Is bass guitar the new lead guitar?

Australian wrote: Bass is too constant and it sounds too blunt, even with 6 strings. You may as well use a guitar as it has the same strings as a bass plus a G and E string, and more things can be done on it. Chris Squire's Fish Out of Water is the best example of a Bass dominated album.

That's total rubbish. Like others have stated, you are describing bass when played poorly. Bass can be very intricate, delicate and beautiful sounding. It all just depends on who's playing it.

Also, bass is in no way easier than guitar. It is more physically demanding to play, with heavier strings, wider frets, and the need for extremely strong fingers on both hands to play it.

The bass also has potentially more style of play than any other instrument. There's your standard finger style, or it can be played with a pick. But there's also pop and slap. Bass has a much wider range of harmonic capabilities than guitar, and two handed tapping has just as many capabilities, if not more than guitar, because it will give you a strong lower sound just by tapping, which guitar cannot.

Also, bass is, if anything, harder to play while singing than guitar. I've been playing bass for 6 years, and I still can not sing and play the bass well at the same time. However, singing while playing the guitar comes very easily for me. This is probably because when you play bass, you are the only person in the band that has two roles. You play with the melodic part of the music, and the rhythmic, two things which will keep you busy enough. To add in singing is a lot to ask.

One other thing that makes the bass difficult; When you are playing bass in a band, everyone notices when you make a mistake. You stick out like a sore thumb.

A great thing about being a bassist is that you are always in demand. I play both electric and upright, and I play in Jazz bands, orchestras, Rock, Prog, Indie...it's almost impossible to name a genre of music where a bassist is not needed. This however does not hold true for guitar.

I personally am a big fan of the 4 string bass. I find myself getting lost when I play more than that, especially when I play a 6 string. Though I do love that high C. I just am much more comfortable with the the feel of a 4 string, the necks on extra stringed basses are just too wide.

Let me just say that I do not hate guitar or guitarist. I love playing guitar, it's a beautiful and incredible instrument. I just sometimes have to stick up for my other 4 string players.

As far as bassists that have influenced me the most, I'd have to say Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers is very high up on the list, as cliche as it may be. I love his style, and he makes the bass very very fun to play.

Also, John Patitucci just blows me away, both on upright and electric, as do Eddie Gomez, Christian McBride, both who I have seen play live, and Stanley Clarke. They are truly scarily talented men who deserve more recognition.

And of course there is the great Jaco Pastorius, who began the bass guitar revolution, and Victor Wooten, who continues to expand the horizons of the bass today.

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.

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.
    

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

 

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

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.

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."

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

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

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

I play chords on my four strings...