Same I play bass in my school band and even though In the song - mr. Brightside - uses a pick I don't and try to go against the normal tradition in rock and metal about using a pick.
Andres Esqueda Yeah but I think it helps i am am also mainly a guitarist and drummer. the only reason i play bass in my school band is because i'm the only good bassist in the school my band mates say.
+Helium Road BTW, starting a pissing match with TalkBass is pretty epic, I hang over there and I was waiting for your vids to show up and piss people off sooner or later. Warming up the popcorn now! I agree with you BUT I also agree with you.
+Helium Road This is a valid point. The TB admins moderate those forums pretty tightly and certain words violate the terms of use. They will edit the words and you will get a warning. I know because I have received a few. They are trying to maintain a certain level of discourse that doesn't devolve into Reddit level rants. The TB crowd also tends to be a little older, and they don't care for foul language. That's just the culture of the forum. Glenn should at least respect that if he doesn't agree with it.
+Jeff Clark I received a few warnings for accidentally swearing. Oops? Threatening to terminate my account if I do it one more time? HA fine, go ahead.
I'll tell you what people bitch about at concerts: 1 - there's too much reverb! (there's none and you are playing in a giant concrete and steel ex-factory) 2 - The voice is too soft (yeah, you tell the singer that this is not X-Factor and the mic can't be half a meter from the mouth. 3 - It's too loud (so why the fuck are you standing next to the speakers with no ear protections, when there are people 60 meters away that want to hear the concert as well?) 4 - There's a problem with the Kick drum (yeah, the way he plays it) Never ever heard about the gear, not once in 20 years...but, geez, if I could have 1 euro for every time they asked me: "Do you really know what every single button is for?" :D
JR Christ, I was making a joke. Leave it to someone in the comments to come be a prick about it. I mean as long as we're on the topic of gear snobs, might as well include beer snobs as well! Actually real talk though, I haven't been to many concerts or events that serve craft beer and microbrews. Bud, Coors, Miller, etc. are generally what you have to choose from.
I'm a bass player, hello. (I also play rhythm guitar, but bass is what got me into music and loving it, so there you go.) I make drummer jokes. ALL THE FUCKING TIME. My friends and I rip each other apart on the daily. "What's the difference between a guitarist and a bassist? One is a musician, the other is a bassist." "How do you tell if a stage is level? If there's drool coming out of both sides of the drummers mouth." Etc, etc, forever and ever amen. Seriously, if you can't take a joke at the expense of your instrument, you need to grow some thicker skin and grow up. If you play well, if you dedicate yourself to what you do and you love what you play, just laugh along and fire back in good fun. Incidentally, how many drummers does it take to change a lightbulb? Five. One to actually change the lightbulb, and four to argue about how Neil Peart would've done it.
+Tau Tauson I completely agree that in band enviroment its important to be able to laugh at each other and also yourself. Its just in some cases usually the guitarist(who's also more or less band leader) has some wicked idea that bass players shouldnt be allowed to have freedom doing their "own" stuff, even if it clearly would improve the song. And also they want the bass be so low that you can barely hear it. After that you are not really in the mood to hear bass player jokes on top of that. I'm glad I havent been in that kind of situation myself and would probably leave a band like that. "What's the difference between lead guitarist and Ferrari? Driving Ferrari you need to know how to drive to go fast".
+Progbassist Man, those are some VERY specific issues you're talking about. Played bass for quite a while as a teenager before switching to guitar, never encountered this issue, whether I was playing paid gigs with musicians who were far more experienced or writing songs with my pals. More about a certain person being a dick. Also "even if it clearly would improve the song" - that's extremely subjective, no reason to get upset, just shows you those people aren't compatible.
Honestly this guy is hilarious and the pot of shit he stirs up is even better. This channel has quickly turned into one of my favorites in means of comedy, and learning more about music and how much it actually takes to make and record music. Keep up the good material!
I agree, he's great. I don't play and I'm not a metalhead (though I do like some metal), but I am a music fan and I find so much of this interesting and funny. What it all boils down to is that Glenn just wants people to be professional and treat their music and their audiences with respect. Props! Subscribed.
I liked the comparison to the Comic Book Guy from the Simpsons. He is a man of intelligence and integrity chronically afflicted by the stupidity of almost everyone he has to deal with, and is just tired of suffering fools. And of course that bass player hasn't figured that out. LOL.
+preston van kleeck Change them before recording and they should serve you well until the next time you have to record. Or just stick to a schedule like once a month
"i agree with you but i dont like the word fuck so you are wrong anyway" "i agree with you but you make jokes about bass players so you are wrong anyway" "i didnt even watch the video but i still know you are wrong" these are the kinds of comments that i love the most especially when they contradict themselves in one sentence
As a member the forum he's talking about I'll say there's alot of good technical information on TalkBass but many of the people pretty easily get their panties in a wad if you don't pat them on the back and tell them that it was a good idea to spend $10,000 on a new bass that sounds exactly the same as their old one. On thing to note the forum auto-corrects Shit and Crap to Poopy.
Here's an interesting little theory for you. I worked in a group home for high risk youth when I was younger and I had to study quite a bit of psychology. The term "but" is an interesting term in psychology. "But" is a defiance word and can be used as a scapegoat. The problem is that a lot of people don't know when to use the world "but" and when to use the word "and". For the most part, both can be used in the same situation and it's up to the person to decide which to use. Psychology suggests that people that use the word "but" a lot have likely been raised in a very defiant, argumentative and/or violent household. One of the reasons is because all of the people in that household likely use "but" too much. Just because somebody says "but" doesn't mean everything before it is a lie. The next time somebody says "but" and you wonder about that, replace "but' with "and" and see if it still sounds like defiance or disagreement, or if it now just sounds like another statement. Saying "and" is an addition, saying the next thing, and saying "but" is a subtraction. One comes off positive and one comes off negative. So, when somebody is raised in a "but" household, they don't always mean for it to be a disagreement, it's just that the word implies it. However when they say that, other people tend to automatically feel lied to, and accusations start happening. The person who said "but" is now left feeling falsely accused and tends to retaliate, hence the birth of an argument. Essentially it's just a miscommunication. That being said, it's not always a miscommunication. Sometimes people are being defiant. It's just that people should not automatically assume that. Somebody CAN agree with an opinion, and not like a person at the same time. I would guess that the people who left these "but" comments you showed, are just all around argumentative people. That's why I like psychology, you can tell a lot about a person from how often they use words, or move their eyes, or how they sit etc. It's great LOL. Fascinating stuff.
+CrazyBadCuber I live in Argentina, and I've never saw people like you just mentioned. Does this theory apply only to native english speaker? I just can't understand your theory. If you can't see the difference between 'But' and 'and', it means you lack education.
So many people missed the point glenn was making. He wasn't saying that expensive gear is bad, he's saying that you don't need it to play music. I started with a squire strat playing through a 5in crate amp. Once I actually learned how to play then I started playing different guitars and experimenting with different techniques to fit a style that I like. Now I play a custom Carvin CT7 with bareknuckle miracle mans going through an Engl Powerball II and a line6 Pod Pro going through the FX loop. If I had this gear when I was starting out I would not only be overwhelmed by the intricacies of this set up but would be discouraged because I wouldn't know where to begin. Focus on music, then focus on gear... If you're a real musician.
+AlexMullinsTV It is a very good idea to start a rookie out on a good instrument - a good player can make a bad instrument sound decent, but a good instrument will still sound decent even if a complete rookie is playing it, and if it sounds decent then it will certainly be less discouraging. Other than that, ACTUALLY LEARNING HOW TO PLAY is far, far more important than any sort of gear. It is hilarious that a point as simple as "people do not judge your gear like they judge your performance when you're playing locally" passed so many people though.
TheDoomerBlox Obviously you don't want an instrument like a walmart guitar but you don't need a les paul custom to start. An Ibanez $300 guitar is perfectly fine for a beginner. As long as it is comfortable for the player in the first place. I don't know any great guitarist that didn't start on something cheap and didn't necessarily have very good tone. Jeff Loomis said he actually started with a peavey T15.
+AlexMullinsTV I tried making that point several times in that talkbass thread but it was largely ignored. the circle jerk had already started and they werent about to quit.
+AlexMullinsTV Hell, the affinity squiers coming out now for 179 bucks are very good instruments and the ampeg BA105 is a hell of a good combo amp for under 100 bucks. you can start out sounding very good for less than 300 bucks and have decent shit too
To be fair, TalkBass is widely known to be one of the most pretentious bass forums on the internet. I was a part of several different bass forums a few years ago and TalkBass was always the butt of many jokes and everyone talked about how they won't go there anymore. I wish I had bookmarked a few old threads that were absolutely hilarious. I remember one where someone tried to use math to prove that a 10 inch speaker has 10 square inches of surface area.
The last 30 seconds of the video (talking about striving to be better) are extremely amazing to see firsthand. I was working with our bass player, and he had a lead bit. He couldn't nail it 100% so he put on a metronome and practiced to it for about an hour until he nailed it. We pressed record and we got an amazing take. Sometimes, you just need to admit you're imperfect and give it your all, the end may be surprising.
Ten Commandments Of Bass Playing 1. Thou shalt not f**k up the groove. F**k up the notes if thou must, but not the groove. 2. Thou shalt not lust after thy guitar player's part; he keepth the fun, thou keepeth the groove. 3. Be not swayed by a drummer with crappy time, for thou art the keeper of the beat. 4. Be not led into temptation before the gig. After is cool. 5. Thou pusheth thy luck with 5 strings. Six strings is a mortal sin, for thou hast no business in the upper registers. 6. Thou shalt not thump with thy thumb, nor honk with a pick, when thine fingers are the way of truth. 7. Thou shalt not fear whole notes, for they can be the way and the light. 8. Thou shalt leave the fancy sh*t to thine bandmates, that they may wrestle with their own bad taste. 9. Thou shalt change thy strings at least once per decade, whether they need it or not. 10. Thou shalt tune thy bass before each and every gig, even if it was in tune when last thou put it away.
Glenn, don't you think it's insulting to compare bass players to physically/mentally disabled people? I mean, disabled people still have basic skills and probably play bass better anyway. No need to lump them together. The bass players are lower on the spectrum ;)
+Konstantinos Kostis Just go to GuitarCenter and wait by the basses on display. Most bassists who come to the store will forget they actually play bass. Just watch for them.
+sadbuttrue319 Well, I play bass since 1987 (played synth/keyboards and guitar before - guitar still) and what I play in a store to check out a bass may not only be stuff I would play with any of my bands. After all checking out a bass means finding out what it can do. However, I will never play solo guitar stuff on a bass. That's just wrong. :)
+Frus77sh I live with a small list of disabilities. The neurological one is actually a reversion disability. That is, if 99.25 percent of the population were wired the way I/the general group I am talking about are, and the other .75 percent were what I call "normies", it would be the normies who are considered disabled. Such is an important distinction regarding disabilities. I used to play bass because I like the instrument, like the way it works in music, and like being the beat rather than following it. Also, I process sound differently to most people (the words "audio processing disorder" can be looked up for a brief on what I am talking about). Sounds that are lower in frequency have a much better chance of being properly heard by me. I do not play much/at all anymore because my forearms/fingers do not respond well to my mental-signal ("no, little finger, I said I want to hit E, not C#"). I find it a little offputting at times when Glenn implies bass players, full stop, because there are plenty of bass players out there who are awesome. Glenn has mentioned some awesome bass players before, and there's no shortage of them out there. But the real problem is that people see less strings and think "guitar, only easier". Such people should not try to be musicians.
As a starting electronic/orchestral composer without the-best-and-most-up-to-date-software I was really encouraged by the video about expensive gear. I firmly believe that even with outdated and cheap software you can do wonders, if you just know exactly how to handle it properly and have the ear for it.
I a bassist and the first time I went into a studio - I legit took all of the stuff you said to heart so that I WOULD not suck and I didn't and never have since. Thank you! And yeah the jokes and insults are golden and absolutely true lol.
Sometimes i go write constructive critism reviews on some EDM channels. people usually get mad and start talking that the producer im giving the feedback to doesn't need any of that, adn they start saying bullshit like, constructive critism is gonna change their style and all that bullshit. some other people even get mad at me cus i probably have less experience than the producer im giving the feedback to. and also other people think that im just trying to get attention. Fuck those guys
+Geoxor IKR! Constructive criticism is meant to make someone better. Oh wait... Some EDM fans think they and their music is better than everyone and everything. Nah... Screw it, save the constructive criticism for something more important, it will be worth your time. Seriously, I know some EDM fans, who get mad at others' opinions and taste in music. I as a metalhead, do the sensible thing and not care about their insults.
I love how critical you are. Ive recorded people in my studio and they cant play to a goddamn click...or without one. After all the splicing and scooting of the tracks I might as well be making a pop record
You know Glenn you should hold on the horses with the jokes on bass players - because the first rule of Bass club is "Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups". And the second one is "Hey.. Yeah.. What was the first one again?")))
I, as a bass player, should be offended, but I actually go to school to play bass so I am probably more qualified than these guys. Also, my drummer cites Rule #2 every practice lol
I did have a bass player that I didn't know at one of our gigs tell me that he can technically play better than me but said that I had more talent than him. I never understood what he was trying to say.
I'm a bassplayer and recently started commenting on some threads after a 1/2 year of a break most of the people are cool but the tone snobs who insult anyone who doesn't have or favor high end gear really spoil the fun about sharing experiences and knowledge about gear ,techniques and modifications, they'll mock newbies and novice players instead of passing on information and advice it's suppose to be fun, Rite.
It looks like you clipped the audio when you switched into bass player. This is a good and accurate way to tell if you pronouncing bass player words correctly.
You are seriously an inspiration. I've taken on audio engineering full time (Which hasn't been easy by any means) and anytime I get overwhelmed or stressed because of a client, you're videos always save the day! Please don't ever stop making these!
I am literally laughing my ass off here! I am a bass player and I'm also a member of TalkBass. With the way bass players bash on drummers and guitarists, and the way the drummers and guitarists bash on bass players, it's amazing to me that bands form at all! (It's way less amazing why they break up all the time). As for this particular video, I gotta tell you man, this is nothing more than a bunch of dick-waving. Probably would have been better off just ignoring the forum trolls. As for my gear, I play a Washburn 5 string that I got for $250.00 used, and I love it.
The good drummers laugh at drummer jokes. The good bass players laugh at the bass player jokes. The good singers…well, they still don’t get the punchline regardless of skill lol
I've played bass for over 10 years and this guy is the only reason I go on RUclips. A lot of bassists I've noticed (especially locally) are essentially the prime example of a "bassist" in your videos. Keep doing what you're doing because I can't keep telling other bassists to "actually practice", "learn to maintain your shit", and my favorite "stop playing the thing like a fucking guitar". You rule and I'm glad a while back on the "how to not completely suck on bass guitar" video you pointed out 2 of the 3 influences of mine on bass. Steve Harris and Geezer Butler. If more bassists today could comprehend the actually job of a bassist is then maybe you wouldn't make these videos, which honestly would be a bummer. Cheers man!
It took me over an hour to Finnish this video because of all the times I had to "pause the video, take a short break, and continue watching" keep up the great videos man!
I came across SMG via the talkbass forum, and everyone of the comments on the forum told me I HAD to check this out. Loving the videos so far and I fully plan to play my next gig wearing a rule #2 shirt.
I'm a bassist.... I love your videos... I try to break the stereo type... And I take your rants for what they are... educated advice.... More people need to listen to these vids.. Thanks dude... keep it up!
Even though I play the bass, I'm not in the least bit offended. I mean, gee if we can't take some criticism and try to learn from what is obviously a point of frustration for Glenn, wtf are we doing? no one is so awesome that we can't try a bit harder and go one better each time.
+SpectreSoundStudios A newly wed couple is taking a hike through the woods with the help of a local trail guide. As nightfall begins, a drumming sound stirs in the distance. The couple are intrigued and ask the trail guide what the drumming means. The trail guide responds by cryptically saying "don't worry, drumming is good." They continue on. As nightfall descends the drumming suddenly starts becoming louder and more aggressive. The couple is a bit perturbed and ask the trail guide "is it good that the drumming is getting louder." The trail guide responds with a bit of a grin "oh yes, drumming is good." Finally, the sun has gone down. The woods are completely darkened. And the drumming is building to a deafening, war-like crescendo. Suddenly the drumming stops. The couple look at each other for a moment. Then they ask the guide "the drumming has stopped, is that good?" The guide has a look of terror upon his face. "No!" He responds. "This is very, very bad." "Why?" Asks the couple. "It means," he pauses, "it means... that the bass player is taking a solo!"
I can take useless bassist jokes all day, but nothing makes me sadder to be bassist than hearing a bass solo. No matter how good you are, the timber of high bass tones played in rapid succession sounds like shit to me. Sounds like Charlie Brown getting a call from an auctioneer.
I would say there are two questions here. Glenn asked "do beginning bands need good gear to play live shows" - the answer being "no, the audience at local band shows does not care about the tone, better work on your songs, in fact expensive gear might be a problem on the road". The guys at Talkbass forum talk as if the question was "should beginning bands get expensive gear" and the answer was "no, it's forbidden". Of course it is not forbidden - if you can afford it and playing with the tone won't detract you from writing good songs and performing, buy whatever you want. And if you can't afford it, don't sweat it.
It's funny, the 2 worst groups to deal with on RUclips are the Incompetent "Musicians", Religious Weirdos and you get them both... in droves haha. my hats off to ya sir ;)
Glen I love your videos! I have just started taking my interest into audio engineering as a serious career option. I wanted to know what is the best way to "tackle" if you will, this kind of endeavor? Like what is the best way to get started?
Around 6:12 when you're talking about language, I totally agree with you. I think "bad" words are actually a decent mode of expression and can be used to emphasize a point or feeling towards something. Just my opinion though. Keep on making awesome videos, Glenn!
+A Cold Llama Depends on the audience. In some groups, the F-bomb is awesome. In others, it is a sign of immaturity. I run around with very diverse groups. It's obvious when it is not appropriate.
linguistically, foul language and swearing are just as valid as any other form of expression, often more so as they can relate meaningful information very quickly and concisely whereas a detailed, educated, and 'proper' language often has no meaning to it's audience and the message can quickly become lost in an attempt to satisfy the elitist and massively hierarchical/authoritarian goals of labeling some language as foul and others as proper in the hopes and effects of marking poor people's speech as improper in a historical and current attempt to create a view of self- hate and inadequacy within the less privileged masses. (i may have presented on this very phenomena at an anthropology conference or two). do you know what the oldest known use of the word 'Cunt' is? It's a historical record from London for a street name: Grope Cunt Lane. I shit you not! it's on official records. (this suggests that at the time, the word was NOT randomly considered foul language at the time, and was perfectly acceptable in daily usage). Which begs the question: What makes language foul? I of course know the answer to this, but i've ranted long enough, and nobody's gonna read this anyway! cheers.
I'm strictly a Guitarist myself, but play Bass and do lead Vocals in a band. My Guitarist does weird stuff quite often and tries to get me to play Bass in similar fashion but I always try to keep my parts simple and on time to the established BPM my Drummer gives us. Also hoping that you'll read this SMG, what are some nice tips for a rich Bass tone that comes out just enough but doesn't overpower the Guitar?
I agree with you I'm a professional guitar player so what I do for a living very expensive boutique gear is a pile of crap a good fender 410 deville strat with a humbucker in a tube screamer that's all I need to do what I need to do keep putting your videos out bro love it
I totally agree. I made that mistake aswell. I had all this expensive gear but then would spend hours getting it crusty . Nowadays I traded the g5 and all the high end crap for a tascam 4 track guitar pedals for effects and an old reel to reel 8trk. After 20 years I finally found the sound I've been after
Hey Glenn, do you have any footage of Chase playing bass? If you don't, can you upload some? As a bassist myself, I'm interested to see what he can do since you gave him praise and mentioned he has worked with Paul Gilbert.
I'm a terrible guitar player and even worse bass player. I probably fall in a lot of stereotypes, and yet I fucking laugh my ass off with his bassist jokes. I think the reason why I don't get offended even when he laughs about something I do is because I'm not trying anything with music. It's just a hobby, I'm not trying to be a pro musician, I just enjoy playing songs I like, you feel them different when they come out of your own hands. I do try to be better every day and learn every day tho. And while I agree 100%, expensive gear is not really that relevant, there is a softspot in the 400-600 $ range, specially for hobby players like me that sound really good and feel really good. And a good feeling instrument makes a lot to improve you. When you feel comfortable with it, when the neck feels good and the shape and weight do too, you play more and more and therefor end up improving faster.
Hi, excuse me that I don´t know your name, this is Didac. Nice to meet you. Your bass is doing some kind of vibrato in the minute 8, approx. After you do a metal mix, can be appreciated the vibratos in the bass? Thanks for your time and answer, I´m learning about mixing and I think your tutorials are a good help, together with others. Cheers
Meh... Not worth to start going thru some odd forum comments, what makes it worse is that this way.. you get the final word.. It's cheap to comment on forum post in a youtube video. This time, you deserve the inevitable trolls this will attract. The earlier videos were funny, this is just venting. Looking forward the return of regular programming, i've enjoyed them so far :) Cause, if someone says here that this video sounds like a bit of butthurt, they are absolutely right. We are better than this, man.
Wow. This guy's development was arrested as an early adolescent. The hair, attitude, lexicon, attire, all of it child-like for someone of such an advanced physical age.
Yeah. He has good info but masks it behind the presentation of a 55 year old that can’t accept he’s not cool anymore. That can’t accept that you should maybe check the f bombs a bit, if you want people to take you seriously. I also find it funny as most of his bassist complaints apply to the guitarists and drummers I’ve played with over the years. It’s not like bassists have a monopoly on incompetence in the studio. Personally I always get my tracks done in a take or two. Whereas the drummers and guitarists I carry often take weeks or months and require substantial editing.
I'm a guitar player who plays bass in a band. I'm not a bassist. Do I mostly just follow the guitars? Yup. By do you know why we sound good? Because I'm good at keeping time, unlike most bass players I've met.
to be honest, i'm a bass player and i really agree with you, glenn, not only that quality of gear doesnt matter in a small club, but also that there are many, many, many not so smart bassists out there (including myself sometimes).Usually when i watch your videos (which i really enjoy by the way) i take what you say about bass players and use it to better myself as a musician. keep up the great work man.
It's surprising they could form such long sentences without forgetting what they were doing...once again lots of fun, enjoyed this one as usual keep up the good work!
+Kyle Arnold Haha if I ever talk like those guys slap in the face man. It's hilarious how butthurt they get over the smallest things even if they ain't directed at them. I guess their rage kept them motivated enough to write some full sentences, even if they were just to whine and have no point.
Holy fuck Glenn! This has got to be the funniest, extremely truthful video I've seen in a while! As a bass player, I truly believe that we need more people to take their thumbs out of their ass's and learn how to play! The whole idea of bass is to add low end to the sound and be the foundation of the band alongside your drummer... Not to switch amp sims every song to "get your tone right". It's unbelievable how many people join bands and play bass just for the sake of being in a band. I think I may be one of the only people who truly agree with your shirt, "Your bass player is a useless cunt" t-shirt, because when you get right down to it, we are useless cunts! To me that's a good thing, because it makes me strive to play better. Thanks a lot for being honest Glenn, we really need more people to show us what's up!
The thing is that gear like helix, Kemper, etc evolved basically from the fact that the audience doesn't need purist gear to hear what the artists intentions are. Both 'purist' and 'traditional' gear are still in use for the artists feel. You can practically DI out after the effects, one to an onstage amp for feel and the other end to a modeler at FOH. The truely BEST results come from lowest stage noise using in ear monitors solutions.
First, Glenn - a big "thank you". Not only for reviving the feeling of hope in me for the metal community and defending your arguments with the outstanding rage they deserve to be defended, but also for reminding me that there are still some intelligent people out there, who are not afraid to say what needs to be said. You and people like the guy who wrote that last comment are an inspiration to one sloppy bedroom composer. Second - to the Talkbass forum members. Reasons to become a bass player: 1. You get to be cool, because you are in a band. 2. You get noticed by girls/boys. That is totally cool! 3. Put no effort whatsoever and still be a part of something. Cool! 4. You can make tons of mistakes and nobody notices (black bass magikkkk). 5. Most of the girls think you are a guitar player (a hard instrument to master) - once again makes you look cool. 6. You get to headbang on stage and not worry what you play (hell, you can just pretend to play!) - extra cool points! .... .... 987654321.To compose and arrange songs, contribute to the band's atmosphere and essence, purely driven by the desire to create art. If YOUR reason to become a bass player is reason No 987654321 - please help us! The world needs you! I should stop whining and go practice now...
I am a beginning bass player and hearing about the horror stories you tell us about the nightmarishly bad bass players drive me forward to become a better player than them! Thanks glenn, keep up the awesome content!
i have a marshall 200 wat bass amp. Nowday i like to use a small behringer amp.coz it got distiortion di and compresion, and a crazy octaver. Also it lighter and you can use it as monitor.
Your videos are encouraging me to study bass guitar. I'm working hard and intend get very good at it with the hope of minimal competition. I'm using a pick, should I expect any flack because of that?
I play bass, I started out as a vocalist in high school and learned guitar, then a bit of drums through the years, but slowly transitioned towards playing bass just because I loved it so much. I don't mind the jokes about bassists, they just make me laugh and shake my head.
I'm on talk bass regularly and get some great tips and advice. The only thing that gets me is that some of those guys spend 7 to 9k on a freaking bass. Unless you are in a band that tours globally and makes an incredible amount of money, do you need it? To be honest, I have heard Squires that sound as good as top line Fenders and Epiphones that sound almost as good as Gibsons. There is so much better entry level gear than 30 years ago and most people can do fine with a bass less than 500$. You can even get good basses under 300$
This channel's been going at it hard for years now, love the content. The older stuff too. It's a good mix between informative and humor in my humble opinion. Plus it's simply hilarious how your (obviously semi serious, but very hyperbolic) view on mic-cuppers and useless-bass players pisses people off for no reason.
Is there any chance you could a video explaining the right frequencies to be boosting or cutting to get certain sounds and tones for bass guitar?? how to get a good rock pick tone, finger style and slap etc and possibly a sound comparison of all tube amp sounds vs solid state?
This probably isn't the video for this comment but whatever. What are some good SIAB systems for recording drums? I'd appreciate it if there was some low medium and expensive stuff in terms of price/quality.
Your first problem was expecting Talkbass to understand how music marketing works. I completely agree with your "does your gear matter" video because from a business side of things, the general audience is not going to notice your gear because most are not musicians. Take electronic music as an example. Millions of fans have been generated over the past 10 years with the rise of dance music, but such a tiny amount of them could actually comprehend a synthesizer, amp, or DJ gear. It sells, and that's it.
As a multi-instrumental musician who mainly plays bass and rhythm guitar, I find your jokes about bass players funny. Mostly because there are so many bass players who don't know how to play. I produce music for other bands from out of my high school and 9/10 times the bass player or the drummer needs me to fill in because they have no idea how to play. Great conten Glenn. Keep up the great work
Honestly, I'm not a huge fan of your personality at times, but you have some of the best recording techniques and reviews on RUclips. I've literally never seen one of your videos with bad advice
Man, I gotta say, your videos are the shit! I really wish more people would take hold of your advise. I've been playing guitar for 2 and 1/2 years now and I've worked myself up to playing stuff from my biggest influences such as jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Everyone always assumes I've been playing since I was young but I just tell them that I practice for hours every day. Unfortunately the same could not be said about my former band and it really sucks because of how serious I am about music. I'm really thankful for your advise man, I'm glad to know that expensive gear doesn't matter because I'm very happy with my cheaper end fender and orange amp!
What happened to your revv in you videos lately. I saw it was replaced by another 5150 for a while but now that's gone and got me think of your revv again.
I totally agree that the gear does not matter. Witch is sort of why I use the Fractal AxeFx standard. Because when I play blues guitar on monday, bass on tuesday, metal on wednesday, and everything else the rest of the week, I just use one amp for what ever I want to record that day. And for doing all that, it really saves me money. If, however, I liked to play one genere, I would buy a fitting amp and a fitting guitar and go on with it. To this day, my favorite guitar sound I have ever had, was a Squire Jazzmaster into a Orange Tiny Terror 1x12". Cheap, but for that song, it just beat everything else I tried!
just had a gig few days ago in a small venue in london, the first band had big amps, expensive equipment, strings changed before playing, and they had a soundcheck, we played with a kemper and a line 6 hd 500 without doing any soundcheck. our sound was clear and controlled, no ugly high pitch feedbacks, beefy and heavy as it's supposed to be....their sound....well.....messy, noisy, confused, maybe more realistic then a line 6 emulation, but still not worth it if you don't play in big arenas frequently
I remember once I played a school concert with my band and I had like a £70 bass and a shitty Beringer amp. Funnily enough no one was commenting on gear because most people wouldn't know the difference between a £70 bass and a £700 bass anyway
It's scary I never really thought the line 6 amps sounded bad maybe it's just sound preference the one thing I don't really care for with line 6 is you are confined to stay with certain settings I like to be able to say "hey I made that tone". anyway I have been playing. guitar for about 4 years and have gotten into the music engineering field a year ago. I have been learning how to master and mix, what advice do you have to give to someone who just fresh off the boat into the mixing world
I am on TalkBass and have been for a long time and man... I have to agree with you on all fronts. Expensive gear, while nice to have, is not going to save your from the sinking ship that is "Lack of Drive". I have said on TB time and time again when new-to-bass people (or "First gig soon" posts) start threads regarding "Best bass bang for the buck". Everyone always comments "Has to be at least this Fender/Dean/Warwick/etc that is at least $800". My comment is always something like this: I play out professionally in original and cover bands very regularly and have for several years on bass. I have had people with $2,400 basses compliment my $110 SX. The player makes the instrument, not the other way around. If you learn how to properly set up a bass and play it (or any instrument) you can get by on anything from a Daisy Rock to a Carl Thompson, or a Squire to a Harper. I had the pleasure of opening for dUg Pinnick and the Texas Poundation and Corey Glover (from Living Color) and they were both highly impressed by the band I was playing with during sound check. Guess what: Was using my SX bass during soundcheck through a Hartke LH1000 head through a Peavey 2x15 loaded with Eminence Speakers. The only "expensive" thing in that mix were the speakers. People get too hung up on this notion that "if it's less than a grand it's not worth having". I have since then upgraded via an endorsement to a very nice Harper bass, but even then I still bust out my Peavey T20 and SX Ursa 3 at shows and practices. If you know how to play and dial in your tone, and your sound guy (if it's a larger venue) are worth a shit you can use whatever you want and it will be fine. So... I guess in conclusion of my long winded rant: While the vast majority of TB bitched and moaned about your video, just know this bassplayer doesn't have his head in his ass and agrees. Also: I'm not so much as a useless cunt as I am just a plain old cunt.
Glenn,Im a 53yo guitarist and I love your videos,youre honest and constructive,I have no problem with your comments and have learned a few things.You just keep doing what you do and fuck the haters,Respect bro
Im a bassist and i find the bass insults and jokes fucking hilarious. And sadly most of the time, very true.
Same I play bass in my school band and even though In the song - mr. Brightside - uses a pick I don't and try to go against the normal tradition in rock and metal about using a pick.
I almost died laughing, and believe me I don't laugh very much.
the only bassist that get mad at these comments are the ones who know they suck at their instrument. Us good bassist don't give a fuck lol
Andres Esqueda Yeah but I think it helps i am am also mainly a guitarist and drummer. the only reason i play bass in my school band is because i'm the only good bassist in the school my band mates say.
Same
There are musicians that play bass guitar and there are bassists.
Yan Doroshenko Perfectly said.
Bassist is such an ugly noun. I prefer being called a BASS PLAYER.
FYI, if you write "shitty" on TB, the forum software automatically edits it to "poopy". So it's the admins who are in 6th grade.
+Helium Road BTW, starting a pissing match with TalkBass is pretty epic, I hang over there and I was waiting for your vids to show up and piss people off sooner or later. Warming up the popcorn now! I agree with you BUT I also agree with you.
+Helium Road This is a valid point. The TB admins moderate those forums pretty tightly and certain words violate the terms of use. They will edit the words and you will get a warning. I know because I have received a few. They are trying to maintain a certain level of discourse that doesn't devolve into Reddit level rants.
The TB crowd also tends to be a little older, and they don't care for foul language. That's just the culture of the forum. Glenn should at least respect that if he doesn't agree with it.
+Jeff Clark I received a few warnings for accidentally swearing. Oops? Threatening to terminate my account if I do it one more time? HA fine, go ahead.
Talkbass is useless and boring AF nowadays. Show your green bass, show your black bass, fender/gibson haters, ugly pictures of yourself
I'll tell you what people bitch about at concerts:
1 - there's too much reverb! (there's none and you are playing in a giant concrete and steel ex-factory)
2 - The voice is too soft (yeah, you tell the singer that this is not X-Factor and the mic can't be half a meter from the mouth.
3 - It's too loud (so why the fuck are you standing next to the speakers with no ear protections, when there are people 60 meters away that want to hear the concert as well?)
4 - There's a problem with the Kick drum (yeah, the way he plays it)
Never ever heard about the gear, not once in 20 years...but, geez, if I could have 1 euro for every time they asked me: "Do you really know what every single button is for?" :D
5 - $10 for a Coors Lite?! Fuck
+flips220 Fuck That..Piss/Water Beer man...
JR Christ, I was making a joke. Leave it to someone in the comments to come be a prick about it. I mean as long as we're on the topic of gear snobs, might as well include beer snobs as well! Actually real talk though, I haven't been to many concerts or events that serve craft beer and microbrews. Bud, Coors, Miller, etc. are generally what you have to choose from.
+flips220 Hmm yeah that was a bit Harsh/Prickish I agree....I have to say really Enjoy a lot of the Craft/micro stuff though.
JR Do you by any chance play the bass? ;)
I'm a bass player, hello. (I also play rhythm guitar, but bass is what got me into music and loving it, so there you go.) I make drummer jokes. ALL THE FUCKING TIME. My friends and I rip each other apart on the daily.
"What's the difference between a guitarist and a bassist? One is a musician, the other is a bassist."
"How do you tell if a stage is level? If there's drool coming out of both sides of the drummers mouth."
Etc, etc, forever and ever amen. Seriously, if you can't take a joke at the expense of your instrument, you need to grow some thicker skin and grow up. If you play well, if you dedicate yourself to what you do and you love what you play, just laugh along and fire back in good fun.
Incidentally, how many drummers does it take to change a lightbulb?
Five. One to actually change the lightbulb, and four to argue about how Neil Peart would've done it.
+Tau Tauson "What do you call a drummer who's broken up with his girlfriend?" "Homeless."
Erik Salter what's the funniest thing a drummer ever said to his band?
"Hey guys, let's play one of my songs tonight."
+Tau Tauson that Neil Peart one is too funny and way too real :D
+Tau Tauson I completely agree that in band enviroment its important to be able to laugh at each other and also yourself. Its just in some cases usually the guitarist(who's also more or less band leader) has some wicked idea that bass players shouldnt be allowed to have freedom doing their "own" stuff, even if it clearly would improve the song. And also they want the bass be so low that you can barely hear it. After that you are not really in the mood to hear bass player jokes on top of that. I'm glad I havent been in that kind of situation myself and would probably leave a band like that.
"What's the difference between lead guitarist and Ferrari? Driving Ferrari you need to know how to drive to go fast".
+Progbassist Man, those are some VERY specific issues you're talking about. Played bass for quite a while as a teenager before switching to guitar, never encountered this issue, whether I was playing paid gigs with musicians who were far more experienced or writing songs with my pals. More about a certain person being a dick. Also "even if it clearly would improve the song" - that's extremely subjective, no reason to get upset, just shows you those people aren't compatible.
Honestly this guy is hilarious and the pot of shit he stirs up is even better. This channel has quickly turned into one of my favorites in means of comedy, and learning more about music and how much it actually takes to make and record music. Keep up the good material!
+Spencer Friedrich :)
I agree, he's great. I don't play and I'm not a metalhead (though I do like some metal), but I am a music fan and I find so much of this interesting and funny. What it all boils down to is that Glenn just wants people to be professional and treat their music and their audiences with respect. Props! Subscribed.
I agree also. Glen is the kind of guy who seems to like people. He just doesn't like their bullshit.
I liked the comparison to the Comic Book Guy from the Simpsons. He is a man of intelligence and integrity chronically afflicted by the stupidity of almost everyone he has to deal with, and is just tired of suffering fools. And of course that bass player hasn't figured that out. LOL.
Anyone else a bass player breaking (or trying to break) the stereotypes?
Me ;-;
i do my best... except when it comes to those damn strings...
+preston van kleeck Change them before recording and they should serve you well until the next time you have to record. Or just stick to a schedule like once a month
+Daniel N yea, thats problaby what i will do, thanks for the advice!
Me
75% of bassist make up 3/4ths who play bass
This... This speaks to my soul!
I thought you were talking about 3/4 time signature and you confused the fuck out of me.
youre a bassist?Pete Detrick
Frank Salazar No, a percussionist.
Ok that makes more sense.
For a minute I thought we found a bass player near the top of the bell curve.
"i agree with you but i dont like the word fuck so you are wrong anyway"
"i agree with you but you make jokes about bass players so you are wrong anyway"
"i didnt even watch the video but i still know you are wrong"
these are the kinds of comments that i love the most
especially when they contradict themselves in one sentence
Lmfao!
As a member the forum he's talking about I'll say there's alot of good technical information on TalkBass but many of the people pretty easily get their panties in a wad if you don't pat them on the back and tell them that it was a good idea to spend $10,000 on a new bass that sounds exactly the same as their old one. On thing to note the forum auto-corrects Shit and Crap to Poopy.
+TheRealWilliamWhite auto corrects?????? Off that form before I got on. Know any bass forms for adults ?
Here's an interesting little theory for you.
I worked in a group home for high risk youth when I was younger and I had to study quite a bit of psychology. The term "but" is an interesting term in psychology. "But" is a defiance word and can be used as a scapegoat. The problem is that a lot of people don't know when to use the world "but" and when to use the word "and". For the most part, both can be used in the same situation and it's up to the person to decide which to use. Psychology suggests that people that use the word "but" a lot have likely been raised in a very defiant, argumentative and/or violent household. One of the reasons is because all of the people in that household likely use "but" too much.
Just because somebody says "but" doesn't mean everything before it is a lie. The next time somebody says "but" and you wonder about that, replace "but' with "and" and see if it still sounds like defiance or disagreement, or if it now just sounds like another statement. Saying "and" is an addition, saying the next thing, and saying "but" is a subtraction. One comes off positive and one comes off negative. So, when somebody is raised in a "but" household, they don't always mean for it to be a disagreement, it's just that the word implies it. However when they say that, other people tend to automatically feel lied to, and accusations start happening. The person who said "but" is now left feeling falsely accused and tends to retaliate, hence the birth of an argument. Essentially it's just a miscommunication.
That being said, it's not always a miscommunication. Sometimes people are being defiant. It's just that people should not automatically assume that. Somebody CAN agree with an opinion, and not like a person at the same time. I would guess that the people who left these "but" comments you showed, are just all around argumentative people. That's why I like psychology, you can tell a lot about a person from how often they use words, or move their eyes, or how they sit etc. It's great LOL. Fascinating stuff.
I think there will be a total of three bass players on the entire planet who will understand what you just wrote. :)
+CrazyBadCuber You seem a bit obsessed with Buts.
+CrazyBadCuber I live in Argentina, and I've never saw people like you just mentioned. Does this theory apply only to native english speaker?
I just can't understand your theory. If you can't see the difference between 'But' and 'and', it means you lack education.
+Funes -kvn You are too dumb to understand. And notice that I am the bass player here.
+CrazyBadCuber But what about but, and but but but?
These "bass players" make me look bad for playing bass.
+Pegasus At least you know the difference ;)
i am glad
Same
sorry i cant say musician ......
never mind
So many people missed the point glenn was making. He wasn't saying that expensive gear is bad, he's saying that you don't need it to play music. I started with a squire strat playing through a 5in crate amp. Once I actually learned how to play then I started playing different guitars and experimenting with different techniques to fit a style that I like. Now I play a custom Carvin CT7 with bareknuckle miracle mans going through an Engl Powerball II and a line6 Pod Pro going through the FX loop. If I had this gear when I was starting out I would not only be overwhelmed by the intricacies of this set up but would be discouraged because I wouldn't know where to begin. Focus on music, then focus on gear... If you're a real musician.
+AlexMullinsTV It is a very good idea to start a rookie out on a good instrument - a good player can make a bad instrument sound decent, but a good instrument will still sound decent even if a complete rookie is playing it, and if it sounds decent then it will certainly be less discouraging.
Other than that, ACTUALLY LEARNING HOW TO PLAY is far, far more important than any sort of gear.
It is hilarious that a point as simple as "people do not judge your gear like they judge your performance when you're playing locally" passed so many people though.
TheDoomerBlox
Obviously you don't want an instrument like a walmart guitar but you don't need a les paul custom to start. An Ibanez $300 guitar is perfectly fine for a beginner. As long as it is comfortable for the player in the first place. I don't know any great guitarist that didn't start on something cheap and didn't necessarily have very good tone. Jeff Loomis said he actually started with a peavey T15.
AlexMullinsTV It's not necessary - and "good" is certainly within reason - but it is nevertheless a rather important thing to not overlook.
+AlexMullinsTV I tried making that point several times in that talkbass thread but it was largely ignored. the circle jerk had already started and they werent about to quit.
+AlexMullinsTV Hell, the affinity squiers coming out now for 179 bucks are very good instruments and the ampeg BA105 is a hell of a good combo amp for under 100 bucks. you can start out sounding very good for less than 300 bucks and have decent shit too
"Mummy, I want to be a bass player when I grow up!"
"Sorry son, you can't do both."
To be fair, TalkBass is widely known to be one of the most pretentious bass forums on the internet. I was a part of several different bass forums a few years ago and TalkBass was always the butt of many jokes and everyone talked about how they won't go there anymore. I wish I had bookmarked a few old threads that were absolutely hilarious. I remember one where someone tried to use math to prove that a 10 inch speaker has 10 square inches of surface area.
I know four years is a long time but mind if I ask about more tales from this excellent zoo erm I mean site
Talkbass is useless and boring AF nowadays. Show your green bass, show your black bass, fender/gibson haters, ugly pictures of yourself
The last 30 seconds of the video (talking about striving to be better) are extremely amazing to see firsthand. I was working with our bass player, and he had a lead bit. He couldn't nail it 100% so he put on a metronome and practiced to it for about an hour until he nailed it. We pressed record and we got an amazing take. Sometimes, you just need to admit you're imperfect and give it your all, the end may be surprising.
Ten Commandments Of Bass Playing
1. Thou shalt not f**k up the groove. F**k up the notes if thou must, but not the groove.
2. Thou shalt not lust after thy guitar player's part; he keepth the fun, thou keepeth the groove.
3. Be not swayed by a drummer with crappy time, for thou art the keeper of the beat.
4. Be not led into temptation before the gig. After is cool.
5. Thou pusheth thy luck with 5 strings. Six strings is a mortal sin, for thou hast no business in the upper registers.
6. Thou shalt not thump with thy thumb, nor honk with a pick, when thine fingers are the way of truth.
7. Thou shalt not fear whole notes, for they can be the way and the light.
8. Thou shalt leave the fancy sh*t to thine bandmates, that they may wrestle with their own bad taste.
9. Thou shalt change thy strings at least once per decade, whether they need it or not.
10. Thou shalt tune thy bass before each and every gig, even if it was in tune when last thou put it away.
as a bassist who has explored the talkbass forums, I see why this video was made.
1:21 I call this language "Cuntonese"
YES!!!!!!!!!!
Glenn, don't you think it's insulting to compare bass players to physically/mentally disabled people? I mean, disabled people still have basic skills and probably play bass better anyway. No need to lump them together. The bass players are lower on the spectrum ;)
"The bass players are lower on the spectrum"
That's a compliment to them, they're much dumber. I have to remind my bass player to breathe sometimes.
+sadbuttrue319 Please make a video clip of that.
+Konstantinos Kostis Just go to GuitarCenter and wait by the basses on display. Most bassists who come to the store will forget they actually play bass. Just watch for them.
+sadbuttrue319 Well, I play bass since 1987 (played synth/keyboards and guitar before - guitar still) and what I play in a store to check out a bass may not only be stuff I would play with any of my bands. After all checking out a bass means finding out what it can do. However, I will never play solo guitar stuff on a bass. That's just wrong. :)
+Frus77sh I live with a small list of disabilities. The neurological one is actually a reversion disability. That is, if 99.25 percent of the population were wired the way I/the general group I am talking about are, and the other .75 percent were what I call "normies", it would be the normies who are considered disabled. Such is an important distinction regarding disabilities.
I used to play bass because I like the instrument, like the way it works in music, and like being the beat rather than following it. Also, I process sound differently to most people (the words "audio processing disorder" can be looked up for a brief on what I am talking about). Sounds that are lower in frequency have a much better chance of being properly heard by me. I do not play much/at all anymore because my forearms/fingers do not respond well to my mental-signal ("no, little finger, I said I want to hit E, not C#").
I find it a little offputting at times when Glenn implies bass players, full stop, because there are plenty of bass players out there who are awesome. Glenn has mentioned some awesome bass players before, and there's no shortage of them out there. But the real problem is that people see less strings and think "guitar, only easier". Such people should not try to be musicians.
"Growing old is mandatory, but growing up is optional." That quote literally stuck to me omg.
As a starting electronic/orchestral composer without the-best-and-most-up-to-date-software I was really encouraged by the video about expensive gear. I firmly believe that even with outdated and cheap software you can do wonders, if you just know exactly how to handle it properly and have the ear for it.
Agreed! Plini recored his first EP using only free guitar amp plugins :D
+Paul J. Morton you can compose on anything, it's a matter of skill, accept you will suck a lot before you put out something passable.
+Jaakko Ihanamäki And Plini is a fucking beast.
+Jaakko Ihanamäki and it sounds great. consistent quality for all 3 eps.
I still think that Komplete is the best
I a bassist and the first time I went into a studio - I legit took all of the stuff you said to heart so that I WOULD not suck and I didn't and never have since. Thank you!
And yeah the jokes and insults are golden and absolutely true lol.
I wish he'd turn this into a series. The bass player typing this loves this.
Sometimes i go write constructive critism reviews on some EDM channels. people usually get mad and start talking that the producer im giving the feedback to doesn't need any of that, adn they start saying bullshit like, constructive critism is gonna change their style and all that bullshit. some other people even get mad at me cus i probably have less experience than the producer im giving the feedback to. and also other people think that im just trying to get attention.
Fuck those guys
That is one of the reasons i don't really like EDM: the shitty community.
+Samuele Gamberoni I know right, I make it and I refuse to give feedback anymore, can't say anything useful without bruising egos.
+Samuele Gamberoni Ecstasy Drug Music because drugs are the only way to enjoy the music. Unfortunately drugs also rot the brain.
+Geoxor IKR! Constructive criticism is meant to make someone better. Oh wait... Some EDM fans think they and their music is better than everyone and everything. Nah... Screw it, save the constructive criticism for something more important, it will be worth your time. Seriously, I know some EDM fans, who get mad at others' opinions and taste in music. I as a metalhead, do the sensible thing and not care about their insults.
Pramu Dananjaya Just like rap and hip hop. But nevermind, one day they will all get tired to hear the same crap over and over again.
I love how critical you are. Ive recorded people in my studio and they cant play to a goddamn click...or without one. After all the splicing and scooting of the tracks I might as well be making a pop record
You know Glenn you should hold on the horses with the jokes on bass players - because the first rule of Bass club is "Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups". And the second one is "Hey.. Yeah.. What was the first one again?")))
+SpectreSoundStudios hahahahaha if I could subscribe a second time I would
SpectreSoundStudios lol
I, as a bass player, should be offended, but I actually go to school to play bass so I am probably more qualified than these guys. Also, my drummer cites Rule #2 every practice lol
Nice...
I did have a bass player that I didn't know at one of our gigs tell me that he can technically play better than me but said that I had more talent than him. I never understood what he was trying to say.
Remember, Talkbass is the sewer for collectivist "Jaco only needed 4 strings" clones
Collectivist? Lol
should be called TalkBS
@@emaheiwa8174 YESSSSS 😂🤣😂🤣
I'm a bassplayer and recently started commenting on some threads after a 1/2 year of a break most of the people are cool but the tone snobs who insult anyone who doesn't have or favor high end gear really spoil the fun about sharing experiences and knowledge about gear ,techniques and modifications, they'll mock newbies and novice players instead of passing on information and advice it's suppose to be fun, Rite.
It looks like you clipped the audio when you switched into bass player. This is a good and accurate way to tell if you pronouncing bass player words correctly.
Lmfao!
this made my fucking day!
You are seriously an inspiration. I've taken on audio engineering full time (Which hasn't been easy by any means) and anytime I get overwhelmed or stressed because of a client, you're videos always save the day! Please don't ever stop making these!
I am literally laughing my ass off here! I am a bass player and I'm also a member of TalkBass. With the way bass players bash on drummers and guitarists, and the way the drummers and guitarists bash on bass players, it's amazing to me that bands form at all! (It's way less amazing why they break up all the time).
As for this particular video, I gotta tell you man, this is nothing more than a bunch of dick-waving. Probably would have been better off just ignoring the forum trolls.
As for my gear, I play a Washburn 5 string that I got for $250.00 used, and I love it.
The good drummers laugh at drummer jokes. The good bass players laugh at the bass player jokes.
The good singers…well, they still don’t get the punchline regardless of skill lol
You look like my friend's grandma.
+Luke Greskowiak You look like it's past your bedtime.
+Luke Greskowiak Your friends grandma is hot!
He does look like Ozzy Ozbourne though.
After the bat.
I've played bass for over 10 years and this guy is the only reason I go on RUclips. A lot of bassists I've noticed (especially locally) are essentially the prime example of a "bassist" in your videos. Keep doing what you're doing because I can't keep telling other bassists to "actually practice", "learn to maintain your shit", and my favorite "stop playing the thing like a fucking guitar". You rule and I'm glad a while back on the "how to not completely suck on bass guitar" video you pointed out 2 of the 3 influences of mine on bass. Steve Harris and Geezer Butler. If more bassists today could comprehend the actually job of a bassist is then maybe you wouldn't make these videos, which honestly would be a bummer. Cheers man!
I like you Glenn. You have zero tolerance for BS. Perhaps if more people were like that, we would have less of it in the world.
It took me over an hour to Finnish this video because of all the times I had to "pause the video, take a short break, and continue watching" keep up the great videos man!
LMAO that guy got you with that Simpson's comic book guy reference.
and then i said totally. it’s awesome that he had the balls to include it on this video though
I like the "Comic Book Store On The Simpsons" crack. Out of curiosity, what bass players DO you like ? I'm a Who fan, how do you feel about "The Ox"?
When autism comes in middle aged rock guy form.
I came across SMG via the talkbass forum, and everyone of the comments on the forum told me I HAD to check this out. Loving the videos so far and I fully plan to play my next gig wearing a rule #2 shirt.
You obviously seem to have lots of opinions on bass players. What do you think of Mike Kerr from Royal Blood?
I'm a bassist.... I love your videos... I try to break the stereo type... And I take your rants for what they are... educated advice.... More people need to listen to these vids.. Thanks dude... keep it up!
Even though I play the bass, I'm not in the least bit offended. I mean, gee if we can't take some criticism and try to learn from what is obviously a point of frustration for Glenn, wtf are we doing? no one is so awesome that we can't try a bit harder and go one better each time.
Talking about self improvement; I'm amazed how much better you've gotten at these videos in just a year.
+SpectreSoundStudios
A newly wed couple is taking a hike through the woods with the help of a local trail guide. As nightfall begins, a drumming sound stirs in the distance. The couple are intrigued and ask the trail guide what the drumming means. The trail guide responds by cryptically saying "don't worry, drumming is good."
They continue on. As nightfall descends the drumming suddenly starts becoming louder and more aggressive. The couple is a bit perturbed and ask the trail guide "is it good that the drumming is getting louder." The trail guide responds with a bit of a grin "oh yes, drumming is good."
Finally, the sun has gone down. The woods are completely darkened. And the drumming is building to a deafening, war-like crescendo. Suddenly the drumming stops.
The couple look at each other for a moment. Then they ask the guide "the drumming has stopped, is that good?" The guide has a look of terror upon his face. "No!" He responds. "This is very, very bad."
"Why?" Asks the couple.
"It means," he pauses, "it means... that the bass player is taking a solo!"
AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!
*proceeds to have nightmares forever*
I can take useless bassist jokes all day, but nothing makes me sadder to be bassist than hearing a bass solo. No matter how good you are, the timber of high bass tones played in rapid succession sounds like shit to me. Sounds like Charlie Brown getting a call from an auctioneer.
Unless you mean Cliff Burton, then all is good.
I would say there are two questions here. Glenn asked "do beginning bands need good gear to play live shows" - the answer being "no, the audience at local band shows does not care about the tone, better work on your songs, in fact expensive gear might be a problem on the road". The guys at Talkbass forum talk as if the question was "should beginning bands get expensive gear" and the answer was "no, it's forbidden". Of course it is not forbidden - if you can afford it and playing with the tone won't detract you from writing good songs and performing, buy whatever you want. And if you can't afford it, don't sweat it.
It's funny, the 2 worst groups to deal with on RUclips are the Incompetent "Musicians", Religious Weirdos and you get them both... in droves haha.
my hats off to ya sir ;)
I do what I can. :)
+Synister Shreds what about gender warriors? I vote them as the worse although I haven't noticed them around here.
+debaser71 I'm Inclined to Believe you won't hear/very little about that lol
debaser71 They scream loudly but are few in numbers. Real progressives laugh at them.
Glen I love your videos! I have just started taking my interest into audio engineering as a serious career option. I wanted to know what is the best way to "tackle" if you will, this kind of endeavor? Like what is the best way to get started?
Around 6:12 when you're talking about language, I totally agree with you. I think "bad" words are actually a decent mode of expression and can be used to emphasize a point or feeling towards something. Just my opinion though. Keep on making awesome videos, Glenn!
Actually, more towards 6:00, whoops lol.
+A Cold Llama Depends on the audience. In some groups, the F-bomb is awesome. In others, it is a sign of immaturity. I run around with very diverse groups. It's obvious when it is not appropriate.
+Rob Wells I completely agree. There are times where it is appropriate and times where it is not.
linguistically, foul language and swearing are just as valid as any other form of expression, often more so as they can relate meaningful information very quickly and concisely whereas a detailed, educated, and 'proper' language often has no meaning to it's audience and the message can quickly become lost in an attempt to satisfy the elitist and massively hierarchical/authoritarian goals of labeling some language as foul and others as proper in the hopes and effects of marking poor people's speech as improper in a historical and current attempt to create a view of self- hate and inadequacy within the less privileged masses. (i may have presented on this very phenomena at an anthropology conference or two). do you know what the oldest known use of the word 'Cunt' is? It's a historical record from London for a street name: Grope Cunt Lane. I shit you not! it's on official records. (this suggests that at the time, the word was NOT randomly considered foul language at the time, and was perfectly acceptable in daily usage). Which begs the question: What makes language foul? I of course know the answer to this, but i've ranted long enough, and nobody's gonna read this anyway! cheers.
I'm strictly a Guitarist myself, but play Bass and do lead Vocals in a band. My Guitarist does weird stuff quite often and tries to get me to play Bass in similar fashion but I always try to keep my parts simple and on time to the established BPM my Drummer gives us. Also hoping that you'll read this SMG, what are some nice tips for a rich Bass tone that comes out just enough but doesn't overpower the Guitar?
I agree with you I'm a professional guitar player so what I do for a living very expensive boutique gear is a pile of crap a good fender 410 deville strat with a humbucker in a tube screamer that's all I need to do what I need to do keep putting your videos out bro love it
I totally agree. I made that mistake aswell. I had all this expensive gear but then would spend hours getting it crusty . Nowadays I traded the g5 and all the high end crap for a tascam 4 track guitar pedals for effects and an old reel to reel 8trk. After 20 years I finally found the sound I've been after
I'll say this much about bass players, they don't get much respect but when you have a bad bass player in the band you sure as hell notice it.
Hey Glenn, do you have any footage of Chase playing bass? If you don't, can you upload some? As a bassist myself, I'm interested to see what he can do since you gave him praise and mentioned he has worked with Paul Gilbert.
I'm a terrible guitar player and even worse bass player. I probably fall in a lot of stereotypes, and yet I fucking laugh my ass off with his bassist jokes. I think the reason why I don't get offended even when he laughs about something I do is because I'm not trying anything with music. It's just a hobby, I'm not trying to be a pro musician, I just enjoy playing songs I like, you feel them different when they come out of your own hands. I do try to be better every day and learn every day tho. And while I agree 100%, expensive gear is not really that relevant, there is a softspot in the 400-600 $ range, specially for hobby players like me that sound really good and feel really good. And a good feeling instrument makes a lot to improve you. When you feel comfortable with it, when the neck feels good and the shape and weight do too, you play more and more and therefor end up improving faster.
just rewatched this, never gets old
The title of this video is all wrong, mentally challenged people are much more capable than any bass player.
and Mr.FF probably learned that quote from his grand pappy while they were "fixin to go get em some blacks.'
Hahaha lol I may be a bass player with Autism, but I actually practice
Hi, excuse me that I don´t know your name, this is Didac. Nice to meet you. Your bass is doing some kind of vibrato in the minute 8, approx. After you do a metal mix, can be appreciated the vibratos in the bass? Thanks for your time and answer, I´m learning about mixing and I think your tutorials are a good help, together with others. Cheers
Meh... Not worth to start going thru some odd forum comments, what makes it worse is that this way.. you get the final word.. It's cheap to comment on forum post in a youtube video. This time, you deserve the inevitable trolls this will attract. The earlier videos were funny, this is just venting.
Looking forward the return of regular programming, i've enjoyed them so far :) Cause, if someone says here that this video sounds like a bit of butthurt, they are absolutely right. We are better than this, man.
How about to do more of that musician forums stuff? It's been a while since you did this one, so it would be great if you do more.
Wow. This guy's development was arrested as an early adolescent. The hair, attitude, lexicon, attire, all of it child-like for someone of such an advanced physical age.
Yeah. He has good info but masks it behind the presentation of a 55 year old that can’t accept he’s not cool anymore. That can’t accept that you should maybe check the f bombs a bit, if you want people to take you seriously.
I also find it funny as most of his bassist complaints apply to the guitarists and drummers I’ve played with over the years. It’s not like bassists have a monopoly on incompetence in the studio. Personally I always get my tracks done in a take or two. Whereas the drummers and guitarists I carry often take weeks or months and require substantial editing.
Dude I truly love your vids and have been watching them for a while keep up the good work
I'm a guitar player who plays bass in a band. I'm not a bassist. Do I mostly just follow the guitars? Yup. By do you know why we sound good? Because I'm good at keeping time, unlike most bass players I've met.
Glenn @3:52 while you are displaying the shirt...whose are those amps in the background (lots of peavey)
Most angry wankers in every comment section
"I FELT, MY GEAR, MY MY , ME ME ME I * SPLURT *"
Glenn, I like to think I know it when I see sarcasm, so a quick question, who are some of your favorite bassists?
You Sir, are a breath of fresh air :)
to be honest, i'm a bass player and i really agree with you, glenn, not only that quality of gear doesnt matter in a small club, but also that there are many, many, many not so smart bassists out there (including myself sometimes).Usually when i watch your videos (which i really enjoy by the way) i take what you say about bass players and use it to better myself as a musician. keep up the great work man.
Rule #1 Your sound engineer is a Glenn Fricker.
It's surprising they could form such long sentences without forgetting what they were doing...once again lots of fun, enjoyed this one as usual keep up the good work!
+Kyle Arnold Haha if I ever talk like those guys slap in the face man. It's hilarious how butthurt they get over the smallest things even if they ain't directed at them. I guess their rage kept them motivated enough to write some full sentences, even if they were just to whine and have no point.
It'd usual take one of those guys months to write up half a sentence.
Holy fuck Glenn! This has got to be the funniest, extremely truthful video I've seen in a while! As a bass player, I truly believe that we need more people to take their thumbs out of their ass's and learn how to play! The whole idea of bass is to add low end to the sound and be the foundation of the band alongside your drummer... Not to switch amp sims every song to "get your tone right". It's unbelievable how many people join bands and play bass just for the sake of being in a band. I think I may be one of the only people who truly agree with your shirt, "Your bass player is a useless cunt" t-shirt, because when you get right down to it, we are useless cunts! To me that's a good thing, because it makes me strive to play better. Thanks a lot for being honest Glenn, we really need more people to show us what's up!
The thing is that gear like helix, Kemper, etc evolved basically from the fact that the audience doesn't need purist gear to hear what the artists intentions are. Both 'purist' and 'traditional' gear are still in use for the artists feel. You can practically DI out after the effects, one to an onstage amp for feel and the other end to a modeler at FOH. The truely BEST results come from lowest stage noise using in ear monitors solutions.
Quit whining and go practice shirts?
First, Glenn - a big "thank you". Not only for reviving the feeling of hope in me for the metal community and defending your arguments with the outstanding rage they deserve to be defended, but also for reminding me that there are still some intelligent people out there, who are not afraid to say what needs to be said.
You and people like the guy who wrote that last comment are an inspiration to one sloppy bedroom composer.
Second - to the Talkbass forum members.
Reasons to become a bass player:
1. You get to be cool, because you are in a band.
2. You get noticed by girls/boys. That is totally cool!
3. Put no effort whatsoever and still be a part of something. Cool!
4. You can make tons of mistakes and nobody notices (black bass magikkkk).
5. Most of the girls think you are a guitar player (a hard instrument to master) - once again makes you look cool.
6. You get to headbang on stage and not worry what you play (hell, you can just pretend to play!) - extra cool points!
....
....
987654321.To compose and arrange songs, contribute to the band's atmosphere and essence, purely driven by the desire to create art.
If YOUR reason to become a bass player is reason No 987654321 - please help us! The world needs you!
I should stop whining and go practice now...
I am a beginning bass player and hearing about the horror stories you tell us about the nightmarishly bad bass players drive me forward to become a better player than them! Thanks glenn, keep up the awesome content!
Glenn could you do a tutorial on recording two instruments in the same room (guitar & drums) and the best ways to isolate them?
I had a "discussion" under a video where many think, a bass is a guitar. What do you think about it?
i have a marshall 200 wat bass amp. Nowday i like to use a small behringer amp.coz it got distiortion di and compresion, and a crazy octaver. Also it lighter and you can use it as monitor.
Your videos are encouraging me to study bass guitar. I'm working hard and intend get very good at it with the hope of minimal competition. I'm using a pick, should I expect any flack because of that?
I play bass, I started out as a vocalist in high school and learned guitar, then a bit of drums through the years, but slowly transitioned towards playing bass just because I loved it so much. I don't mind the jokes about bassists, they just make me laugh and shake my head.
I'm on talk bass regularly and get some great tips and advice. The only thing that gets me is that some of those guys spend 7 to 9k on a freaking bass. Unless you are in a band that tours globally and makes an incredible amount of money, do you need it? To be honest, I have heard Squires that sound as good as top line Fenders and Epiphones that sound almost as good as Gibsons.
There is so much better entry level gear than 30 years ago and most people can do fine with a bass less than 500$. You can even get good basses under 300$
this video embodies about half of what i love about this channel. the other half being all the cool stuff i learn here.
This channel's been going at it hard for years now, love the content. The older stuff too. It's a good mix between informative and humor in my humble opinion. Plus it's simply hilarious how your (obviously semi serious, but very hyperbolic) view on mic-cuppers and useless-bass players pisses people off for no reason.
Is there any chance you could a video explaining the right frequencies to be boosting or cutting to get certain sounds and tones for bass guitar?? how to get a good rock pick tone, finger style and slap etc and possibly a sound comparison of all tube amp sounds vs solid state?
I'm a bassist and I want that shirt
This probably isn't the video for this comment but whatever. What are some good SIAB systems for recording drums? I'd appreciate it if there was some low medium and expensive stuff in terms of price/quality.
Your first problem was expecting Talkbass to understand how music marketing works. I completely agree with your "does your gear matter" video because from a business side of things, the general audience is not going to notice your gear because most are not musicians. Take electronic music as an example. Millions of fans have been generated over the past 10 years with the rise of dance music, but such a tiny amount of them could actually comprehend a synthesizer, amp, or DJ gear. It sells, and that's it.
As a multi-instrumental musician who mainly plays bass and rhythm guitar, I find your jokes about bass players funny. Mostly because there are so many bass players who don't know how to play. I produce music for other bands from out of my high school and 9/10 times the bass player or the drummer needs me to fill in because they have no idea how to play. Great conten Glenn. Keep up the great work
Kind of funny to follow along with the monitor to visually hear when Glenn gets really loud. Great stuff as usual!
Honestly, I'm not a huge fan of your personality at times, but you have some of the best recording techniques and reviews on RUclips. I've literally never seen one of your videos with bad advice
Man, I gotta say, your videos are the shit! I really wish more people would take hold of your advise. I've been playing guitar for 2 and 1/2 years now and I've worked myself up to playing stuff from my biggest influences such as jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Everyone always assumes I've been playing since I was young but I just tell them that I practice for hours every day. Unfortunately the same could not be said about my former band and it really sucks because of how serious I am about music. I'm really thankful for your advise man, I'm glad to know that expensive gear doesn't matter because I'm very happy with my cheaper end fender and orange amp!
What happened to your revv in you videos lately. I saw it was replaced by another 5150 for a while but now that's gone and got me think of your revv again.
I totally agree that the gear does not matter. Witch is sort of why I use the Fractal AxeFx standard. Because when I play blues guitar on monday, bass on tuesday, metal on wednesday, and everything else the rest of the week, I just use one amp for what ever I want to record that day. And for doing all that, it really saves me money. If, however, I liked to play one genere, I would buy a fitting amp and a fitting guitar and go on with it. To this day, my favorite guitar sound I have ever had, was a Squire Jazzmaster into a Orange Tiny Terror 1x12". Cheap, but for that song, it just beat everything else I tried!
just had a gig few days ago in a small venue in london, the first band had big amps, expensive equipment, strings changed before playing, and they had a soundcheck, we played with a kemper and a line 6 hd 500 without doing any soundcheck.
our sound was clear and controlled, no ugly high pitch feedbacks, beefy and heavy as it's supposed to be....their sound....well.....messy, noisy, confused, maybe more realistic then a line 6 emulation, but still not worth it if you don't play in big arenas frequently
I remember once I played a school concert with my band and I had like a £70 bass and a shitty Beringer amp. Funnily enough no one was commenting on gear because most people wouldn't know the difference between a £70 bass and a £700 bass anyway
It's scary I never really thought the line 6 amps sounded bad maybe it's just sound preference the one thing I don't really care for with line 6 is you are confined to stay with certain settings I like to be able to say "hey I made that tone". anyway I have been playing. guitar for about 4 years and have gotten into the music engineering field a year ago. I have been learning how to master and mix, what advice do you have to give to someone who just fresh off the boat into the mixing world
I am on TalkBass and have been for a long time and man... I have to agree with you on all fronts. Expensive gear, while nice to have, is not going to save your from the sinking ship that is "Lack of Drive". I have said on TB time and time again when new-to-bass people (or "First gig soon" posts) start threads regarding "Best bass bang for the buck". Everyone always comments "Has to be at least this Fender/Dean/Warwick/etc that is at least $800". My comment is always something like this: I play out professionally in original and cover bands very regularly and have for several years on bass. I have had people with $2,400 basses compliment my $110 SX. The player makes the instrument, not the other way around. If you learn how to properly set up a bass and play it (or any instrument) you can get by on anything from a Daisy Rock to a Carl Thompson, or a Squire to a Harper. I had the pleasure of opening for dUg Pinnick and the Texas Poundation and Corey Glover (from Living Color) and they were both highly impressed by the band I was playing with during sound check. Guess what: Was using my SX bass during soundcheck through a Hartke LH1000 head through a Peavey 2x15 loaded with Eminence Speakers. The only "expensive" thing in that mix were the speakers. People get too hung up on this notion that "if it's less than a grand it's not worth having". I have since then upgraded via an endorsement to a very nice Harper bass, but even then I still bust out my Peavey T20 and SX Ursa 3 at shows and practices. If you know how to play and dial in your tone, and your sound guy (if it's a larger venue) are worth a shit you can use whatever you want and it will be fine. So... I guess in conclusion of my long winded rant: While the vast majority of TB bitched and moaned about your video, just know this bassplayer doesn't have his head in his ass and agrees. Also: I'm not so much as a useless cunt as I am just a plain old cunt.
Glenn,Im a 53yo guitarist and I love your videos,youre honest and constructive,I have no problem with your comments and have learned a few things.You just keep doing what you do and fuck the haters,Respect bro