Not good enough to be in a band, can't improve without

Ultraviolet · #1 10-22-2008, 12:52 PM

Hi

advice needed.... I've been playing for less than two years and just been booted out of a band for not being up to scratch. Before being in the band I was starting to flag in terms of motivation and direction. Playing with others gave me a clear way forward and I improved hugely.

Now I'm back on my lonesome, and wondering how to progress... I understand the practice, practice, practice advise but it's really the band things which has worked for me.

So the question is: how do I get into a band without being in a band?

UV

Mazatleco17 · #2 10-22-2008, 12:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ultraviolet

Hi

So the question is: how do I get into a band without being in a band?

UV

Jam with a band.

palm grease · #3 10-22-2008, 12:58 PM

Craigs List.... look for a new project!

kenlacam · #4 10-22-2008, 12:59 PM

Start your own band. That way you have control over the "quality" of musicians, meaning that you can get people who are worse than you. LOL

rogueman · #5 10-22-2008, 01:03 PM

You might try sitting in on some open Mic settings in some of your local pubs or restaurants, etc that do that. From there you can maybe hookup with a group coming up. Put a ad out in the papers and see who wants to do a weekend garage band setting. Do you have a drum machine, you can keep your skills up by just jamming to that too. Never give up.

**Freddels** · #6 10-22-2008, 01:05 PM

Start playing along with your favorite recordings until you can get the same feel, tone, time, etc.

BigOldHarry · #7 10-22-2008, 01:05 PM

Find guys *slightly* better than you and play with them
Take some lessons
Select an artist you weren't familiar with and learn his licks
Try a new style of music to practice (change it up)

paganjack · #8 10-22-2008, 01:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kenlacam

Start your own band. That way you have control over the "quality" of musicians, meaning that you can get people who are worse than you. LOL

i HATE playing with people that are much worse than me. I try to go with similar talent or better.

bassbully · #9 10-22-2008, 09:25 PM

Could you give us a bit more info. Was the band above your playing level? Were you advancing and prepared for pratice and gigs?
Some bands use things like this as an excuse to out you over other reasons. Were you on time? Cool ? A team player etc.

I know my bands have had a few guys who could play great but if they had a bad attitude they were gone. If a guy that wasnt so good but willing to progress, learn and give 100% with a good attitude they kept them. I should know it was me once

What kind of music were you doing and why didnt this work...can we start there?

JimmyM · #10 10-22-2008, 10:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by paganjack

i HATE playing with people that are much worse than me. I try to go with similar talent or better.

I do, too, but I've also been pretty helpful to musicians who needed a little guidance and I feel like I was glad to have better musicians than me to work with when I needed it. And what if these musicians with better talent hated playing with you? Pass the knowledge on, dude...feels pretty good.

Michael Case · #11 10-22-2008, 11:18 PM

You should ask them what about your playing wasn't making the cut, that in itself could be a huge step forward. You may even find the guys in the band were just jacka$%es who don't know that much themselves.

Earthquake · #12 10-22-2008, 11:28 PM

I second the craigslist route. Just be honest in your ad about your skill level and what you like to play, and whoever is cool with that will call you. That way you're on the same page before you start. I'm not trying to imply you're not good, I just feel that honesty in an ad prevents a lot of future problems.

Stumbo · #13 10-22-2008, 11:30 PM

How long were you in the band?

If you weren't cutting it, why did they get you in the band?

If you can't/won't practice on you're own, just being in a band won't do it for you.

You have to bring your skills with you to the band, not expect the band to get you to "play" better. IMO, that's kinda backwards.

If you're rehearsing a few hours a week and that's all the time you put into playing bass, I wouldn't want to be in a band with you.

Instead of trailing behind the curve, i suggest that you practice a couple of hours a day (14 hours a week). Increase your song book and technique. Then start looking around for jams and auditions.

JacobE · #14 10-22-2008, 11:35 PM

more lessons

Lesfunk · #15 10-22-2008, 11:58 PM

You can improve without a band!
Playing with CD's is like playing with a band that you can stop and rewind over and over without ticking them off.
An Instructor can teach you theory, Reading, Help learning tunes by ear, all kinds of things.
You Can Do It!

Ultraviolet · #16 10-23-2008, 03:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassbully

Could you give us a bit more info. Was the band above your playing level? Were you advancing and prepared for pratice and gigs?
Some bands use things like this as an excuse to out you over other reasons. Were you on time? Cool ? A team player etc.

I know my bands have had a few guys who could play great but if they had a bad attitude they were gone. If a guy that wasnt so good but willing to progress, learn and give 100% with a good attitude they kept them. I should know it was me once

What kind of music were you doing and why didnt this work...can we start there?

a bit more info... the band was way above my level, but I was very upfront about that with the main guy. He said he was fine with it, and I stuck with him even when the keyboard player left and tried to poach me and the drummer! I got on really well with the main guy, and the others, no problems on that front.

The problem (I think) was that he / we didn't brief the drummer that I was pretty much a novice and he (the drummer) left. I reckon the main guy now thinks he won't get another drummer without a much better bassist (which is probably true), and that was the reason I was ejected.

The song selection (and my setup) probably didn't help... everything from motown to disco. This made my learning more difficult, especially as I was playing a J-Bass with flatwounds which seemed to make the disco tracks more difficult to play... I was practising a couple of hours a night to try and get up to speed, but obviously I wasn't quick enough! I think the main guy felt under pressure to get out gigging, which was probably another factor.

the thing that pissed me off more than anything was that I spend £600 on my dream amp (a lovely Hughes and Kettner number) so I would have sufficient firepower to fill the halls we were practising in....

UV

Deacon_Blues · #17 10-23-2008, 03:52 AM

There are other bands. While looking for them, jam along to records and study theory. Those two things will bring your playing forward a lot.

Joe Nerve · #18 10-23-2008, 04:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stumbo

How long were you in the band?

If you weren't cutting it, why did they get you in the band?

If you can't/won't practice on you're own, just being in a band won't do it for you.

You have to bring your skills with you to the band, not expect the band to get you to "play" better. IMO, that's kinda backwards.

If you're rehearsing a few hours a week and that's all the time you put into playing bass, I wouldn't want to be in a band with you.

Instead of trailing behind the curve, i suggest that you practice a couple of hours a day (14 hours a week). Increase your song book and technique. Then start looking around for jams and auditions.

+1

If you weren't cutting it in that band and that many people were unhappy with your playing (including yourself), then you simply need to practice more - or differently.

Working with a metronome did wonders for my playing. Found a free one online recently http://www.studybass.com/tools/online-metronome/ . My experience is that when a bassist sucks, it usually has to do with timing and the ability to play in the pocket. Even if you don't nail all the riffs in a song, or can't technically play what some other player wrote - if you can play solidly, consistently, and without mistakes most people won't complain.

If you haven't the drive to get to where you need to be by practicing by yourself and looking for a band to "learn" you, I think your setting yourself up to be in a string of really crappy bands and probably not go very far. You CAN choose to do that also. Good luck. Sorry ya got bumped - I hate when that happens.

basswave · #19 10-23-2008, 04:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joe Nerve

+1

If you weren't cutting it in that band and that many people were unhappy with your playing (including yourself), then you simply need to practice more - or differently.

Working with a metronome did wonders for my playing. Found a free one online recently http://www.studybass.com/tools/online-metronome/ . My experience is that when a bassist sucks, it usually has to do with timing and the ability to play in the pocket. Even if you don't nail all the riffs in a song, or can't technically play what some other player wrote - if you can play solidly, consistently, and without mistakes most people won't complain.

If you haven't the drive to get to where you need to be by practicing by yourself and looking for a band to "learn" you, I think your setting yourself up to be in a string of really crappy bands and probably not go very far. You CAN choose to do that also. Good luck. Sorry ya got bumped - I hate when that happens.

I agree with the above...and just to add to that.

A good teacher is priceless.
I learned a lot from some of mine in the past.

Your learning never stops.

I'm in my late 30's have played professionally for years, started gigging in high school and I'm still in the process of waiting to study with someone again (waiting list). I'm kicking my self that I did not do put myself on the list a while back.

Don't make any decisions you might regret.

Study hard (I personally would break it down like this, for now where you are at).

- Technique
- Theory (knowing your modes in a viceral fashion can save you on a open jam).
- Timing (your metronome divine of choice is worth its weight in gold a drummer told me when I was on shaky audition I might have been 17 or 18 I think at the time...I became a timing fanatic after that).
- Harmony (very underrated, seek a teacher for this)
- Ear training
- Reading (yes at least do at least some)
- Learn drum rudiments (another underrated learning technique that I think every bass player should do)

ac1710 · #20 10-23-2008, 07:52 AM

If you can't find other musicians at a similar level to jam with, then you could always play along to CD's.

Try some standard 12 bar blues pattern type songs and just jam along, doesn't matter if you don't play what the bassist plays or if would get you kicked from the group.

Oh and no-one is not good enough to be in a band, unless you can't actually play the bass that is. Just look at all those annoying guitarists who play a bit of bass on stage, their usually terrible but get away with it. Most audiences can't tell the difference between a proper bass player and an unlucky guitarist. SO just go for it.

Finally open mic nights at bars/pubs are always a good laugh. I met my drummer at a really crap open mic night in London, so you never know what can happen