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

[Tat2dHeart]

Originally Posted by darrellj

Here you go:
Gigging band requires guitarist. Must be willing to take all direction from bass guitarist. Must refuse to noodle between songs or wank excessively. Must have no life or other commitments. Absolutely must have good personal hygiene and not have a cooler hat than the bassist.
Interested? Please grovel to the following email address: bassgod@somesuchaddress.com

I'm convinced that you'll find a new guitarist -- although maybe not with my ad!

This could totally work, but with these changes...

"Must not have cooler hat or shoes than the bassist."

Email = bassgoddess@somesuchaddress.com

[rust_preacher]

Originally Posted by Tat2dHeart

This could totally work, but with these changes...

"Must not have cooler hat or shoes than the bassist."

Email = bassgoddess@somesuchaddress.com

Whatever happens, I wish you all the best. Guitarists are a dime a dozen though, good musicians much rarer. Even mediocre bass players are rarer than good guitarists.

[TwentyHz]

Mediocre Tone-Hunter

A search did not confirm this topic to be previously posted, so I'll rise to confess mediocrity in the hunt for tone. I mean, I can dial in my eq and fx, and I appreciate some nuances in what I hear in my sound and others', and I like gizmos and can understand them. (Just this weekend I was blown away by Crazy Joe's 'verb, and a between-set investigation delightfully confirmed an old Echoplex!

But if owning up to mediocrity is, to some degree, a response to connoisseurship of the scale occasionally displayed here on TB, then I guess I need another scarlet 'M'.

Compared to so many here, in the subtleties of gear and tone, I am Mediocre-Man.

[ShowLow]

Originally Posted by rust_preacher

Guitarists are a dime a dozen though, good musicians much rarer. Even mediocre bass players are rarer than good guitarists.

There's hope for us yet! GL with the search for a git-tar player with the right stuff and the right attitude.

[Shardik]

Originally Posted by Shardik

A week from now I'm meeting with 3 others musicians from the local area. We have never met before, and got in touch through a Norwegian guitar forum. The intention is to play blues and rock together. Ambitions are low, with max once a week rehearsals, since we're all family fathers with daytime jobs. I really hope it works out.

Met with three friendly guys yesterday, two guitar players, one drummer and me on bass and probably vocals until we find a singer. None of us had ever met in person before, but with only support from a café table and soft drinks / coffee, we talked and had a really good time comparing experiences, musical taste and ambitions. Seems like it worked out well, because we all agreed that we should try to find a place to rehearse together.

Seems like I got myself a band.

[Holdsg]

Congrats

[rust_preacher]

Originally Posted by Holdsg

Congrats

+1

[Shardik]

Thanx.

[ShowLow]

Originally Posted by Holdsg

Congrats

+2

How exciting!! Hoping to go there too at some point. Let us know how things evolve! Inquiring minds want to know.

[BayStateBass]

Originally Posted by Tat2dHeart

So...guitar player quit tonight. Schedule conflicts. Time to write a new ad...again. Suggestions?

Actually, just be honest about requirements/expectations and what the band dynamics are. Be truthful without being overbearing.

Here is the CL ad I wrote for our band and it got many, many hits which resulted in our hiring a really great guy with serious chops. We also modified it when we were looking for a singer and wound up with somebody great.

Here it is;


We are currently looking for a Country Lead Guitar Player in our cover band. Our setlist is quite diverse and includes songs from artists like Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings, and Willie Nelson but also includes newer songs from artists like Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean, Billy Currington, and Eric Church. Then throw in a little Marshall Tucker and Skynyrd. Our band consists of two guitars, bass, and drums. We currently have gigs lined up for 2013.

We are looking for a personable, easy going person who is comfortable being in a band. Must have reliable transportation, a positive attitude, and willingness to be part of a team. Our ages range from late 30's to mid 60's, we are family-oriented, and we all approach our work in this band as a team. Ability to be a team player is essential. We all view each other as family and have very close personal relationships with each other. We are strictly drug free, and rarely drink, so please, no substance problems. We practice twice a week (currently), and have a great practice area that is secure and low-cost, with easy load in/load out, and a professional level sound system.

Yes, we are booked for shows in 2013 and we have played out over the last few months, but this band was formed as a labor of love and continues to be just that. We are looking for someone who enjoys the music, enjoys the friendship, and is committed to being part of a band. We are looking to play out a couple times a month and currently have opportunities to do so. No egos, no attitudes, just a great group of guys making good music and having a blast doing it, and we are all committed to putting together a high-quality show with the focus on providing the audience with a fun, memorable experience. If you meet the criteria, and you think this might be for you, please respond to this ad or call *** *** ****.

Auditions will be held after January 1st.

[JaamE]

I finally got my bandies organized for our first practice since early Dec ::sigh::
And i'm not even the BL, just apparently the person who needs to play the most.
So we have a 9pm prac on Thurs, which is late for most of us so i bet it's a short one, but if it gets us moving forward again it's all good.

[rust_preacher]

Originally Posted by JaamE

I finally got my bandies organized for our first practice since early Dec ::sigh::
And i'm not even the BL, just apparently the person who needs to play the most.
So we have a 9pm prac on Thurs, which is late for most of us so i bet it's a short one, but if it gets us moving forward again it's all good.

There's always SOMEONE in a working band who gets the things organized. Maybe for your band, it is you, regardless of the hierarchy. I too have practice today, I have no idea what we will start rehearsing, but we can always resort to our proven classics. This group seems to always have one person who ensures we all will be there, schedules permitting, and it seems that the duty rotates, so it's a bit different from your situation. Maybe it will change once you get your band togetherr again. All the best, rock on!

[JaamE]

Originally Posted by rust_preacher

There's always SOMEONE in a working band who gets the things organized. Maybe for your band, it is you, regardless of the hierarchy. I too have practice today, I have no idea what we will start rehearsing, but we can always resort to our proven classics. This group seems to always have one person who ensures we all will be there, schedules permitting, and it seems that the duty rotates, so it's a bit different from your situation. Maybe it will change once you get your band togetherr again. All the best, rock on!

We always start back with our basics too, and it's getting frustrating. I learned the two new songs from the last time we chose new s ongs, then when we got together again no one else had so we went back to playing Rockin in the Free World... which i swear i could play in my sleep now They keep saying they want to move forward, and then it seems they don't. Me, i just like to play, but i also had spent 3 weeks re-writing one of the songs so that i could manage it and then i go there and no one else had.
Now when i get home from work i need to go cram on them, and i'm sure no one else will have, so we're back to square one again. It's no wonder we only have one set. I'd like to be able to play for more than just a 3-band house party for the same drunk friends.
I'm going to try and see if i can get us in to play at the ACS Relay for life this year. Maybe that will get them motivated, and i know the people organizing it because my job helps promote it

[JaamE]

Aww, poo... practice was canceled cause of a kid with the flu. Sucks when the drummer and singer are married and we all have kids. I sure hope he doesnt have what my 12yo and i had tho.

[Shardik]

Originally Posted by JaamE

Aww, poo... practice was canceled cause of a kid with the flu. Sucks when the drummer and singer are married and we all have kids. I sure hope he doesnt have what my 12yo and i had tho.

Actually, in my workplace "X-mas party band", we have the challenge of coordinating several family schedules and events too.

For us, canceling is not automatic. YMMV, but we often find it beneficial and enjoyable to rehearse anyway. It makes it easier to focus and improve on challenges for a specific instrument for a particular song or other issues. It may be an opportunity to focus or even just a fun time jamming.

[rust_preacher]

Due to recent (several) rounds of layoffs and re-placements, we now have quite a lot of slots to choose from at our rehearsal space (basement at work). So we can usually schedule a spare slot for the week if our Thursdays don't work for us. Yesterday the singer/guitarist had flu, so the rhythm section noodled on some new Deep Purple songs that we want to play. I also snuck in a couple of Neil Young tunes and David Bowie's Suffragette City (fun to play on bass).

[My name is Mudd]

Originally Posted by rust_preacher

...David Bowie's Suffragette City (fun to play on bass).

Try 'The Jean Genie'...one of my faves for bass.

And I cannot hear 'Suffragette City' without remembering watching the Leland Stanford Junior University Marching Band perform that song...in honor of Interational Women's Day.

[JaamE]

Originally Posted by Shardik

For us, canceling is not automatic. YMMV, but we often find it beneficial and enjoyable to rehearse anyway. It makes it easier to focus and improve on challenges for a specific instrument for a particular song or other issues. It may be an opportunity to focus or even just a fun time jamming.

Well we're mediocre enough that there's not much we can do w/o vocals and she sings most of the songs. And it was already a late (9pm) practice for us so people folded fast. Our rhythm guy gets up at 4:30am and i get up at 7 and don't always sleep well, so we usually practice at 7:30, this was an exception for most of us.

[rust_preacher]

Originally Posted by My name is Mudd

Try 'The Jean Genie'...one of my faves for bass.

And I cannot hear 'Suffragette City' without remembering watching the Leland Stanford Junior University Marching Band perform that song...in honor of Interational Women's Day.

Yes, we did a stab at "Jean Genie" as well. Genius doing Suffragette City on March 8... "Wham-bam, thank you Ma-am!"

[shakman]

Hey, I'd like a number please. I started to play 20 years ago, back in 7th grade. I played for almost 2 years, but then various distractions left playing to the wayside. I had always strongly regretted stopping. Well I started up again almost two years ago, and am loving it. That being said, it is a very casual, very Mediocre endevor. Self teaching, mostly self playing, with a rough basement jam sesh here and there. And man is it great!