Bassist
A
bassist is a
musician who plays a
double bass or
electric bass (also referred to as bass guitar). Certain
musical genres tend to be associated with each of these instruments. Since the 1960s, the electric bass is the standard bass instrument for
rock and roll or
pop music. The double bass is the standard bass instrument for
classical music and Swing-era and Bebop-era
jazz music. However, there are exceptions in both cases. Some 1990s and 2000s rock, pop, and punk/psychobilly bands use a double bass, such as the
Barenaked Ladies,
Tiger Army,
The Living End, the
Horrorpops, and the HellRazors. Some composers of modern art music use the electric bass in a chamber music setting, and some jazz big bands use electric bass.
Influential electric bass players in the jazz, rock and roll,pop genres and the punk side of music, include
Jerry Only(
Misfits),
Geezer Butler,
Steve DiGiorgio,
Les Claypool,
Paul McCartney,
Louis Johnson,
Larry Graham,
Gary Mounfield,
John Giblin,
Jaco Pastorius,
James Jamerson,
John Entwistle,
Mark King,
Jason Newsted,
Lemmy Kilmister,
Bootsy Collins,
Bruce Thomas,
Geddy Lee,
Jack Bruce,
Marcus Miller,
John Myung,
Steve Harris,
Sting,
Cliff Burton,
Victor Wooten,
John Paul Jones,
Flea,
Sam Breslin,
Nate Mendel and
Krist Novoselic.
Bassists play the bass line, which is a single low-pitched monophonic line of music. In most jazz, rock, and pop genres, the bass line outlines the harmony of the music being performed, while simultaneously indicating the rhythmic pulse. In addition, there are different standard bass line types for different genres and types of song (e.g. blues ballad, fast swing, etc.). Bass lines often emphasize the root, third, and fifth of the chords of the music. In addition, pedal tones (a repeated or sustained single note), ostinatos, and bass riffs are also used as bass lines. Often in in genres such as
heavy metal music bassists such as
Steve Harris of Iron Madien or Ryan Martinie of Mudvayne have a more complex and interesting bassline.
See: List of Bass guitaristsNotable classical double bass players of historical importance
*
Domenico Dragonetti (1763-1846) Virtuoso, composer, conductor
*
Giovanni Bottesini (1821-1889) Virtuoso, composer, conductor
*
Franz Simandl (1840-1912) Virtuoso, composer
*
Edouard Nanny (1872-1943) Virtuoso, composer
*
Serge Koussevitzky (1874â€"1951) Conductor, virtuoso, composer
Also
See List of contemporary classical double bass playersSee List of jazz bassists, which includes both double bass and electric bass players. See List of double bass players in other popular genres*
Bass Player magazine - Bass Player magazine
*
BassPlaza.com - Thousands of bassplayers listed.
*
Five-string.co.uk - Find Session, Freelance & dep / step-in bass players in the UK. Also, home site of session bassist Greg Mudd
