You think the audience doesn't notice? Think again!

[tfer]

Here’s my bottom line though.

Even if the audience can’t hear a difference, I can. And if I enjoy how I sound, I play better, which makes the drummer play better, which makes the guitarist play better, which gives the singer the confidence to step up and let ‘er rip, which makes the whole band sound and play better.

And I believe that the audience DOES care about that.

 

[darwin-bass]

20 people out of 3000 is 0.67%. Still 20 people is 20 people. I get it. I haven't had 20 people comment about the bass in my lifetime!

Yes, the audience can (sometimes) hear the bass well enough to pick up on the differences between instruments and maybe even between strings but do they care which is used? If we use the "wrong" instrument do they actually care?

I still believe that most listen to the music and the way the bass fits into the song, rather than zeroing in on the bass. Play the right notes on the wrong bass and you're light-years (which is a measure of distance, btw) ahead of us who play the wrong notes on the right bass.

Merry Christmas folks!!!

 

[Teijo K.]

Here’s my bottom line though.

Even if the audience can’t hear a difference, I can. And if I enjoy how I sound, I play better, which makes the drummer play better, which makes the guitarist play better, which gives the singer the confidence to step up and let ‘er rip, which makes the whole band sound and play better.

And I believe that the audience DOES care about that.

I absolutely agree with you on this!

 

[darwin-bass]

Even if the audience can’t hear a difference, I can. And if I enjoy how I sound, I play better, which makes the drummer play better, which makes the guitarist play better, which gives the singer the confidence to step up and let ‘er rip, which makes the whole band sound and play better.

And I believe that the audience DOES care about that.

This! The audience feels the music as much as hears the music. In fact what separates a good performance from a great one is the emotional impact on the listener.

 

[joebar]

What is BSO?

I know the one I'm thinking of, but it can't be the same one.

Bitch son of?
Haha

 

[Loring]

couldn't care if the audience notices - I do and that is important to me.

 

[DD Gunz]

EDIT: Sorry if posted in the wrong forum. Had no idea where to post it.

Did a gig last night at an outdoor venue at The Villages in Fla (a big giant retirement community) that I play once a month, and we get a lot of regulars. I've been using my Hammersmith with a very dead set of Dunlop Super Bright Nickels there pretty much exclusively most of the year. Tonight I got a wild hair and brought out my modded 76 Precision with a newish set of the same strings instead. Both these basses have Geezer PJ's, and to me they sound about the same when the strings have comparable wear. Everything else was the same as usual...REDDI into the PA, same pedals I've been using all year set the same way and used in the same songs, same sound tech we usually have there and the same PA, which is a decent but not particularly great PA (a souped-up and somewhat customized Bose PA...one of the bigwigs of the Bose family lives at the Villages and has the ear of the family who owns the Villages).

I probably had 20 people who are regulars at our gigs come up to me on break and ask me how come the Fender sounded so much edgier and aggressive than the Hammersmith. Only one of them plays an instrument, and while most were guys, plenty of women said the same thing.

So if I ever hear any of you jokers try to claim that the audience doesn't know or care about your sound again, I will tell you that you're a very arrogant person who has zero respect for your audiences. Of course, I have been saying that for years, but now I've got proof. A big outdoor venue with about 3000 people there in various states of inebriation, and several non-musicians noticed that the strings on the Fender made it sound edgier.

The lesson I learned is I need to change my strings more often The lesson YOU should learn is that if you think your audience is so stupid that they can't tell the difference in your sound no matter what you use, maybe they're not the stupid ones.

Happy holidays, everyone!

I have had this very thing happen to me a few times in the past. I started changing my strings literally about every other gig.

Then found that when I didn't change them, I would get comments that the bass sounded mellow or dark that night. Since then, I change them before 90 percent of gigs as a practice. This gets pricey at times as I play about once a week. It's a big part of our tone and has become expected by the band.

In the studio, I will change them every 3 to 5 tracks. Seems like overkill even to me, but you can tell when they start loosing that snap very easily in the sterile studio setting.

 

[Ant Illington]

To be fair, all that you've proved is that the audience in that specific locale notice changes in your tone.

It may be something in the water.

To be fair, the audience probably wouldn't notice the difference in tone between a Warwick and Stingray or any other bass with the same aged strings but it's reasonable that this is sufficient proof that people will notice if your bass is making more of the thud of dead strings vs the ring of new strings.

 

[FunkHead]

Everyone hears the bass and it impacts their perception of the music. However, most simply don't realize the effect Bass is having on them. Furthermore, Some are zoning in on the Drums whilst others are Focused on the Vocals. Still others are mesmerized by the guitars. I believe some peoples hearing is in the lower register and the Bass just "Calls" to them. That's why I play bass! It's what I hear most when listening. I have had audience members comment on my tone especially when I use a Ric or a Sadowsky Jazz bass.

 

[joebar]

In a live show, I always think my bass is too aggressive sounding; especially if I'm near my rig. Of course, in the audience, it sounds more balanced.
Because of this, I always play more conservatively .
People do notice when I play my FL; that snarling humming beast can be heard through anything.

 

[twinjet]

Of course, I have been saying that for years, but now I've got proof.

A story you made up as proof? Oh, sure!

 

[Whil57]

I dont know, if some one told me my tone was edgier, i'd feel like they were being nice because they noticed something was off.

 

[FirewalZ]

Audiences do notice details...but may not be able to clearly articulate other than "something sounds off" or I cant hear X very well.

 

[Nev375]

The Villages!!!! OMG!!! Don't get hit by a wayward golf cart while you're there.

For those of you who have never been to FL and visited this place, it is beyond description.

Is it a notable tourist attraction? I've never even heard of it.

 

[RichardW]

Thinking that your audience probably can't tell the difference between strings, or pedals, or EQ settings, or pick vs. fingers is not being disrespectful to the audience. It's just the reality for 99.99% of your audience. So .01% can tell. That's nice, but so what.

Disrespecting your audience is not caring if you play well, or not caring if they have a good time, or thinking that the audience is there for you vs. you being there for them.

 

[Frampton]

I feel like I have been defending this point with Jimmy M since I joined Talkbass!

Your audience isn’t going to know a bunch of detail and subtle nuances in your tone and style, but they’re not dumb. They know when they hear something they like or don’t like, and can certainly tell when you’re on point.

I think every time we tell ourselves “the audience won’t notice” we take a little step towards short-changing the whole experience we’re trying to sell.

This

 

[Luckydog]

Perhaps TB does need a new forum specifically for posts regarding the arrogance, stupidity and whatever of those that might not reach the exact same conclusions as the OP. That way, I could start ignoring it immediately.

Swing...and a miss!

Perhaps what TB needs is a little more sensitivity to how ppl describe their experiences and the conclusions they reach. Not everyone communicates the same way. Peoples' intent are often perceived incorrectly due to the lack of context; inability to perceive small degrees of exaggeration, irony or sarcasm meant in completely innocent or nonaggressive ways; self-deprecating comments (meant more toward self than others); I think you may have reached an incorrect conclusion based on not considering such things, so I won't criticize your motives. If you have considered these things, and still believe you have reacted appropriately, then in my opinion everyone else would be better off with you ignoring them.

 

[Slevage]

EDIT: Sorry if posted in the wrong forum. Had no idea where to post it.

Did a gig last night at an outdoor venue at The Villages in Fla (a big giant retirement community) that I play once a month, and we get a lot of regulars. I've been using my Hammersmith with a very dead set of Dunlop Super Bright Nickels there pretty much exclusively most of the year. Tonight I got a wild hair and brought out my modded 76 Precision with a newish set of the same strings instead. Both these basses have Geezer PJ's, and to me they sound about the same when the strings have comparable wear. Everything else was the same as usual...REDDI into the PA, same pedals I've been using all year set the same way and used in the same songs, same sound tech we usually have there and the same PA, which is a decent but not particularly great PA (a souped-up and somewhat customized Bose PA...one of the bigwigs of the Bose family lives at the Villages and has the ear of the family who owns the Villages).

I probably had 20 people who are regulars at our gigs come up to me on break and ask me how come the Fender sounded so much edgier and aggressive than the Hammersmith. Only one of them plays an instrument, and while most were guys, plenty of women said the same thing.

So if I ever hear any of you jokers try to claim that the audience doesn't know or care about your sound again, I will tell you that you're a very arrogant person who has zero respect for your audiences. Of course, I have been saying that for years, but now I've got proof. A big outdoor venue with about 3000 people there in various states of inebriation, and several non-musicians noticed that the strings on the Fender made it sound edgier.

The lesson I learned is I need to change my strings more often The lesson YOU should learn is that if you think your audience is so stupid that they can't tell the difference in your sound no matter what you use, maybe they're not the stupid ones.

Happy holidays, everyone!

OR
Don’t change your strings if you don’t want edge.

 

[Luckydog]

Rarely does an audience member comment on my playing or tone...often a lonesome world for bass players, when off-key singers and poor guitarists are regularly stroked despite their limitations. Bass player hits a wrong note and we can watch the world turn their heads and look at him or her! So be it. So I do my best to find a great tone, and make it work in the mix to my best ability. If it pleases me too, great! Rarely is the tone that pleases others, the same tone that I enjoy hearing on stage...but I learned to live with it. So...those few occasions that someone comments on my tone, I take verrrry seriously. Great that you are getting such feedback! (Maybe you also smiled more and played better that day and they noticed it?)

 

[HolmeBass]

I have no doubt that audiences hear *everything*. But often it seems more subliminal and they don’t know exactly what they are hearing. So kudos to your audience for noticing the different bass and being able to accurately articulate the tonal difference they noticed.

And I say this not to mean that most audiences can’t discern and articulate the details about what they are hearing. Often a very little bit of explanation can open up a whole new world for many avid music fans. It’s always a big step when a music lover starts to differentiate the sounds made by the different members of the band.

I remeber a gig quite a while ago, in a bar, no stage (yuck), and we’re jamming an original that I had written a bass line that had an upper register slide and fill into the chorus part, where it answered the guitarist’s part. There is a guy digging my playing, and his girlfriend wasn’t getting it, and he pointed out my upper register part and you could see the light switch on in her head. You could see her start to listen to the various parts of the band, rather than just listening to the vocals.