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Author Topic: Do bass players get any love  (Read 8955 times)

Offline timbass2882

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Do bass players get any love
« on: July 23, 2008, 09:47:03 PM »
Man theres been a few times where me, as the bass player and the drummer. Played for my family church, and when one person was asked to do a solo, they would not do it, because they sayed they did not have any music, because there was no keyboard player to play, and theres was another time where me, keyboard player, and a drummer was practicing with some of my family members as the praise team. After practice the praise team ask the keyboard player to play at a banquet we had that night. He said he could not make it, so they never ask me and the drummer. No body play that night, man sometime I think all people wont to hear is the keyboard, Im not saying everyone's like that, but most of the times that's what I get no matter how good you are, thats how I feel the keyboardist get love all the time, even the drummer gets more love then the bass player, not to many people look at everybody in the band as equal. Does anybody feel the same way. I know we do it until god not the people, but some times I feel used and nobody cares. Even my own praise leader told me at one time he did not see the bass as being important. But he also told me he's eyes where open and now he see's the importants. Thank god for that let me know what you guys think!
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Offline trsmooth

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Re: Do bass players get any love
« Reply #1 on: July 23, 2008, 10:15:59 PM »
Man theres been a few times where me, as the bass player and the drummer. Played for my family church, and when one person was asked to do a solo, they would not do it, because they sayed they did not have any music, because there was no keyboard player to play, and theres was another time where me, keyboard player, and a drummer was practicing with some of my family members as the praise team. After practice the praise team ask the keyboard player to play at a banquet we had that night. He said he could not make it, so they never ask me and the drummer. No body play that night, man sometime I think all people wont to hear is the keyboard, Im not saying everyone's like that, but most of the times that's what I get no matter how good you are, thats how I feel the keyboardist get love all the time, even the drummer gets more love then the bass player, not to many people look at everybody in the band as equal. Does anybody feel the same way. I know we do it until god not the people, but some times I feel used and nobody cares. Even my own praise leader told me at one time he did not see the bass as being important. But he also told me he's eyes where open and now he see's the importants. Thank god for that let me know what you guys think!

i feel ya doc!!!! aww man you just dont know!!!! there has been many occasions where the organ player and drummer get more love as musicians than myself. its almost like we as bassists dont play a significant role as members in a church band. but the way i remedy that i do what i do and i do it well!!!!!!!  i play under the anointing and let the lord play through me. i dont worry about those people who think i dont play an important role because i know god loves what im doing for him. and eventually people will see and feel and hear that anointing from you.....

Offline Steelpulz

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Re: Do bass players get any love
« Reply #2 on: July 23, 2008, 10:51:26 PM »
Man I am wichu!! Many times I have been sitting, bass in hand, and someone comes up and asks, "Has anyone seen the musician?" Well what am I? Dang it!!
However, I did play at one small church for a year or so, and it was just me and a drummer. Many times, we shocked churches we visited by the musicality of our choir.
Furthermore, <looking around to see who's here> it doesn't seem like the bass man gets much play, except from old ladies in the audience (not at church) who want the band to "give the bassman some!!" :)
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Offline Mysteryman

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Re: Do bass players get any love
« Reply #3 on: July 23, 2008, 11:40:54 PM »
 :D :D :D I think that is because most bass players do not step out the box. I think if bass players show they can hold down a service with chords and bass things would change. Your next option would be to get a guitar. :D
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Offline betnich

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Re: Do bass players get any love
« Reply #4 on: July 24, 2008, 01:44:12 AM »
The wise keyboardist LOVES the Bass....Bass is the Foundation. Where would a house be without its foundation? On shaky ground...

Offline Steelpulz

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Re: Do bass players get any love
« Reply #5 on: July 24, 2008, 02:17:35 AM »
The wise keyboardist LOVES the Bass....Bass is the Foundation. Where would a house be without its foundation? On shaky ground...
Right!!! Plus a good bass, keyboard, drum and organ team is freed up by letting the bass do what he/she do. (I know it's bad grammar, but it's the truth)
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Offline youngstarter

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Re: Do bass players get any love
« Reply #6 on: July 24, 2008, 07:20:07 AM »
mannnn... if only yall know how I feel about this subject.. I play the organ/keyboard and man what I would do for a bass player at my church. lol I'll give up my left foot so I dont have to mess with them PEDALS lol. ;D
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Offline docjohn

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Re: Do bass players get any love
« Reply #7 on: July 24, 2008, 07:59:06 AM »
I love a good bass player!!! Any decent musician has an appreciation for the rest of the body;sticks,axe,keys,horns;but dealing with NON-musicians;well-all they can play is da radio.just clueless,thoughtless;like and old blues tune; yo mind is on vacation but yo mouth is workin' overtime.Play before the AUDIENCE of one-LORD;endure the rest! be blessed

Offline phatstrings

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Re: Do bass players get any love
« Reply #8 on: July 24, 2008, 08:55:01 AM »

 LOL.. It's one of the reasons i started playing keys as a secondary instrument
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Offline Torch7

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Re: Do bass players get any love
« Reply #9 on: July 24, 2008, 08:58:57 AM »
I haven't played at my Church in about 3 weeks, were approaching me last night, and grabbing me bye the collar.  Older ladies were threatening to get a switch to my legs. 

I felt the love, in my absense.  I think bass is one of those things people don't really miss till they have had it, and its gone.

Offline floaded27

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Re: Do bass players get any love
« Reply #10 on: July 24, 2008, 09:23:28 AM »
:D :D :D I think that is because most bass players do not step out the box. I think if bass players show they can hold down a service with chords and bass things would change. Your next option would be to get a guitar. :D

i agree with you but i sort of disagree with you. its not that bass players dont step out the box, its that most choir members/directors, etc dont really understand music so they dont understand the roles or the purpose of the other instruments and sort of "cling to the keyboard/organ for life".

but i do agree if you hold down the service things will start to change. they'll still see you sitting there with bass in hand and hearing you running basslines and still ask "why arent the musicians here" or "aint no musicians here to start rehearsal". but if you hold down service, just take it in stride. Play to make them miss you. and then make them miss you a few times. LOL. Play your best to the point where if you came to service sunday morning and just stood next to your bass and just looked at the people you'd see on their face "come on and play" (cause if you werent important, nobody would care). Me and my drummer get overlooked like we dont exist sometimes, but if either of us is missing there's a huge gaping hole. somethings definitely missing.

talented keyboardists/organists truly appreciate the bass. its people that have no knowledge of music, or are unskilled/undisciplined that give us no respect. dont take it personal. think of it like a restaurant. the waiter gets all the tips and the commendations but the cook makes it a 4 or 5 star restaurant. call it all respect and count it all joy, because regardless of all accolades, when we're not there the organist/keyboard has to fake our presence. its not vice-versa.
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Offline mjl422

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Re: Do bass players get any love
« Reply #11 on: July 24, 2008, 10:34:45 AM »
I haven't played at my Church in about 3 weeks, were approaching me last night, and grabbing me bye the collar.  Older ladies were threatening to get a switch to my legs. 

I felt the love, in my absense.  I think bass is one of those things people don't really miss till they have had it, and its gone.

Very true.  Most people (non-musicians) don't know the difference between a bass and a guitar.  I remember times when people would tell me that they couldn't hear me. Once I showed them what I was playing, they would say "Oh that was you?"

The sad reality is that so many churches are so used to the organist's foot that they don't feel like they need a bass player.  But, don't feel bad, guitar players probably get less love (when there's a keyboardist/organist around).  I know several guitar players who play bass as their main gig because they can't find a guitar gig.

Offline Torch7

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Re: Do bass players get any love
« Reply #12 on: July 24, 2008, 11:05:03 AM »
Very true.  Most people (non-musicians) don't know the difference between a bass and a guitar.  I remember times when people would tell me that they couldn't hear me. Once I showed them what I was playing, they would say "Oh that was you?"

The sad reality is that so many churches are so used to the organist's foot that they don't feel like they need a bass player.  But, don't feel bad, guitar players probably get less love (when there's a keyboardist/organist around).  I know several guitar players who play bass as their main gig because they can't find a guitar gig.

I feel ya...

A sister was telling me a few months ago... that at one moment when I stopped playing... to the music changed so she looked up... and noticed I wasn't playing and when I started playing again, she could then recognize the sound that my "GUITAR" makes.  She told me you shouldn't stop playing, it sounds better with your guitar...

Offline mjl422

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Re: Do bass players get any love
« Reply #13 on: July 24, 2008, 12:48:35 PM »
dont take it personal. think of it like a restaurant. the waiter gets all the tips and the commendations but the cook makes it a 4 or 5 star restaurant. call it all respect and count it all joy, because regardless of all accolades, when we're not there the organist/keyboard has to fake our presence. its not vice-versa.

And the busboy is the one who makes you want to sit down in the first place. It's his job to clean up all the mess.

Offline BassbyGrace

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Re: Do bass players get any love
« Reply #14 on: July 24, 2008, 01:02:15 PM »
Man theres been a few times where me, as the bass player and the drummer. Played for my family church, and when one person was asked to do a solo, they would not do it, because they sayed they did not have any music, because there was no keyboard player to play, and theres was another time where me, keyboard player, and a drummer was practicing with some of my family members as the praise team. After practice the praise team ask the keyboard player to play at a banquet we had that night. He said he could not make it, so they never ask me and the drummer. No body play that night, man sometime I think all people wont to hear is the keyboard, Im not saying everyone's like that, but most of the times that's what I get no matter how good you are, thats how I feel the keyboardist get love all the time, even the drummer gets more love then the bass player, not to many people look at everybody in the band as equal. Does anybody feel the same way. I know we do it until god not the people, but some times I feel used and nobody cares. Even my own praise leader told me at one time he did not see the bass as being important. But he also told me he's eyes where open and now he see's the importants. Thank god for that let me know what you guys think!

Coming from both sides I gotta say I feel a little different.  Now while I understand the common struggles that most of us bassists go through, in this case I gotta say I understand.  Ive actually played with a soloist and it was just me and drums, and believe me, I wish there was a keyboard there instead cause it sounded mad empty and weird.  Even now, if a soloist is singing, if theres no keyboard or chordal instrument, I'd just let them sing a capella.

You gotta admit, keys and drums are independent instruments and can stand on their own in a choir or church setting easily.  Bass, not so much (not saying it cant be done but on rare occaisions).  It just started getting its props in the last few decades whereas drums and keys have always been around.  This is not to discredit or justify those ppl because Im a bass player to the heart, but it is what it is.  We're slowly getting our props though.
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Offline floaded27

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Re: Do bass players get any love
« Reply #15 on: July 24, 2008, 01:29:02 PM »
Coming from both sides I gotta say I feel a little different.  Now while I understand the common struggles that most of us bassists go through, in this case I gotta say I understand.  Ive actually played with a soloist and it was just me and drums, and believe me, I wish there was a keyboard there instead cause it sounded mad empty and weird.  Even now, if a soloist is singing, if theres no keyboard or chordal instrument, I'd just let them sing a capella.

You gotta admit, keys and drums are independent instruments and can stand on their own in a choir or church setting easily.  Bass, not so much (not saying it cant be done but on rare occaisions).  It just started getting its props in the last few decades whereas drums and keys have always been around.  This is not to discredit or justify those ppl because Im a bass player to the heart, but it is what it is.  We're slowly getting our props though.

its true especially being in the bass -n- drums scenario, you wish there was some keys or somethin (especially when singers wont stay on key with just the bass foundation) and its not that at all. its the total disregard. Thats like if  you had a full choirstand of people but the two or 3 people that lead most of the songs isnt there and you say, "we cant sing till the choir gets here", how are all those choir members supposed to feel. you just basically said they're nobody. thats the issue here.
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Offline Wash

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Re: Do bass players get any love
« Reply #16 on: July 24, 2008, 01:51:27 PM »
The wise keyboardist LOVES the Bass....Bass is the Foundation. Where would a house be without its foundation? On shaky ground...

I'm with you on that.  Especially a good bass player.

Offline Fingers!

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Re: Do bass players get any love
« Reply #17 on: July 24, 2008, 01:59:24 PM »
I feel ya...

A sister was telling me a few months ago... that at one moment when I stopped playing... to the music changed so she looked up... and noticed I wasn't playing and when I started playing again, she could then recognize the sound that my "GUITAR" makes.  She told me you shouldn't stop playing, it sounds better with your guitar...

I am overlooked so much that I don't even consider it anymore.  Yet, one time during choir practice I stopped playing and the whole choir immediately drifted away from the director and, like, hit a tree.  I thought, "Oh, so they were listening..."  But, of course, they'll never admit it.

Offline Quebass86

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Re: Do bass players get any love
« Reply #18 on: July 24, 2008, 02:46:40 PM »
I haven't played at my Church in about 3 weeks, were approaching me last night, and grabbing me bye the collar.  Older ladies were threatening to get a switch to my legs. 

I felt the love, in my absense.  I think bass is one of those things people don't really miss till they have had it, and its gone.

That is how it usually goes unless there is some thumping/plucking going on. Most of the love I get is usually when I don't play. People will say that it didn't sound or better yet feel the same without the bass. I just crack a smile and keep on practicing. While the keys/organist can run bass lines, there is something about the inflections, tones, voicing and other licks here and there that gives a song "flavor" in my opinion. I sat out last week and one of the keyboardists played bass on the keys while the other keyboardist just played regular keys, it sounded great but people came up to me and said that it wasn't the same. The missed the slides and plucks and bends in the notes that I usually give and sometimes the dominant 7th chords I throw in. I have gone to musicals and other choirs didn't have a bass player so I would join in on songs I knew and you know how it is when your "comfortable" with a song, you get excited and have fun with it. I got compliments from the other churches choir members because they could feel the bass and the different flavor the songs had even if it was a slow song. Nothing like that earth shaking low B string covering the bottom.
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Offline Torch7

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Re: Do bass players get any love
« Reply #19 on: July 24, 2008, 02:53:31 PM »
Nothing like that earth shaking low B string covering the bottom.

And the Church said.....
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