A self-confessed bassplayer

As a self-confessed bassplayer I'm going to open with a sweeping statement. From my own experiences (live and in the studio) there are two types of people that strap on the "four-string plank". I'm a bass guitarist, but I'm well aware that there are other bass instruments on the planet that have been around a lot longer. You'd be surprised at how many people forget that!

Only two? But what about the keyboard player that can make his rig sound like EVERY instrument in the band???

The operative phrase in that last question is "can sound like"! He may be able to imitate the noise of any bass instrument ever made, but if he presses the wrong keys in the wrong order he's never going to sound like a bassplayer!

Let me qualify this a little...

One of the best "bassplayers" I know is a fourteen-year old kid that can't play a note on a "real" instrument. She just has a natural "feel" for what makes a good bass line. My best mate is an absolute genius with a Strat, but even he cringes when he picks up my bass and has a go. I'd rather have him tell me what sort of bass line he wants then let me get on with it, than have him show me, note by note, what he wants me to play. After fifteen years he's finally come round to my way of thinking ;)

Which, after a long a rambling intro, brings us to what I wanted to say.

Do you decide to play bass then go home and practice all the bass lines in your music collection in the hope that one day you'll use them? Or do you decide to become a bassplayer then go home and practice technique?

If you answered YES to the first part of my question, then fine. You'll probably make good music and end up arguing with real bassplayers. If you stop to think "What's this guy REALLY talking about?" I think you've taken the first steps ;)

Practising "technique"; sleeping, breathing and THINKING in terms of bass is what makes the difference! Any guitarist can pick up a bass and hack out the bottom notes of his "Magnum Opus" and call it a bass line. A bass player can take the same guy's Magnum Opus and give it a bit of a lift without anyone knowing why ;)

Like I said at the start, a bit of a sweeping statement. But there will always be people out there that are "the exception that proves the rule". Mark King was a drummer before accepting a job in a music shop, and lying about being able to play bass. OK, he's one of the bassplayers I REALLY admire, but you can still hear the drummer in his soul - ( LOL;) George Duke is a keyboard player that really gets into the mindset of the instrumentalist he's imitating... I could go on.

I won't, because I want to get this posted to Charlie and my kids want to surf the 'net
Paul, unqualified bass player.