"After drummers, bassists are the hardest to find"—this is common knowledge among musicians. You post a recruitment notice, but no one applies. Or they apply and then quit. After more than 30 years playing in bands, I'm going to tell you honestly about the real reasons for the bassist shortage and five solutions I've developed from experience. From targeting guitarists willing to switch, to writing job postings that welcome beginners, to recruitment techniques at jam sessions.
The "What Do We Do About Bass?" Problem
You're forming a band. You've got vocals, guitar, and drums. "Great, now we just need bass"—and then things get complicated.
As I mentioned in my article about the drummer shortage, the supply-demand balance for different instruments on recruitment sites shows that bass is "chronically undersupplied." It's not as dire as drums, but you'll never get that moment where you post about needing guitar and five applications come in the next day.
I've been playing in bands since my twenties, and I'm still hunting for members in my fifties. I've played at venues like Mandala in Kichijoji and UZU in Fukushima with all kinds of people. Blues, Soul, roots music—the music I've played relies on the bass line. That's exactly why I've struggled so hard to find bassists and why I'm so particular about it.
In this article, I'll write honestly from my 30 years of experience about why bassists are so hard to find and how to actually find them.
The Bass Shortage Reality—By the Numbers
Let me lay out the reality of bass recruitment based on my experience and trends I've observed on recruitment sites.
| Metric | Bass Status | Reference: Guitar |
|---|---|---|
| Number of job postings | High (second most after drums) | Lower |
| Number of applicants | Somewhat low | Very high |
| Applications per single posting | Feels like 0–2 | Feels like 3–8 |
| Likelihood of showing up to rehearsal | About half of applicants | 70–80% of applicants |
| Retention rate after joining | Somewhat low | Normal |
Pay special attention to "retention rate after joining." Bassists often play in multiple bands or get poached by other groups, and it's not uncommon for someone you've finally found to bail after six months with "my other band got busy." It's the same structure as drums—the rarer an instrument is, the more in-demand those players are, and the harder it is for them to commit to one band.
Why Are Bassists So Rare? Five Reasons
1. The "Boring" Image Won't Go Away
Guitarists play solos and get applause. Singers are the face of the band. Drummers look great smashing away. So what about bassists? "The person quietly playing in the background"—that's how most people see it.
In reality, bass is the backbone of the band, the key to the groove, and the bridge between drums and guitar—a super important position. But only "people who get it" understand that magic. Middle school and high school kids rarely think "I want to be a bassist!" compared to guitarists or singers.
2. People Start Playing Bass by Process of Elimination
When choosing instruments in a school music club, spots for guitar, drums, vocals, and keyboards fill up in that order, and then—"there's just bass left, so I'll play that." It happens way more often than you'd think. People who start that way tend to quit music entirely when the band breaks up.
Sure, some of them fall in love with bass and stick with it. But because the absolute number of people who chose bass first is small, we have a structural shortage.
3. Bass Loses in Comparison to Guitar
Bass and guitar look alike. The difference is whether you have four strings or six. But public attention goes overwhelmingly to guitar. YouTube views, store display space, magazine covers—everything favors guitar.
"If I'm going to play a string instrument anyway, guitar is cooler." There's a lack of respect for bass in our world. (Bassists, you have every right to be angry.)
4. Playing Bass Solo Doesn't Show Its Appeal
A guitarist can play chords alone and sing along. Same with piano. A drummer can bang out rhythm patterns solo and have fun.
Bass? Playing alone just makes "boom boom" low sounds. The real magic of bass only happens when it locks in with the kick drum, when it meshes perfectly with the guitar chords. You only realize "wow, bass is this cool!" when you're playing it in a band. But lots of people quit before they get to that moment.
5. The Best Bassists Are Too Busy Playing in Multiple Bands
I wrote the same thing in my article about the drummer shortage, but imbalanced supply and demand creates multiple band commitments. Good bassists are always getting calls. It's normal for them to be in two or three bands at once, which means "freelance bassists" become even rarer.
You can't change this structure. So "just looking for a freelance bassist won't work". You need to change your approach.
How to Find a Bassist—Five Solutions
Now for the main event. Simply posting on recruitment sites and waiting won't work. So what do you do? Here are five methods I've actually used and found successful in my 30 years.
Solution 1: Target Guitarists Willing to Switch
This has the highest success rate. As I wrote in my article about the common traits of people who can't find members, it's crucial to expand your search.
There are plenty of guitarists looking. You're probably getting multiple guitar applications and turning them down—why not ask some of them "Want to try bass?" instead?
There are big advantages to guitarists switching to bass:
- They already know how to finger frets and pick
- They understand chords and scales
- If they've played in bands, they already get ensemble dynamics
- "I couldn't get into a band as a guitarist" becomes "I'm welcomed as an immediate contributor"—that's powerful motivation
In fact, many world-famous bassists switched from guitar. Paul McCartney and John Paul Jones both started on guitar.
Solution 2: Tell Beginners "Let's Start Together"
Do your postings say "3+ years bass experience" or "able to handle original songs"? Drop those requirements.
With three months of serious practice, someone can reach the level needed for band rehearsals. Just playing root notes? One month is enough. As I wrote in my guide to beginners joining bands, you really can start a band with zero experience.
For someone who's interested in bass but doesn't own one, let them try a rental bass at a rehearsal studio. That alone can change "sounds interesting" to "I want to do it."
As I mentioned in my article about band financing, beginner bass guitars start at 20,000–30,000 yen. Letting people know that the initial investment is lower than guitar helps too.
Solution 3: Scout Directly at Jam Session Events
Jam sessions and open mics aren't just for drummer hunting—they're great for finding bassists. The bassists who show up at sessions usually have a hunger to play more.
You'll find freelance bassists at session bars around Kichijoji, Shimokitazawa, Shibuya, and Shinjuku. Play a session with someone, and if the chemistry works, ask "Interested in joining our band?" The "feel when we're actually playing together" is information you can't get from recruitment site applications alone.
Solution 4: Use SNS and DTM Communities
Tons of people post "bass cover" videos on YouTube, X (Twitter), and Instagram. Even with few followers, plenty are skilled. Sending a direct DM saying "Interested in joining a band?" rarely gets a negative response. Usually people are thrilled.
Don't overlook people making drum machine beats with programmed bass. If someone can create bass lines in their DAW, they often have good potential when you put an actual bass in their hands.
Solution 5: Consider Foreign Bassists Too
As I wrote in my article about foreigners finding band members in Japan, many foreign musicians living in Japan think "I want to join a band but have no idea where to look." Especially American and European bassists often have funk, soul, and R&B groove in their bones.
You can overcome language barriers with Membo's translation chat feature. Don't rule out candidates just because they don't speak Japanese. Music has no borders.
A Personal Story: "I Have a Bass You Can Have—Will You Play?"
I'll be honest. I'm still looking for a bassist. Haven't found one yet.
Over the years, I've asked guitarists many times "Want to try bass?" Guitarists I met at sessions, guitarists who applied to my recruitment posts, friends I'd bonded with over music. I'd tell them "With your sense of rhythm, you'd become a great bassist in no time."
Sometimes I've even handed them one of my basses at home. "I have a bass here—take it, just try playing it a bit, will you?"
What happened? Some showed interest. But it didn't stick. "I actually prefer guitar" or "got too busy with work" or "it's harder than I thought"—different reasons each time.
Still, I keep asking. People who've never played before, people who haven't played in years. "Want to try bass?"
I'm actually recruiting myself on Membo right now looking for a bassist. Using the service I created, searching for what I need most urgently. That's how hard bassists are to find. But I'm not giving up.
I'm sure I'll find someone eventually. I believe that because in these 30 years I've learned that meetings always come from unexpected places. That's what happened when I found my drummer after three months of searching at a session bar. Just when you give up, they appear.
What I want to say with this article is that "bassists aren't something you find—they're something you develop." And that you need the determination to keep asking until you find one.
How to Write a Bass Recruitment Post That Resonates
Recruitment posts that hit the mark with bassists have different elements than posts for other instruments. Here are the approaches I've found most effective:
Always Include "Beginners Welcome / No Problem with Time Off"
With the small bass population, casting a wide net is essential. "Bass experience doesn't matter. If you love music, you're good"—this one sentence dramatically lowers the application barrier. People who used to play but haven't in years will feel encouraged by this line.
Always Attach Audio of Your Band
Bassists want to picture "what kind of lines will I be playing?" Demo tracks let them judge "I could handle this song." Without audio, applicants are just anxious. Even if it's a quick smartphone recording from a studio session, attach something.
Show Respect for the Bass in Your Wording
"Any bassist will do" or "we just need someone on bass"—there are actually a lot of posts like this. Bassists pick up on this immediately.
Try this instead: "We think bass is the core of our band. We're looking for a bassist who'll create groove with us." Bassists are attracted to "bands that understand their role".
Specify Practice Frequency and Costs
"Twice a month, Saturday afternoons, split studio costs"—just including this raises applications. Vague posts create anxiety: "Do they expect three rehearsals a week?" or "Will only the leader pay for the studio?" Being clear about band activity costs and what you expect matters.
Post in Multiple Languages on Membo
Write your recruitment in Japanese and it automatically translates to eight languages. You'll reach foreign bassists living in Japan. If you're looking for cover songs of famous tracks, someone regardless of nationality might see "I know this! I can play it!" Broader searches are always better.
Share Bass's True Appeal—Calling Out the "Boring" Myth
"Bass is boring"—this belief is at the root of the bassist shortage. So we musicians need to talk more about how amazing bass is.
Listen to a band without bass. It's thin, lifeless, something essential is missing. The moment bass comes in, the sound becomes three-dimensional. When the kick drum and bass root note lock together, that low-end vibration is something no other instrument can create.
The Motown bass lines James Jamerson played. Jaco Pastorius's "Portrait of Tracy." Flea's funk bass. In Japan, Seiji Kameda's melodic lines. Saying bass is "boring" just means you haven't really listened.
The first step to attracting great bassists is learning to genuinely speak about what makes bass magical.
Wrap-Up: Hunt for Bassists with the Mindset of "Developing Them"
The bassist shortage is a structural problem. Few people start, many quit, the skilled ones are always in demand. This reality won't change quickly.
That's why you need to shift your thinking:
- Target guitarists open to switching—your future bassist might be among those available guitarists
- Welcome beginners—open your doors wide—someone can reach band-rehearsal level bass in three months
- Scout directly at jam sessions—choose based on how you sound together
- Reach out on SNS and DTM communities—there's a potential bassist behind those "bass cover" videos
- Don't overlook foreign bassists—use Membo's eight-language posts to reach them
And most importantly, "bassists aren't something you find—they're something you develop." Doesn't matter if they're a complete beginner, or a guitarist switching, or someone with time away. Find someone who wants to make music, and grow together. Bands with that kind of commitment attract quality bassists.
I'm in my fifties and still looking for new bandmates. Give up on finding a bassist? That's such a waste.
- Find a bassist on Membo—use the instrument filter for "bass" to see only bassist candidates, all eight languages available to reach foreign musicians
- Register free—posting and applying are both free, just start by creating a profile
- Is there really a drummer shortage? Supply and demand by instrument—the bigger picture of recruitment by part
- Five common traits of people who can't find members and how to fix them—hints for rethinking your search itself
Your band's backbone might be closer than you think. Maybe that guitarist next to you at the next jam session is your future bassist.
