Myth 1 – Playing Bass Guitar is Boring
Although it is the guitar players who seem to get all of the fame and glory, a lot of guitarists are all show and no substance. The bass player is one of the most important members of a band. Without the bass player the music will lack drive. Most people may think that it is the drummer drives the song. While it is true that the drummer creates the beat, it is the bass player who drives the music forward. It is the bass player who gets people up to dance. Playing bass is far from boring. It is exciting and will give you a great feeling when you see people dancing and enjoying themselves.
Myth 2 – No Talent Required
Some of the most talented musicians in the last 50 years or so were bass players. Not many people would think that Paul McCartney or Sting had no talent. How about John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin) or perhaps John Entwistle (The Who) or Mark King (Level 42). Those are just a few players who had talent in spades. Yes, it is true that the bass guitar is an easy instrument to begin on and there are songs that only require playing one or two notes, but playing bass guitar well takes considerable talent, determination and hard work. Try playing the bass line from Hysteria (Muse) or Roundabout (Yes). Try just about anything by Jaco Pastorius or Stanley Clarke. No talent required? I think not!
Myth 3 – Nobody Listens to the Bass Player
Listen to John Deacon playing Another One Bites the Dust (Queen) or Roger Waters on Money (Pink Floyd). How about Bernard Edwards on Good Times (Chic) or Norman Watt Roy playing Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick (Ian Dury and the Blockheads). What would any of those songs be without the bass part? There are many, many songs that revolve around the bass line. People do listen to the bass player, they just may not be aware of it.
Myth 4 – There is No Demand for Bass Players
Many people who learn a stringed instrument go for the guitar because they believe that they will become the next famous rock star. Consequently, there are millions of guitar players out there. There is, however, a real shortage of good solid bass players. Musicians know the how important a good bass player is to their music. Learn what makes a good bass player. Learn your craft well and you will always be in demand.
Myth 5 – You Need Lots of Big Heavy Equipment
Yes, that used to be the case, but modern bass equipment is much lighter and more compact than it used to be. You can now get a 500 watt bass amplifier these days that you can hold in one hand. Speaker cabinets are also much smaller and lighter these days. Since the introduction of lightweight neodymium speakers, there are lots of great sounding speaker cabinets bass cabinets that can also be carried with one hand.
These are just a few of the myths about bass players. If you have a desire to play the bass guitar, don’t listen to the negative comments, just do it! Follow that desire and discover for yourself how satisfying playing bass guitar can be.