Low Down: Do Bands Need Bass Players Any More?

Photo by Jeff Balke

Slappin' da bass, mon.

​Growing up in the '80s, there was a concern on the part of drummers that they would be replaced by drum machines. No one thought that every drummer in every band would be swapped out with a box, but spots in all sorts of projects normally reserved for a guy with sticks were being handed over to programmers.

Looking back, it really wasn't a huge overreaction. Prior to the drum machine, most dance, r&b and funk bands had a drummer both in the studio and live. Today, there is rarely a drummer heard in hip hop and rap, both dominant forces in the r&b market, and dance hasn't seen a real drummer in almost 20 years. Some of it is simply a sonic choice. Regular drums can't reproduce the sounds of classic 808 drum machines or the bowel-shaking low end of dubstep.

Bass players have suffered the same fate for many of the same reasons, but it goes beyond the old joke:

Q: How many bass players does it take to change a light bulb?
A: None, the keyboard player can do it with his left hand.

Yes, keyboards have taken the place of many parts reserved for the bass guitar in popular music, but, like drums, rock and roll virtually requires a complete rhythm section, or does it?

While the long-storied tradition of organists covering the low end -- ask anyone if jazz organist Joey DeFrancesco needs a bass in his band -- has been a staple of jazz, gospel and blues for many years, it has rarely seeped into rock music.

The Doors were noted for not touring with a bassist, but they had one in the studio. And while John Paul Jones may have doubled on the organ for certain songs live, Led Zeppelin recorded with both instruments for their albums.

But, even if bands were traveling lighter -- and thus affording the individual members a better payday at gigs -- and letting the keyboard player cover the low end, it wouldn't account for the wave of indie bands simply deciding the don't need bass at all.

The White Stripes

​Look at the list of some of the bands choosing to have no bass player:

White Stripes
The Dresden Dolls
Black Keys
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Sleater-Kinney
Wolfmother
Blonde Redhead
Die Emperor Die!
Eagles of Death Metal
Two Gallants
Alien Sex Fiend
Atomic Rooster

A couple opt for bringing bass players on tour or occasionally working with one in the studio but, for the most part, they just go without.

The White Stripes were probably the first really high profile guitar/drums duos along with the Dresden Dolls. In a bid to bring some low to the Stripes, Red Kross bassist Steven McDonald released a bunch of songs from White Blood Cells online remixed with bass on them. Bass players everywhere applauded, but it didn't stick.