"But which one's the bass?" she asked innocently.

[73 P Bass]

When I was in my first band that actually played out there was one total hot s*** band of my little city. My wife knew the bass player from college.

She and a girl friend would go out to see them from time to time without me.

One "day after" I asked what bass Drew was playing.

"The pretty blue one." was my wifes answer.

A Zon Sonus.

[TShakazBlackRoots]

I agree, 'lots of women' know the bass though more know the guitar coz Elvis, Hendrix and Kravitz had/have 'great bums'.

Well, that's as good a reason as any other as to why they know the guitar more than our lovely bass

 

On a serious but funny note, when a reknown Reggae artist toured Zimbabwe in the eighties, cordless guitar playing had just come on the scene. The concert ended in a riot coz the crowd felt they were being cheated....no bass/guitar guitar cables, meant the band was miming!!!

[bubba upright]

I have a lot of non-musician friends and I find it interesting that they are all adept at picking out bass lines from songs. I like to think that they get that from me. Even my (giant violin) wife comes to me often to tell me about a new pop song with a good bass line.

 

My 3-year-old son thinks that all guitars are bass guitars.

[bubba upright]

Speaking of the clueless audience...

 

Why is it that at least once a week at a jazz gig, someone will listen to us play old standards for an hour at a time and then ask us to play some Skynyrd or Pink Floyd??

[JulieCat]

I agree, 'lots of women' know the bass though more know the guitar coz Elvis, Hendrix and Kravitz had/have 'great bums'.

 

Bubba:

My 3-year-old son thinks that all guitars are bass guitars.

 

My 4 year old son does, too! I tested him just now, showed him a picture of a Strat and asked him what it was. "It's a bass." That's my boy!

[bubba upright]

Originally posted by JulieCat:

My 4 year old son does, too! I tested him just now, showed him a picture of a Strat and asked him what it was. "It's a bass." That's my boy![/QB]

[Lawnmower8]

My wife just bought me a Ric 4003 bass. M'thinks she understands.

[wraub]

The original post reminded me of the time I sent my mom some pics of me playing w/ a few different bands, all with me playing my 5 string.

I get a call from my mom- "I thought you played bass-When did you get a guitar too?"

My wife just might be the most supportive wife in the world (or at least my world, which is, of course, all that matters. ) She bought my last bass for me, and has told me more than once to just "go ahead and get an amp, already."

 

I think I'll keep her.

 

Peace,

 

wraub

[Edendude]

Folks...

 

I propose a toast to supportive significant others everywhere, whether they know the diff between a Strat and a P-Bass or not.

 

So raise your glasses with me to that, please!

 

[GraceOfTheWitch]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Edendude:

Folks...

 

I propose a toast to supportive significant others everywhere, whether they know the diff between a Strat and a P-Bass or not.

 

So raise your glasses with me to that, please!

 

You got my glass!!

[Fred TBP]

My favorite memory is from the Roger Waters Band video of the "Brick In The Wall" performed in Berlin shortly after that wall came down. Many awesome moments in it, but one of my favories is the moment Jeri Hall-Jagger walks across a large mural/backdrop of "big Pink's hotel room" in stilettos and full-Marilyn makeover and, smiling and blinking in that special way only young Texas women can, drawls "are these ALL your guitars?"

 

If you don't get it: she's addressing this to an offstage "big Pink", the character played by Roger Waters.

 

(I don't recall who said this line on the original Pink Floyd album... )

 

Love this post!

[Basshappi]

Folks...

 

I propose a toast to supportive significant others everywhere, whether they know the diff between a Strat and a P-Bass or not.

 

So raise your glasses with me to that, please!

CHEERS

[bassdrummer]

Originally posted by Edendude:

This thread is starting to have a little bit of a misogynistic feel to it, so to give it some balance I'd like to point out that...

 

I bet an equal proportion of the female bassists out there, experience the very same dumbass comments from their non-musician husbands and boyfriends.

 

So ladies, just so you know this thread is more about the ignorance of non-musican 'partners' in general, as opposed to just female partners. There just happens to be a whole lot more males on this message board.

 

Well said, Edendude. You read my mind. By the way, my wife is a classically trained soprano who patiently explains things to me like "recitative" and the Italian lyrics of the aria she's currently working on. So she tolerates my ignorance as well . . .

[bassdrummer]

Having studied piano for ten years and earned a bachelor's degree in vocal performance and music education, she also knows a heck of a lot more than I do about music theory. Once on a long road trip she tried to explain the circle of fifths to me. After the fifth try my head was spinning in circles.

[rub_a_dub_stylie]

I must say that it was actually a girl I was seeing, once apon a time, who introduced me to the bass. Unfortunatly,(or fortunatly depending on your view) my wife has no idea what a bass sounds like. She thinks it sounds like "tickity tickity tack" because the only time I get to practice is at night and it's either unplugged or with headphones on. So, because of this she can't pick me out from anyone else in my band. And, has since stopped coming to shows for that reason. Oh well , maybe that's the fortunate part. At least I get to take my time tearing down now. Sad thing is, when the "you guys are awesome" people who always come up to you after a show, start coming and then dont leave forever because they've had a few and are rambling on and on. I don't get to say "sorry, my wife is waiting, I gotta get going"

 

Ya feel me?

[TuckLM]

One of the most astounding moments in my bass playing life came just recently from my mother. She knows I play bass but she has never really acknowledged this activity as anything of any real importance. "Oh, are you still doing that?"

 

Anyway, she lives in Hawaii on the island of Maui where she is a senior volunteer for many of the events at the big place where the concerts are. Don't know the name of the venue. She ushers some of these shows that come through and then gets to see the concert for free. She's seen Wayne Newton, Willie Nelson and a bunch of others.

 

On a recent conversation with her, she asked me, "Have you ever heard of a guy named Victor Wooten? He's pretty good on that bass! He plays with a guy named Bela something."

 

"Yeah, Mom, I hear he's pretty good. I'll check him out. Thanks."

[rockinredneck69]

Originally posted by Dr. Taz:

The peeps would know that I have two of 'em implanted onto my modular body (see My Stuff). ;]

I would almost hit your site, but you totally scared me with the "peeps would know...implanted...body"

[bassdrummer]

Here's a fun topic I dug up for y'all. BUMP!

 

Recently when we had some friends over for dinner, my wife commented proudly, "See what I mean? Danny's always able to pick out the bass line when he's listening to music. I don't know how he does it!"

 

Then she started talking about new scrapbooking techniques.

[EddiePlaysBass]

Originally posted by bassdrummer:

Then she started talking about new scrapbooking techniques.

*LOL* My sister, whom I'm teaching g**tar right now, has a harder time picking out g**tar lines than bass lines, because she's used to hearing me practise in my room all the time

[davebassman]

I'm glad I married a fellow music teacher!

[theheftyman]

My wife is the only non-musician in our family but she has been working hard to get on board with the equipment and terminology.

 

I recently took her to see Michael Manring (with David Cullen) and Victor Wooten at the Berks Jazz Fest. Before the Wooten show she asked what instrument he plays...boy did she find out.

[Dave Brown]

Sheesh guys.

 

My wife regularily gets up and leaves when my kids and I start talking about the theater or music ethics or whatever. She says we make her feel dumb.

 

For the past 25 years I've dragged her to various orchestra, jazz, bluegrass and so on, desperately wanting an opinion. She smiles sweetly and says, "I saw you up on stage."

 

Now she has a son who's a 2 time All Stater, who will probably attend TCU, where he's been offered a free ride to play the bass. And she goes to his concerts, smiles sweetly and says, "I saw you up on stage."

 

He's draggin' the both of us to some event tonight. He'll want me to critique every nuance of his performance, but get offended if I'm not 100% positive.

 

From her, he'll get a sweet smile. That's enough.

[Bass_god_offspring]

this reminds me:

 

Has anyone ever been a lil annoyed when they does see a bassist in movies like Freaky Friday.

 

there's many other movies where there are bands, and sometimes NO bassist at all.

 

 

just me?

[Danno]

My wife is supportive of my "hobby" and can pick out the bass pretty well, but to address some of the other comments here - I think some people don't or can't concentrate enough on a musical piece to really be able to pick out individual instruments. They can be trained - I was - but, I guess its not important to them. Great thread, keep it goin...

[Mike H.]

My wife learned about bass gear and some other gear in general just out of self-defense for herself so she could understand what I was talking about without explaining everything in the process. It makes it real difficult to bring home new gear....

[ATM]

Originally posted by Dave Brown:

My wife regularily gets up and leaves when my kids and I start talking about the theater or music ethics or whatever.

Sort of like when I hang with my friends in the TV business (hint: don't try to enjoy a movie or TV show, they constantly critique camera angles during the show) or when I get together with other pilots, or evil doctors, and of course other musicians.

 

ATM

[musicfiend]

I recently saw a video for the band jet where the basss line is being played on a goldtop les paul, HELLO?, anybody in there?

[Peckels]

Originally posted by Bass_god_offspring:

this reminds me:

 

Has anyone ever been a lil annoyed when they does see a bassist in movies like Freaky Friday.

 

there's many other movies where there are bands, and sometimes NO bassist at all.

 

 

just me?

That's because movies like Freaky Friday are aimed at a tweeny bopper audience which doesn't care if you can lay down a solid groove with a drummer, all they want are cheesy, easy to play guitar riffs comprised mostly of power chords. I know many of those types of girls, my 10 year old sister is friends with many of them. They often claim that the music I play when I'm practicing is boring, and ask me to do solos that sound like their imitation of a "meedley-meedley-meedley" sound.

[groover]

Originally posted by Bass_god_offspring:

this reminds me:

 

Has anyone ever been a lil annoyed when they does see a bassist in movies like Freaky Friday.

 

there's many other movies where there are bands, and sometimes NO bassist at all.

 

 

just me?

Have you also noticed that when the band does have a bass, the actor holding it is strumming it like a guitar?

 

The worst case of this I ever saw was in an old Elvis movie. I don't remember which one it was, but the king himself was "strumming" His hand in time with the rythm guitar sound on a P-bass!

[Davo-London]

My mates' wife said once:

 

"how many guitars can you play at once?"

 

when referring to our leaning to buying more guitars/basses. It kind of became her catch phrase and I eventually gave her a T-shirt made with her catch-phrase above. She is actually super, whereas my wife was shocked when I strolled home with a Godin A4. Made hell of a deal about it. Whereas, I think you've got to do this every now and then. Marriage counselling is my speciality.