Inspired by two very good posts by Jacob and Sidse about the fascinating instruments they play I was inspired to write a post about the instrument that I play, the electric bass. Unfortunately there is very little to say about the instrument itself. It was invented in 1951 by Leo Fender and has evolved very little since then. This is probably not because Leo Fender was a genius and got it right in his first try, but mainly, I believe, because he got it “good enough”. Let’s be honest: the point of the bass is to go bum-bum-bum in the frequency range below the other instrument without getting in way of the kick drum. And that’s about it. And for that reason, the electric bass is confined to a life of almost anonymity. It is an instrument that has been used on the majority of recordings since the birth of rock’n’roll, but is also the instrument that most people would not know the sound of. As a casual music fan (these thoughts do not hold for people in bands of course) you do not notice the electric bass and in many cases you are not supposed to notice it – however you will notice it if it suddenly stops playing.
This idea that “people might not pay any attention to what I am playing, but they would sure find out if I suddenly stopped” is a way of thinking that many bass players have adapted as a way of finding some kind in pride in the fact that really, no one cares what you play. I have noticed that a lot of keyboard players have also adapted this way of looking at their own role in bands – good for them.
However, being the unobtrusive base that keeps the music together is not enough for all bass players. And while the instrument itself might be dull to read too much about, I would like to come with a bit of analysis on what I, as a bass player, have noticed other bass players do as a way of getting attention, eventhough there are other people in the band doing more fancy things…
There are four options:
No #1: Make a complete fool of your self
The most obvious way of getting people to notice you when you are a bass player is to make sure that people can not ignore you. The easiest way of achieving this is to make sure that you look like a complete idiot – any chance you get. On most band pictures you can pretty easyli identify the bass player. He’s the one who does all he can to stand out from the other guys in the band (this is not to mistaken with the guy who stands out but is not aware of it – that’s the drummer you’re looking at). Exhibit A: (the post continues below the images)
If they are so serious - why does the bass player have such a silly mustache?
Yes, the cape indicates that he plays the bass
The general band look is sloppy and greasy-haired - who has a bowl cut and Harry Potter glases?
They all look silly - but somehow the bandana-guy looks extra silly. What instrument do you think he plays?
Everyone in the band is a guy - except who? (... ok I'll move on)
No #2: Sing
If you stand by the main microphone in front of the band and sing you are no longer a bassplayer. You are now “the lead singer”. This is much better. Everyone loves you, wants to get to know you, give you free stuff. Girls wanna marry you. Problem solved.
I give you: Sting, McCartney, Lemmy, Roger Waters, Flemming Bamse Jørgensen
No #3: Pretend you don’t play the bass
In most bands the guy who plays the bass is playing bass because he was the worst guitarplayer of the bunch and thus ended up with only four strings to manage. There are two ways of coping with this:
The first one is to decide to prove everyone wrong by playing the bass as if it’s not really a bass. The finest examples of this are people who actually play bass solos like Flea from Red Hot Chili Peppers (Aerolplane anyone?), New Order’s Peter Hook who plays melodies on his bass guitar or bass legend Jaco Pastorious who re-built his bass to not sound like a bass guitar, then played it like it was not a bass guitar.
The other way of coping with being the worst guitar player in the band is just to ignore playing all together (since no one cares anyway) and just be really good at something else and be famous for that. Take Pete Wentz or Sid Vicious (what band was he in? who cares?).
No #4: Surrender
Accept that no one pays attention to anything you do and make that “your special thing”. Keep your mouth shut, avoid eye contact and wear clothes that match the wall paper. That way it will hurt less when people ignore you, since you “want them to ignore you”.
Some months ago I talked to Alcoholic Faith Mission’s bass player Sune Sølund about this, and about how and why we became bass players. While I took up the bass because I desperate wanted to be join a band at my school that needed a bass player (I was the worst guitar-player since I had never touched a guitar in my life), Sune’s reasons for choosing the bass was much more clever though less connected to music. “I started noticing that when the girls found out they couldn’t all get the lead singer – the next guy they would be looking to was the bass player.” Why this was the case Sune could not tell me. And who cares anyway?
trusser
2 years ago
Really funny stuff, thanks. I’ll pay extra attention to Foals’ bass player tomorrow night.
Klemme
2 years ago
Heh. Interesting thoughts from a different perspective
I’ll qoute my favorite bassplayer Abraham Laboriel.
“The only thing in music you will notice when it’s not there.. is the bass”
Jarlsberg
2 years ago
Ha ha ha – what a great post! And I’m the singer and rhythm guitarist in a band because I was 2nd worst at playing guitar
Sune Sølund
2 years ago
It’s true; somehow the bass player, and for no particular reason, seem to attract a decent amount of female attention.
It could be that most of them don’t have the guts to approach the lead singer and then turn their focus toward the bass player.
It’s rarely the drummer or additional guitarists that are first in line – they do, however get the nerdy boys that wanna talk about gear and other random shit (sorry boys), stealing away music’s true purpose: GETTING LAID!
A few years ago, delving deeper into this mysterious phenomena, still without any scientific research to back my claim though, I found that the bass player can improve his position by becoming a main part of the songwriting. It may sound obvious, but hear me out:
Modern day indie rock isn’t rocket science – it’s rather far from it. Putting two or three chords together, which is the essence of most indie darlings today, doesn’t take many brains. This is key.
Keep away from the lyrics. In most cases you have a lead singer (if he’s also the one writing lyrics) with so many complexities and inadequacies that he won’t really let you near them any way. And if he does you’re not getting to take any credit live. At least not from the girls in the crowds, which is what it’s all about as we’ve already discussed a bit earlier.
However, this is awesome for two reasons:
1) You distance yourself even more from the other band members and become way more important.
2) Not reaching the “level” of lead singer but accessing an even greater proportion of the female crowd, you aren’t burdened with all the mainstream sluts who aim headless for whatever dude in front.
The moral of it all: Keep your status as the mysterious sidekick.
I guess this is the main reason behind the newest development in Before The Show – the band where the author behind this blog post and bass player recently became a part of the songwriting. Wisely done young padawan
chulu
2 years ago
good stuff! While playing the bass it’s also easier to dance and play at the same time…
Rasmus
2 years ago
The electric bass is phallic, Sune. It just has those extra inches of scale length which does the job for the otherwise insecure bass player.
Great post, Stær.
Andreas Stær
2 years ago
Hi guys. Thanks for the positive feedback. Happy you liked it. Sune, while I believe that you could be rigth in everything you say, it sounds a bit complicated to me. I like Rasmus’ conclusion better I’m afraid.
- Andreas
ben
2 years ago
didn’t do much but skim past the first paragraph. sorry, but if you believe that……
“Unfortunately there is very little to say about the instrument itself. It was invented in 1951 by Leo Fender and has evolved very little since then. This is probably not because Leo Fender was a genius and got it right in his first try, but mainly, I believe, because he got it “good enough”. Let’s be honest: the point of the bass is to go bum-bum-bum in the frequency range below the other instrument without getting in way of the kick drum. And that’s about it.”
….. is true, than you are a not really qualified to judge the instrument. a lot of people have proven that it can become the main voice in a musical setting, and rarely do they just go “bum bum bum” in a low frequency range.
sorry that you are so inept as a musician that you are happy to play that way, but i actually find that a little offensive.
the rest seems to be tongue-in-cheek silliness, but you lost me with that load of close-minded crap at the beginning.
maybe practice more? learn to play an instrument well before talking about it? realize that the limitations are in you not the instrument?
Mick
2 years ago
I hope this is a joke. You’re a disgrace to the instrument if you are so quick to dismiss its potential, and so narrow minded to ignore all the innovations made in the last 50 years of the electric bass.
Robbie
2 years ago
Well for one Pete Wentz plays for Fallout Boy
and isn’t Bryan Adams also a bassist of sorts??? Skillet’s John Cooper also plays basss while being the lead singer.
But all in all bass brings balance to a band, and yes you would miss it if it wasn’t there. Not that musically tuned but I do know the huge gap the bass leaves when not there.
FromTheCradle
2 years ago
Well, I think it would be hard not to realize some bass players on stage. Like Victor Wooten, John Patitucci, Nathan East, John Myung, Richard Bona, Sting… And there is Nathan Watts, but his reason to be conspicuous is maybe different, hahaha!
Kazgo
2 years ago
Basses were not invented in 1951 nor were they invented by Leo Fender. There were electric basses as early as the 1920′s.
R. Baird
2 years ago
Gail Ann Dorsey is a powerful singer and bassist. Bill Wyman was right in the pocket, and Entwhistle played his bass as if a lead instrument. A guy named Bill McCormick burned on 801 Live, playing a riff throughout one of the best Beatle covers ever, TNK. The late and great Mick Karn brought great originality to Japan and in solo efforts, and come to think of it, Jah Wobble laid down some tasty bottom line. Never mind the reggae greats. Darryl Jones, the current Stones sideman (don’t think he’s been fully inducted, but has been touring and recording with them for something like ten years now) is electrifying in concert.