Why are bassists so hated? #2

(Not blaming other musicians, keep rocking!) Alright, I think the answer to this was probably easier than I thought. People just want a sort of scapegoat, who they can look down on.

In bands there “natural” levels in popularity between members. For example, are singers the head of the band, the first image that comes to mind, thinking of a band. And secondly are guitarist known to shine on stage, making up absolute mind-blowing solos or iconic riffs that almost hook into the minds of the people attending their concerts or listening to their music. But most people can’t think of bassists in bands. They are much lower in popularity. This gives them a weaker position, making them vulnerable for insults

Bass guitar is a hard instrument to master, but easy to understand. Many people who try bass for the first time, can play it pretty quickly. But playing doesn’t mean knowing the instrument. In my couple of years of playing bass, I came across technics that seemed impossible (I still don’t understand them), things like slapping can be hard to learn and even harder ‘The Double Thumb’. Most not-bass players don’t know these technics and think they already master it if they can get sounds out of it. This makes the instrument seem simple and easy to learn, yet it totally isn’t. This goes on to the point that people think bass players aren’t needed.     Oooooooooooooooooooooooooo000000000000000000000000000000                                         All these assumptions lead to the despise of bass guitarists, they aren’t popular or “skilled”. This mindset lets people look down on them. ‘They aren’t better than any other musician’, ‘They make money by playing some root notes’. Most people like to feel higher in position and more appreciated and this could be accomplished by making others look smaller. An easy target like bass players are the ones who suffer under this selfish act. (By the way, I do want to make clear that some of these jokes aren’t harmful, but there are some that maybe take it to far.) I’ve seen videos of bassists saying that playing the instrument goes along with contempt, that: “You will not be seen as much as other band mates”. I’m still feeling sick after watching that video, as if giving up seems like a great idea. We should be proud of our role as bass guitarist, despite the invisibility we may seem to have during plays. Keep on rocking, bass players!