Bass guitars are calming

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Anyone else think so?

I play electric bass guitar, and it's really great because you don't need awesome coordination for the most part (mine sucks), it's rhythmic, and the low tones are really calming. No sudden loud screeching noises. Plus I play my bass without a plectrum, so when I stim in public by tapping my fingers, people who know me just assume I'm practicing bass lines.

When listening to bass, I find most of the praise to be mostly hype. I was never one to tune up the bass setting on my receiver.

In playing the bass, however, I full agree. Unlike a guitar, where I feel the riff has to be stellar or I'll just strum chords, with a bass, I can mess around for hours and go into a trance with the different notes. A bass, after all, is meant to be played note-for-note, unlike a regular guitar where it's either awesome riffs or chords and nothing in between.

I play bass and after the 100th failed attempt of recording something and with bleeding fingers, it's not so soothing.

Definitely. I play six string normal guitar, both acoustic and electric. Basses are definitely calming. And guitars are stimulating which I also appreciate.

Okay ripped up, skinned fingertips are definitely not the best thing ever.

On the other hand, maybe it's just me, but there's something about sore but unskinned fingers after hours of playing that just feels good.

I have one bass, an Ibanez, I keep right next to me when I'm on the computer, which is, all day long. Every so often I pick it up and play some riffs. Lately I've been learning the theme to Barney Miller and bits of YYZ by Rush.

I just have a six string acoustic guitar. I enjoy strumming it from time to time.

I bought a G&L "Tribute" L2500 a few months ago. I've played bass since I was 13, which I started out learning with a cheap department-store brand. I held on through a semester of college jazz band before I finally had to accept that being a great jazz bassist was NOT something I was cut out for, and I couldn't ever afford a decent instrument and related gear.

I still don't have a decent amp, though when I need to play out on bass I use a keyboard amp. The L2500 has active pu's, so I don't have to worry too much about the preamp having enough juice to get me a decent bass sound. I can also plug into my laptop if I really need an "amped" bass tone and not have to worry about compromising on power. I'd love to have a "real" bass amp, but I don't play bass enough nor do I have the money to justify getting one.

But I will say I love my new bass. The G&L L2500 is so full of bass tones it's redonkulous. It has switchable passive/active/active+treble boost, parallel/serial, and (of course) 3-way pickup switching. The only thing keeping it from being absolutely perfect would be a switch to toggle between single-coil and humbucker so you could get a true J-bass sound.

The electric bass is amazingly underused as a solo instrument. My bass is excellent for what I use it for, which is mostly just for making demos or recording tracks I plan to use live. But what I really love about basses in general is just how well they can really "sing" in ways a 6-string electric just can't. It doesn't always have to be about shaking the foundations of the house or blowing out windows. I always like to hear tapping technique on bass such that it has a sort of classical guitar feel to it. To me that can be really soothing, and I'll pick mine up from time to time when I'm intensely UNinspired and just improvise melodies higher up on the neck. If I really want to mellow out, I'll throw in a little chorus, delay, and 'verb and just drift away...

I read somewhere that the reason bass sounds good is because in your mothers belly you heard most sounds in a low bass. I don't know if it's true.

Last edited by Sylanor on 19 Sep 2012, 9:10 am, edited 1 time in total.

Sweet man, I have an Ibanez bass and have been learning Rush as well! I've been learning BU2B and Far Cry. Been learning Tool as well.

I love bass sounds...they create nice low frequencies that I can feel on my skin...so nice. Then there's the fact you can go between rhythm and lead bass riffs seamlessly...plus it is versatile for ambient music as well.

Bass I find to be important for relaxing...why I find it a shame that so many acoustic songs neglect bass.

I have a Fender JBass. I haven't played in a while, but I like to when I can. My hands don't like long practice sessions, but I just use it to amble around the fretboard. I like to use my fingers on the strings too.
Also +1 on findiong the sound a bit meditative, I really prefer it to guitar.

Bassist since I was 10 guitarist since I was 8. I started with a cheap bass also. Now I use Spector basses as the sound of the Spector Basses I play have captured my soul. I love the range of tones my instrument gets! I want to hear it through a "real" bass amp though but $1600 for a half stack seems crazy. To me there is nothing like the sound of a Spector Bass into a SVT Head and Into a 6x10 or 8x10 cabinet!

Test 1 for my Spector.


[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTU7pLRliAE[/youtube]

Spector Tone #2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mntN6iMWCWE

i like orchestral string basses that go down to low B. the bowing sound is so relaxing.

Bass guitar is my favourite instrument. Nothing beats a deep, mellow tone for me.

Yes. I just bought one three months ago. A cherry Epiphone EB-0. It's a cheap one but I love it. It is so much fun to play.

I love bass guitar sounds. I think the Fretless bass is the most relaxing.

Here is the late Mick Karn playing a bass for a poetry reading in 1982.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W14YmRABFFg[/youtube]