roll of a bass player

That's going to be like asking someone what color is their favorite.

The best people to give you an answer are probably the ones that play both. I am starting to but am no expert on either.

My personal feeling is that you be driven by what drives you. Do you like the groove that a bassist can set? Do you want to stand out by playing screaming leads? Do you want to keep the rhythm going and be the solid guitar that hangs with the drums and bass? What peeks your interest when you listen to the music you like. What stands out? What do you hear the most?

Where do you get the inner feelings from that music should be giving you?

When you can answer those questions honestly, you'll have huge insight into where you want to go.

Bass is an essential part of any band. Anyone who says the bass is a "background" instrument is right in that you don't often notice an ordinary bass player but you will certainly notice a bad one or a very good one.

But "background" is truly the wrong word. A bassist's primary function is rhythm, but he or she also plays notes and those notes usually define a song's tonality. Good bass players keep songs moving and usually provide a lot more interesting fills than either the lead or rhythm guitarists.

Or think of it this way - a guitar player solos during the instrumental while it's possible for a bass player to be soloing almost an entire song.

That's a little bit of an oversimplification, but I hope it gets the point across.

It's easy to get started on playing bass, possibly easier than the guitar. But in order to make the jump from beginner to "more than beginner" a bassist needs to learn a bit of music theory in regards to how chords are constructed and how to use scales.

Playing bass is a lot of fun and if that's what you're interested in go and do it. You don't have to be a background instrument if you decide not to be! :wink:

Hope this helps. And I'm sure lots more people will be answering this thread.

Peace

The importance of bass can be stated by the fact ..

Find 100 random songs and see how many have bass and how many have guitar.

Bass is sure to be there in almost all of them..even if it is on a low volume while its not necessary to have guitar really in each and every song.

What about drums ...you find them mostly everywhere even if it is a small click or small thump yet if they are not present the song feel incomplete without it.
And being a bass player means being a lot more IN a band.You would hardly expect yourself to sit solo in your room and sing songs along with your bass but with a guitar it can be done.

Then it comes down to your interests too.But yes, finding your interests may not be easy ...or take it this way , you may like to play them both (like me !)

If you are starting out ...and you want to sing along..start with a guitar.Later you can always learn a bass.Play them both.They are one heck of a fun ride :wink:

A good bass player is the very heart of the rhythm section. They make or break the band. The best lead player in the world can't make a band sound good if the rhythm section sucks. The best rhythm section in the world can carry almost any compitent soloist.

People who think "bass is just background" as if that's unimportant don't understand how music works.

As an exhibit...check out songs of Beegees (Sat Night Fever ).Disco , heart thumping , foot tapping and what awesome bass..that's just one of the countless examples.

I play mostly rhythm guitar (occasional leads), and have been learning bass. There are some songs where I'm very happy that the regular bass player has the keyboard or 12-string part, because I get to play the bass then. It's a load of fun. As everyone's said, if you want to learn the bass and that's what inspires you, that's exactly what you should do. Otherwise you'll regret it.

I think the roll of the bass player is what happens if he/she falls on an uneven stage. :)

I think the roll of the bass player is what happens if he/she falls on an uneven stage. :)

Don't worry the drummer will pick en up and the guitarist will do a few runs in between 8)

I'm pretty much a newbie when it comes to playing bass - however I did take my bass to the acoustic pub jam a couple of weeks ago, where my role was strictly keeping time....

The bass player and the drummer are the backbone of the band....think Stu and Doug in CCR, Charlie and Bill in the Stones, Entwhistle and Moon in the Who - all great live bands, the guitarists have the luxury of knowing they can improvise because the bassist and drummer will keep the rhythm and beat.....

:D :D :D

Vic

I'm pretty much a newbie when it comes to playing bass - however I did take my bass to the acoustic pub jam a couple of weeks ago, where my role was strictly keeping time....

The bass player and the drummer are the backbone of the band....think Stu and Doug in CCR, Charlie and Bill in the Stones, Entwhistle and Moon in the Who - all great live bands, the guitarists have the luxury of knowing they can improvise because the bassist and drummer will keep the rhythm and beat.....

:D :D :D

Vic

And God bless the drummer! The queen or king of the tempo!

Since I'm primarily a singer, I listen to the bass player more than any other member of the band. I can hear key changes and tempo. Most important member of the band to me as a performer.

Here is another opinion:

https://www.guitarnoise.com/article.php?id=155

Laz

Bass players tend not to roll at all unless they are severely overweight.

Bass players tend not to roll at all unless they are severely overweight.

And for that we have a weight loss thread going on in the opinions section :wink: