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Band fired me now needs my help
- Thread starter SMILEYSIXX
- Start date
It's a tough situation. The band that fired you is now asking you to teach your replacement how to play the bass. If you don't have any bad feelings towards the band that fired you, you can make some extra money and you can teach someone to play bass. And since your in another band, I doubt your crying over spilled milk.
Tell them to get a book and some dvds and have at it.
and it's damn well possible to be in more than one band....so fooey on them!!
and it's damn well possible to be in more than one band....so fooey on them!!
I would. Specifically, I would tell them, "Nope. I'm not a bass teacher so if you need a teacher, you'd better go pay one." Whether you have the ability and knowlege to teach him is beside the point. You don't have anything to prove to them. And you don't owe them any free favors either.
Not that you couldn't teach the kid, but why do him/them a favor that will NEVER get repaid when they should have to pay for their decision. Make 'em go pay the $70/hour or whatever it is in your 'hood for lessons.
Guarantee I wouldn't do it. By the time you reach my age, people will have pulled this move on you plenty of times and you'll reach a point where you'll say, "What am I getting out of this relationship?" and
"Why am I letting myself be treated like this?"
...and other painful cliches.
Save yourself months or years of being mad at yourself for letting others disrespect you (you said you felt disrespected). Tell them "tough luck".
Not worth it. You'll be pi**ed about this for a few months, but he'll suffer with bad technique for years. That's like shooting someone for getting your shoes dirty.
I know, that remark was a joke. My problem is with the band, not the kid. What I think WOULD be hilarious is to rejoin the band, do all these crazy complicated bass lines, then the night before a gig, quit and screw them over.
No, you don't want to do anything that's going to give you a reputation for being an a------. I'd do anything I could to legitimately help them out, but at a price I knew they'd never pay.
+10. Since you will be giving lessons, you should let them know that your time is valuable and you should be compensated.
A Groove is a Terrible Thing to Waste!
I guess I'm in the minority, but I'd actually consider helping the kid out unless I were really holding a grudge about it. I've been asked a few times to help a new bassist out. I've accepted every time because:
a. it's flattering since it's usually "can you teach him to play like you?"
b. it's good PR and maybe helps add to the bass community
c. it only costs me an hour of my time and I set it up at my convenience
I always give the caveat that I'm not really qualified to teach bass (no traditional lessons myself) but I can teach some basics and technique stuff. Since I'm not really a bass teacher I also refuse payment.
Seriously, I'd consider helping the kid out (to a point). You'll definitely be the bigger person and might get asked back if the kid flops.
a. it's flattering since it's usually "can you teach him to play like you?"
b. it's good PR and maybe helps add to the bass community
c. it only costs me an hour of my time and I set it up at my convenience
I always give the caveat that I'm not really qualified to teach bass (no traditional lessons myself) but I can teach some basics and technique stuff. Since I'm not really a bass teacher I also refuse payment.
Seriously, I'd consider helping the kid out (to a point). You'll definitely be the bigger person and might get asked back if the kid flops.
Revenge is lame, unless you're upset about what they did, what's the point? And sooner or later the guy you're teaching will probably figure out what's up and you'll have at least one person who justifiably thinks you're a wad.
They fired you. They decided without talking to you that you couldn't be in two bands. The high road would be to be cool witht the situationand move on. they're already seeing the folly in their decision. I wouldn't offer to teach the new bass player. They made their bed, let them sleep in it.
So you don't have time for two bands but you do have time for one band and lessons? Who put them in charge of managing your time?
If you want to play with them again, no harm in broaching that subject. I'd put them in my "Life's too short" folder and move on.
People can really be clueless sometimes, maybe this will help them beless so in the future. Probably the dumbest audition I ever had was several years ago. A guitarist friend was putting a band together and called to ask if I was available. As a formality asked me to audition for the other two members. Told me to just bring my Polytone MiniBrute III combo amp, that's all I need. I got there and the drummer and I immediately hit it off as we played together as a trio (the keyboardist was preoccupied with something). When the keyboard player finally joined in he decided he wanted us to play one of his original tunes. The concept was that whatever chord he played , he wanted me to play a whole tone about the root.
We tried this for several minutes and it sounded stupid each time. He went back to being preoccupied, we went over some other songs they did and that was it. About a week later I get a call from my friend that everyone but the keyboard player was cool with me so it wasn't going to work out. I was cool with that and continued playing on all of the other projects I was busy with.
Fast forward about ten years. I'm playing in a club, doing an open mic with my trio, The Sound Poetz, as the house band. The keyboardist comes in and sits in with us. He's having the time of his life and eventually we had to let someone else take his spot. He asked a friend of mine how long I'd been playing like that. My friend was puzzled by the question, said I'd been playing like that for as long as he'd known me. When I heard about that conversation during a break I decided to finally ask the guy what happened back when we first meant. He said he liked my playing but I had a small amp.
Yes, some people really are that dense.
Good decision.
I had a somewhat similar situation. I got fired from a band by the poor drummer after the guitard bullied him to do it because he was too p@ssy to do it himself. The guitard called me and said we were gonna jam that night. I packed my gear (see sig below) and drive 30 min to the drummers house. I get there and the drummer is really nervous and shaky as he tells me through the locked screen door that the band is going to look for someone else. It was a total shock. We had gigged a few times and had just recorded a demo in a studio the week before. I shocked him right back when I said, "Ok, cool. See you round." I stuck out my hand, he unlocked the door, shook it, and I left. A few weeks later the guitard calls me up and says they found a really good bassist but he doesn't have a rig, just a 50W practice amp. Can he borrow my rig for a few shows till he can buy a decent amp/cab? I laughed and hung up. Fast forward several months, I'm in a new band and we are gigging regularly. We book a gig at a local bar and find out my old band is playing that night too. They played second and put on a decent show considering their new awesome bass player was plastered and the guitard was high as a kite on god knows what. Being somewhat familiar with the material, I heard every flub, mostly from the guitard. Then they didn't even hang out to see any of the other bands, just played and split, but not before the guitard got into a fight in the parking lot.
Needless to say, I was glad they fired me. Seeing what became of them and knowing I could have been a part of that train wreck was very sobering and I'm sure you will be better off. Keep your focus on the music and try not to let other people who aren't get in your way.
Rock on.
Good decision.
I had a somewhat similar situation. I got fired from a band by the poor drummer after the guitard bullied him to do it because he was too p@ssy to do it himself. The guitard called me and said we were gonna jam that night. I packed my gear (see sig below) and drive 30 min to the drummers house. I get there and the drummer is really nervous and shaky as he tells me through the locked screen door that the band is going to look for someone else. It was a total shock. We had gigged a few times and had just recorded a demo in a studio the week before. I shocked him right back when I said, "Ok, cool. See you round." I stuck out my hand, he unlocked the door, shook it, and I left. A few weeks later the guitard calls me up and says they found a really good bassist but he doesn't have a rig, just a 50W practice amp. Can he borrow my rig for a few shows till he can buy a decent amp/cab? I laughed and hung up. Fast forward several months, I'm in a new band and we are gigging regularly. We book a gig at a local bar and find out my old band is playing that night too. They played second and put on a decent show considering their new awesome bass player was plastered and the guitard was high as a kite on god knows what. Being somewhat familiar with the material, I heard every flub, mostly from the guitard. Then they didn't even hang out to see any of the other bands, just played and split, but not before the guitard got into a fight in the parking lot.
Needless to say, I was glad they fired me. Seeing what became of them and knowing I could have been a part of that train wreck was very sobering and I'm sure you will be better off. Keep your focus on the music and try not to let other people who aren't get in your way.
Rock on.
Great story. Again... Yes, some people really are that dense.
In order to make a living around here, right now, it seems five bands using me is the ticket. Done it before and I'm not superhuman. Not doing it now (3) so I'm Hungry.
There's an old saying... living well is the best revenge.
Let them see that what they did didn't faze you in the least and that you're likely better off without them.
Let me get this right......
They say you have no time so you can't play with them.
So why do they think you have time to teach their new bassist?
They say you have no time so you can't play with them.
So why do they think you have time to teach their new bassist?
I think it's kind of amusing to think of was of exacting revenge on your old band, but really it would just make you look petulant and immature. I know that they were exactly that themselves, but maybe they don't see it that way, and there's more of them than you.
Don't give them an excuse. Be better than they are, even though they don't deserve it. Someday, perhaps, they will grow up and realize that they were wrong and you behaved well.
Give the guy a couple of lessons, show him where to put his fingers, how to hold it, how to pick etc etc. Why not? he wants to learn the instrument we love. Be big about it. Then after that, direct him to a 'qualified' teacher.
I wouldn't be going back though. They made their decision. It's the other guy's gig now. Wish them luck with what they do, then concentrate on your new band(s).
Don't give them an excuse. Be better than they are, even though they don't deserve it. Someday, perhaps, they will grow up and realize that they were wrong and you behaved well.
Give the guy a couple of lessons, show him where to put his fingers, how to hold it, how to pick etc etc. Why not? he wants to learn the instrument we love. Be big about it. Then after that, direct him to a 'qualified' teacher.
I wouldn't be going back though. They made their decision. It's the other guy's gig now. Wish them luck with what they do, then concentrate on your new band(s).
This...
and this...
and this, if you hope to be a professional...
Nothing wrong with giving the kid a few lessons for $50 an hour...I don't like to burn my bridges unless someone has been a real Ass**** to me.You never know someplace down the road etc.
