the bass guitar was invented
around the same time as me
by fender
the first ones were the best
my bass is an imitation of those first ones
the strings are tuned
eadg
and an octave below guitar strings
the bass is played by plucking or strumming a string
at one end
and pushing the string down
on the wood between the frets
so the string is raised up in down in semitones
two knobs give you volume n treble/bass
the bass is primarily an accompanying instrument
especially working tight with the drums
a kind of bridge between the melodic musicality of the guitar
and the largely atonal beat of the percussion
the bass guitar seemingly sprang from the double bass
yet each is capable of things that the other isnt
the double bass can conjure deep warm woody notes
and lovely slurs n slides
but it aint portable or easy to play
like the bass guitar
oh yeah the bass is easy to play
just like darts i guess
but only a few can throw bullseyes
bass is so sexy
bass is so insistent
bass is so subtle
bass is so down deep
bass is earth
sound of wood metal n electricity
the impulse to play bass struck me straight up thru my feet
i suddenly became aware one day of this wonderful writhing sound
underneath the obvious music
oh i gotta do that i moan to myself
now almost 40 years later still i like it so much more
you can never completely master it
its always got one more undiscovered trick up its sleeve
one more secret thing it can do
one more approach
one more syncopation or harmonic
one more counterpoint note
one more dumb throb
its atlas holding up the rocknroll world
fender jazz
fender precision
they are the best are the best
even
warm
smooth
like olde whiskey
each note sustains as its neighbour
no loud spots
no dead spots
the wood takes the sound n magnifies it
like a strad violin
like a steinway grande
its the wood
its the love of the men who built it
mine is an imitation of that love
yes
my bass is actually a relatively new american fender jazz
customized to resemble a 1957 jazz bass monster
which was apparently the bees knees
so even as a “customized imitation” mine is lovely
what to think the actual original must be like
oh the satisfaction of playing each note in a great song
the work with the kicks in and out
to play in and around gaps in the guitar
and then nail it with em in unison
in full flight the exhilaration
the sheer deafening volume
the incredible size of the bass
the way in punches you in the guts
the way it implies things in your mind
the way it moves in you
making you move
pushing you into the music
holding you aloft
that half indistinguishable sound
you feel it as much as hear it
that liquid pulse of rock
jack bruce lowdown mean n dirty
sir paul oh a lovely player, trust me
chris squire an epic trailblazer
peter hook a brand new take
bass is so nice and kind
bass is so open n understanding
a forgiving sound a solace
bass is the floorboards
bass is the foundations
bass is the thrust needed to take off
bass is the pulse n propulsion
bass is space
i love bass
bass love you
too