The point Drew was making Pedro, is that if you tune a guitar part down an octave, you don't get a bass line. It's a different instrument to a guitar and creates it's own space in the music. I don't think anyone's suggesting it's a 'lesser' instrument, each part is vital to the whole. Guitar, bass, drums and vocals, is a combo that has stood the test of time for rock music, it just works.

 
Any combination works ... not just the "standard" rock music format ... but we are going around talking like those things never happened before ... and that IS something that orchestras do to 4 different violins, for example ... you're trying to defend a simplistic source of music ... with even more simplistic information ... because you don't believe music history has ever existed!
 
Nothing is less than any other work ... but thinking that is the endallbeall in music, like so many folks here have a tendency to do ... gets ... you know ... I don't like to say that you guys know less or more than anyone ... I'm all for making sure rock music has its place in history ... but the legacy is not about one thing ... it's about spreading what was already in music ... wayyyyyy  further than before ... just like it has been for 500 or 1000 years!
 
So a bass player, decided to surprise the guitar player and tune down a song ... during rehearsal, and see what the guitar player did ... and the guitar player looked at the bass player, smiled ... and the guitar player flew on it ... and it became famous ... the guitarist was Stevie Ray Vaughn ... the bass players was interviewed about this in Bass Player magazine about a year ago ... it's nothing new ... it's been done a million times ... but we think it's novel that the guitar went down a peg or two! You might even say that ... it's tricks of the trade!
 
Does it make a bass line? ... not necessarily, obviously! But it can make another line ... that might, or might not, be used, by a rhythm guitar (as we call it) or a 2nd, 3rd or 4th violin (as it used to be called) ... my only concern is that NOW, we are saying that YOU HAVE TO HAVE that bass line ... and you DON'T ... you just have to have MUSIC ... and if it works, it works, it won't matter what it will be called or what combination of instruments it has. Or what you do to the strings ... even using DIAPERS to damper the sound and get a different effect ... it's about YOU and your fooling around ... and having fun on it ... what it "is", is not important ... and is fun to discuss, I suppose and makes stuff like this sound bad ... and it's not meant to!
 
Out of curiosity --- and I know nothing about "strings" ... wouldn't the strings be too thin to be able to handle/do the bass tones usually found on a bass guitar? I

I'm not defending anything Pedro, I was trying to clarify someone else's post for you, because you appeared to have read something that wasn't said.

For all I care, a rock band can be made up of 8 bassoons and an African thumb piano. If it sounds good, I'll listen to it.

What I'm saying is, that there's probably a good reason why the basic rock band format has been knocking around for the last 7 decades and doesn't show any sign of disappearing.

If you'd like a recommendation for a great band with a very interesting blend of instruments btw, check out 'Bellowhead'. I'm not going to provide a link however, because I know you won't click it.

jamesg1213


For all I care, a rock band can be made up of 8 bassoons and an African thumb piano. 

Man, I bet they don't get too much money each for a gig!  Heck, you don't get much splitting the take between three people any more...

OK I just picked mine up and played and 

A thought just occurred to me.

If you're tempted to play "too much" when you pick up a bass you can try a trick I used to use to amuse myself during slow boring ballads at jazz band practice - play the bass line entirely with your thumbs (both hands).

It's also good for making your friends in the sax section crack up while they're trying to play!

If you'd like a recommendation for a great band with a very interesting blend of instruments btw, check out 'Bellowhead'. I'm not going to provide a link however, because I know you won't click it.

 
I listen to a lot of things, SPECIALLY, those given by the enemy!  
 
Heck, I just got sent the new CD from the Djam Karet folks ... and you won't listen to that either ... and Gayle, after a large article I wrote on them that he thought was wonderful, kinda said it all for me ... they have no idea what key they are in, or what chord it is ... or what format it is supposed to take. It might start with an A, and end with a Z for all they know!
 
You know what? ... it takes courage to be that open and crazy! It's much simpler to learn an ABC and go home with 50 bux! Welcome to THAT machine!
 
AND, you obviously do not read a whole lot ... because you would know that if there is one person that appreciates the folk/folkrock/ and the English scene in that area ... it is the person that you think is a moron! And I have a bigger collection of these things than you can imagine! Hahhhhh ... what's the point ....

Moshkiae

 Djam Karet 

Listening now to 'Old Soldier's Disease'..I like it. A cross between Oldfield and Focus. I shall investigate further, thanks for that, it's right up my street.

jamesg1213

Moshkiae

 Djam Karet 

Listening now to 'Old Soldier's Disease'..I like it. A cross between Oldfield and Focus. I shall investigate further, thanks for that, it's right up my street.

I absolutely love the guitar soundescapes in "Suspension and Replacement" and "Reflections from the Firepool".  And you will know why I use the expression "dark clouds, no rain" so much! Their total ambient record with so many guests is excellent "Collaborator" ... and just yesterday Gayle sent me the new album ... "Herd of Instinct" ... and I have to tell you that this is the best thing I have heard by anyone in the part 5 or 6 years ... totally awesome and review upcoming when I get done gushing all over it! It's pure "progressive" in every sense of the definition, with unbelievable composition and work ... and above all ... just to show off ... NO COMPRESSION REQUIRED OR NECESSARY ... and the whole thing is just out of this world! 
 
Have to take a break and go listen to it again ... see you later! Can't even decide which cut is better ... the whole CD is top knotch! Only thing missing is Julibee's voice! And I think she would match up great with these guys!