An unusual study was conducted by experts from the National Academy of Sciences, the leading scientific organization of the United States, which was founded more than 160 years ago. Although the results of the study were published in the official journal of the Academy "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences" back in 2014, they came to our attention only recently, and we cannot resist the desire to share the curiosity with readers.
Scientists decided to determine who is the most important member of a rock band. Usually, people give roughly equal attention to each component, such as electric guitar, bass,drums and vocals. However, it turned out that this generalized view does not correspond reality.
In the past, rhythm and blues served as a means of expressing emotions, feelings and protest for artists. With the development of musical genres such as jazz, blues, gospel and swing, rock music was born, which impresses with a new sound, based on rhythmic beats, expressive vocals and emotional lyrics.
Researchers, retrospectively studying the history of music, came to the conclusion that all these genres have a common instrumental component - the bass. Why? Because the rhythm of the bass guitar most closely resembles a heartbeat. The bass guitar is responsible for the rhythmic basis of the composition. Her bass lines set the foundation for the rest of the instruments and create a solid foundation for all the music.
From the double bass to the modern electric instrument, the evolution of the bass guitar testifies to its great power and significance. The regular double bass was popular in orchestras at the beginning of the 20th century. But with the spread of genres like jazz and blues, there was a need for a more portable yet powerful bass instrument.
The first "electric bass" was created by enthusiast and experimenter Paul Tatmark in 1935. His work was not widely recognized at the time, but it laid the foundation for the development of the electric bass guitar. Popularity came later, in the fifties, and now the bass guitar is an integral part of almost any musical genre - from jazz to metal, from hip-hop to pop music.
Scientists of the National Academy of Sciences claim that human hearing is most sensitive to changes in low frequencies of the bass guitar compared to changes in high tones characteristic of other instruments. Thus, they identify the bass player as the most important member of a rock band because he interacts the most with the listener's brain. Thus, it has a significant impact on the listener's perception of music,
It is often said that bass players are the least important members of bands. We personally have never accepted this point of view, and now our opinion has received scientific confirmation: the bassist is the most important person in a rock band.
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