How to get band members to recognize your skill =.=

[Lukc]

So when I started playing bass, I immediately started a band with one of my friends. While awesome, he can be a bit of a douche. He believes himself to be amazing, and therefore I suck. While that was true, in a year I've developed enough skill to at least be considered a bassist. Yet whenever I ask him "Hey, we have enough members. Can we get a gig already?" he rudly responds "Learn to play bass.". I ****ing know =.= Every cover we play, I've mastered. And even on our originals my bass line writing has gotten better.

Plus: He isn't very dedicated. When talking about the band he will always say "Band? What band." I mean it's a funny joke since we are amateurish but it gets god damn annoying because we have the talent together to in the very least have a gig at our damn school. We just hired a guitarist and a drummer and both of them are 110% more dedicated then he is. So yeah. Thoughts?

[That Axe]

Ditch the guitarist,then start a new band with the hired guitarist and drummer.

[pklima]

I'm guessing this guy sings and you don't?

[derrico1]

You want to gig; he doesn't want to gig, or he doesn't want to gig with you.

If you're still getting something out of it, then keep woodshedding with the original guitarist. But in the meantime, start a new project with musicians who share your goal of playing gigs.

Otherwise, see if you can convince the drummer and new guitarist to carry on w/o the first guitarist. Be prepared, though, for the likelihood that he's already talking with them about getting a new bass player.

[dalkowski]

Originally Posted by That Axe

Ditch the guitarist,then start a new band with the hired guitarist and drummer.

This. The guy will do nothing for you but hold you back.

[Winfred]

Move on. Guitar players are a dime per dozen. Never put up with a bad one.

[funkingroovin]

Originally Posted by Winfred

Move on. Guitar players are a dime per dozen. Never put up with a bad one.

+1

[pklima]

Is this a guitarist, though? I don't see that in the OP.

Not that I suppose it matters much either way...

[bassteban]

I imagine this clown will only recognize your skill from afar- start a band, W/O him, get gigs/women/money, profit.
You could just as easily do all that w/no regard for what d-bag dude thinks. Regardless, I see no reason to deal w/this kind of BS. Keep us posted

[Art Araya]

Is this a question about whether you guys are ready to gig or not or a question about getting others to recognize your skill?

I'll deal with the getting other musicians to recognize your skill part of your question - it's really pretty simple. When you play well and have command of your instrument, players know. You don't need to convince anyone with your words.

I remember well the days of getting no respect - people not even wanting to jam with me because I "made them sound bad" and then transition to the days of strong players I admired voluntarily coming up to me and complimenting my playing and other band members deferring to my opinions. In between were many years and thousands of hours of shedding scales, arpeggios, tunes alone in my garage from sun up to sun down.

If you've got to convince other musicians that you are a strong player, then you're probably not as strong as you think yet. Sorry - not trying to be harsh with you.

Now onto the gigging part of your question. Get other musicians who are willing to play with you and gig out. The market will soon let you know if you are good enough or not. It has no sympathy - if you guys aren't ready you won't get gigs or you'll get only one gig and not be invited back. If you are good enough obviously there will be a demand for you.

[soitainly]

At school age, I don't see any harm in getting a gig to play for your friends. Maybe you do suck, but that doesn't matter too much. Sometimes just getting out there and doing it is motivation to suck less. If the guy doesn't consider himself part of "the band" then he isn't, he's just a guy that jams with you. If you want to be in a band, take charge and find others that want the same thing.

Maybe the guy that is giving you problems is really talented and above your level, but don't let that hold you back. Some people never get to the point where they think they are ready to perform. Playing for other kids at school just isn't that big a deal. People don't want to see you fail, and they like the idea of hanging out with a band, so there isn't anything to lose.

[pklima]

Yeah, if you don't ditch the guy I wouldn't worry so much about convincing him you're good. I might get in trouble for this, but looking confident and happy while you play makes people think you're good a lot more effectively than playing complicated parts perfectly or trying to explain that you're good.

Also, you don't really need to be "good", just "close enough for government work". Even if the first gig isn't great, you'll learn a lot of things a lot faster than if you rehearsed for months chasing perfection.

Originally Posted by soitainly

Playing for other kids at school just isn't that big a deal. People don't want to see you fail, and they like the idea of hanging out with a band, so there isn't anything to lose.

Exactly. Audiences aren't there to nitpick imperfections, they're there to have fun.

[lustersilk]

Originally Posted by Winfred

Move on. Guitar players are a dime per dozen. Never put up with a bad one.

Amen!

[Phalex]

I played with 2 different douchebags for about ten years each.

The douchebag guitar player used to drive me nuts until I realized that he actually knew he was a douchebag. It took me years to figure out, but once I did, I could just say, dude, you're being an *******. And he'd just go. "Oh..... Sorry"

We are friends to this day. The guy just has a very odd sense of humor, but he's basically OK, and extremely trustworthy.

I was in a band with a douchebag singer for about ten years as well. The guy is good at singing, but he's a lousy human being. I put up with him (and carried his weight) because he was a fantastic performer. I'm kinda glad to be shed of him now. If I were to go on vacation, I couldn't trust that guy to watch my dog.


So I guess the question is: Is your guitarist a douchebag with a heart of gold, or is he a douchebag with a turd where his soul should be?

Either way, you should probably consider your options so as not to waste ten years gigging with an intolerable douche.

[Muttleybass]

Originally Posted by Winfred

Move on. Guitar players are a dime per dozen. Never put up with a bad one.

Yep. Life is too short to play with people who don't respect you.

[Raymeous]

Steve Harris was/is the driving force behind Iron Maiden. Like them or not, it does prove that even the bass player can take charge and create a legendary band.

If your resident "guitar god" isn't willing to take it as seriously as you and the others do, then let him sit in his bedroom rocking out in front of a mirror while you guys go play some gigs, even if it's just for a friends back yard birthday party.

[capncal]

Originally Posted by Raymeous

Steve Harris was/is the driving force behind Iron Maiden. Like them or not, it does prove that even the bass player can take charge and create a legendary band.

If your resident "guitar god" isn't willing to take it as seriously as you and the others do, then let him sit in his bedroom rocking out in front of a mirror while you guys go play some gigs, even if it's just for a friends back yard birthday party.

yup yup.

my band was in this kind of a rut a few years ago (before we replaced our douche bag guitarist) and couldn't get out of the garage for a gig. we played an open mic and even traveled out of town to play a gig with friends we have in another band. but that was like pulling teeth.

i actually put together a benefit event and booked my band as the headliners. that was our first big event, even though it was rather small compared with what we've done since. but it was enough of a real gig to get the other guys stoked and eventually to realize if we wanted to gig on the regular, we had to make a change in the guitar seat.

[two fingers]

Originally Posted by dalkowski

This. The guy will do nothing for you but hold you back.

What they said.

[klokker]

Originally Posted by Lukc

So when I started playing bass, I immediately started a band with one of my friends. While awesome, he can be a bit of a douche. He believes himself to be amazing, and therefore I suck. While that was true, in a year I've developed enough skill to at least be considered a bassist. Yet whenever I ask him "Hey, we have enough members. Can we get a gig already?" he rudly responds "Learn to play bass.". I ****ing know =.= Every cover we play, I've mastered. And even on our originals my bass line writing has gotten better.

Plus: He isn't very dedicated. When talking about the band he will always say "Band? What band." I mean it's a funny joke since we are amateurish but it gets god damn annoying because we have the talent together to in the very least have a gig at our damn school. We just hired a guitarist and a drummer and both of them are 110% more dedicated then he is. So yeah. Thoughts?

Don't let people like this ruin your day.

Practice your bass, look for opportunities, pay your dues. Believe me, it gets better. Not perfect, but better.

Just hang in there. How the heck anyone gets through junior high and high school I have no idea. I don't know how I did it.

[QweziRider]

Absolutely no point in spending a miserable life trying to make happy the people with that little common respect for you.