Why Do Guitarists Always Think They Can Play Bass?
A controversial question maybe but we're all mature souls, we're all capable of avoiding the usual slanging match that would have ensued had I put this question on a 'young persons' forum aren't we?
Most guitarists I've played with over the years (with the notable exception of Neale in my current band) seem to view the bass as a very simple instrument to play. We only play one note at a time (unless we're Lemmy or VERY angry!) so it is somehow less of an instrument than a 6 string guitar.
They all missed the fact that, as a bass player, we are constantly listening to what is going on around us and reacting to it, yes even in a punk band!
We are the glue.......aren't we??
Cheers
Matt the Bass
The Outbursts
Responses to This Article
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Permalink Reply by Istvanski on -
Indeed! And what about that bass player in Living Colour who has a multitude of bass effect pedals at his command that he has to concentrate on.
Les Claypool plays bass as if he were a possessed six stringer.
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Permalink Reply by Matt Russell on -
Ahh yes, Doug Wimbish, I remember seeing him as a part of Tackhead & Mark Stewart & The Mafia at The Astoria (or was it theT&C) back in the 80's and just being amazed at the stuff he was doing (I was young and impressionabe)but these days if I want to see a man doing something clever with wood in his hand, I'll go to youporn.com
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Permalink Reply by Paul Englefield on -
Yes you are ;-) Love to hear a driving bass line pushing things along.
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Permalink Reply by Graham Hunt on -
I'm a guitarist. I own a bass guitar and use it on my recordings. Am I a bass player? Absoloutely not! I hate my bass lines they are just doubling what the guitar is doing or root and fifth, root and fifth... rubbish!
Jaco P is still one of the most inspirational musicians I've ever heard. When I heard him on Heavy Weather I was utterly blown away.
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Permalink Reply by Jason Humphrey on -
Guitarists should leave bass to the professionals
I had a recent situation where a guitar player instructed me only play root notes in a 8th note feel on all songs.
I was also told only the lowest note available. No passing tones or fills of any kind. He tracks his own bass on all
his recordings. He uses this same technique when tracking his bass playing. In this particular situation we were not playing his songs. This was a volunteer gig. He sucked the vibe out of each and every song. I have don tons of
session work (major labels, TV and film) and live work and this was a first.
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Permalink Reply by martin keith on -
Aye a fool and a little knowledge !
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Permalink Reply by Philip Franklin on -
I started out as a bass player then became a rythm/lead guitarist. Guitar players, seems to me, always forget the first rule of good bass playing "less is more" and that they are an intergral part of the rythm section. So when I play bass for myself I stick to those principals and leave the twiidly bits alone. Phil
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Permalink Reply by Graham Ford on
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WHY.....do guitarists (and others) always seem to want bass solos?
OK, so JP and co. are awesome players, and certainly add loads of good stuff to the right numbers - but I feel that there is a time and place for "fancy" bass, and mostly it isn't where some people want it!
Even when playing jazz I feel pressurised into solos that really don't need to be there.
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Permalink Reply by martin keith on
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because they can,a fool and a little knowledge comes to mind.
What do you call someone who hangs around with musicians-I,ll leave that open
Meow
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Permalink Reply by dave on
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why do all bass guitarists think they can play bass.a fretted bass guitar is not even in the same family of instruments as a bass . a bass is a string instrument which requires far greater skill and accuracy and much more concentration.there are a lot of brilliant guitarists around who play bass guitar as there is more work available for bass guitar players.a bassist can usually get a tune out of a cello or violin or pretty much any string instrument ,just as a guitarist can easily master most fretted instruments.but you dont see many guitarists playing string bass as a second instrument,years ago it was quite common for drummers to take string bass as second instrument to help study theory and give them a better understanding of thier music.
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Permalink Reply by Paul Santilli on -
Guitarists can play bass, but only when they are reborn into a higher level of spiritual awareness. A guitarist makes noise, whilst a bassist creates feeling. The guitar hits the brain, and the bass plays with the soul.
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Permalink Reply by Hiram K Hackenbacker on -
Paul Santilli said:Guitarists can play bass, but only when they are reborn into a higher level of spiritual awareness. A guitarist makes noise, whilst a bassist creates feeling. The guitar hits the brain, and the bass plays with the soul.
That must be me then, I play bass in one band and lead in another. On the whole I would say the two most important members of a group are the singer and the drummer, then the bassist. Guitars are just there to fill in the gaps.
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