Lozz196 Posted February 12, 2018 Share Posted February 12, 2018 I`ve never intentionally set out to impress people, but once when me and my mate went to a music shop I tried out a Fender Road Worn Precision, just noodling through some classic Jam basslines. Apparently there were a good few people just watching & listening, but I was "in the zone" as loved that bass, so didn`t notice any of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
josie Posted February 12, 2018 Share Posted February 12, 2018 I'm surprised how many good guitar players are impressed when I play even a simple bassline, and think playing bass is harder than playing guitar. I don't have to hold down chords, and they do! Yes we need a strong sense of groove, but so do they. And we just need to hold the groove, they mostly seem to need to show off. On the other hand I'm no longer surprised, but utterly fed up with how many peeps are "impressed" by a woman playing bass at all. I've had so much disbelief and condescension I'll bite some man's head off one day soon. Or better just let my bass speak for me. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrevorR Posted February 13, 2018 Share Posted February 13, 2018 (edited) 13 hours ago, Barking Spiders said: Usually when people see a bass, guitar whatever lying around my gaff or hear from someone that I play they wanna hear what I can do. I tend to find that peeps who don't play instruments tend to be quite impressed when i reel off a few pretty simple albeit effective and famous basslines like Another One Bites The Dust, Peaches, The Chain, Money, Dancing In the Moonlight. They don't seem to be as pleased if I play summat more demanding but much less recognisable fr'instance Tommy The Cat by Primus. Anyone else find this? There is a simple answer to this question. They are not bass players so a Wooten style thwackety-splackety bass exploration means nothing to them. They want to hear a tune. Preferably a recognisable tune. Even more preferably a tune they know and like. Hence the appreciation for the standard rock cover tunes listed. This is exactly the same reason cover bands play Mustang Sally, Wonderwall and Brown Eyed Girl. Because people like and enjoy listening to them! Edited February 13, 2018 by TrevorR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrevorR Posted February 13, 2018 Share Posted February 13, 2018 (edited) ...triplicate post... Edited February 13, 2018 by TrevorR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrevorR Posted February 13, 2018 Share Posted February 13, 2018 (edited) ... ! Edited February 13, 2018 by TrevorR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted February 13, 2018 Share Posted February 13, 2018 9 hours ago, TrevorR said: ... They are not bass players so a Wooten style thwackety-splackety bass exploration means nothing to them. They want to hear a tune ... That makes me not a bass player! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Blank Posted February 13, 2018 Share Posted February 13, 2018 When proles say 'Play us a tune' they mean play us something we recognise, not play that intricate and nuanced Stanley Clarke bass line. You'll get a more positive response if you play Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star than Primus. My answer is always the middle finger or perhaps Peaches if I know they are familiar with it and even then I'll get a middle finger in there too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barking Spiders Posted February 13, 2018 Author Share Posted February 13, 2018 10 hours ago, josie said: I'm surprised how many good guitar players are impressed when I play even a simple bassline, and think playing bass is harder than playing guitar. I don't have to hold down chords, and they do! Yes we need a strong sense of groove, but so do they. And we just need to hold the groove, they mostly seem to need to show off. On the other hand I'm no longer surprised, but utterly fed up with how many peeps are "impressed" by a woman playing bass at all. I've had so much disbelief and condescension I'll bite some man's head off one day soon. Or better just let my bass speak for me. Sure thing. You don't hear people being 'impressed' in a similar way if a woman plays a piano or a violin virtuosically. In some quarters electric guitars, basses and drums are thought of as male instruments. Fook knows why. Back to female bassists, there are a good number of mostly male bands where the bass player was a woman e.g. Talking Heads, Pixies (had three bassists..all women), Adverts, Smashing Pumpkins (who had four! though not all at once) , Sonic Youth, My Bloody Valentine, Dandy Warhols, Sisters of Mercy,. And then there are the all /mostly female bands of which there are too many to name. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-Bay Posted February 13, 2018 Share Posted February 13, 2018 (edited) 15 hours ago, josie said: I'm surprised how many good guitar players are impressed when I play even a simple bassline, and think playing bass is harder than playing guitar. I don't have to hold down chords, and they do! Yes we need a strong sense of groove, but so do they. And we just need to hold the groove, they mostly seem to need to show off. On the other hand I'm no longer surprised, but utterly fed up with how many peeps are "impressed" by a woman playing bass at all. I've had so much disbelief and condescension I'll bite some man's head off one day soon. Or better just let my bass speak for me. There seems a certain kind of idiot who who has a mental image of a woman as 5’2” and either on a violin or piano. I know a local bass player who was asked by a (sober) punter how she could play bass on account of him not thinking her arms would be long enough. She is 6’2”, arm length Is NOT an issue. We spent a few minutess suggesting various things she could have wound him up with, her actual response was ‘are you f’kin serious?’ Which is unsurprising. Edited February 13, 2018 by T-Bay 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted February 13, 2018 Share Posted February 13, 2018 3 minutes ago, T-Bay said: There seems a certain kind of idiot who who has a mental image of a woman as 5’2” and either on a violin or piano. I know a local bass player who was asked by a (sober) punter how she could play bass on account of him not thinking her arms would be long enough. She is 6’2”, arm length I NOT an issue. We spent a few ministers suggesting various things she could have wound him up with, her actual response was ‘are you f’kin serious?’ Which is unsurprising. Someone said to me after a gig , 'I am surprised you play bass, you're not really tall enough'. I'm 5'10", as if it mattered. Quite a lot of people are quite stupid as well as quite sexist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Blank Posted February 13, 2018 Share Posted February 13, 2018 27 minutes ago, EssentialTension said: Someone said to me after a gig , 'I am surprised you play bass, you're not really tall enough'. I'm 5'10", as if it mattered. Quite a lot of people are quite stupid as well as quite sexist. I'm 5' 10" and not very good at bass playing but it has nothing to do with my gender! I was surrounded by female bass players when I was first getting into bass, gender didn't seem to matter then we were all just punks! My first experience playing bass through an amp was at a Rubella Ballet rehearsal, thanks Gem. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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