SEVEN?????? Oh, crap....I better look at that Mel Bay book again.
- Thread starter ooglay
- Start date
SEVEN?????? Oh, crap....I better look at that Mel Bay book again.
Slim
Well-known member
I think you are close to being right with those percentages... However, the "being good enough to make money" comment is rather silly. A lot of moderately accomplished (but financially unsuccessful) guitarists pick up the bass and make money that way - does that suddenly make them "good enough to make money"? Well, in a way yes, but it simply goes to show that:
A) There are a lot more guitarists than bass players and the "pro-level" bar is thus set conciderably higher for guitarists than for bass players
B) The average Joe listener expects a lot less from a bass player than from a guitarist
C) In a band setting it is a lot easier to fake bass playing than to fake guitar playing and finally
D) How good you are on an instrument has nothing to do with whether you can make a living off it or not
Just my 2c... Oh, and I started out faking my way through music on bass, but for the last 14 years I have played guitar exclusively and have become quite accomplished at it - and I am still being offered a lot more gigs as a bass player than as a guitarist
Cheers
Eske
I disagree on "easier to fake through bass" comment.
Bass is harder to fake through. If you make a mistake on bass everybody notice but on guitar if you are not sure there are so many substitute chords or notes are available to fake through song.
Anyway it helps to play both guitar and bass and I can go to guitar forums and I can have fun there also
AnthonyD
Well-known member
My son remarks "Dad, you're a pretty good guitarist!"
I respond "I play a little guitar - but I am a BASSIST!"
Relative to the original ask, everyone plays guitar - I have no bass player friends....
Outside of this forum, that is...
I respond "I play a little guitar - but I am a BASSIST!"
Relative to the original ask, everyone plays guitar - I have no bass player friends....
Outside of this forum, that is...
Pablo
Well-known member
Well, on bass I faked my way through Smoke on the Water within the first week of picking up the instrument (actually playing it live at the end of the week) - a full year after picking up the guitar, I still wasn't able to do the same on guitar without making a complete arse of myself during the solo.I disagree on "easier to fake through bass" comment.
Bass is harder to fake through. If you make a mistake on bass everybody notice but on guitar if you are not sure there are so many substitute chords or notes are available to fake through song.
Anyway it helps to play both guitar and bass and I can go to guitar forums and I can have fun there also
Moreover, I think you are confusing "average listener" with "average musician". Actually, to most average listeners, when the bassist plays a wrong note, it sounds as though everyone else is off key... Which bas(s)ically has to do with the (relatively) subtle nature of the instrument - a bass is felt and sensed as much as it is heard. In short: the average Joe doesn't listen actively to each individual instrument, but senses the music as a whole.
Cheers
Eske
Slim
Well-known member
Well with a little knowledge it is easy to fake through Smoke on the water on bass because the base notes are same as chord root notes.
If I remember right,
VERSE: G-Bflat-C G-Bflat-C#-C G-Bflat-C-Bflat-G
CHORUS: C-G#-Gm
But if you try to fake through "Do be do be do" (Strangers in night?) it is not that easy as Smoke on the water
Rano Bass
Well-known member
Smoke on the water is really easy even on guitar, just the solo part is complicated but you can always improvise.
I think the porcentage around here is like 70% guitar 30% bass.
I think the porcentage around here is like 70% guitar 30% bass.
guitarafondio
Well-known member
At work, I'm the only bass player amongst 6 guitar players. (That inludes jongitarz in repairville)
SteveB
Well-known member
Yup, and that's if you include the minor one.
delberthot
Well-known member
I absolutely agree with the whole idea that you don't have to be good to make money - I mean, look at Oasis - their entire back catalogue is made up of bits taken out of the Beatles song books with an occasional bit of Mott the Hoople thrown in.
I also agree that the average listener listens to the music as a whole and not individual parts. I think that this is the reason why we get a lot of famous bands with average or mediocre players in them. Purely because they can get away with it.
Another thing that I have found is that because there a lot of guitar players, there is a bit of pressure for them to improve as there is more competition. With bass players there is little or none.
In the circle of musicians that I hang out with, there are about 12 guitarists and 3 bass players including myself.
The guitarists are good enough to go out playing live with the occasional solo but the other 2 bass players that I know are 'plonkers'. I mean that they keep things simple, don't try anything new or different so that means that I have to look to famous bass players to improve.
I'm always looking for players that I haven't heard before so that i can listen to them and improve my own playing.
Now that really grinds my gears
I also agree that the average listener listens to the music as a whole and not individual parts. I think that this is the reason why we get a lot of famous bands with average or mediocre players in them. Purely because they can get away with it.
Another thing that I have found is that because there a lot of guitar players, there is a bit of pressure for them to improve as there is more competition. With bass players there is little or none.
In the circle of musicians that I hang out with, there are about 12 guitarists and 3 bass players including myself.
The guitarists are good enough to go out playing live with the occasional solo but the other 2 bass players that I know are 'plonkers'. I mean that they keep things simple, don't try anything new or different so that means that I have to look to famous bass players to improve.
I'm always looking for players that I haven't heard before so that i can listen to them and improve my own playing.
Now that really grinds my gears
AnthonyD
Well-known member
