New Audition Tip

[bluewine]

Just an audition vent.

I had an audition last week, my standard format. Give me 3 songs you want me to audition a time & date. Please let me know about anything else you want from me for the audition.

I think the audition went well. I knew all 3 songs inside out. We did all 3 songs twice. At the end of the audition, the singer (band leader) tells me he couldn’t hear me. The drummer and the guitarist heard me just fine.

What can you say, I mean he could have told me early on he couldn’t hear me.

Just another lesson to all of you that are auditioning, you never know what kind of curves are going to be thrown at you.

I suggest play a few bars of the first song as a sound check, stop and ask every band member if they can hear you or if your to loud.

[gregoire1]

did it cost ya the gig? I've never heard of being too quiet!

[bluewine]

Originally Posted by gregoire1

did it cost ya the gig? I've never heard of being too quiet!

I don't know yet, they are still auditioning bass players. My point was, why would you wait until the audition was over to tell me you couldn't hear me.

[gus1894]

Stupidity?

Honestly, you're right on there - wouldn't it be logical to say something so you would be able to judge the situation earlier?

Originally Posted by bluewine

I don't know yet, they are still auditioning bass players. My point was, why would you wait until the audition was over to tell me you couldn't hear me.

[Drop-the-One]

Singer's don't listen to bassists. Unless they've played bass before. Whether they're trying to be dinks or not.

My singer and I have aaawesome chemistry on and off stage and she respects all I do, but I could play G triplets every song and she couldn't tell.

She's also starting to go deaf tho

[mambo4]

If everybody else heard you just fine, maybe "i couldn't hear you" means "I wasn't listening to you"

[bluewine]

Originally Posted by mambo4

If everybody else heard you just fine, maybe "i couldn't hear you" means "I wasn't listening to you"

Exactly my friend. just like we talked about last week.No respect.

[jive1]

It was probably nothing to do with the volume, but the lack of ability to "hear the bass". Some folks just don't have a sophisticated ear. Some people can listen to an symphony and hear every single instrument in the orchestra while other folks can hear a duo with a trash can lid and guitar yet still not be able to tell which instrument is which.

[busmandan]

I had an audition once where the guitard decided it would be fun to try and drown me out volume-wise. Unfortunately for him, I had brought my QSC PLX2402 bridged into a Schroeder 412 rig with me. The battle ended pretty quick.

[duff beer]

I once auditioned for a band and the singer was their previous bass player...he had too much trouble playing and singing at the same time so they decided he would sing only and they would find a bass player. Apparantly I was better than him because he kept saying "Oh, so THAT'S how that part is supposed to be played."

[oldrocker]

Well if you sucked he would have been able to hear you - so you must have played pretty well. Good Luck.

[gregoire1]

Originally Posted by jive1

It was probably nothing to do with the volume, but the lack of ability to "hear the bass". Some folks just don't have a sophisticated ear. Some people can listen to an symphony and hear every single instrument in the orchestra while other folks can hear a duo with a trash can lid and guitar yet still not be able to tell which instrument is which.

this! My wife is a semi-pro singer and has listened to me for 15 years. She still doesent hear a bass line at all. I guess it takes active listening. But if its missing, everyone knows.

[bluewine]

Yes, this whole auditioning process and learning about the diferent levels of what these guys have to offer is interesting.

Out of the 7 auditions I have done, only one of the bands seems to have steady bookings every week.

I think the whole start up thing is risky for what I am looking for. When you ask about what sort of plan is in place it's tough to get a straight answer;


How many songs do you think it will take to get up and running.

Do you think you will need a cd (3 songs) recorded before booking shows.

How many times a month do you want to play out.

What kind of connectoins do you have for bookings

What is your plan for a web page.

Do you have plans for promo pictures.


I would never ask any of these questions until something was offered.


Just some things anyone would want to think about.

I know it's all low level stuff.But my goal to get picked up by one of the local established working bands isn't going to happen. Not any time soon.

[bassbully]

Originally Posted by bluewine

Yes, this whole auditioning process and learning about the diferent levels of what these guys have to offer is interesting.

Out of the 7 auditions I have done, only one of the bands seems to have steady bookings every week.

I think the whole start up thing is risky for what I am looking for. When you ask about what sort of plan is in place it's tough to get a straight answer;


How many songs do you think it will take to get up and running.

Do you think you will need a cd (3 songs) recorded before booking shows.

How many times a month do you want to play out.

What kind of connectoins do you have for bookings

What is your plan for a web page.

Do you have plans for promo pictures.


I would never ask any of these questions until something was offered.


Just some things anyone would want to think about.

I know it's all low level stuff.But my goal to get picked up by one of the local established working bands isn't going to happen. Not any time soon.

I have to agree. If only 1 band out of 7 had gigs that's not looking good for you to find an established gig. This is one of the problems out there is there are allot of people looking and wanting bass players but have no band, kind of a band, a band with no direction, or a bad band.
To find the right band with gigs where you fit and at least enjoy the hang and music is a tough one for sure. Keep looking or at least find one with best chance to hit the ground running.

[jive1]

Originally Posted by bluewine

Yes, this whole auditioning process and learning about the diferent levels of what these guys have to offer is interesting.

Out of the 7 auditions I have done, only one of the bands seems to have steady bookings every week.

I think the whole start up thing is risky for what I am looking for. When you ask about what sort of plan is in place it's tough to get a straight answer;


I know it's all low level stuff.But my goal to get picked up by one of the local established working bands isn't going to happen. Not any time soon.

Something to think about......

The amount of time that you spend looking for an "established" band could be spent with a start up to get the ball rolling. For example, it may take you 6 months to find that dream gig but it may take less than months to get the ball rolling on a startup if it's with the right folks.

[bass.monger]

well, ya kno some singers, too wraped up in themselves to bother with anyone. I had this once chick in the band at church who wanted to change the key because she couldnt sing it. we had already changed other songs because of the same reason, and it made it more difficult to play

[bassbully]

Originally Posted by bass.monger

well, ya kno some singers, too wraped up in themselves to bother with anyone. I had this once chick in the band at church who wanted to change the key because she couldnt sing it. we had already changed other songs because of the same reason, and it made it more difficult to play

That's not uncommon at all. Allot of singers change the original keys to fit their vocal range. This is where a bass player need's to know how to transpose keys to be a benefit to the band and singer.

[puddin tame]

Originally Posted by bass.monger

well, ya kno some singers, too wraped up in themselves to bother with anyone. I had this once chick in the band at church who wanted to change the key because she couldnt sing it. we had already changed other songs because of the same reason, and it made it more difficult to play

yeah that is fairly common. it's different than just sliding up a few frets for a singer

[AwkwardLoudness]

I've auditioned a few times for total strangers sometimes as a guitarist sometimes as a bassist. I'm always 'too loud' and that's with volume knobs below noon. I've had much better luck starting up bands with people I know already or friend of friends.

[Rip Topaz]

Look at it this way. If he "couldn't hear you", then you did well. Nothing stood out to him as bad. If it had, you would have been "too loud".