Jump to content
Why become a member? ×

Why are bassists important?


TJ1

Recommended Posts

Science has something to say about why the bassist may be the most important member of the band. According to research carried out by PNAS, people are more likely to respond to the rhythm and the lower frequencies of the song than they are the melody and higher pitches, such as played by the vocalist and the guitar.

 

The bassist provides both the harmony - the arpeggiated chord tones - and the rhythm of the song. So I would say that we're at least as important as any other member of the band.

 

 

Edited by TheLowDown
  • Like 2
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 hours ago, TheLowDown said:

Science has something to say about why the bassist may be the most important member of the band. According to research carried out by PNAS, people are more likely to respond to the rhythm and the lower frequencies of the song than they are the melody and higher pitches, such as played by the vocalist and the guitar.

 

The bassist provides both the harmony - the arpeggiated chord tones - and the rhythm of the song. So I would say that we're at least as important as any other member of the band.

 

 

I am getting that -in fact I have discovered using my own empirical, scientific research faculty: that Paul Mccartney was the go to bassist with the Beatles, and whatever you might think about Paul versus John , it probably is true that he wrote the majority of their material - including Yesterday.

The reason I questioned the importance of the bassist was in the sort of music I like the Bassline is generally semi-hidden or mainly in the background. But I can now see that even then stripping it would be a big mistake. But TBH I am not a dedicated troll and I think the question represents the views/prejudices of a lot of non professional/non knowledgable music lovers.

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, TJ1 said:

I am getting that -in fact I have discovered using my own empirical, scientific research faculty: that Paul Mccartney was the go to bassist with the Beatles, and whatever you might think about Paul versus John , it probably is true that he wrote the majority of their material - including Yesterday.

The reason I questioned the importance of the bassist was in the sort of music I like the Bassline is generally semi-hidden or mainly in the background. But I can now see that even then stripping it would be a big mistake. But TBH I am not a dedicated troll and I think the question represents the views/prejudices of a lot of non professional/non knowledgable music lovers.

 

 

 

That’s something a troll would say 😉

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Bass brings body to music, at the lower end of the sonic spectrum,  and can provide movement, counter rhythms and sometimes melody, beneath the chords that polyphonic instruments play.

Interestingly, the bass line in God Save the Queen, illustrates many of the above points.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The science of sound and pitch is very interesting(if only they could write in actual English), OTOH I believe(don't actually know) that intense low pitches are more likely to kill a person than intense high pitched ones. The human ear may be responsive to bass than treble but this can work both ways. For me listening to it now the bass line of God Save the Queen(or King) cues the crowd to sing-along - as such it works but it is not subtle.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Depends on the song/genre.

Sometimes the bass plays the melody (e.g. post-punk), sometimes it plays the groove (e.g. funk).

But even if not the above it normally glues the whole performance together and acts like a foundation. I haven't studied the etymology of the  word bass, but I assume it is rooted in the word base.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

28 minutes ago, mep said:

Why bass is important according to science........ hhmmmm could lead to a discussion on whether science matters........

Link to comment
Share on other sites

47 minutes ago, mep said:

 

43 minutes ago, Jus Lukin said:

I wouldnt pay too much attention to PNAS- they're all just a bunch of stiffs.

Same study from PNAS.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 hours ago, TJ1 said:

The science of sound and pitch is very interesting(if only they could write in actual English), OTOH I believe(don't actually know) that intense low pitches are more likely to kill a person than intense high pitched ones. The human ear may be responsive to bass than treble but this can work both ways. For me listening to it now the bass line of God Save the Queen(or King) cues the crowd to sing-along - as such it works but it is not subtle.

This really happened to me. The first band I was in was a rock band and we did some Sabbath and I insisted on doing Gezzer's Bassically. I had a Morley Wah/Boost (the big chrome one with A.C. power) and we were playing in a gymnassium set up on the floor. A girl that was sitting on the floor in front of us (I noticed her 'cause she was cute) came up to me afterward and said "Wasn't that a bit EXPANDING?" I said "What do you mean?" She said "I thought I had to go to the bathroom." To this day I have no idea if she was criticizing or complimenting me but I thought, "Wow. I can make people lose their bowels..."

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 07/01/2021 at 19:40, MartinB said:

Completely ignoring the rhythmic and melodic aspects for a second...

The lowest pitch is important for how our brains make sense of chords. If a guitarist plays the notes C-E-G-A and the bassist plays a C, then it'll sound like a C6 overall, because the C is lowest. But if the bassist plays an A, the harmony will sound like an Am7. The same four notes are being played, but our brains use the lowest one to give the others context. And since the bassist* is usually playing a lower pitch than the guitarist, they're generally in charge. You could have a whole song where the "chord" played by the guitar never changes, but the harmony still goes through a sequence of chords because that's what the bassline makes us hear. It's a big simplification - melody is important too - but that's the basic idea.

* Or pianist's left hand, or organist's feet, etc. - whoever's got the lowest notes, wins!

This ... totally this. The lowest voice controls harmony. Sting put it as “it’s not a C chord unless I play a C”.

In terms of “keeping time” that role is often played by the bass but not always. In a classic 60s Motown tune the tune keeping is more in the guitars (chords on 2 and 4 over a driving unwavering drum part) whilst the bass pushes and pulls against this. 
 

 The bass line typically is the place where harmony and the basic groove come together. You should be able to hear the shape of the tune (both rhythmically and harmonically) by just listening to the bass.

I like to think of the drums as the heart, the bass as the skeleton with the rest of the band layered over that shape and powered by the heart. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 07/01/2021 at 23:01, TJ1 said:

My final question is: If drummers are insane, guitarists are knobs, singers are prima donnas - what is the bassist's standard personality defect?

The one who always has spare cables and insists that they are properly wound up and put away. 

Edited by Nickthebass
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, Mykesbass said:

Was going to say similar - listen to tracks where the bass drops in/out and hear the difference it makes.

Definitely, Motley Crue do this very well on their song Wild Side, in the break it drops to drums and guitar, when the bass comes back in the power and depth to the track that it adds is amazing.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Radio 3’s The Listening Service is always a fascinating listen. In this one they explore why we’re so addicted to bass and how it works in music...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07vwg5w


This little 3 minute video snippet gives a good taster...

<iframe width="400" height="500" frameborder="0" src="https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p049y9gb/player"></iframe>

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...