2-Piece Band Issues

[Zelphien]

Okay, first let me say I am back from my job. I finally quit so I can come on more often. So Hello Talk Bass!

Let me starting talking about my issue. I am in a 2-piece band, Bass and Drums. Now, don't think we are some techno band. We had simply just a Bassist and Drummer. We been playing together for about a year or so and we love it. We gig quite often and most people who see us usually are really fond with the originality of the band having only 2 people. We are a mixed genre of Funk/Jazz/Hard Rock/Punk/Sludge Metal and people find it rather interesting.

Recently, we discussed if we should get a guitar player. After a show, one person told us we should get a guitar player because that is how bands get noticed. By a guitarist. Now I was really shocked and disappointed by this person's opinion because we, the bass players, are the backbone of music no matter what (while drummers are the skeleton).

I personally started to question my friends and family members about whether or not we should get a guitar player. It was pretty much a 50/50 response.

I wanna know from you guys if we really need a guitar play to get somewhere in music.

Now think about bands like The Melvins for example. They picked up their bass player and other drummer from the band Big Business which WAS also a 2-piece band. And you have to admit, the Melvins (being as old as they are now) were the gods of punk music back in the day.

However, that is my argument with this issue.

What do you guys think?

 

[Phalex]

Are you gigging regularly? Are you getting paid??

If the answer to both the above is yes, then no, you don't need another member.

Actually, the odds of developing real "band issues" grows exponentially with every person that you add to the line up.

If you're happy doing what your doing, you don't wish your drummer would die a slow painful death, and you're getting gigs, I'd say your way ahead of the curve.

If it aint broke.........

 

[NateS]

if ti ain't broke don't fix it. as long as the gigs flow and the music rocks, let it be.

 

[5StringBlues]

If you're happy doing what your doing, you don't wish your drummer would die a slow painful death, and you're getting gigs, I'd say your way ahead of the curve.

Damn cuz,sometimes you just hit the nail on the head in full swing!



Sigged.

 

[Phalex]

Damn cuz,sometimes you just hit the nail on the head in full swing!



Sigged.

 

[Third Basser]

"to get noticed" is no reason to get a guitarist. if you think your band lacks something that only a guitarist can fill, then that would be a legitimate reason in my mind

 

[Tony In Philly]

This band seems to do OK as a bass/drums two piece:

Link Removed

...and no, this is not some old guy trying to be hip. My girlfriend's son played one of their CD's for me because he knows I like trios/limited instrumentation/etc. and he wanted to show me a band that took the concept even further.

 

[PostApocalypso]

This band seems to do OK as a bass/drums two piece:

Link Removed

They do quite OK. They opened for Nine Inch Nails a few years back.

And a guitar player isn't "how bands get noticed". A tuba player on the other hand...[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

 

[Zelphien]

And a guitar player isn't "how bands get noticed". A tuba player on the other hand...[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Interesting. Sometimes in my band, we use synth and actually have a tuba sound. We have a blast with it. lol.

 

[MNAirHead]

really depends on your plan...

My hunch overall would be keys/programmer would be more along the lines of what you're probably doing.

Why not get a producer type keys guys and just ad Ableton as a 3rd sound souce?

 

[PostApocalypso]

My hunch overall would be keys/programmer would be more along the lines of what you're probably doing.

Like this...

 

[Joey3313]

This band seems to do OK as a bass/drums two piece:

Link Removed

...and no, this is not some old guy trying to be hip. My girlfriend's son played one of their CD's for me because he knows I like trios/limited instrumentation/etc. and he wanted to show me a band that took the concept even further.

They hate each other and broke up a couple years ago.


Yeah, they're doing great.


In all honesty, the statement that you need a guitarist is true for the most part. If you didn't have a bass player, few people would care. If you don't have a guitarist, you look like suckers.


Enjoy.

 

[NateS]

They hate each other and broke up a couple years ago.


Yeah, they're doing great.


In all honesty, the statement that you need a guitarist is true for the most part. If you didn't have a bass player, few people would care. If you don't have a guitarist, you look like suckers.


Enjoy.

that's a load. i've seen bands with 2 guitarists and a drummer. WAAAYYY too much high end, no matter what. Everybody with me, even the non-musicians, aggreed that they needed somebody lower than guitar. Bass can do guitar stuff, guitar can't do bass stuff.

 

[Tampabass]

They do quite OK. They opened for Nine Inch Nails a few years back.

And a guitar player isn't "how bands get noticed". A tuba player on the other hand...[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Drums & Tuba (of course, they cheat by adding a guitarist)

 

[Zelphien]

Haha I am a big fan of Jojo Mayer, but like I said in my post, we aren't techno/bass & drum genre. We are more on the rock side of things.

You guys are pretty much hitting the same back and forth answers I get haha. Most people did say we looked like posers or suckers playing on stage with no guitar player. My technique that I usually do is simply playing bass-lines but also doing melody that would think a guitar would normally do. We do sing, and instead of having like a solo, we do improv jams in the same scale as the song.

We did try out guitar players. Now my drummer and I both played in a trio band with a guitar player and we did quite well. However, with the lack of the guitar player actually showing up, we decided to make out 2-man band. This past week, we did try out guitar players, but we both agreed our minds are so set in the 2-man band thing, that it is hard for us to even cope with a guitarist.

Should we just follow our mind and continue the 2-man band, or try harder to get use to having a guitar player again?

 

[NateS]

stay as it is. who cares what other people think?

 

[PostApocalypso]

Haha I am a big fan of Jojo Mayer, but like I said in my post, we aren't techno/bass & drum genre. We are more on the rock side of things.

It all music. Just another example of how no single instrument is essential.

You guys know what you want to do, so do it.

 

[behndy]

In all honesty, the statement that you need a guitarist is true for the most part. If you didn't have a bass player, few people would care. If you don't have a guitarist, you look like suckers.

Enjoy.

lol. that's funny. i'm in a band that is a 2 piece right now. we've used a drummer in the past and are looking for the right fitting (giggety) new one right now. but we've kept playing shows with just me and my singer/synth player while we are looking.

the FUNNY part of your post is that the only time i've ever heard "you need a guitarist" after a show is from old, only dig on metal meetheads that i could realy give a **** about their opinion, or from a guitarist.

which are you?

 

[behndy]

and Lightning Bolt? NO need for a guitarist. i lurv those guys.

 

[Joey3313]

lol. that's funny. i'm in a band that is a 2 piece right now. we've used a drummer in the past and are looking for the right fitting (giggety) new one right now. but we've kept playing shows with just me and my singer/synth player while we are looking.

the FUNNY part of your post is that the only time i've ever heard "you need a guitarist" after a show is from old, only dig on metal meetheads that i could realy give a **** about their opinion, or from a guitarist.

which are you?

Well, I'm not old, my opinion of metal is quite neutral, and I'm not a guitarist.

I'm realistic...or trolling. In this instance, there is hardly a difference, though.

The only people that value bass players are bass players.