Sorry, I am not a professional musician but I was wondering if anyone can explain to me why the bass guitarist is always on the right side of the stage.(I know it is a stupid question, but like I said I am not a professional.)

It's not a stupid question.

Bass players generally like to be on the hi-hat side of the drum kit. Assuming the drummer's right handed, that would put the bass player to the audience's right.

Thanks for the reply! That makes sense. I recently saw an interview on TV that Dave Stewart did with Ringo Starr. He was talking about being a left handed drummer but he had a right handed kit. I didnt know there were right and left handed kits and if that is so, why didnt he just use a left handed kit. I sure he could have afforded one. I noticed that bass player are normally on the right side and I didnt understand why. Thanks so much for clearing that up for me.

Dunno. Ringo may have learned on a right-handed kit, and by the time he could afford to buy the entire drum company, the habits were already ingrained.

I have a bass player friend who's right-handed but plays left-handed. Or maybe just the strings are reversed. However she has her bass set up, it always felt more natural to her, even though technically it's backwards.

By the way, the drum kit's the same (everything's round, after all.) It's just that left-handed players usually set it up reversed.

I'm left-handed and the bassist almost always sets up to my right as I face the audience. I don't know why. But that does put him on my hihat side. Never thought about that much til now. I always assumed we wanted the bassist near the center of the band as bass frequencies tend to radiate all around as higher frequencies tend to shoot more *forward*. That would be for more of a CD sound where the bass, snare, and kick are up the middle.

If Ringo was a lefty, you'd never know it by his groove, but it might explain his totally unconventional style.

If you ever get a chance to see the interview Dave Stewart did with Ringo definately watch it. It is very good. He tells some wonderful stories. He is explaining his style and how he came to play the way he did on certain songs. He is truly brillant! Not being a musician myself but a music lover I never really appreciated what goes into to creating,I just took it all for granted. What made me wonder about the placement of the bassist is I was watching The Who on TV tonight and for some reason I realized that the bassist is always on the right (left facing the stage) and I had no idea why.

Why is the bassist on the right?

Hmmm ... why are the double basses in an orchestra on the same side and the violins on the opposite (right & left, respectively, when facing the stage)?

Could it just be that is the way most people got used to seeing it?

Lot's of interesting speculation is possible about what could be an unconscious bias toward a certain "ordering" or placement of instruments on a stage.


Interesting question...

Funny....I always saw the bass players on the audience's left (Who, Cream, Tull, Beatles, Deep Purple)

In my band's situation, the bass player prefers left with me on the right so he can more easily read my chords and play the appropriate notes to the songs he never bothered to learn. Hahahaha.....can't see my fingers if it was reversed.

JD

quote:

Why is the bassist on the right?

I guess were saying "House right", as opposed to the left of the drummer's Hi-Hat.

The Beatles, were typically shown, with Paul (Downstage) to Ringo's (Upstage) right side, putting him, (if I am correct), Stage right, House left.

I have played Bass guitar forever and the bands were as follows, given House right to left.

The Country Drifters,
Drums, Guitar, Guitar, Bass.

The Rotary Bed - Rock,
Organ, Guitar, Bass, Drums

The Wanders - Country trio,
Guitar, Drums (Upstage), Bass (for 12 years in one place).

The Difference - Rock, Pop,
Keyboards, Guitar, Sax, Drums (Upstage), Bass

Little Switzerland - it depended on which set of drums were being played.
Keyboards, Guitar, Drums (Acoustic), Bass. - Keyboards, Guitar, Bass, Drums (Trapkat) - All drum kit's being Upstage (behind the players).

Interesting, I had to look in the Stage Wiki, to remember Upstage (back of the stage), vs Downstage (the front of the stage area)

Although I usually track tight with the Drummer, I am to the Guitar players, right, (House left) so that I can read his cord changes. But then, I have never worked with any Left handed Guitar players.

So this usually puts me House left, for what it's worth.

What I meant was the bassist is on stage right but on the audience left. I noticed that every bassist in every group I ever saw and there have been LOTS in my life the bass player was on the right. It might be because that is just the way someone eons ago set up and all the other groups followed suit. I thought there might be some deep dark mysterious or technical reason, not just some random occurance! Maybe I am a deeper thinker than I thought I was! Is there any group anyone can think of that didn't have the traditional placement of the bass player stage right?

John Entwistle was on the right of Keith Moon.
Geddy Lee is on the left of Neal Peart.
John Paul Jones was on the right of John Bonham.
When I played bass I set up to the right of the drummer. I also had to work the PA so it was easier to reach out with my right hand then reaching over to the left side.

Well sinced I have never been a big Rush fan I had not noticed where Geddy Lee was positioned! Every other bassist I ever saw was to the right of the drummer. I thought there might be some reason, some connection there. I appreciate all the replies. It seems everyone has a different take on the reason. It was just making me nuts wondering why. I guess it is just standard operating procedure.....

OK, since I don't have God's email address I did the next best thing. I sent an email to Gene Simmons since he is the Master of the Universe and posed my question to him. If I get an answer I will let you all know.....

I personally think since the most coveted spot is to the drummer's right so when you are playing (as a righty), you can see the drummer and center stage while playing your instrument.

On the other side (house right), you have to turn back to see the drummer/center stage.
many times, the guitarist plays musical director in the band and takes the coveted spot. This is not the case in every band though.

From a drummer's perspective:
I always ask the bass player to play on my left next to the hi-hat. It makes it easier to connect because my whole body tends to face that way already.

I'm an upright bass player. The only time I ever play with a drummer is with jazz combos. IMX, admittedly light, the drummer is always to my left, I am on the drummer's right. That lets me look across my instrument while simultaneously connecting with the drummer. Every rehearsal room and concert setup has always been this way. Could be just chance, or perhaps there is a reason for it. Next time I play with a jazz group, I'll ask. By the way, in jazz situations I key off the ride cymbal, not the hi-hat.