adidasss

Oh man, you so proved me wrong there.

I'd push this discussion further if I cared more, but alas I don't.

My apologies to all the bass players whom I've offended, you are all very very special and important.

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Last.fm

Mojo

Im not going to say that bass players aren't important and an exceptional bass player can really make a band. But come on, while that is true, I think its fair to say that a lot if not the majority of bands could continue on after replacing a bass player with the average Joe on the street none the wiser. I also think that bass players and drummers and much easier to replace than vocalists or lead guitarists.

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Last.FM | Echoes and Dust

scottsy

I don't think so...

If you took the bass players out of all my favorite bands you'd screw up a good deal of the music... REM without Mike Mills would be just... not right, The Church without Steve Kilbey on Bass.... just plain wrong...

An lookhow much REM struggle after Bill Berry left if you don't think drummers make a difference... The Pumpkins without Jimmy Chamberlin sounded kinda misguied, lacking rhythmic flair.... Adore could have been amazing with him on the kit.

Sometimes when you take a musicianout thattruly defines part of the character of the soun, you really mess with the music.

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scottsy

and crap, my "d" keykeeps malfunctioning... piece of crap keyboard!

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TheBig3

Well generally the bass player isn't a unique entity, they tend to create a team - as the rhytham section - with the drummer. When you don't have cohesion there, things tend to fall apart or worse, become repetitive.

They also happen to keep time, so and band worth their salt is relying on them to keep a groove even if we're not talking about funk. Thats just the nature of their role. Occasionally you might have other instruments do that, their certainly just as capable but thats how it has generally been.

But lets forget technicality - if your favorite bands bass players aren't generally adding much, and following guitar leads then its time for a change. For me, a good bass player is adding what would be (as an example here) the harmonics in an acapela group.

My favorites never really play anything insanely complex, but they add color to a song, simple walking baselines, or shifts to something a little more lumbering can change the entire tone of the song.

Bass is also about knowing how to effectivly use space to create a song in equal parts with the notes you're playing. And I'd say it matters here more so than on most of the treble instruments. (the drums might have some of this in them too)

My advice, on how to learn what Bass can do, and how good bassists make or break things is to listen to them in different capacities. If you're listening to Indie music, I'm sure its not going to matter much but try a brass section and see what the Tuba's doing. Then take it out and listen to it again.

Try the acapella stuff, give string sections a listen when the bass or low end cellos take a smoke break. In my estimation Bass players are pulling more weight than anyone else.

(pardon the spelling, I'm at work)

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Mojo

I didn't say that I thought drummers don't make a difference. I also don't think that about bass players either.

I could also list a few bands whom I think would suffer without their bass players or their drummers. On the other hand I could make a much longer list of bands whose bass players and drummers are either barely used, don't contribute much to the sound of the band they are in or are just pretty rubbish. In any of those cases there would be a good chance that should the band replace either member of the band then the average person on the street wouldn't even notice or it wouldn't seriously harm or alter their output.

I think drummers and bass players CAN be an important part of any band, but also that more often than not (note i didnt say ALL of the time) they are the most expendable members of a band and are probably also the 2 members of a band to be most commonly replaced. It's much easier for a band to change bass player and continue than it is for them continue with a completely different singer.

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Last.FM | Echoes and Dust

Violent & Funky

Imagine RHCP without Flea, Tool without Justin Chancellor, Rage without Tim Commerford, Minutemen without Mike Watt. Look what happened to Jane's Addiction, or Incubus, or Metallica when they lost their bassists...

Mojo

Again they are just examples of bass players whom you consider contributed to their band. I could name some too. Doesnt change the fact that regardless of how many names people throw around, in my opinion the bass really isnt all that important in a lot of bands.

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Last.FM | Echoes and Dust

Urban Hat€monger ?

And Nick Oliveri in QOTSA

Oh wait.

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BTown

In my opinion when you listen to most music the bass is not very noticeable. Yet when you really think about it the bass player could actually really be contributing to the band behind the sound of the music. Lets take Krist Novolselic for example, in most Nirvana songs he plays some pretty simple bass lines, and most of the time you can't hear the bass very well, yet he is a genius in the studio.
I'll name a few bands that I don't think would be the same without there bass players.
Flipper
Dinosaur Jr.
Led Zeppelin
Leftover Crack
Choking Victim
Most prog bands
Minor Threat
Operation Ivy
Radiohead
Rancid
Scream
Sublime
311
Weezer
Nirvana (stated above)

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