Is bass guitar the new lead guitar?

Eetu Pellonpää wrote: ^ Also "Red Hot Chili Peppers" and other funk stuff promote bass playing!   sleeper wrote: I notice some people complain that the neck of a 6 string is too wide for their hands, dont let that stop you as you will get used to it, I did and I have small hands. I was surprised how good and easy it feels to play!  Got my self a Washburn 6-string, and I'm completelly crazy about it!

I've seen in the "show us your axe" thread, looks better than my Brice, would be interesting to see how they compare when played, I'd suspect that the Washburn would be superier as the Brice is only a cheap bass.

I play chords on my four strings...

I didn't read the whole post, but I would like to add (or confirm) that the 5 and 6 stringed modern basses added a responsibility that many (rock) bass players used to overlook: learning chords. I even knew some lazy guitarrists that just 'became' bass players with the intention of skipping learning harmony / chords.

I say that because on the 80's, when I started playing guitar on my first bands, the bassist would say: "What's the key?" and I would reply: "G minor" and the guy would say: "Cut the 'minor' bullsh*t, for me, G is G and that's enough!"

And everybody knows it is not true. Every bass player must know all chords,  with all variations (7th, diminished, etc) so that they will create suitable basslines according to the songs' harmony, not being limited to the root notes.

Now I note that with the 5 and 6 strings, the bass players are more keen to learn and perform full chords instead of keeping themselves playing 'Roots + fifths + octaves' only. This of course improves the bass player capacity to solo as well, as once they know the harmony, they can improvise much more creatively and accurately.

Best regards, you prog-heads!



Edited by Mumakil - October 02 2006 at 17:10

^ Also "Red Hot Chili Peppers" and other funk stuff promote bass playing!

Edited by Eetu Pellonpää - September 12 2006 at 09:23

Gah. The only bassist I know thinks anyone with more than 4 strings is a sell-out, and you suck by using a pick. I told him that Squire uses a pick, and he replied, "Well then, Chris Squire sucks!" Funny thing is, when he found out Jack Bruce uses more than 4 strings, he went, "Oh, well Jack Bruce is different."

I notice some people complain that the neck of a 6 string is too wide for their hands, dont let that stop you as you will get used to it, I did and I have small hands.

I managed to try today a 6-string Washburn... There is no return!

I also like to play bass, I have an Aria Pro 2, which I believe is a Rickenbacker copy with cheaper electronics.

 

Zoso wrote: Certif1ed wrote: ^Actually, I think it's Sir Paul McCartney who led the bass revolution - left-handed, I might add! He brought bass to the fore - as part of the ensemble instead of a mere backing instrument. One could make that argument, but if you want to talk rock bassists from the 60's, John Entwhistle of The Who takes the cake. As far as what I meant by Jaco, I think he's the first person to ever be widely aknowledged in his time as a bass virtuoso.

Very true, but it still took time for wide recognition of bass "heroes." Jaco might have actually been one of the first. His was the first name I recall being spoken with true reverence. The younger guys came up during the time when these icons were finally getting their due. That could have a lot to do with it.
    

Certif1ed wrote: ^Actually, I think it's Sir Paul McCartney who led the bass revolution - left-handed, I might add! He brought bass to the fore - as part of the ensemble instead of a mere backing instrument.

One could make that argument, but if you want to talk rock bassists from the 60's, John Entwhistle of The Who takes the cake.

As far as what I meant by Jaco, I think he's the first person to ever be widely aknowledged in his time as a bass virtuoso.