Bassist that needs to play in a band!!

Leftybass12 · #1 01-11-2010, 12:21 PM

Hello! I am a bassist in Cleveland, OH and I really really need to be playing in a band. All I do is just jam with the same guitarist, which he is good no doubt, or practice/play in my basement. Yes there is craigs list, but what the heck else can I do to get in a band?? I have thought about starting a band, but the past 2 times I have done that it faded away because the others did not understand the amount of dedication that has to go into being a legitimate band. I go out to a number of blues jam places, so I do play, in the Cleveland area and take lessons from an incredibly awesome bass player/teacher. I'm also into a very diverse range of music, the blues places are the ones that I can play at though. It's kind of hard to find a metal jam place or a progressive rock jam place. My skill level is at intermediate, but I feel that they are slow diminishing due to me not being able to play with other musicians. Again, what can I do??

bassteban · #2 01-11-2010, 12:22 PM

I only read the title & last statement; I say start a band.

Leftybass12 · #3 01-11-2010, 12:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassteban

I only read the title & last statement; I say start a band.

Did that twice.....can't seem to find any good musicians that aren't all classical musicians in the 20-28 age range though.

Phalex · #4 01-11-2010, 12:33 PM

I have no idea how to find a band. They've always found me.

Go to the blues jams, post on Craig s list, those aren't bad things at all. I think it's just a matter of getting out there and letting yourself be known. The more people who play that see you play will increase your likely hood of someone asking you to join/fill in.

OneMoreRobot · #5 01-11-2010, 12:36 PM

There's the band I'm trying out for:

www.myspace.com/winslowsoul

They're doing auditions this week. They also have a hard time getting back to me...

Anyway, I really want this, but I know how you feel and if you try out and make it over me then the best man has won

Leftybass12 · #6 01-11-2010, 12:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OneMoreRobot

There's the band I'm trying out for:

www.myspace.com/winslowsoul

They're doing auditions this week. They also have a hard time getting back to me...

Anyway, I really want this, but I know how you feel and if you try out and make it over me then the best man has won

Hey man I really hope u get that! That band sounds really good!!

Darth_Gasseous · #7 01-11-2010, 12:46 PM

I'm in the Cleveland area myself. For the moment I play only at my church on Sunday mornings (and the necessary practices of course)...I was in a band until mid-July, but I had to quit because my work shift changed. The band I was in I saw them perform, noticed they didn't have a bass player, and struck up a conversation with them and it went from there... The band really wasn't that good, but, it was a great learning/growing experience for me as a musician. My church praise band is actually coming right along... My suggestion is keep going places where musicians are. The Savannah in Westlake on Detroit Road used to have (probably still does) open mic nights, and those can be fun because if you go there by yourself you get thrown into a group with other musicians, and that can be a lot of fun and a great learning experience. Other than that, hang out at music shops? I used to hang out at a guitar shop a long time ago, and that was a great way to meet people and have fun too.

kenlacam · #8 01-11-2010, 12:52 PM

in Clevescene.com, go to the classified section and post an ad or search an ad under musicians available/wanted. Other than craigslist, or starting your own band, that is what I would do. I have had good sucess on the clevescene site myself.

OneMoreRobot · #9 01-11-2010, 12:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leftybass12

Hey man I really hope u get that! That band sounds really good!!

Thanks! I think I have a good chance. I can play all the songs, but I'm only 18 and I think they're biased against that.

DRafalske · #10 01-11-2010, 01:25 PM

Post ads in Craigslist, citybeat, etc. People will contact you. Be open minded and optimistic. Reply to ads looking for bassists too. Go to auditions and be as prepared as you can. You'll find the right fit eventually. Never forget you're auditioning them as much as they're auditioning you. A lot of the time, it's not going to work out. Keep practicing and don't get discouraged.
Good Luck!

JoZac21 · #11 01-11-2010, 01:29 PM

All of my current band met our band leader through craigslist... sure, it took me months of searching through endless band postings which I was completely uninterested in, a few meeting w. musicians that didn't go so well (one bizarre keyboard player stands out)... but by being patient and taking my time, waiting for the right project as opposed to a project, I found my current band, which is chock full 'o talent and we're making some good music now.

Leftybass12 · #12 01-11-2010, 07:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darth_Gasseous

I'm in the Cleveland area myself. For the moment I play only at my church on Sunday mornings (and the necessary practices of course)...I was in a band until mid-July, but I had to quit because my work shift changed. The band I was in I saw them perform, noticed they didn't have a bass player, and struck up a conversation with them and it went from there... The band really wasn't that good, but, it was a great learning/growing experience for me as a musician. My church praise band is actually coming right along... My suggestion is keep going places where musicians are. The Savannah in Westlake on Detroit Road used to have (probably still does) open mic nights, and those can be fun because if you go there by yourself you get thrown into a group with other musicians, and that can be a lot of fun and a great learning experience. Other than that, hang out at music shops? I used to hang out at a guitar shop a long time ago, and that was a great way to meet people and have fun too.

The Savannah is one of the places I go to and yes they still have open mic nights. The bass player for the Bad Boys of Blue is my teacher. I've got to find other places....right now I just go to the Savannah and the Parkview.

melodicly · #13 01-12-2010, 06:00 AM

Ive been playing music for almost 20 years and have only in the last few years found a band that 'gets it'. That was why I gave up guitar years ago, because at least on bass I could help keep the song together, lead guitar especially you are just kinda out there hoping the band behind has your back.

After Katrina I started to really get frustrated with not playing, so I started really getting on my myspace page. Updating tunes as often as possible (even if they were just 1 minute 'idea' tracks), listening to other bands/musicians on there and friending them and just bieng open to whatever came my way. It turned out that I was able to do a lot of playing through email and it was quite fun and challenging. Got me back into guitar! My current band gets 90% of gigs through myspace as well. They say facebook killed myspace, but I think it only made it better for muscians! All the teenagers are facebooking and twittering so it doesn't seem like as much trash as before.

If you have recording capability shoot me a message and we'll trade some ideas. I suck at metal, but most everything else I can at least come up with ideas for. I think playing with people you've never seen play really seems to remove the ego out of the equation.

BTW, I did find my current band through craigslist although we have since fired the singer that put the add up (and the band together!). Cocaine is a hell of a drug, but it can't be worth getting kicked out of the band you started!

Good luck and don't give up. It will happen and maybe the more frustrating it is now, the better it will be when it does happen. Don't forget to be open minded either as I never really saw myself playing for years in a rock band, but I love it!

An old friend(RIP) used to say, "The worst part about being a musician is the musicians. That why I play bass so I can just hang out with the drummer."