Music theory is an enigma wrapped in a roast beef sandwich to me.

Another stupid question: are bass guitars picked or plucked or strummed, generally?

Yes. Also, occasionally slapped.

t /not helpful

Another stupid question: are bass guitars picked or plucked or strummed, generally?

Plucked (with fingers, instead of say a pick or plectrum), thumped, thwaped, hammered, and occasionally bowed.

Though some people do play bass with a pick.

contemplates bringing the Chapman Stick into the discussion to really confuse things

Does Beat Girl even have a lead guitar? It sounds more like a bass to me, because I thought the horns were carrying the melody? (Granted, it's not what I'd term terribly melodic.)

The first two measures of Beat Girl are the lead guitar. The bass line comes in at the third measure, along with the drums and the (I think) trombone(s).

Maybe I'm being fooled because that "dim dim dim" sound seems played in a basslike manner.

Yup. They're playing it on one of the lower strings of the guitar.

Chapman Stick

Hee!

Theo, a standup bass (for my kind of music) pretty much needs to be plucked. The strings are thick. Although you can also bow a standup bass.

So music theory is Theo's math?

Dude, music theory *is* math. That's why I love to listen in on both types of conversations. Even though most of it is waaay over my head, it's always so damn sexy.

Bass is deeper and, uh, rounder (if that makes sense*) than the bassiest guitar line.

* And if it doesn't, picture the visual representation of the sound a string makes when picked. A guitar will typically rapidly ascend to a sharp peak and then slowly trail off, like a hill with a cliff on one side and a slow decline on the other. A bass, because the strings are thicker and range longer, will typically make more of a rising sound to the peak (which is more of a rounded than sharp peak) and will even more slowly trail off, like a bell curve with a long right tail. Guitar: say "pah." Bass: say "buh." Of course, this is only in situations of picked or plucked strings. Strummed and bowed strings are a completely different ball o' wax.

Heh. This is almost as much fun as teaching Allyson about Lord of the Rings.

Mike Mills (R.E.M.) is a very melodic bass player also. He tends to support the singer (Stipe), and Buck plays with the drummer. Usually it's singer/guitarist, bass/drums. Andy Rourke of The Smiths - also melodic.

Funkier, more rhythmic bass players tend to use their fingers and thumbs. There's a whole plucking thing going on. More melodic players tend to use a pick. (cf., Peter Hook always with an extra pick between his teeth)

The first guy I think of when I think "melodic bass" is Paul McCartney. He often played contrapuntal melody. Colin Moulding is like that at times as well.