The Mediocre Bassist Club, pt. 4 - We can count to four! - Page 41

PipeRain · #**801** 01-01-2013, 12:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adam Bomb

I like to front and say “there are unlimited possibilities on just four strings” but really I mean that the 4-string baffles me enough and I suspect that people know that’s what I mean. Yay hats

PipeRain - #891

Welcome!!!

--Bomb

Boo-Motor-Scootin'-Yah!

I'd post some long diatribe about how thankful and appreciative I am about being into such an august assembly and what a great privilege and honor it is to be included with the truly greats of mediocrity. However, that would require an inordinate amount of work, and frankly I'd rather just sit here in my chair, smoke my pipe, look at my poor tired bass and wish I was a better bassist. I shall endeavour to embrace my mediocrity in the best fashion possible.

Thank you all.

caeman · #**802** 01-01-2013, 08:00 AM

Personally, I am not worried about the limitless possibilities of 4 strings. I am not trying to be a soloist. I just want to do my part as part of the "team".

OneAri · #**803** 01-01-2013, 12:09 PM

my first post as a TB member and I use it to hereby pledge to mediocrity, number please...

TwentyHz · #**804** 01-01-2013, 01:01 PM

I also wish to be a card-carrying tower of mediocrity. I can noodle, thump, and groove in satisfying ways, but when I sit in with friends who earn the title 'musician', I know I'm a hobbyist. But what a hobby. I'll take weekly brotherhood in catharsis anywhere I can get it. Turns out bass is the place.

TwentyHz · #**805** 01-01-2013, 01:02 PM

And oops, Number please

mystic38 · #**806** 01-01-2013, 02:33 PM

Oh and a Happy Mediocre New Year to us all

rust_preacher · #**807** 01-02-2013, 12:24 PM

Last practice before Saturday's gig. It took us three whole hours, with a couple of false starts and a couple of songs done twice. I hauled my Ampeg Micro VR rig to practice and the "golden ears" sub singer liked the aggressive tone better than the MarkBass amp that's stock for the space. I had to tweak the knobs a bit to get the tone and level I liked, but from then on it was good.

We are not perfect, and mediocrity is still something I aspire to reach. By the time we play, the audience wil be out of control anyway so I think we have a fine night to look forward to.

BayStateBass · #**808** 01-02-2013, 12:46 PM

Have fun with your gig, Rust Preacher! I'm sure all will be good.

We are auditioning new singers right now. Our old guy had to leave for personal reasons. Left on good terms, just has some stuff he needs to attend to in his life and had to put the band on hold. He left just before Christmas.

We need to make a decision soon, we have gigs lined up. We put off shows until March, but that won't give a new singer a lot of time to learn our stuff unless they already know the songs (we are a cover band only, no originals). And we have some bigger shows booked for the spring.

But me........still plugging away in mediocrity and having a blast doing it. Finally getting to know my 5'er better and becoming more comfortable, I find I don't play any of the 4 bangers anymore.

Nellarecneps · #**809** 01-02-2013, 01:11 PM

Today's mediocre practice is brought to you by Nellarecneps
Today includes three finger technique. And alternate picking drills
Afterwards how about a little ear training and scale practice
Last but not least finalizing demos because I found some possible band members and we will be forming in the spring
happy bass plucking

rust_preacher · #**810** 01-02-2013, 11:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BayStateBass

Have fun with your gig, Rust Preacher! I'm sure all will be good.

We are auditioning new singers right now. Our old guy had to leave for personal reasons. Left on good terms, just has some stuff he needs to attend to in his life and had to put the band on hold. He left just before Christmas.

We need to make a decision soon, we have gigs lined up. We put off shows until March, but that won't give a new singer a lot of time to learn our stuff unless they already know the songs (we are a cover band only, no originals). And we have some bigger shows booked for the spring.

But me........still plugging away in mediocrity and having a blast doing it. Finally getting to know my 5'er better and becoming more comfortable, I find I don't play any of the 4 bangers anymore.

Thanks BSB! I find that with the Ampeg rig I can get a convincing old-school sound but it has a bit more bite than my Aguilar Tonehammer. The Aguilar stuff is buried behind inconsequential junk in storage. My bad.

I wish you all the best in your vocalist search. I hope you don't have to step up :-)

rust_preacher · #**811** 01-06-2013, 01:43 AM

OK gig done - it went reasonably well by our rehearsal standards. We kept the beat and people had fun. My playing was maybe up to mediocre...

ShowLow · #**812** 01-06-2013, 07:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rust_preacher

OK gig done - it went reasonably well by our rehearsal standards. We kept the beat and people had fun. My playing was maybe up to mediocre...

Well done, sir! Nice to have some good times in the rear view mirror. My instructor tells me, as long as you stay on tempo and don't miss the root on the downbeat, you're good. Sounds like you did that and good on ya!!

rust_preacher · #**813** 01-06-2013, 01:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShowLow

Well done, sir! Nice to have some good times in the rear view mirror. My instructor tells me, as long as you stay on tempo and don't miss the root on the downbeat, you're good. Sounds like you did that and good on ya!!

Thanks. Yes, I tried my best to land on the right foot when I jumped. It was all pretty "rock and roll".

darrellj · #**814** 01-06-2013, 05:59 PM

I went and jammed with a couple of guys today. It went...ok...
It was fun, and a few times we gelled a bit. We are short a drummer, so we were using a click track from my iphone through the pa.

However, I made a point of wearing a hat, and it is confirmed -- I have better rhythm when I wear a hat. Even when I lost it for a moment, it was way easier to jump back in. I could always find beat one (and hit the root). I'm sure it was the hat.
So, for proof, here's a self-portrait.

My name is Mudd · #**815** 01-06-2013, 06:42 PM

I am SO jealous of y'all about now...finding folks to jam with here is a losing effort unless you play country (not at ALL my thing) or answer "DUDE! FORMING A POST-CORE DROP-TUNED METAL BAND!!!!!!! MUST HAVE PRO EQUIPMENT (NO F'ING COMBO AMPS!!!!), BE UNDER 23, AND HAVE 19 YEARS OF STAGE EXPERIENCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" ads.

Heavy sigh...

darrellj · #**816** 01-06-2013, 07:29 PM

I guess I was lucky, I answered a couple of likely ads, and wound up with guys my age group, interested in a variety of music, want to play - not just smoke weed and party. I wound up with a guitarist and singer and they're both mediocre just like me -- although it hurt having to explain what the third and fifth of a key is to the singer...
Either way it was fun.
If you travel directly north from ca (for about 20hrs) you'll have no trouble finding us (we're loud) and you're welcome to come jam (sorta kidding, but you would be welcome!).

Tat2dHeart · #**817** 01-06-2013, 09:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by My name is Mudd

I am SO jealous of y'all about now...finding folks to jam with here is a losing effort unless you play country (not at ALL my thing) or answer "DUDE! FORMING A POST-CORE DROP-TUNED METAL BAND!!!!!!! MUST HAVE PRO EQUIPMENT (NO F'ING COMBO AMPS!!!!), BE UNDER 23, AND HAVE 19 YEARS OF STAGE EXPERIENCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" ads.

Heavy sigh...

You're always welcome to join up with my next project. It's gonna be a post-apocalyptic punk country thrash reggae ska death metal blues band called Whyte Trash Barbee Dollz. You can be our token Ken doll. Okay? Okay.

And...it'll be okay if you use a combo amp and mix speaker sizes. It's gonna be a no judgment zone. Just...no making fun of my shoe changes (there's a different pair for every song) or my bedazzled gear. Barbeez gots to have sparklez you know.

BayStateBass · #**818** 01-06-2013, 10:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by My name is Mudd

I am SO jealous of y'all about now...finding folks to jam with here is a losing effort unless you play country (not at ALL my thing) or answer "DUDE! FORMING A POST-CORE DROP-TUNED METAL BAND!!!!!!! MUST HAVE PRO EQUIPMENT (NO F'ING COMBO AMPS!!!!), BE UNDER 23, AND HAVE 19 YEARS OF STAGE EXPERIENCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" ads.

Heavy sigh...

You know, I never played Country before, but with my new band I'm having a blast and we've got so many opportunities to play out it's almost insane.

I say give it a shot. You might like it. I was a dyed in the wool rock/blues guy and I can't believe I've been missing this for so long.

Aznslappadabass · #**819** 01-06-2013, 10:37 PM

Mediocre bassist with limited stage experience and having more difficulty finding local bands that need a bassist than I'd thought I'd have. I have limited if not nonexistent slap abilities. I have never taken a lesson yet have "played" for a few years. I learn by covering or write original material in my old room I returned too after getting my degree. I learned as a finger player and can't do much with a pick aside from 16ths on a single or adjacent strings. What I can do is hold my own at the local guitar center by locking into that drummer in the other showroom and throw in an occasional fill. Best of all I am having fun while still being mediocre. May I have a number?

My name is Mudd · #**820** 01-07-2013, 12:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tat2dHeart

You can be our token Ken doll.

Done. And I really do have separates...not a combo in the house.

As far as playing country around here goes...I seriously don't have the chops to play in most of the local country bands. They're pretty much made up of pro session players (Bakersfield is an hour south of here) and have been playing since God made dirt.