Sometimes I have the urge to play bass.

[300mhz]

Sometimes when I hear a really cool driving bass, like a Primus riff, I get the urge to play the bass. Does this happen to anyone else? I'd buy a bass if I didn't want so much other stuff.

[skyneverclaimed]

Originally posted by 300mhz
Sometimes when I hear a really cool driving bass, like a Primus riff, I get the urge to play the bass. Does this happen to anyone else? I'd buy a bass if I didn't want so much other stuff.

I like bass sometimes.. I use to paly it in a band.. but it's boring, and you can't show off as much, because no one can hear you

[Wir-Click-Wir]

Kim Deal is probably the only reason I'd pick up a bass. To be completely honest, I don't find them as inspiring or fun to play as the guitar. I have loads of respect for a lot of bass players, but it's just not my thing.

[i_finlayson37]

I don't actually own a bass but there are some songs I hear that have a cool bassline and I just wanna play them on my guitars.

[Texas Swamp]

I wanted to originally start out on bass but instead got guitar instead. I still have the urge I want a Fernandes Tremor or Fender deluxe active jazz bass with a peavey black widow cab and SWR head.

[thetikiman]

sometimes i get urges, but then i slap myself and think ' what the hell a bass, everyone will make jokes about you and laugh at your stupidity' :D jk

bass is great, especially when it's in victor wooten's hands

[Crash]

I get the urge to play bass all the time, but that's kind of natural because I'm a bassist.

On a slightly related note, not really but the guy above this did mention Victor Wooten, check out this bass. It was done as a fundraising thing for the MIMF Forum (http://www.mimf.com). They're going to auction it off eventually but right now they're going around and getting some big name bassists to try it out to get some quotes to back up the quality. Something like this should help your urge to play bass.



http://www.mimf.com/victor1.jpg
http://www.mimf.com/victor2.jpg

"This Bass seems to be of top notch quality, has a good sound and a good feel. It will make someone very happy. Great work guys

Peace, Vic"


http://www.mimf.com/mimfbass/bass_finished1_small.jpg
http://www.mimf.com/mimfbass/bass_finished2_small.jpg
http://www.mimf.com/mimfbass/bass_finished3_small.jpg
http://www.mimf.com/mimfbass/bass_finished4_small.jpg
http://www.mimf.com/mimfbass/bass_finished5_small.jpg


Mmmmmmmm too bad I'm not rich that things gonna go for a pretty large chunk of cash.

[pluginbaby]

Originally posted by skyneverclaimed
I like bass sometimes.. I use to paly it in a band.. but it's boring, and you can't show off as much, because no one can hear you

hehe, thats why we bassists all buy great big amps, with speakers bigger than your puny guitar ones, so that when we want to show off, we make sure we can be heard.

but us bassists are such a sophisticated race, that most of the time we consider ourselves above the need to show off. we know you'd all be lost without us :p

[malcom]

I play bass as my first instrument. I feel so much more important.

And Kim Deal rocks.

[manboy]

bass was my first instrument too. squier affinity p-bass--still going strong!

the thing about bass is it really isn't that much fun unless you think outside the bass guitar --> amp, period mindset. it's fun to play basslines that harmonize with and enhance guitar melodies, plus bass is TONS of fun when you start factoring in distortion boxes, etc.

and you may not think bassists get heard on stage, but they do get heard through concrete walls. :D

[TomBert05]

Yeah sometimes i get the urge to play some of my brothers bass and i do. it can be boring depending on the music. but if you listen to some bands with a "lead" bass player it can be fun. For example try listening to some Rush or some live Who. John Entwistle is the god of "lead" bass

[Wayjurn]

Bass is a great instrument, but good tone almost invariably requires good money. Which is why I quit.

[bloo]

hearing songs by flea and other bass gods really flix a little switch in my brain 2 play on and on till i get the song perfectly

[jacobhimself]

i played bass for a few years in a punk band, but i quit cause i live for the guitar...

[J4oasis]

dude, im always wanting to play bass. we dont have a bass player for my band, but the guys dont want me to quit lead for the bass. i think we should get a better lead guitarist and let me play bass.

[boyecho]

i really want a bass. not to quit on guitar. but just to take a break from guitar. and besides... it's getting really hard to find musicians here so i think i need to start being able to do things myself. at least to write... and who knows.. the world always needs bassits.

[galaxee]

i'd like to learn to play bass.. for some reason i think i'd be better at it.. the way i sometimes play guitar seems like it might be better fitted to a bass.. i should probably reinterest myself in the violin first though.

[Rock A My Soul]

i think you should all get a bass and an amp for it, even if it's a small one. why?
-it will make you a better rhythm player, especially with the way that the bass locks in with the drums.
-there are an infinite amount of guitarists out there, and a limited amount of bassists. i've been in more bands as a bassist than a guitarist because they're simply in higher demand. it's much easier to find a band looking for a bassist.
-it will make you understand the bass better. a lot of guitarists who just pick up a bass and start playing play the bass like a guitarist. it will only help your work in a band setting. ditto for playing the drums.
-you might decide you like the bass better. i really miss playing the bass in a band, it puts far less pressure on you, you can just lay back and rock out, plus it really is easier.
-it's damn fun.
anyway, next time you're going to spend $250 on some ridiculously complicated pedal, you should get a cheap bass or a cheap drumset. even if it's one of those squier packages, it's better than nothing. a lot of the greatest guitarists (as in ones who are rhythmic and write good songs, not necessarily the best lead players) are skilled in both of those. playing more instruments can only give you persective on your main one. the bass was my first instrument and i think it's influenced the way i play guitar, as opposed to other guitarists i've met who don't know anything but how to play really fast, and don't know anything about writing songs, let alone playing in a band setting.

[axis_records]

I agree with Rock a My Soul, completely. Bassists are limited, and it has it's own fun aspects. I mean, the fact that you can't show off isn't really an issue. If you're a true musician, then that shouldn't matter. Also, playing the bass can give you insight into better rhythm, and help you write basslines, if you're writing your own stuff.

Come on, Noel Redding of the Jimi Henrix Experience was really a guitarist that was trying out for The New Animals. Chas Chandler just grabbed him for Jimi, cause they needed a bassist.

[Rock A My Soul]

Originally posted by axis_records
Come on, Noel Redding of the Jimi Henrix Experience was really a guitarist that was trying out for The New Animals. Chas Chandler just grabbed him for Jimi, cause they needed a bassist.

"i just subtracted off the top two strings in me head"

also, that's another thing. two less strings to worry about, and most chords (aside from the occasional two-note chord) won't work so you can just play any note from it that you want

[gottajibboo]

everyone should get a bass.
i used to joke about forming a band called "two bass players and that's it" only it would have drums and guitars and stuff too. i think i'll start joking about that again...

[thurston]

I've been practicing bass a lot lately. I need to start looking for an amp. Every guitar player should play bass occasionally. It stretches your hands out, and gets you back into a rhythm mindset.

I keep a bass around, and pick it up when I'm in a guitar slum. Just plunking around on minor and major scales for exercise seems to get me back into trying to write stuff.

[chris g]

I enjoy bass also, as a break from guitar. I have a 5 string Jackson Concert bass with the active pickups that I bought from a friend for $100 bucks, brand new. The bass player in my little jam crew that I've been playing with is still learning, so I'll jump on the bass quite often to show him positions and progressions. I don't know squat about bass, but I can keep a rhythm and play some easy lines. The learning curve for bass is not the same as guitar. I can believe that it's very difficult to become an exceptional bass player.

[Wayjurn]

Originally posted by zubar
Thats true, but if you start from guitar and move to bass or the opposite its always easier then starting from scratch.

No kidding. I've played bass for 5 years and started on guitar about 2-3 years after that. Once I was solid on one instrument, the other came naturally. Now I can hold my own on both instruments.

[VillageIdiot]

Hey, bass may not be heard, but you can certainly tell when its taken away!

Let me just add though- I love the bass. And it shows- all my favourite bands (Faith No More, Tool, Dream Theater, Incubus etc) have monster bassists.

[Motorhead]

Best Bass to guitar success story = Ronnie Wood!

I have a Fender P-bass and I've been setting up a rig for it with my discarded guitar effects.

Ever hear a bass through a Boss HM-2?!

[RUSHFANnLV]

Played bass in bands all through high school. It was me and another dude in a small town with 4 or 5 bands sharing the duty. It was cool cuz i got to hang with everyone who played and learn alot about guitar and tone. It's funny. There were like 100 kids trying to play guitar and just 2 of us dedicated to the bass. Bass players have job security.

BTW when I played, I allways used my fingers and not a pick. How about you?

[Wayjurn]

Funny, when I was a bassist I had trouble finding bands to join. I mean, my ads got a lot of responses but nobody really seemed interested in keeping me.

[Rock A My Soul]

Originally posted by RUSHFANnLV
Played bass in bands all through high school. It was me and another dude in a small town with 4 or 5 bands sharing the duty. It was cool cuz i got to hang with everyone who played and learn alot about guitar and tone. It's funny. There were like 100 kids trying to play guitar and just 2 of us dedicated to the bass. Bass players have job security.

BTW when I played, I allways used my fingers and not a pick. How about you?

it's funny, i know a lot of bassists, but i still slut around bands because there are far more guitarists. my passion is guitar, but i always love playing the bass and drums. and i use either my fingers or a pick depending on the situation. i believe that you have to be able to use both because it opens up a lot of options, just like you should be able to fingerpick on the guitar. i keep a pickholder right next to my bridge (much like i do on the guitar, although in this case it's so i can put picks back if i'm using my fingers. in a band i was in before, there was this song where i played the verses with my fingers and the chorus with a pick, so after every chorus i'd just drop my pick and grab a new one at the end of every verse.) there's something nice about just providing support, but sort of a subversive support because the bass affects the sound a lot, especially in a trio.

[RUSHFANnLV]

Originally posted by Rock A My Soul
there's something nice about just providing support, but sort of a subversive support because the bass affects the sound a lot, especially in a trio.

That's for sure. The guys in this one band allways wanted me to just mimic the guitarist to round out the sound and that works sometimes but I liked being the rock along with the drummer. The drummer is who I paid attention to so that he and I would allways be together. An example would be Live Wire by AC/DC. In ther verses theres a solid, one note bass line going while the guitar is playing it's three chord line. If I was to mimic the guitar you would loose that foundation and the song would sound like......

I never used a pick. I agree with you Rock a my Soul about being able to use both but I just never did. I've allways been a huge RUSH fan and I figured if Geddy can do it so can I.

[Motorhead]

Originally posted by RUSHFANnLV

I never used a pick. I agree with you Rock a my Soul about being able to use both but I just never did. I've allways been a huge RUSH fan and I figured if Geddy can do it so can I.

What do you think of Steve Harris of Iron Maiden. My bass player always said: "playing him was like playing a Sport." He was all sweaty after 'Rime of the Ancient Mariner' and such.

[wheel]

I'm a guitarist, and I bought a cruddy Ibanez bass from my bandmate when he bought stingray. Awesome tone!
If you buy a bad bass, you won't want to play much.
But it does come in handy when I'm in a creative slump, and for roughing out parts when recording.

[Hasting]

I could care less about playing bass but thank goddness some people prefer it because it would be ten times harder to find a bass player

[RUSHFANnLV]

Originally posted by Motorhead
What do you think of Steve Harris of Iron Maiden. My bass player always said: "playing him was like playing a Sport." He was all sweaty after 'Rime of the Ancient Mariner' and such.

Dude right on! I learned The Trooper for the same band and I would have to rest my fingers when we were done! That is a song with triplets from start to end. Very hard to do. I've been playing guitar for so long now I dont even think I can play the bass to that song anymore. Steve Harris and Geddy Lee were my idols.

[NormanConquest]

My first stringed instrument was bass guitar. Even though I'm playing guitar now, I'm always thinking of bass lines and how they work with what the guitars are playing. I also believe bassists should be playing their own parts--even if they're playing a single-note ostinato--instead of just duping the guitar riffs.

I had a friend in college who only listened to Top 40/dance/rap music in high school. He was pretty much indifferent to rock, but he loved AC/DC...he thought they were the only rock band that had a good rhythm section & a really solid beat you could actually dance to. I agree, Cliff Williams & Phil Rudd played really well together on those early albums. You can tell they paid a lot of attention to what each other was doing.

As far as the pick/fingers debate, it's a case by case basis for me. When the song calls for a really aggressive 8th or 16th note pulse, you just can't beat the sound of your own fingers. Plucked strings sound rounder and bassier than when you use a plectrum, and you can really propel the rest of the band and make 'em pay attention.

[RUSHFANnLV]

Originally posted by Motorhead
What do you think of Steve Harris of Iron Maiden. My bass player always said: "playing him was like playing a Sport." He was all sweaty after 'Rime of the Ancient Mariner' and such.

Motorhead...If you like Iron Maiden at all even a little you have to check out this site of the worlds only all girl Iron Maiden tribute band. They kick A**

SITE (http://www.theironmaidens.com/)

[El Dangeroso]

man, i get that urge all the time. i have on many occations thought about buying a bass....just to have it and to fool around with it. i would either buy a jazz bass or a thunderbird, or even more specifically the mark hoppus or the blackbird and just a lil 15 or 20 watt bass amp to mess around. that was essentially why i bought a schecter sub sonic because i wanted some sadistic low end sounds. but sadly, it doesn't stop the cravings. i think if i ever get a bass, im gunna put a nicorette patch on it.

[Motorhead]

Originally posted by RUSHFANnLV
Motorhead...If you like Iron Maiden at all even a little you have to check out this site of the worlds only all girl Iron Maiden tribute band. They kick A**

SITE (http://www.theironmaidens.com/)

Too cool!These girls must really rock!

That picture with Steve Harris cracks me up I met him once in Montréal. There was this Metal Club called the 'Backstreet' that had cover bands. The night that Maiden was playing the old Forum the 'Backstreet' had a Maiden cover band playing. After the real Maiden concert Steve Harris and Niko McBrain came in and played with the cover band.

I heard this morning that a Concert DVD (or something like that) of RUSH is planned to be released on Sept/23.

[RUSHFANnLV]

Originally posted by Motorhead
Too cool!These girls must really rock!

That picture with Steve Harris cracks me up I met him once in Montréal. There was this Metal Club called the 'Backstreet' that had cover bands. The night that Maiden was playing the old Forum the 'Backstreet' had a Maiden cover band playing. After the real Maiden concert Steve Harris and Niko McBrain came in and played with the cover band.

I heard this morning that a Concert DVD (or something like that) of RUSH is planned to be released on Sept/23.

Yup. Live in south america somewhere. It looks killer. I saw them here in vegas when they came thru and they were so tight and relaxed. They all had big smiles going the whole show. When it comes out get it cuz I'm sure it will kick A**!!!!!

The Iron Maidens site has sound clips of them doing The Trooper, Loss for Words etc...check them out. You can't tell the difference untill the singer starts singing.

[flipperbaby]

my band during practise hopefully sometime in a gig..always swap instrunments...drummer plays guitar and ings or stays on drums...i either go to drums or bass but still sing and my bassist plays guitar or drums....its fun and different..i always crank the bass and play a little rock/jazz/funk/blues solo made out of a scale..its fun