A new scientific study has found that the most important member of any band is the bassist. The report from The National Academy of Sciences found that ‘superior time perception for lower musical pitch explains why bass-ranged instruments lay down musical rhythms’.
In short, it’s all about the bass…
“Results from a biologically plausible model of the auditory periphery suggest that non-linear cochlear dynamics contribute to the observed effect,” says the report. “The low-voice superiority effect for encoding timing explains the widespread musical practice of carrying rhythm in bass-ranged instruments and complements previously established high-voice superiority effects for pitch and melody.”
Photos: Victor Wooten, Flea