Who are the real rock gods? Bass players, of course. Everyone knows that without a solid bass line, every song would fall apart or, worse, sound like a Britney Spears auto tune.
In the history of rock and roll, bass players have sometimes been looked upon as afterthoughts. When the Beatles burst upon the world’s stage, Paul was “the cute one” but John played guitar. Mick Jagger and Keith Richards were bad boys and Bill Wyman was off to the side of the stage. Ironically, according to Wyman’s autobiography, his success with women on tours was dramatically better than the bad boys.
Bass players get ignored or unappreciated, but they are often the best musicians in the band. Playing a bass requires timing, as sense of rhythm and the ability to play a bass line that compliments all of the other instruments in the band. With the advent of 5 and 6 string basses, bass players have more options and can add even more sound to tune being played. Creative players, such as Les Claypool, add unique sounds with different bass bodies, fingering techniques and picking styles.
If you can play a bass, you can play a guitar. However, not all guitar players can play the bass. Sustained notes, delayed timing and more elaborate fingering make bassists more flexible than most guitar players. This is not to denigrate guitarists, just to praise bassists. Think of the bass on your favorite rock song and then compare it’s rhythm to what the guitarist is playing. That’s why most bands have their rhythm section ( bassist and drummer) drive their engines.
The web has thousands of bass guitars for sale and choosing one can be intimidating. Don’t worry, the main sites have helpful reviews and there are plenty of blogs to help you choose. So ignore the misconceptions: bass guitarists are the REAL rock gods.
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