Are Bass Players Frustrated Guitarists?

No. We're frustrated Drummers!

Seriously, lots of guitar players assume that the bass is just a big guitar that's easier to play. After all, most basses have four stings instead of the guitars six, and are mostly played one note at a time instead of strummed while several fingers hold strings to form chords.

And guitars live up in the high-registers, which is where screaming leads are played. Everybody notices the guitar god, while the bass player stands in the shadows next to the drummer.

Drummers sometimes get to play a solo, which lets the rest of the band go backstage for a smoke or a snort or whatever they need to keep them going. After that, the typical drummer fades back into the background, while the guitars retake their rightful place in the sun.

Of course, there's always the exceptions -- Neil Pert with Rush, Victor Wooten with the Flecktones, and others, but mostly the pattern holds.

Are bass players frustrated guitarists who're just not good enough? Here's a good way to test. Pick a simple bass line, say "Black Magic Woman" by Santana. Ask a guitar player to take your bass and play a few measures. Instead of the syncopated, soulful rhythm that drives that song, he'll be playing it like it's part of a lead riff--a bunch of notes, which sound like they should be moving to a bunch more notes.

Guitar players do RIFFS. Bass players do LINES.

For an example, listen to the bass part in Eric Clapton's "Cocaine". I bet it's not what you thought it was.

I play bass because I love rhythm. Lots of amazing bass players can play incredible leads and melodies, but they're always keeping the rhythm. Bass and Drums are married--Ideally, one doesn't follow the other--they're so much in the groove that the rhythm follows them.

Without a strong rhythm section, without bass and drums working flawlessly together, the best guitar player in the world can't make the band not sound like shit. I guess he could do a solo--if he's Steve Morse or Eddie Van Halen, but sooner or later he's gonna need his engine to make music.

So that's why I'm a bass player (and sometime drummer). Also, the Bass is MUCH more manly, and with drums, you get to HIT THINGS!!

My favoriate Bass players

Growing up, my bass guitar idol was
John Entwistle of The Who.
He still is! This shows his awesome bass solo during "My Generation"



After John Entwistle, I discovered
Stanley Clark!


Next came Jaco Pastorious,
without a doubt the best jazz/fusion bassest ever.



Finaly, the greatest bass player alive today,
Victor Wooten!
(playing here with Dave Matthews)

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Riffs

David and I have a lot in common. We both play red Fenders. Mine is a Jaguar Bass, and The King of The Jews is rockin' out on a sweet cherry Strat.

We also both hang our instruments low, for reasons that may differ. I just think it looks cool, but the dude who snuffed Goliath with a slingshot may be hiding another unimpressive-looking weapon (come on, you've seen the statue before :)

But unimpressive or not, David made the best of what God gave him, and the junk he's hiding behind the guitar was good for that babe-a-licious Bathsheba. It even managed to plant the seed that produced King Solomon , the original Wise Guy.

One more difference between us: I was made TO rock, but this guy is made OF rock!

The Band that took my Virginity

I've haven't blogged for so long, I must have lots to write about. But that's the catch-22: the longer you go, the more time it's gonna take, so the more you put it off. Ok, no more excuses.

Lately, I've been thinking about all the bands I've been a member of in my life. I've still got a TShirt with the name of my first band, RoXoff, which signifies Sex, Drugs, and Rock and Roll in one logo. What do you think?