Audition material alteration opinion...

DudeistMonk · #1 05-08-2008, 10:51 PM

So a little while back a put an ads up on craigslist looking to jam, trying to meet some people, get some experience and whatnot...Anyway, everyone in my area is looking for a bassist apparently cause I got a bunch of people wanting to audition me rather than jam, this one blues/rock/whisky drinking bar band kinda sounding group, invited me to audition to replace their bassist (who was only temporary) and do gigs with them...

So they sent me 4 recorded songs to learn, all where really easy, and the bass lines where all pretty bare bones (slow 2 bar walks, root 5th stuff, ext.)...In practicing them I find myself wanting to make little alterations, adding a leading tone to one of the riffs, alternating bar to bar playing the root as a quarter or two 8ths in another...stuff like that, maybe even a little more, adding some variations to the fills ext.

Do you guys think its a good idea to play alterations of the lines right off the bat if I think they sound better? Or should I just stick to the recording?

onlyclave · #2 05-08-2008, 11:11 PM

Nope. Stick to the recording. That's what they expect to hear.

DocBop · #3 05-08-2008, 11:16 PM

No answer to that question. A lot of bands want bass players to play bass and keep the groove. So start there, then you have to feel out the situation. Try throwing a bar or two and see how they react. Between songs say you were playing what was on the tape and offer to add a little more. So you got to play it by ear and if they give you the opening add a little. Personally I wouldn't play lead bass unless they asked for it. Plenty of time for that after you get the gig.

MarkTAW · #4 05-08-2008, 11:20 PM

Sounds like you're the one with lots of options.

Play what you think you'll enjoy playing & see whether or not they like it. You'll have to write your own bass lines for all their new songs anyway.

DudeistMonk · #5 05-09-2008, 10:09 AM

Quote:

Sounds like you're the one with lots of options.

Yeah I guess I am, this one is good for my level though, I feel like I can learn a lot from this group.

Quote:

Personally I wouldn't play lead bass unless they asked for it. Plenty of time for that after you get the gig.

I agree and that wasn't the intent either I think I'm gonna keep my 2 or 3 small changes... the one line needs a flat7 to bring it back around it sounds 100x better...I don't think I'll do too much else though, why mess with something that works, and I don't want them to think I don't know how to play what is recorded....and your right I can always change lines later after we are gigging and they don't have a choice