Why it's Fun to Play the Bass!

[Paul in Colorado]

I can't talk and play guitar, but I can play bass and talk. So I can talk to the drummer and goof on the front people.
Along with the drummer, you can control how people move on the dance floor.
You can play simple and throw in little licks just to keep it interesting.
It's easier to watch the girls on the dancefloor then when you're singing and playing guitar.
There's no danged pedals on the floor getting in your way. Bass > chord > amp,. What could be simplier?
Four strings, one note at a time.
If you play a bum note as long as your timing is good, people don't notice as much.
When the singer-guitar player screws up his timing, the rhythm section can cover, or leave him to twist in the wind.
Locking in with a good drummer is a blast.
Even if you play simple stuff, the chick singer will think you're a god for making her sound so good. (As long as she's a singer/strummer who doesn't play with a rhythm section much)

Why is playing bass fun for you?

[franchelB]

Pretty much the same thing you've stated!

[Tim Armstrong]

Yep, all of that!

I also really like playing bass in a trio because I get to provide harmonic and rhythmic support and counterpoint to what my brother Mike plays on guitar. As the primary harmony singer in the band, I get to do that too, and it's fun to make my brain work that way!

Cheers, Tim

[Chris S.]

Bass > chord > amp,. What could be simplier?...
Four strings, one note at a time.

Yup, "simplier" indeed. ;-)

Plus, the bass player is the timekeeper. The drummer may play the time, but they're not gonna be able to play it any faster or slower than what I say... bwahahahaha. (Can you say "control issues?" Hee... ) ;-) CS

[4mal]

I have this theory that for every person there is a musical instrument that speaks to them. Folks who say that they couldn't carry a tune with a handle on it were just never fortunate enough to find the right instrument. Not to get to cosmic about it but music really is universal.

Why is it fun to play bass ? Why is it fun to breath ? I get huge satisfaction out of playing bass. WIth a bass in my hands, I'm like a Golden Retriever with a tennis ball. I don't want to stop until I'm spent. It's like, you know, more compelling than the word fun describes.

oh yeah +1 to all that other stuff up top except the talk to the drummer and goof on the front people thing. One night with a band named Cheaters, the drummer leaned over his hi-hat and made pointed mention of a particularly well built gal on the dance floor in somewhat less polite terms. He was wearing a headset mic and missed his foot button kill switch Hey would ja look at the ___ on that girl! ouch...

Gotta be somewhat respectful of the payin' folks so our communication's go through the front man and pretty much everything we do should be 'audience - focused'. Doesn't always happen, but it should. End one song count the next, break every 3 or 4 for some audience chat - repeat as necessary.

And - light travels faster than sound. The audience doesn't really find inter-band chatter real entertaining so we try to keep that stuff to a minimum. We still have fun mind you but we try to be real polished about the presentation aspect.

oh yeah, and the girls... (not!)

[4mal]

I'll have to get a pic of the latest pedal-board incarnation up. It's not so simple but it is fun ! I'm basically using two sounds 1 direct and 1 that goes EQ, Envelope Filter (EH Bassballs), MXR Bass Ocatave, Compressor, Looper and then on to the amp. I combine the two lines at the amp using a pre that sum's two channels to 1 (Alembic F2B) and select between them using an ART Cool Switch. I don't monkey with the individual effects though. It's set & forget for me. 1 button does it all. So it really is pretty simple after all.

I've just about got the Herbie Hancock 'Chameleon' ARP sound dialed. I only get to use that a couple of times a night the real fun one is in the middle of our 'surf set'. We added in the old Peter Gunn Theme and Secret Agent Man schtick. Basically start with PGT and keep the bass line going but follow the changes to SAM. One twist is that I get to play the horn line to PGT while the Guitarist holds down the trad bass line. The ARP things really works there. Any bass player in the room is like 'what was that' ? Henri Mancini - eat your heart out (or not ...)

[Paul in Colorado]

When I say "goof on the front people" I mean that in the most loving of terms. They're my friends, they weren't paying me, and I didn't say anything I wouldn't say to their faces. If you were backing them up, you'd goof on them with the drummer too. (Luckily he doesn't wear a headset mike!)

Keep 'em comin' bass players!

[Oster]

I like making the snare traps shake. That's fun. And feeling a 'sweet spot' note from head to toe. Pedalling is a lot of fun too. Simple and groovy.

For me, with the kind of band I'd been playing bass with for the past couple years, I felt I was the glue so it was fun but challenging. Any flubbed notes stood right out and my rhythm had to be right on at all times or the songs would go off-kilter. The drummer wasn't that strong so the bass was truly part of the drums, part of the rhythm - the rhythm at times.

It was hardly a sit back and relax kind of gig but a lot of fun and a real chops developer.

[Honga Man]

Originally Posted by Oster

I like making the snare traps shake.

I like making the ladies shake!

I think a lot of it is personality type. Some people would rather be offensive linemen than quarterbacks.

[Tom P.]

Luckily I finally fell into it after many years of attempting to play guitar. The role of the bass is everything I love about playing in a band. Its the hub though which all time, rhythm, structure, melody and interaction flows.

[Tim Bowen]

Originally Posted by Paul in Colorado

Why is playing bass fun for you?

Well, pretty much for the reasons that you've already mentioned. I always seem to get guitar jobs... but I feel that rhythm section is meat 'n taters, whereas guitar is icing on the cake, merely dessert. I really am more about groove and arrangement than anything else, so I often find myself at odds with the mentality of why I so vehemently pursued the guitar in the first place, although I do love that as well. I'm playing bass on six tunes with one of my projects, and I couldn't possibly be more thrilled about it. My only beef with the bass is that it doesn't allow me opportunity to be lazy and aimless...

Tell me, what is it about P-Funk's "Flashlight", or War's "Low Rider", or Led Zeppelin's "How Many More Times", or The Jackson 5's "I Want You Back", or Miles Davis' "All Blues", that makes you want to jump up and down - could it possibly be the bass line?

[tom grossheider]

All of the above, plus it has allowed me to be much more involved musically in the tunes. I am somewhat of a lazy guitar player, and enjoy the challenge of holding things together with the drummer even though I have a lot to learn.

[0le FUZZY]

<li> All of watt Paul said and the fact that I kin play with won hand leafin the udder won free tew----
<li> Scratch an itch.
<li> Drink a drink.
<li> Light a --------.
<li> Play a keyboard (which I did for many years).
<li> Play a cornet (horn).
<li> Play a tamborine.
<li> Honk a row of uga-horns.
<li> Pinch an ---.
<li> Wave at someone out there.
<li> Turn off or on or Block a mic.
<li> Tune onna run or tune the lead guitar fer him.
<li> Work the P.A. (Which I did erry nite).
<li> Block flyin objects (which I hadda dew a few times).
<li> Eat a sammich or udder snack.
<li> Wipe the sweat offin my forehead onna hot summer day.
<li> Turn pages tew a new song onna stand.
<li> Shake a visitor or frens hand.
<li> Operate the stage lights.
<li> Push a drunk off the stage.
<li> Tweak the amp or someone elses.
<li> Pick up the drummers stick and hand it back tew him.
<li> Fake pickin double time.
<li> Pick up a request and read it.
<li> Make signals tew the udder band members or beer tender.
<li> Take tips.
<li> Clean beer offin equipment before it soaks in.
<li> Put out a fire inna ash tray.
<li> Hug ole sweet thang er sunthin else.
<li> Turn fans on/off or re-direct them. (its hot in California).
<li> There iss more but my typin finger dunn wore out.

0le FUZZY

[Paul in Colorado]

Good ones, Fuzzy!

[0le FUZZY]

<li> Thanx Paul, even whence I wassa pickin lead guitar fer the Hightower Brothers I wanted sew bad tew grab Bills bass and dew the set. I luv pickin bass.

0le FUZZY

[FraKo]

I would say that I like NOT to have to tune up any high-E string.

[sandman72202]

because its simply is......

[Bluesbob]

at least they are here on Long Island. I've actually cut down on projects where I play bass because I just don't want to be out of the house every weekend night. Two bands, one in which I play bass (guitar) and one in which I can play my Tele, are all I really need now. I could be in at least 2 more bands as a bassist any time I want, but I don't want. Now if I could just find a country band. 4 million people and the nearest country station is across the Sound in Connecticut. Sheesh!

[Iversen]

As Sandman stated: It simply is!

A lot of good reasons already accounted for, so I'll just repeat what many of you have aready said. I like the control issue that Chris S mentioned. I never thought of it that way until I read it just there; bass players own the beat.

Also the sound from a fairly large, clean sounding amp putting it down is something my guitars just don't do for me, I like that too.