CJ Noble

hell, everyone remembers Kurt Cobain. that alone is proof that you don't need to be a good guitar player to be remembered as one

__________________
1978 Peavey T-40 -> Ampeg Micro-VR - > Ampeg SVT210AV + Ampeg SVT-15E

Alucard817

He also had the emo grunge thing going for him. Besides look at the people who think he was good. nuff said.

__________________

Ziphoblat

I'd wager that if he wasn't the singer/front man that far less people would care about his guitar playing.

__________________

Save a Cow,
Eat a Vegan.

eddiehimself

+1. Especially about the cow thing.

__________________

MaggaraMarine

Oh. My. God. Are you guys serious?

People here are talking like bass is much better and more important than guitar. They are both instruments. You are behaving like the guitarists who think bass is useless. I play both bass and guitar and also trumpet. They are all instruments and have different purposes. Of course bass is needed but so is guitar and trumpet. Let a bassist play alone with a drummer and nobody will listen to it. Why? Because it lacks the melody. It's only groove. That's why you need an instrument that plays the melody, for example trumpet or guitar or piano or whatever. People don't consciously listen to bass but I think bass is there to make the song sound good as well as the other instruments. The purpose of every instrument is to make the song sound good. Not to play the most interesting parts or show your skills. Many people concentrate on guitar and vocals and that's understandable because they play the main melodies. The melodies people can sing along and remember. Bass is there to make you dance, guitar/other melody instruments are there to play memorable melodies that you can sing along.

My point is, they are all instruments. None is better than the other.

And IMO, guitar is more fun to play alone. In a band I like playing both, they are different and I can't say which one I like better.

__________________
My motto: Play what the song needs you to play!

Gear:

Charvel So Cal (MIJ)
Digitech RP355
MXR Micro Chorus
Laney VC30
Tokai TB48

Ziphoblat

Not entirely sure what lead you to that conclusion.

__________________

Save a Cow,
Eat a Vegan.

anarkee

There's a few bass players in that category as well, but I really don't want to go down a flame war path.

Why is bass necessary? Because unless you are talking about a Deadhead, no body ever danced to a guitar solo. Enough said.

__________________
"I have suffered for my music and now it's your turn." Neil Innes

RedMist

I think it's because
-Bass equipment is expensive
-It's boring to practice bass alone
-Most people start on guitar and it's a PITA to get all new gear.

Really everyone but guitarists are in short supply when it comes to bands.

Alucard817

I think bass gear has come down a bit in price in the past 10 or so years. Just my observation.

Drum tracks man, drum tracks.
In all honesty though, it is freaking boring as hell

Tell me about it. In all the years I've played bass/guitar I think I've met 2 drummers.

__________________

Ziphoblat

As with guitar, it costs as much as you're willing to spend.


Simply not the case.


The cause of which is what this thread is discussing.

__________________

Save a Cow,
Eat a Vegan.

fudger

Yet they were still mosy likely dancing to Phills fat bass grooves. That worth a sig right there haha

__________________
My band
Facebook
Youtube
Bandcamp

I'd rather be Phishing...

Tostitos

I don't get why people think this is true in the slightest.

Bassists are rarer because egotistical guitarists hunt us down, kill us in ritual sacrifice, and drink our blood to try to gain our strength. Because of this poaching, our numbers have dwindled to the point of near extinction, threatening to upset the balance of musical ecosystems everywhere. Therefore I move that bassists should officially be added to endangered species list, sanctions should be put in place to deter poachers, and steps should be taken to rebuild our numbers.

__________________

eddiehimself

Bass equipment? Expensive? BITCH PLEASE! You can get a new bass for £50 on e-bay.

__________________

MaggaraMarine

I don't think Cobain is remembered as a good guitar player. He was a good musician that wrote memorable songs. You don't need to be a great player to play great things. And I think Nirvana's music wouldn't sound the same if it was too virtuosic. Songwriting skills are much more important than guitar skills. And I don't think he was a bad guitarist, he was good guitarist for the music he wanted to play. You don't need to be able to play anything else but the music you want to play.




Sorry about my rant. Some comments made me feel that way (Curt Cobain comments for example).

__________________
My motto: Play what the song needs you to play!

Gear:

Charvel So Cal (MIJ)
Digitech RP355
MXR Micro Chorus
Laney VC30
Tokai TB48

corrda00

The decline in bass is exponentail.

As there are less dedicated bassists, music is being written to incorperate the bass less, or compansate for the lack of bass. (ie. louder bass drum, lower guitar tunings)

Then due to this less potentail musicians are inspired to play bass, thus perpetuating the cycle.

Bass used to be an integral role in a band, now there are several professional bands that don't have bassists or have a guitarist that plays bass. Its sad really.

__________________


My Compositions:
Roots (Prog Metal)
New Tuning (Prog Metal)
Sexy Riff (Pop Rock)

Ziphoblat

But this is all bass. It might not be bass guitar, but it's still bass. A song always needs lower frequencies, how the artist introduces them is up to them. The reality is that most of these bands without a bassist are operating that way because they couldn't find one. That just reinforces the fact that bassists are in demand, not in decline. There'll always be a job for a good bass player, and I don't see what's to complain about there.


That's not really the case, I think you're over-complicating it. I think it's simply that bass is viewed as a less glamorous instrument because of the way it's perceived by the untrained ear. Melody and lyrics seek to capture the conscious attention of an audience, bass and rhythm create the pulse of a song which appeals more to the sub-conscience (look up music and the reptilian brain). Most people struggle to keep up with what's going on right in front of them, let alone anything with a degree of subtly to it. Hence bass is often an overlooked component to music.


The vast majority of the initial wave of bass guitar players were relegated guitarists. That was pretty much what the instrument was designed for... upright bassists were few and far between, guitarists, as usual, were everywhere. A guitarist is going to be far more familiar with the feel of an electric bass than an upright. Hell, Noel Redding would be a great example of that.

__________________

Save a Cow,
Eat a Vegan.

MaggaraMarine

True. You don't need bass guitar to play bass parts. For example The Doors. Their keyboardist played the bass parts with his Fender Rhodes Bass keyboard.

And I don't really know many successful bands that don't have bassists. I mean, if you are successful, it should be really easy to find a bassist because everybody wants to be the bassist of your successful band. I think it's more about the band image like White Stripes. They are a drums-guitar duo. That's their image. Some bands just work without a bassist because the parts they play sound good without bass guitar.

I don't really care what parts I play. I can play bass if somebody asks me and I can play guitar if somebody asks me. I enjoy playing in a band, no matter what instrument or how "fun" the parts are to play. I think it's fun if it sounds good.

If you can't find a bassist, maybe ask your friends. It's not really that hard to learn to play. He will improve as you play together. Or then ask a guitar player to play bass for you. A guitarist should be able to play bass guitar easily (if he just wants to play). Good examples of originally guitarists that became famous by playing bass: Noel Redding, Geezer Butler.

__________________
My motto: Play what the song needs you to play!

Gear:

Charvel So Cal (MIJ)
Digitech RP355
MXR Micro Chorus
Laney VC30
Tokai TB48

CJ Noble

I can't name any. Dusty Hill can rip when he wants to. It's just as much about knowing when not to play as it is being able to play complicated songs.

__________________
1978 Peavey T-40 -> Ampeg Micro-VR - > Ampeg SVT210AV + Ampeg SVT-15E

Ziphoblat

Mark Hoppus. The personification of revered incompetence.

__________________

Save a Cow,
Eat a Vegan.