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Where do you stand?

#303
Zoffy said:
Tonight my band played a party and it occurred to me that I have just always fallen in on the right side of the drummer. I've noticed that bass players generally, but not always, hang out to the right of the drums. Anyone hang out on the left? And would there be any reasons regarding acoustics or sound that I am overlooking as a reason to favor the bass on one side or the other?

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I think your picture answers your question. You have your back to the drummer. If you turn to face him your neck will be facing the back of the stage, then if you turn back to face the audience, your neck will be swinging towards his kit, in a tight space you may have to point it up towards the ceiling to avoid hitting his cymbals. Right hand bass player to left of drummer when possible in my opinion. I've had to squeeze in on the right a couple of times in tiny clubs and ended up facing the bathrooms.
 
#305
smeet said:
Definitely left of the drummer if possible. It’s the closest to the high hat and snare and I can see the kick foot better, so I feel it makes me tighter because I can key in better visually.
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Hearing and seeing the high-hat and its subdivisions was the reason my Jazz instructors always wanted bassists to the drummers' left (right-handed drummers).
 
#306
Zoffy said:
Tonight my band played a party and it occurred to me that I have just always fallen in on the right side of the drummer. I've noticed that bass players generally, but not always, hang out to the right of the drums. Anyone hang out on the left? And would there be any reasons regarding acoustics or sound that I am overlooking as a reason to favor the bass on one side or the other?

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I actually prefer the left. Mainly because of eye contact and the ability to communicate with the drummer.
 
#309
My comfort zone is to the drummer's left. For a right handed drummer, I prefer hearing the hi-hat and not the damned ride cymbals. ;) Sometime due to stage considerations I'm on the right, although I do agree with a previous comment about the headstock issue. Not a show stopper either way.
 
#310
HenryH said:
Whichever side the guitarist doesn’t want. Life is more simple that way.
More often than not that leaves me stage right. As we use in ears anyway I tend not to mind much either way.
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...love your way of thinking. (maybe its me), or just that I've been playing for 57 years), (I'm not the best by a long shot) but you kind of get used to the fret board(s) and others playing etc. I think I look at my fret board (in passing) as I look at the crowd, smile, talk with the other musicians as we play. Looking at your fret board all the time (to me) makes one think (especially from the audience) that...1. you are shy, 2. you don't know where ALL your notes are, and 3. you may be looking at the floor for quarters that the audience is throwing at you! LOL I've narrowed my ax down to Steiny 4 (headless) so I really don't care where I stand. And forget about wireless, the band never knows where I am and figured it out when I come back with a couple beers while still playing. Go figure...DON'T LIMIT ONESELF! Rock on!
 
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#312
smeet said:
Definitely left of the drummer if possible. It’s the closest to the high hat and snare and I can see the kick foot better, so I feel it makes me tighter because I can key in better visually.
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Exactly. On the other side you can’t see the BD Beater because the floor Tom’s are in the way. And my left side is my prettier side so I like that facing the audience.
 
#314
I am a little amused by some answers. I spent years playing drums. But since I just picked up bass around the time Covid-19 was becoming an issue, I have not played bass in a band yet. (and probably wont feel ready for some time yet)
So I have a little different perspective. I always kept my main crash directly in front of me.. sorry frontman… so they never deafened any bassist, and my crash/ride to my far right, far enough back to not be directly at the bassist who was always on my right, but in front. I used a heavy Paste ride, which was clean but not so deafening.

So I am living proof that at least some drummers try not to kill the bassist with cymbals or get their cymbals knocked over so easily. Frontmen… not so much. lol

to my left was the brass (we covered a lot of Chicago ) and they sang when not playing horns, the trombonist was also percussion, playing Djembe, and congas, etc. the guitar was never in one place for long. We often played without keys or Rhythm.
 
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#315
Zoffy said:
Tonight my band played a party and it occurred to me that I have just always fallen in on the right side of the drummer. I've noticed that bass players generally, but not always, hang out to the right of the drums. Anyone hang out on the left? And would there be any reasons regarding acoustics or sound that I am overlooking as a reason to favor the bass on one side or the other?

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Unless everything is in the monitors, be on whatever side the hi-hat is on.
 
#318
I'm almost always on the drummers left side when we setup for a show. No real reason, just habit. Usually when we are jamming at the guitar players house, I'm on the drummers right, or even in front. It doesn't matter really, as long as we are in the same room is all that's important. LOL
 

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