away.

 

[anavar]

i hate playing bass in my band

i wish i could be the one chugging away on a low slung 7 string jackson dinky, but oh well, that spot was already filled.

 

[cnltb]

How do you respond in this situation?

I don't.
Got no time for such nonsense.

 

[rohanarchy]

I played for Taylor Swift on Monday night for the finale of Australia's X Factor - no guitarist in the band - no fail!

Couldn't try the bass dufus thing, it would be batard, and that's delicious bread.

 

[Deleted member 261632]

Never had the "pleasure" of being told that. If someone did, I'd ask how long he's been playing but still sound like ****.

 

[lbbc]

never had anyone say that.....I play bass in my band and guitar (with/for my grandkids). Each has a very specific and different role. I dismiss ignorant comments....too old/mature to deal with it!

 

[SteveHeissner]

Clearly, anyone who calls me a failed guitarist doesn't know what he or she is talking about. I failed at both piano and guitar before picking up the bass.

 

[Robert B]

Would that make a guitarist a failed harpist, since a harp has more strings than a guitar?

 

[bassman_al]

OK, so I'm no expert on internet decorum, but this thread seems to me to be a really good example of trolling. Brand new member posts a question about a situation that many of us with 25-30 years playing experience have never come across. "Failed guitarists?" Really? I'm saying to the OP, if that has happened, provide us with some video because I'm playing the bs card here.

 

[Dana R Gregory]

Yeah, I've heard that before. If that was ever said to me I would show them the severed tips of two left hand fingers and say "you're right. No big deal cause I play bass and prefer it to guitar." You can also remind the guitarist with the big ego that the crowd is dancing to you and the drummer, not his impressive solo. I find that it is still true, that some musicians don't understand that it takes everyone in the band, each providing their part, to create the whole sound, so each member, regardless of what they play, is essential. When all members of the band realize and accept this, then they can concentrate of perfecting their sound.

 

[mcnach]

How do you respond in this situation? I tend to give an 'apples to oranges' type reply. Two different instruments with different qualities.

Probably best not to respond.
You can't argue with an idiot, he'll make you look as stupid as he is.