5 Beginner Bass Myths (Busted)

I have beef. Bass beef. Which is why I am here to bust 5 tragically wrong bass myths.

Mythology is great. If the 5 Beginner Bass Myths* were all about bass gods going around and slaying giants, having adventures, finding epic magic basses, battling the evil Grooveless Goblins of the Wastelands and saving the day, I would have no beef.

But that’s not what bass myths are about. And I do have beef. 

Am I doing this just to pick a fight and start an online rumble between pick players and finger players? Betwixt noodly guitarists and 4-string slingers?

No.

I desire no rumbling. Except from my amp. When I play really low notes.

Nay, I am busting myths here because these preconceived notions can stand in the way of someone getting into playing the greatest instrument in the world**. And if I have to live in a world that doesn’t have epic tales of Bass Mythology, at least I won’t have to live in a world where lame bass myths are keeping people from playing the instrument I love.

Onward.

To the busting.

#1Bass Is Boring

This myth got started because some band had, like, 5 guitar players who all wanted to take solos. But there was no groove over which to solo. So they drew straws and some unlucky, aspiring Hendrix-Vaughan-Halen drew the short one and  got told to  play quarter notes while his friends were whammy barring, tremolo picking, and otherwise noodle-festing their hearts out. 

Bass isn’t boring.

If you think bass is boring, it means you want to be doing or playing something else. Fine! Go play it!

The poor frustrated guitar player in the example above? He wants to be doing something else and, god bless him, he should.

But laying down bass lines…

For a band to build on? 

For people to dance to? 

For booties to shake to?? 

This is the great joy and noble purpose of bass.

And it isn’t boring.

If you don’t believe my persuasive words, go watch some videos of your favorite bass players, (unless you’re watching Bill Wyman – that dude is as cool as a bored cucumber up there) and watch them be extremely not bored.

If you can convince a camera person to actually show the damn bass player (an entirely separate issue for which I’m currently raising awareness and funds***), you’ll find a lot of not-bored people.

And, listen, if you’re playing bass and you’re bored? Stop playing. Go back to whatever it was that brought you real excitement. But don’t blame it on the bass.

Bass Myth 1 = BUSTED.

#2Bassists Are Failed Guitarists

AKA Bass Is Easier Than Guitar

This again. It starts with a band where everyone has a guitar (which is addressed below) and someone gets chosen (in the darker myths, it’s the least-skilled guitarist) to play bass. Is this the sad but true origin story for bass players?  

No. 

But there are two seeds of truth here that I would like to address… so as to more effectively bust the s#*t out of this myth.

First, if you’re starting out on an instrument, yes – beginning on the bass is easier than beginning on the guitar. If you wanted to play Bad Moon Rising by Creedence Clearwater  on guitar you’d need three chords. Each of these chords would need you to synchronize and coordinate 3 fingers to hold down frets simultaneously. That’s hard at first.

On bass, all you need is 3 single notes. You could play it all with one finger!

This is, from a physical coordination angle, a lot easier.

But, once you get into the instrument? Once you start learning the nuance of each instrument’s potential and roles? 

And the bass presents its own challenges – like rhythm and groove – that (ahem) most guitarists (cough cough) tend to gloss over in favor of sweep arpeggios (shade thrown here for comic effect).

Second, do plenty of bassists come to the bass after starting on guitar? Absolutely. But why is this? Is it because they couldn’t hack it on the ‘ol 6 string? No. It is because guitars are everywhere. You can’t throw a rock in any neighborhood without hitting 10 – 25 guitars. They tend to grow and multiply in attics and garages. They’re the most audible, iconic, identifiable sound in rock and pop music, and they’re the most accessible.

Like McDonalds – they’re just there. If it’s more accessible to your ears and your hands, you’re more likely to have it as your first instrument.

I started out going to McDonalds as a kid. I loved it. Now I prefer restaurants where the food tastes good. Does this mean I can’t handle the demands and taste-bud-learning-curve of McDonalds cuisine?

No.

It just means I went first to what was most obvious and available and then, having taken that first step into a larger world, I was able to see other options and move to something that was closer to my personal tastes.

So too with guitar-to-bass transitions.

This myth is so busted, Humpty Dumpty was all like, “Dang, Myth #2! You’re BUSTED!! ”

#3You Can’t Play Bass With Small Hands

Here’s a good Bass Mythology story. I am about 6 foot, 5 inches tall (that’s just under 2 meters for you lucky metric people out there). I went to see Victor Wooten with the Wooten Brothers at a concert. Prior to this I had been agonizing over some of Victor’s transcriptions from the book he put out.

The fingerings seemed impossible. I was struggling with playing some of his parts, and so I had decided it was because he had giant hands, thus giving myself an easy out for why I couldn’t hack his lines.

I was at the show, confident that I was about to see my favorite bassist play with hands the size of pizza pans.

To open the show, the lights went down and a bass started playing. The stage was empty. Everyone surged forward. Our eyes strained to see what was happening. Bass was being played, but no one was on the damn stage. After a few minutes, I felt a polite nudge on my shoulder from behind. I turned around. Victor – hooked into his wireless bass rig – was playing his way to the stage from the back of the hall.  

He was tiny.

He was shockingly small. 

His hands were small. He was a small person. Who played the bass in ways I only dreamed about.

With small hands.

In that moment of looking down to see Victor Wooten in person, this myth was permanently and forever shattered.

However!

Even though this myth has already been busted in my lovely story (chapter one of Modern Bass Mythology, perhaps?), it would be short-sighted of me if I didn’t address the root of this myth.

The bass is huge, and there are challenges to having smaller hands on a giant bass.

Here are some helpful ways that can bring hope, confidence and success to anyone who struggles with the scale-length of the bass – whether it be from hand injuries, missing fingers, small hands or whatever.  

This myth is not only BUSTED, it has been trouble-shot to hell and back. Stay in hell, Bass Myth #3! Where you belong!!

#4Real Bassists Don’t Use a Pick

Why are we gatekeeping what it means to be a real bassist? Who is coming up with this? Who is being threatened by a bassist using a pick? Who out there is a rabid bass fundamentalist where using a pick is some sort of weird heresy? Why stake your identity based on what tools you use or don’t use in playing bass?

How far does it go?

Real bassists…

Only use pickups they wired themselves. 

Kill and gut their own sheep for strings.

Amplify themselves using only the strength of their pure, righteous plucking fingers.

It’s ridiculous.

The examples are everywhere and in every genre: Carol Kaye, Tim Lefebvre, Bobby Vega, Jason Newsted, Justin Chancellor, etc, etc.

But wait… what’s this? Did the purist, fundamentalist poison infect the pick players of the world and create a Revenge Myth?? It did! PICK IS BETTER THAN FINGERS!

Well, this is some serious Star-Bellied Sneetches shit right here.

If we couldn’t determine a pure, true bass technique before, we certainly can’t now. Observe the fingered wizardry of these folks and rest assured that fingers still rule and sound glorious: Steve Harris, Jamerson, Jaco, etc…

Fingers-or-pick is a choice everyone has to make and – like all choices – the right answer depends on the circumstances. 

Eventually, learn both, and then make your choice based on what sounds best in the music you’re playing.

If you’re just starting out, fingers are the way to go. Why?

1. It’s more commonly heard on the classic bass lines and has defined the classic electric bass sound for classic pop music.

2. You’ll never lose your fingers and have to sheepishly ask the guitarist if you can borrow some fingers because you’re wearing different pants to the gig, and you had some fingers in your other pants, but now you need fingers… etc.

This myth is BUSTED.

Why would people show up and shame a musician for using a tool to make cool sounds?

That is – literally – our job.

Moving on.

#5It Takes a Long Time To Learn Bass

If your goal is to play some gnarly solo bass material (Anesthesia, Classical Thump, Dean Town, etc) then, yes. It takes a long time.

But if you want to learn how to support a song, play along to classic tunes, jam with a band and know the fundamentals of your instrument it will only take you 30 days.

“30 days?” you ask, hands to your cheeks.

Yep. The BassBuzz instruction method, Beginner to Badass, is incredible (high fives to Josh and the team for this gem) and will take you from having never before played a bass (or any instrument) to an actual functioning bassist in 30 days.

… potentially longer if you:

• Get easily distracted
• Are really busy
• Have video games
• Have kids, etc

Every instrument takes a long time to master.

If you’re looking to get down the basics and play with people, the bass does not take a long time to learn.

This myth has been busted for so long, it has a joke to go with it.

Rim shot.

Myth BUST.

And In Conclusion…

I definitely have a passion for myth busting. I can’t stand it when the anonymous, infamous They show up and make life harder, more self-conscious, more painful than it already is. 

You want to play the bass? Great. Play with a pick on a short scale bass with your small hands after you’ve started on guitar! Enjoy life. Do things that make you happy and bring music and joy to the world.

Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed, and I hope you’ll enjoy my soon to be released collection, “Modern Bass Mythology: Epic Tales of Bass Legends” ****

It will have dragons in it.

Go play bass.

---

*Note to self – write book of bass myths. Of How the great bass god Jaco did quest and find the Bass of Doom, etc.

**As voted by bass players around the world 36 years in a row!

***I’ve founded the Bassists Are Band EqualS fully-profit based organization dedicated to getting equal screen time in music videos for bassists. If you’d like to donate, I’ll accept all of your money. All of it.

****Not really. But if I did, it would have tons of dragons in it.