Mostly guitars (6, to be exact) - 6 & 12 string, acoustic & electric. One bass (Fender Squire P-Bass), one mandolin and two dulcimers.
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"Don't wanna ride no shootin' star. Just wanna play on the rhythm guitar." Emmylou Harris, "Rhythm Guitar" from "The Ballad of Sally Rose"
Blueline, I can see you getting a bass. Why not? You've been multi-track recording with piano, rhythm and lead with drum backing. Seems really natural.
We've got a bass. My son peters around with it a bit, but nothing serious. It's a Squire with a small Hartke amp.
Yeah, I've been thinking about it. Certainly will take a little while but I think that's going to be my next purchase.
Teamwork- A few harmless flakes working together can unleash an avalanche of destruction.
I sometimes think that I'm really a bass player who tries to play the guitar. I'm a "type-A" personality guy, and something about being in the background with the bass doesn't appeal to me. On the flip side, while I haven't played much bass, I think I'm much more suited for the bass (or even drums). I can feel the beat, whereas I don't always see the trees while in the forest of guitars.
I owned a Samick bass for a short while, even learned the main riff to "Money" but decided to sell. I will probably pick up another one. I've been playing the bassline to "Down on the Corner" on my electric while my buddy plays the main riff and it sounds cool. I probably should just break down, spike my hair with blue dye, and let the inner bass player out. Maybe.
-=- Steve
"If the moon were made of ribs, would you eat it?"
Dali, you mentioned "bass player in the background"...based on what I learned in my last jam session by playing for a few songs, I can really understand why you always see the bassist standing in the background. JPJ of Zep for some reason always comes to my mind.
For the few tunes that I did play, I really got into it. And because its such an important element, I felt I had to be ...well...in tune with the tune. No pun intended there. I really became absorbed by the songs and concentrated on what I was playing. So, I can see why bass players always do that. Seems to me they want to feel the song at another level.
Do know if that makes any sense at all but its what I felt at that time.
Teamwork- A few harmless flakes working together can unleash an avalanche of destruction.
I don't own a bass or amp, but I played bass in a group for about 2 years and really came to love it as an instrument. People think the bass player is just standing there, but nothing could be further from the truth. Man, you have the power! Without bass it just doesn't go! For me it was just so fun getting in a great groove.
I really don't know why I haven't bought one, like David said, you are always in demand. A bass player can make a pretty good living gigging, I've known bass players who played in 2 or 3 groups at once.
I think bass players read music well because the music is pretty simple, mostly single notes, but you can play chords and they sound great. But it is a great instrument to introduce someone to sight reading.
And most people think bass is easy, but I would disagree. Sure, you can start off pretty simple just playing the Root and 5th, but truly being a great bass player with style is extremely difficult. I found it to be very challanging which I personally liked.
Hey, go for it! You will never be sorry.
If you know something better than Rock and Roll, I'd like to hear it - Jerry Lee Lewis
I spent a couple of years playing bass professionally and enjoyed it very much. Plus it helped my guitar playing.
I own one or more of each of the following:
Insights and incites by Notes
Bob "Notes" Norton
Owner, Norton Music http://www.nortonmusic.com Add-on Styles for Band-in-a-Box and Microsoft SongSmith
The Sophisticats http://www.s-cats.com >^. .^< >^. .^<