Why is it bass and not base?

[W11ATO]

This has probably been posted before but why is it bass and not base?

[GUI101]

Hi W11ATO,

Try this link,
http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=bass

And this explanation from a talkbass forum member,
[color=#000000][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]Way back in the dark ages when music was first being discovered and defined. There was this famous singer in Italy, Leonardo L. Bassus (that became Basso, once the italiand stopped speaking latin). He had a voice that the likes of most Europeans had never heard He could cover the E flat in the lower stave all the way up through the F above middle C. his voice was so deep, and so hip that a guitar maker[/font][/color][color=#000000][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]built an instrument to duplicate Leonardo's voice.[/font][/color]



[left][font="verdana, geneva, lucida, lucida grande, arial, helvetica, sans-serif"][size="2"][color="#000000"]cheers[/color][/size][/font][/left]
[left][font="verdana, geneva, lucida, lucida grande, arial, helvetica, sans-serif"][size="2"][color="#000000"]Gui.[/color][/size][/font][/left]

[W11ATO]

Thank you, I didn't know that.

[GUI101]

No worries.

[cloudburst]

Meanwhile back in Wales, a distant ancestor of Aled Jones by the name of Jimmy Treble...

CB

[FinnDave]

Because it's a fish

[skej21]

[quote name='FinnDave' timestamp='1377286443' post='2185940']
Because it's a fish
[/quote]

Is that why a tuna is so important?

[Dad3353]

[quote name='skej21' timestamp='1377286836' post='2185944']
Is that why a tuna is so important?
[/quote]

Of course not..! That's a red herring.

[Phil Adams]

Poor Johnny one note.

[skej21]

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1377295165' post='2186062']


Of course not..! That's a red herring.
[/quote]

I don't think this is the plaice for these jokes...

[bassmachine2112]

Because it was named by a bass player not a geetard

[bertbass]

You can tune a bass but you can't tuna fish!

[discreet]

[quote name='skej21' timestamp='1377332150' post='2186246']
I don't think this is the plaice for these jokes...
[/quote]

No need to carp on about it.

[stingrayPete1977]

I try not to get hooked up on things like this.

[Mog]

Every time!!!

[stingrayPete1977]

[quote name='Mog' timestamp='1377354322' post='2186633']
Every time!!!
[/quote]
That's hook a duck "prize every time"!

[Mykesbass]

'cos if it was base we'd end up playing sole music.

[Happy Jack]

Actually, it [i][b]was [/b][/i]"base" originally. The Jaco started playing solos ...

[ezbass]

English is just plain daft that's why. Something I saw posted on FB recently...

[IMG]http://i308.photobucket.com/albums/kk344/ezbass/ad4e8f7010007459bc3170b22a510287_zpsce573a6a.jpg[/IMG]

[RoRi]

[quote name='bertbass' timestamp='1377353678' post='2186623']
You can tune a bass but you can't tuna fish!
[/quote]
Parliament!

[TheGreek]

[quote name='W11ATO' timestamp='1377282827' post='2185884']
This has probably been posted before but why is it bass and not base?
[/quote]

Don't tell him, Pike...

[Cat Burrito]

It can be base if you join a band of illiterate idiots advertising in the Musicians Wanted

[BassTractor]

I wonder what the question would have been if we'd played a tenor or a soprano.

[xilddx]

[quote name='W11ATO' timestamp='1377282827' post='2185884']
This has probably been posted before but why is it bass and not base?
[/quote]
[quote name='GUI101' timestamp='1377283997' post='2185903']
Hi W11ATO,

Try this link,
[url="http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=bass"]http://www.etymonlin...x.php?term=bass[/url]

And this explanation from a talkbass forum member,
[color=#000000]Way back in the dark ages when music was first being discovered and defined. There was this famous singer in Italy, Leonardo L. Bassus (that became Basso, once the italiand stopped speaking latin). He had a voice that the likes of most Europeans had never heard He could cover the E flat in the lower stave all the way up through the F above middle C. his voice was so deep, and so hip that a guitar maker[/color][color=#000000]built an instrument to duplicate Leonardo's voice.[/color]

[/quote]
It's a postcode lottery.