Guitar player afraind of me, ha!

bassbrad · #1 10-27-2010, 05:23 PM

Ever have a guitar player afraid to play with you? I just got off the phone with my drummer buddy and he told me that a player we did some power trio gigs with was afraid to play with me any more. I thought things were cool, good give and take, bluesey grooves with just enough aggression, really very dynamic music. We were starting to get a following, damn not again!
He's a good singer and guitar player just a bit predictable, Clapton, Hendrix, SRV, you know like almost every other player of a certain age. He even admitted that he plays better because of me but he is afraid of where he might end up as a player "doesn't wanna become one of those fusion wannabees" he wants to stay "pure", what--
a weenie virgin guitar strangler?
Whatever, is it my fault 'm still growing as a musician? That I can play all those licks toe to toe and go one or 13 more?
That I'm not afraid to play louder than the guitar player?
Wimp!
He actually told the drummer that if I want to play that way I should go back to guitar,
Once you go Bass you never go back!
oh yeah he didn't have the BALLS to tell me any of that to my face or even on the phone.
(short for Richard)Less

jwr · #2 10-27-2010, 07:38 PM

You spelled "afraid" wrong.

retardedpossum · #3 10-27-2010, 07:42 PM

Renaissance · #4 10-27-2010, 07:45 PM

Bahama Bass, is it really you?

plangentmusic · #5 10-27-2010, 07:54 PM

Wow. That was something.

elgecko · #6 10-27-2010, 07:55 PM

Gruda?

WayneS · #7 10-27-2010, 07:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by retardedpossum

Red?

HAHAHAHA!!!

I actually laughed out loud!

electracoyote · #8 10-27-2010, 07:58 PM

Most impressive. I'm just blown away by the awesomeness.

totallyfrozen · #9 10-27-2010, 08:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassbrad

...was afraid to play with me any more...damn not again!
...Wimp!...oh yeah he didn't have the BALLS to tell me any of that to my face or even on the phone...

Maybe it has nothing to do with your playing. Maybe you come across as a pushy, macho, bully. Not saying you are...I don't know you from Adam. Just saying it could be one of those "easy breakup" deals where he didn't want to tell you what it was really about so he said it's cuz you're so good at playing bass. Just a thought...

**Howlin' Hanson** · #10 10-27-2010, 08:05 PM

Again, huh?

Perhaps there's a message....nah.

BillW87 · #11 10-27-2010, 09:10 PM

Sure, you call him a "weenie virgin guitar player" and "(short for Richard)less" the first chance you can get on the internet, but his lack of enthusiasm for playing with you has everything to do with his playing abilities and nothing to do with your attitude as a musician. Right. My advice: take about 40 chill pills and try to stop treating music like a competition and maybe people will want to keep playing with you. Your attitude of "I'm going to try and play louder than the guitar" is just childish, and is going to drive people away. If a musician is intimidated by your playing, chances are its because you keep trying to play over them. And if a musician is afraid to tell you to your face that you're stepping on their toes, its probably because you're difficult to work with.

Less pissing contest, more fun. Follow that two-part recipe and you'll never have a hard time finding other musicians to play music with.

Mikio · #12 10-27-2010, 09:18 PM

There's a guitar player in the local Anime scene that doesn't wanna be 100 miles near me because I am a trained musician and he has no formal studies....

This is pretty stupid, but even if I talk to him, he won't ever change his mind!

Psycho · #13 10-27-2010, 09:21 PM

You'd be a quarterback if we were talking football...

BillW87 · #14 10-27-2010, 09:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Psycho

You'd be a quarterback if we were talking football...

Yeah, a quarterback who tried out to be an offensive lineman, and then wondered why the starting quarterback is scared of the lineman who keeps taking the ball away from him and throwing it to people.

+1 Metaphor bonus

GlennW · #15 10-27-2010, 10:03 PM

Yeah...I'm sure the guitar player quit playing with you because he was shaking in his boots so much he couldn't step on his footpedals.

MEKer · #16 10-27-2010, 10:04 PM

And there are guitarists--lots of them--who won't play with a bassist who ever goes beyond a 3 note groove. Along, of course, with the attitude a bassist should "know his place".

Which all means a bassist cannot ever figure out a better bass line when needed or show a creativity that just might fit into a song quite well, much less actually shine a moment or two. Claypool, Wooten and Sheehan, for instance, are sinners in their eyes.

Yes, yes, everyone pay homage to minimalist approach and never do the sacrilege of anything fast, technical or completely melodic, even if it is exciting for the song and crowd.

Bass is, remember, really only 1 dimensional.

Some think that way.

So rather than immediately think the OP is being doltish or egotistical or overbearing, I first think he might actually be involved with a musician of the "bass-knowing-his-1-dimensional-place" persuasion and has voiced it. Whether the gatist does it from his own musical philosophy or a threatened ego is of no import.
If so--I understand where the OP is coming from and consider it a very valid gripe.

C.Linton · #17 10-27-2010, 10:07 PM

To the OP, in the vernacular of the internet:EPIC FAIL!

puddin tame · #18 10-27-2010, 10:08 PM

of course we can't tell having heard neither of you playing.

either you're too flashy, or he has pre-conceived ideas about what bass should be.

Some people I think have a sort of radar for busy bass lines, and get the idea that it should be simple all the time/enjoy the power trip of giving out condescending musical advice that they fail to listen to the music as a whole.

in this case, who can say?

BillW87 · #19 10-27-2010, 10:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MEKer

And there are guitarists--lots of them--who won't play with a bassist who ever goes beyond a 3 note groove. Along, of course, with the attitude a bassist should "know his place".

Which all means a bassist cannot ever figure out a better bass line when needed or show a creativity that just might fit into a song quite well, much less actually shine a moment or two. Claypool, Wooten and Sheehan, for instance, are sinners in their eyes.

Yes, yes, everyone pay homage to minimalist approach and never do the sacrilege of anything fast, technical or completely melodic, even if it is exciting for the song and crowd.

Bass is, remember, really only 1 dimensional.

Some think that way.

So rather than immediately think the OP is being doltish or egotistical or overbearing, I first think he might actually be involved with a musician of the "bass-knowing-his-1-dimensional-place" persuasion and has voiced it. Whether the gatist does it from his own musical philosophy or a threatened ego is of no import.
If so--I understand where the OP is coming from and consider it a very valid gripe.

I was all set to have the same attitude as you towards the OP until I read his insult-laden, incoherent rant about said guitar player and that's what lead me to believe who is truly at fault in this situation (or at least partially at fault). There's a difference between "This guitarist doesn't like it when I play bass lines that are more melodic and technical than he's used to from a bass player" and "This guitarist doesn't like that I drown him out, or that I declare to the internet that he lacks testicles when we have a musical disagreement". I'm all for bassists stepping out of traditional roles and getting a fair share of the spotlight, but this guy just sounds bossy and obnoxious. If you don't like that someone won't confront you in person about a band issue, complaining about him and personally attacking him behind his back in a public forum is hardly making a case that he's truly at fault for not thinking the confrontation is going to be productive.

5string5fingers · #20 10-27-2010, 10:23 PM

Why does it seem like there's so many insecure bass players out there who feel the need to prove themselves to everybody that comes across them? It's just like those crazy women who think that men are useless and a woman can do everything,and is offended when a man tries to help them out. It's ridiculous. Get over yourself,judging from your attitude I'm really surprised you weren't flattered by this.