Guitar and Bass Guitar. Two instruments which I view as being extensions of one another. Extensions which have their own characteristics. Each can be the “lead” instrument, up front and “in your face,” and each can be the “rhythm” instrument forming the foundation of the band. Both have their gifted stars.
The guitar has way too many stars to name, but some of the more well known are Eddie Van Halen, Al Di Meola, Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix, and Chet Atkins. These players, and many more, have shaped and reshaped the way the world sees and hears the guitar. And while these guitar players are indeed great, they wouldn’t be as great if they weren’t playing along with great rhythm sections of which bass guitar is the foundation. Sometimes, however, the bass player can be the lead instead of the rhythm player.
Players like Stanley Clarke take the bass into great realms of lead bass guitar. While playing in a slap bass style and finger picking like is done on an upright bass, Stanley Clarke amazes with his lightning fast leads and soulful but energetic fusion jazz style. Another example is John Entwistle, known as “Thunderfingers,” of The Who. Entwistle’s playing style defined the band’s sound throughout its history. Great bass playing even happens in some heavy metal bands like Iron Maiden. Known for his use of chords runs and arpeggios, Steve Harris, Iron Maiden’s founder, plays his forceful rhythms with all the ferocity of the guitarists in the band. He feels that it must be equally present in the mix as the rest of the instruments.
One thing about all the great players is that they all collaborate with other talented musicians and don’t try to be the star of the band; they play their parts and don’t over step their roles. There’s a beautiful talent in doing the right amount of playing. Knowing how to hit the sweet spot between too much and not enough is key. That can’t be taught by anyone or anything but experience. And how do you get experience? By going out and doing; by making mistakes and learning from them. That is the hammering of time and experience: learning the mistakes and avoiding them going forward.
So now pick up your guitar or bass and learn something new every day and practice something old every day. Make mistakes, learn from them. Make new mistakes, Lear from them too. Play and play some more. Become the awesome musician you are destined to be and live your life with purpose. Thank you for reading. 😎
