Why is it that good bass players are so hard to find? Or bass players at all, for that matter? Half of the local bands in my area are looking for bass players. My band spent months without one, then we found one who wasn't very committed, so he eventually left, and then we spent months looking for another one. You know what we ended up doing? We converted a guitarist into a bass player. I even played bass for a band for about five months, and I'm a guitarist. That came about after we tried out a bass player, who was actually a guitarist, and a few weeks later he called me and asked me to play bass for his band! It's ludicrous. The number of guitarists as opposed to bass players is unbelievable.

One of the only things that makes me stay with the guitar is the fact that I do alot of songwriting on the guitar. I own a four-string bass, and play it frequently, and I really enjoy it. On my recent solo project, I wrote and played all of the bass lines.

The real problem is that bass is such an important part of any band. During the time when we couldn't find a bass player, we actually did a couple of live gigs anyway, and decided that we didn't want to play in public again without a bass. The lack of low end really takes the power away from your sound.

But there are many advantages to playing bass. First off, in my opinion, the instrument is easier to learn and play than guitar. You won't have to worry about making awkward chords, or breaking alot of strings. Many bass lines are very simple, and yet they add so much to a song. However, if you really want to become a skilled musician, you still have the ability to learn techniques that will impress people. A bass player with a good slap technique is always appreciated. You will learn just as much about scales and music theory playing bass as you would guitar. And you have your choice of playing many different types of bass. You could play a four-string, five-string, six-string, you can even get a twelve-string if you want one. Learn to tame the Chapman stick, or play an upright. Use your fingers, use a pick, use a bow if you are so inclined. But please, just consider the possibility of bass. If you are a good guitarist, then you are one among many. But if you are a great bass player, you are a find.

by Dorian Wills
GNW subscriber