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Starting a no-guitars rock band - tips, experiences?


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Guitars have frets. Bass fiddles don't. LOL

 

Right, but some of us are wussy and need frets to help us remember where the hell to put our fingers... :D

 

In a rock band setting "bass" or "electric bass" may be sufficient and some may even consider it correct terminology when referencing the electric bass guitar. In broader music circles bass encompasses more than just that single instrument.

 

Right, which is why it is correct to call the instrument an "electric bass" - because that would distinguish it from a "double" or "upright bass".

 

I would never refer to it just as a "bass" - too vague. ;)

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I would never refer to it just as a "bass" - too vague. ;)
Yeah, there are so many different kinds.

 

 

 

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/fishboat/fish/images/inland_species/lmbassbig.jpg

"I'm so crazy, I don't know this is impossible! Hoo hoo!" - Daffy Duck

 

"The good news is that once you start piano you never have to worry about getting laid again. More time to practice!" - MOI

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The OP should have been clearer and stated "band with no stringed instruments, because they stand in front of us and move around a lot in cool poses and get all the girls" ;)

"Call me what instrument you will, though you can fret me, yet you cannot play upon me.'-Hamlet

 

Guitar solos last 30 seconds, the bass line lasts for the whole song.

 

 

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I would never refer to it just as a "bass" - too vague. ;)
Yeah, there are so many different kinds.

 

 

 

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/fishboat/fish/images/inland_species/lmbassbig.jpg

 

My daughter bought me of those once that sings.

"It doesn't have to be difficult to be cool" - Mitch Towne

 

"A great musician can bring tears to your eyes!!!

So can a auto Mechanic." - Stokes Hunt

 

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The OP should have been clearer and stated "band with no stringed instruments, because they stand in front of us and move around a lot in cool poses and get all the girls" ;)

 

So keytars are out too? :laugh:

Boards: Kurzweil SP-6, Roland FA-08, VR-09, DeepMind 12

Modules: Korg Radias, Roland D-05, Bk7-m & Sonic Cell

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Piano and Clavinet too. They are stringed instruments, no? :)

 

So, serious now... I like some light hearted fun, but, c´mon guys, where did that great inputs full of focus and great help gone? ;)

 

I think my reasons for thinking about a band like that are very clear through my posts and by now, you know I have nothing against our six-stringers here... Just wanting to do something a little different for a change. :)

 

you wit me? :cool:

My drawbars go to eleven.

Gear: Roland VR-09, Nord Electro 2 61, Korg CX-3. Hear my music: facebook.com/smokestoneband

 

 

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Note the title of that wikipedia entry ... :P

 

:idea:

 

 

I find it amusing that you reference the Wikipedia article for "Bass Guitar".

 

And, my response...

 

It was a redirect from "Electric Bass"

 

From the reference material at bottom of the article:

 

The proper term is "electric bass", and it is often misnamed "bass guitar", according to Tom Wheeler, The Guitar Book, pp 1012. Guitars by Evans and Evans, page 342, agrees.
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So, serious now... I like some light hearted fun, but, c´mon guys, where did that great inputs full of focus and great help gone? ;)

 

Just hang on. This second page of the thread is the guitar solo. After the solo, you can have your thread back.

 

:)

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The proper term is "electric bass", and it is often misnamed "bass guitar", according to Tom Wheeler, The Guitar Book, pp 1012. Guitars by Evans and Evans, page 342, agrees.

 

And what does The Bass Book call it ... ?

 

 

 

http://img.etonals.com/p/large/HL_00330034.jpg

 

 

:facepalm:

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So, serious now... I like some light hearted fun, but, c´mon guys, where did that great inputs full of focus and great help gone? ;)

 

Just hang on. This second page of the thread is the guitar solo. After the solo, you can have your thread back.

 

:)

+1,000 and nomination for Quote of the Year! :laugh:

"Call me what instrument you will, though you can fret me, yet you cannot play upon me.'-Hamlet

 

Guitar solos last 30 seconds, the bass line lasts for the whole song.

 

 

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I think my reasons for thinking about a band like that are very clear through my posts and by now, you know I have nothing against our six-stringers here... Just wanting to do something a little different for a change. :)

 

you wit me? :cool:

 

Being a hybrid 6/4/88-stringer, I'm widja! ;)

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So, serious now... I like some light hearted fun, but, c´mon guys, where did that great inputs full of focus and great help gone? ;)

 

Just hang on. This second page of the thread is the guitar solo. After the solo, you can have your thread back.

 

:)

 

LMAO hahaha

 

I think my reasons for thinking about a band like that are very clear through my posts and by now, you know I have nothing against our six-stringers here... Just wanting to do something a little different for a change. :)

 

you wit me? :cool:

 

Being a hybrid 6/4/88-stringer, I'm widja! ;)

 

You Da Man :cool:

My drawbars go to eleven.

Gear: Roland VR-09, Nord Electro 2 61, Korg CX-3. Hear my music: facebook.com/smokestoneband

 

 

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FWIW I don't even know off the top of my head how many strings a piano has. It is a lot more than 88. LOL

 

"It doesn't have to be difficult to be cool" - Mitch Towne

 

"A great musician can bring tears to your eyes!!!

So can a auto Mechanic." - Stokes Hunt

 

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FWIW I don't even know off the top of my head how many strings a piano has. It is a lot more than 88. LOL

 

It depends on the piano, but 230 would be typical.

Dan

 

Acoustic/Electric stringed instruments ranging from 4 to 230 strings, hammered, picked, fingered, slapped, and plucked. Analog and Digital Electronic instruments, reeds, and throat/mouth.

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You realize nothing I say on the internet is meant to be mean spirited. Life is hard enough without mean people.

"It doesn't have to be difficult to be cool" - Mitch Towne

 

"A great musician can bring tears to your eyes!!!

So can a auto Mechanic." - Stokes Hunt

 

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The "bass guitar" photos were a joke. To me, the phrase "bass guitar" is an oxymoron. They're two different instruments.

 

And, as I hinted earlier, it's akin to calling a B3 an "electric piano".

 

Which wouldn't be an oxymoron any more than the term "bass guitar" is.

 

I'm sorry I typed "bass guitar" - you are the first person to correct me on that (including dozens of bassists that have probably heard me say the term).

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You realize nothing I say on the internet is meant to be mean spirited. Life is hard enough without mean people.

 

I know. Obviously, I need to say that as well, since some are actually taking me seriously enough to feel like they need to apologize for stuff. :D

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The one thing I've learned in this thread, is that even though I typically just refer to it as Bass, from now on I'm saying "bass guitar" on here just to get a rise out of Griff...this has been fun! :wave:

Dan

 

Acoustic/Electric stringed instruments ranging from 4 to 230 strings, hammered, picked, fingered, slapped, and plucked. Analog and Digital Electronic instruments, reeds, and throat/mouth.

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My current band is a keys-bass/vocals-drums trio. Lot of fun! Two guys I connect really well with on and off the bandstand. Less blues/funk-oriented, even though I wouldn't mind going there myself! I've got the Juno-106 stacked on the Electro for a very nice duo. I play a lot of Rhodes and Wurly with some Hammond thrown in for good measure. I don't find the lead/rhythm too hard. If anything, I find LH bass tougher. We actually started as a keys-guitar duo with me taking the LH. Boy, did it feel good when my buddy, who's a natural bassist, switched over. Fuller sound, tighter, more energetic, etc.

 

Anyway, you're making a great decision. :thu: If you get the right band together, you'll have loads of fun, be pushed to new musical places and won't have to give your singer up to the guitarist! ;)

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For what it's worth, I've been playing in a three piece (with bass and drums) doing funk/rock/jazz. In my experience distorted hammond sound on the left hand rhythm parts works better than clav for that rock feel. I dunno if it's my sloppy left hand or what. It sure helps to have a bass player who's willing to play with tone.

 

You might like how B3 bands like Niacin put their sound together ...

 

[video:youtube]Kkugfj7CSww

 

 

 

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Oh yeah! That bass tone on the start of the Niacin video is the thing I need for a bassist on that no guitar band idea... Coupled with some dirt and grease coming from the keys and it´s a sure win... Thanks for that, bookmarked!

My drawbars go to eleven.

Gear: Roland VR-09, Nord Electro 2 61, Korg CX-3. Hear my music: facebook.com/smokestoneband

 

 

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To respond to the OP, I've sort of done it with my old band. I played guitar and keys, and we had a few songs in which I only played keyboards, and it worked really well.

 

There were also a few songs in which the singer played guitar, but with all our guitars, we often kept them so they didn't saturate the frequency spectrum. Both keyboards and guitar can be guilty of overplaying and filling up all the "gaps", so either not having that or playing less or arranging is all really important.

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