Ratio of guitarists to other musos?

Averatu

I read somewhere the ratio was for every 100 guitarists there are 10 bassists and 1 drummer. From experience looking for members that seems about right. On top of that you have to find someone within genre and level of competence. How could this be verified? Would an instrument distributor or retailer have stats?

Bob-Dubery

Averatu wrote: I read somewhere the ratio was for every 100 guitarists there are 10 bassists and 1 drummer.

Gigging (or willing to)? Or is that just bedroom players? I don't KNOW but I'd THINK that there would be more bedroom guitarists than bedroom drummers.

But bass players? Ja. When I was at school I had a friend who was a very good pianist, good trumpeter, good drummer. He was already gigging (all sorts of gigs) and he told me that a good bass player need never be short of work.

vic

Averatu wrote: I read somewhere the ratio was for every 100 guitarists there are 10 bassists and 1 drummer. From experience looking for members that seems about right. On top of that you have to find someone within genre and level of competence. How could this be verified? Would an instrument distributor or retailer have stats?

Keep in mind that bass players are also guitarists ie. they (can) play "ordinary" guitars.....all those who I know own at least one (other) guitar

aubs1

Vic wrote: Keep in mind that bass players are also guitarists ie. they (can) play "ordinary" guitars.....all those who I know own at least one (other) guitar

Many big name bass players started out as (rhythm/lead) guitarists rather than bass players ... off the top of my head.....two such players I know are Sting, and of course Noel Redding (Jimi Hendrix Experience), and I think Paul McCartney .......and I'm sure there are many more.

So yep, I do believe that there are many more guitarists than bass players ...... so bass players should earn more ...... ?

So yep, I agree with Vic.

Arno-West

Correct. There are way to many guitarists hanging about. A really good drummer and bass player combo is worth its weight in Stratocasters.

NorioDS

It's for this reason that I've been considering starting to play bass.

Lead guitar - a dime a dozen.
Rhythm guitar - a dime for 3 dozen.
Bass guitar - demand is huge, supply is short = much easier to get in a band. Plus it's a great skill to possess as a guitarist as it gets you in touch with the "groove" of a song. Of course, so does rhythm, bass just does it in a different way.

Averatu

Guitarists that are playing bass dont count. Being able to hit the right notes does not make you a bassist. Its a whole different set of skills. You're not going to book Carlo Mombeli or Victor Wooten to play guitar for a session, you book them to play bass.

Airguitar

Averatu wrote: Guitarists that are playing bass dont count. Being able to hit the right notes does not make you a bassist. Its a whole different set of skills. You're not going to book Carlo Mombeli or Victor Wooten to play guitar for a session, you book them to play bass.

If that were true, then there aren't all that many guitarists around either, or drummers for that matter..

Bob-Dubery

Averatu wrote: Guitarists that are playing bass dont count. Being able to hit the right notes does not make you a bassist. Its a whole different set of skills. You're not going to book Carlo Mombeli or Victor Wooten to play guitar for a session, you book them to play bass.

Stephen Stills plays bass on several records, but really he just sounds like Stephen Stills playing guitar an octave down.

I think that the idea of a bass GUITAR doesn't automatically occur to people. When I first saw the Beatles on TV I just saw three guitarists and a drummer. It was some time later that I listened to Sgt Pepper's and found myself drawn to something in the lower registers that was really quite interesting and melodious. I started to realise that there was something going on low down in the mix and then I "discovered" that there was a thing called a bass guitar. I'd seen a double bass in orchestral or jazz band contexts, but the thought that there was something electric and more or less like a guitar and being played in rock bands hadn't occured to me.

Jack-Flash-Jr

As someone who plays both I can confirm they are very different but if can you hold down a good rhythm on 6 string you're on your way to competant bass.
There's a lot of really good lead guitarists out there who can't string a few grooving bars together on 6 string, nevermind playing in the pocket.
So guitarists that play bass like a skinny guitar don't count but someone can be a guitarist and a bassist (and a trumpeter etc.)

Mannoroth

Could just be that guitar is a better all round solo instrument. Sure you can play bass and drum solo's, but you are unlikely to find many guys entertaining people around a campfire with a bass or drum.

Averatu

Jack Flash Jr wrote: As someone who plays both I can confirm they are very different but if can you hold down a good rhythm on 6 string you're on your way to competant bass.
There's a lot of really good lead guitarists out there who can't string a few grooving bars together on 6 string, nevermind playing in the pocket.
So guitarists that play bass like a skinny guitar don't count but someone can be a guitarist and a bassist (and a trumpeter etc.)

yes.

AlanRatcliffe

Jack Flash Jr wrote: As someone who plays both I can confirm they are very different but if can you hold down a good rhythm on 6 string you're on your way to competant bass.

+1. I'm primarily a guitarist and my bass playing is simple, but I recently played with a young jazz drummer (backing a pop singer) and we had a ball because we both just locked into the pocket. He said his (Wooten wannabee) bassist in his jazz band wasn't half as much fun.

Actually, I feel the same way about most guitarists... so many supremely skilled players around, but very few know how to lock into (or around) the rhythm section, which is where you should be spending 99% of your playing time. Not to mention the folkies, many of whom who expect the rhythm section to follow them.

Keira-WitherKay

well i started out my pro career playing bass (upright and electric bass) ......... .......when i was 15 all i wanted to do was play double bass in a jazz trio (piano /bass /drums) then at a tender age got hooked up in the touring hotel resident bands playing electric bass ( lots of money in that ? ) and did that travelling abroad for 10 years or longer till i switched to guitar ...... i found bass very limiting and guitar offered so much more scope........

and when i matured at 40 into a solo guitar player (mostly world music and jazz) the guitar allowed for much more than the bass ever could ....... and just a biz comment ,,,it's easier to find work as a solo guitarist than find work for a band where you the bassist .......... HOWEVER my experience playing bass has been invaluable to me in my solo guitar style where i play expansive walking bass lines while i play chords/melody and improvise........ and playing jazz bass early in my career taught me how to "swing" which seems to be a prob with many players i hear

so yes bass is way cool but guitar offers more scope as a solo instrument ...........

and i think i mentioned this before but in all reality i wish i'd rather listened to my mother and studied jazz piano ....... rather than bass or guitar ......... i only realise it now that i';m "older" but piano is by far a more complete instrument with a wide range and with many pro working opportunities .....but alas i'm too old to switch now ...(if i was closer to 30 than 50 i would switch without hesitation) ... but as like with any instrument one only gets to the pro level by putting in enough hours and a good few years of experience if one wants to compete for gigs