Am I a horrible bass player?

[two fingers]

Welcome to TalkBass!

You'll be fine. Calm down.

You were just out of your element and doing something new to you. That can be hard but it's almost always rewarding on some level.

Yes, they handled things in a crappy way. They said whatever it took to get you to leave and then handled business like cowards. Not everyone is lime that. You jist had a bad experience. If it's your only one, you'll be very lucky.

But if you stick with it you will also have many great experiences. Playing in a band of people who get along can be am awesome experience. I wouldn't trade my decades on stage for anything.

Hang in there!

Ask questions of us as you progress. We're here to help.

 

[Frampton]

I’m not a professional bassist, but I’ve never played a song well at the first rehearsal. Never. Really, aside from professional club daters, or session players, does anyone? I say it’s time to find a guitarist and drummer for a competing Green Day cover band. And, better you find out now that they’re poopy band mates, before you waste too much time on them. I’ve never heard you, so I don’t know how well you play, but this experience is no reflection on your skill. Ask Elvis Presley. In 1954, Elvis was still a no-name performer, and Jimmy Denny — manager of the Grand Ole Opry — fired Elvis Presley after just one performance telling him, “You ain’t goin’ nowhere, son. You ought to go back to drivin’ a truck.”

 

[Bubble]

Make it into a song sometime in the future.

They only gave me just one chance
to be in a band to sing and dance.
The singer didn't like me and neither the drummer.
The lead player gave a thumbs down , ooooOOOooo what a bummer.

I practiced and practiced until my playing was great.
Another band said come join us and we just can't wait.
We're shipping platinum, shipping gold,
and the old band hasn't had a CD sold.

 

[pglaser01]

If you knew how many of us here had been let go for "not working out"... or felt like the world's worst bass player at one time or another, only to be quite successful at it later in....you'd be astounded and immediately feel better.

Might I also direct to one of the largest groups here at TB...The Mediocre Bassist's club....what # are we at now fellas?

 

[hrodbert696]

Sounds like you're a beginner and were playing with people a little further along, who weren't prepared to have the patience to bring you up to speed. Don't sweat it. Keep practicing, improve, and look for someone else to play with.

One observation; music is not made of turnings, it's made of notes. The question is not what tuning you played in but what notes you played. Adopting an alternate tuning just changes where the notes are on the fretboard. If it helps you feel better, this band ragging on your tuning rather than your notes suggests they aren't as much bettervthan you as they think they are.

 

[twinjet]

I felt like I got better as time went on

This is the first symptom of growth.

I drove home thinking about practicing my butt off and working with my bass teacher to try and connect more with the guitar. I was really excited to play in a band finally.

The second symptom of growth.

I know I didn't do well, but I was hoping to improve.

The third symptom of growth. Looks like you're doomed. You have terminal bass player syndrome. It appears you want to play, learn and enjoy the bass for the great instrument it is. Unfortunately, there isn't much of a cure. You'll just have to keep practicing and playing forever, even after you've reached a point where you're happy with how you sound.

Looks like you're a bass player...

(Keep at it!!)

 

[Goatrope]

Hey Kat. All you need to do is hit the woodshed and build your chops.

The difference between you and your ex band mates is: With work, you’ll continue to improve, while they’ll always be weasels.

 

[Oddly]

I've never posted before, so hello.

Firstly, welcome.
Secondly, with a possible very rare lucky exception, most of us here have been in a similar situation when starting out.
You just got a bad start with people who should, knowing you were a beginner, have made a lot more effort to help you out.

Not telling you beforehand they were gonna use drop tuning?
Not slowing things down and giving you a chance to work your lines out?
Not having the courage to tell you face to face that they didn't think you were working out, after barely giving you a chance to prove yourself?

Seriously, you're way better off without them.
Don't let this one bad experience ruin your love for the bass.
Not every band will be like this.
(Admittedly, most guitarists are self-inflated egotistical a******s who should be pitied for their many faults and certainly never listened to. That's just a fact of life you'll have to learn to live with.)
Keep practising, find better people to play with, and good luck.

 

[Big Shrek]

More jamming with nice folks...
less worrying about being in a band...
when the right situation comes up, you'll be ready for it.

Meanwhile, work on your skills by jamming with other folks as often
as possible...that can lead to several different possibilities...
You jam with the right group and form a band out of that group...
One of them hooks you up with a similarly skilled band that needs a bass player...
One of the jammers gets sick, knows you can hack it on their songs,
sends you in to cover, and you get "Discovered" by another band that needs a bassist.
Etc...etc...etc...

Technically, until one can play like Buckethead, WE ALL SUCK!! LOL

 

[SactoBass]

Katthestar:

Welcome to TB!

I am 61 years old and I have been playing classic rock covers on bass since I was 16. Here's what has always helped me be successful: learn the material by yourself (known as woodshedding) with the recordings before hooking up with the other players. Then, when you show up for rehearsal with the other players, you will already know the bass parts and you will be ready to go. I *never* used band rehearsal time to learn the material. I always learned the material by myself first (spending lots of time playing along with the original recordings). And I would always confirm beforehand the key that the band will be playing the song in, just to make sure that it's in the original key (or some other key). That way, when you learn the song by yourself, you will know that you are learning it the way the band will be playing it.

Enjoy!

 

[JimmyM]

Katthestar:

Welcome to TB!

I am 61 years old and I have been playing classic rock covers on bass since I was 16. Here's what has always helped me be successful: learn the material by yourself (known as woodshedding) with the recordings before hooking up with the other players. Then, when you show up for rehearsal with the other players, you will already know the bass parts and you will be ready to go. I *never* used band rehearsal time to learn the material. I always learned the material by myself first (spending lots of time playing along with the original recordings). And I would always confirm beforehand the key that the band will be playing the song in, just to make sure that it's in the original key (or some other key). That way, when you learn the song by yourself, you will know that you are learning it the way the band will be playing it.

Enjoy!

Great advice. I'm sure Green Day cover bands don't want someone reading charts onstage. Always be prepared is what I say.

Kat, I think you're doing fine. You attempted to get out of your element, which is great. OK, so you got spanked, but I've been playing 40 years pro and I still get spanked from time to time. Big deal...the band that pays my bills loves me If you want to play bad enough, you will figure it out and find people who want to work with you.

 

[Diamond_Dave]

I met with some girls and we were going to start a Green Day cover band.

Well, there are your first two mistakes!

It sounds like it's them, not you. Maybe I'm soft, but a band is a team. If they liked you, but you weren't catching on, they'd should've slowed things down and helped you out. It doesn't sound like the record label was going to be calling any time soon, and I don't know what the demand for Green Day cover bands in your town is, but this is supposed to be fun, right? I think it would be better for them to bring along a bass player who's a good person than some a-hole who can play, but nobody can stand them.

And then to kick you out by text? That's chicken-$hit.

Chalk it up to experience and look for your next opportunity, hopefully with some better human beings as band mates.

 

[Drgonzonm]

Drop down tuning, my thoughts, tune the bass down one step. For rehearsals. Then capo ( that's a dirty word) for regular tuning. I prefer to play by position, so using the fourth fret as home on drop down is the same second position in normal tuning.
S

 

[Mantis Tobaggan]

PLAYING Green Day on guitar is far easier than playing the bass parts. Don’t stress it. Tell that chick to chill

 

[Mr.Ace]

Keep playing and never give up. Use this
as a learning experience.

 

[todd0864]

Keep your head up and keep practicing. You may get a call from them in the future and you can show them how much you have improved. I had a similar experience and when the call came over a year later, I was more prepared than the rest of the band.

 

[basted]

Don't take it too hard. Some people behave that way, others don't. They expect it to all fall in to place quickly but it usually takes more time. If you learnt some things from the get together, and it sounds like you have, then that gives you more experience for the future. Next time you will be better prepared.
I went through similar things to what you have described, we all have. Keep practicing and trying new things on the bass.
You have to think about what you want and move forward with the future in mind.

 

[bassbully]

Your better off without them if they told you all was well and then pulled the rug out. Keep moving forward and you will find people to play with. It takes allot more than one practice to gel with other musicians.

 

[Frampton]

PLAYING Green Day on guitar is far easier than playing the bass parts. Don’t stress it. Tell that chick to chill

Absolutely true

 

[Bad azz tone]

All I will add is there will allways be better players than you,and players not as good as you,so don't worry about it. They should worry about karma!!!!