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Why so few female bassists?

#21
I'm still trying to get to the point where it would be acceptable to call myself a bass player.
I just need to find some more time to practice!

Once I get good, everyone better watch out ;)

But there are a few female bass players in my town that I know of.
The bass player for my jazz band is female.
So is one of my friends (whose band's first video just got put into circulation on MuchMusic), but she is a better drummer than a bassist.
 
#23
vindy500 said:
theres probally more than you think, this place is just such a sausage fest as soon as a girl come on everyone starts hitting on her (i.e you guys with disenchant) its no suprise not many post here
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Dang. I was going to use the term "Sausage Fest" in the picture thread but wasn't sure if I would have been in trouble for it.

I once used the... not so polite term for bum, and got a message about it. :o
 
#24
sick-jimmychick said:
Im a female bassist, and i tend to get the "Wow! A female bass player...and shes actually pretty talented" comment alot..which is kinda annoying coz it seems like just coz im a female it means i cant be good at something unless i look like a barbie doll and dress really trashy and all that stuff!
But one of the reasons i actually chose to play bass is because i saw so many guys playing and hardly any females, so wanted to find out for myself why, still havent figured it out though!
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Ugh don't even get me started on this! :(
 
#26
::::BASSIST:::: said:
Why so few female bassists?

I think bassists are like 90% male.
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Why so few female pilots?
Why so few female firemen?
Why so few female engineers?

the list can go on...


we can also try

Why so few male teachers
Why so few male nurses
Why so few make stay at home parents


it's called Gender and it DOES make us thing differently, and do things the other gender finds uninteresting.... then there is the 5-10% statistical outliers, those are the ones who don't fit into the gender stereo type.
 
#28
BazzTard said:
partly because the size of the bass makes it hard to play for smaller handed people.
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Tell her that:

4213566437_1b5453ef4f.jpg
 
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#29
BazzTard said:
partly because the size of the bass makes it hard to play for smaller handed people.
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I think that some small handed people, of both sexes, find a bass difficult to play, but as in Pacman's photo not all.

I came home from work one day to find my 14 y.o. daughter playing the Crossroads riff by Cream on my P bass. She would blow over in a strong wind but was having no trouble playing my bass. I asked her if she was thinking of taking up bass and she replied "I enjoy playing it but I'll stick to clarinet thanks, I have seen how much stuff you have to carry about". (She also plays piano, guitar and several sizes of recorder.)
 
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#30
delta7fred said:
I think that some small handed people, of both sexes, find a bass difficult to play, but as in Pacman's photo not all.
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It's all in technique. My only thought is that people with smaller hands need to be more conscious of using correct technique, which might actually make them better musicians in the long run.

Now, reaching all the way up that extension might be a stretch. ;)
 
#32
Yeah, I don't really buy the "small hands" argument.

My wife often describes herself as having the arms of a t-rex and the hands of a child. The last bass she bought was a fretless Spector NS-5. Didn't even realize it was a 35" scale until she got it home. Her old Ibanez SR-300 got relegated to office beater bass beause the skinny neck gives her hand cramps (OK, that and she has much better basses these days).
 
#35
I'm personally acquainted with three outstanding young female bass players. One is on the verge of a professional career. One plays recreationally. I think the third put it down, but I would be surprised if she didn't pick it up again someday. All three play upright bass as a first instrument and a bit of bass guitar. Actually, I don't know that many other bass players in person, so that means a fairly high percentage of the bass players I know in person are female. I don't know most of you around here in person, so you can't foul up the math.

As long as we are at it, one of the drummers I like playing with most is female.
 
#36
As a woman with small hands, I agree on the technique issue. If I start getting lazy with my left hand, I have problems. If I'm doing what I should, I can play my 35" scale basses comfortably. About 10 years ago I bought a couple of 32s because I assumed they would be easier to play. Then I started playing 5-string and couldn't find any in 32" so I went back to 34". My 32s get very little attention these days.

I know that gender role socialization influences instrument selection and acceptance by other musicians, but personally, I haven't run into too many issues. My biggest problem has been band mates' significant others assuming that I was either chasing after their men or had succeeded in doing so.
 
#37
Always good to know 8 years after the thread started female bass players haven't gone extinct.

I replaced the female bass player in my band because she wanted to go forth and learn how to weld. I believe she graduated. I can barely handle gluing things together. I would've preferred she stayed because we both had the same musical tastes (helps to have when recommending songs) and sings better than me. Then I could've stayed on guitar and never have to deal with someone telling me how great his gear/tone is every practice (Zzzzz).

If I had to generalize, at least on this Forum, I believe female bass players just don't tend to blurt out, "Female bass player here..." before asking a question or giving advice.

I'm always a bit sad when Craigslist ads for bassists ask for only females. What? My testosterone-shaped good looks isn't pretty enough? Probably why I'll never make it in an early-era Smashing Pumpkins tribute band.
 
#40
Sav'nBass said:
I think there are more female bass players than ever before..
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Unemploid said:
why so few male groupies?
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I think we are seeing a continued societal change with the gender roles being the case here. As more women join pop bands despite not getting as much sexual opportunities to make it worthwhile to them and because the society now sees it as a proper place for women a certain percentage will move towards the bass instead of being a singer where they were accepted because their vocal range is generally higher then men's and there was no choice.
 
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