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Bass Player Pet Peeves

#163
Larry99 said:
- Stages/bandstands without enough electrical outlets.


- People who say the Beatles were overrated
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Oh yeah man - we're on the same wavelength here mate!

I know what you mean about the plug socket thing - I once did a gig in a hotel and the "stage" (actually, "in the alcove by the front window" is more appropriate) had no plug sockets nearby...AT ALL!...and of course not one of us had bought an extension - we ended up gutting the place of all the 4-ways they could afford to give us (never happened since)

a couple more:

1) Guitarist/singer who says "I couldn't hear you, you were slapping" when you've been playing it that way all the way through rehearsals without them even noticing...:rolleyes:

2) Guitarist has so much more bass coming out of his amp than you that you can stop playing and not tell any difference (problems fixed now...)

3) Guitarist who tells you your distortion is laughable when he drowns you out anyway with his bloody scoop button and 450-watt stack

4) Guitarist who complains he can't hear you when you've got distortion/overdrive on bass at the same time as him

5) Guitarist/singer who is also the self-appointed soundman/manager/promoter and is an arrogant snugglemuffin

oh yeah...

6) Goths who automatically define the Beatles as "Shi*!" without giving a reason
 
#164
-People who think tuning by ear is cool and must mean they are better musically - even if they are off.
-People who refuse to take any help from other members of the band on their instrument because they are up their own arse
-People who think that just because they have an opinion, they have the right to voice it.
-People who say "play it and see if it feels right" - someone asked YOUR opinion, not what you think they should do. YOUR opinion on an instrument or peice of gear.
 
#172
I don't smoke or drink, and it bugs the hell out of me when one of my bandmates (it's usually a singer) puts an ash tray and a beer on top of my amp.

It bugs me when people don't understand when they ask if I'm a bass player and I say "No, I'm a musician".

It doesn't at all bother me when another bass player wants to use my rig at a show, but it DOES bother me when they don't bring their own, just EXPECTING to use mine. Even if I was SURE that I could use someone else's rig, I'd bring something of my own if for no other reason than just to show that I was prepared in case they said no. I've actually been to shows where the bass players in both the opener and the headliner left their amps at home because they thought the other player was bringing a rig! haha

A band I was in several years back used to host an open mic jam night every Tuesday. No big deal if people use my rig for this purpose, but I used to hate the people who came to these without a bass and wanted to use mine. If it was someone I knew and trusted, no big deal. But there were kids who JUST started playing and knew nothin about nothin and I didn't want them using my basses.

It bugs me to death when a singer tells unfunny jokes or otherwise makes an ass of himself between songs at a gig. It's embarrassing.

It bugs me when I show up to practice only to find out that the drummer isn't coming. Why the hell can't people use a telephone?

It's annoying that every time I walk into a music store to check out an amp, every one of them has the EQ set with bass all the way up, everything else all the way down. I evaluate every amp by how it sounds flat. Any amp I have to adjust the EQ on is not for me. It bugs me any time a bass player thinks the only thing worth hearing on an amp is how loud it can go or how much sub bass it will put out. When I was younger, I was guilty of this at times, but now it bugs the hell out of me!

Lastly and most importantly, it annoys me to no end that I'm apparently not smart enough to figure out how to get a good sound with a compressor! Either it ends up sounding great for slap and like a turd for everything else, or it sounds great for fingerstyle and terrible for slap, or it ends up sounding awful for everything! Someone help! haha

Jake
 
#173
just about anybody who is so stubborn that it seems they aren't even hearing you when offering suggestions or soloutions to the problems.

an example; me and my drummer took about 12 minutes just to convince the guitarist that he was adding one extra note. what really killed me is that for awhile he was asking us if one note really matters:mad: in the end we finally convinced him.:)

at the same time, the drummer is just as stubborn. a really off-hand example occured the other day. Lead guitarist and drummer argued for 20+ minutes about sausages, and whether they taste different or not when boiled vs. fried! :scowl:

mind you, when it comes down to writing our own stuff, everyone gets along, so it's okay.;)
 
#174
Puarija said:
It bugs me when people don't understand when they ask if I'm a bass player and I say "No, I'm a musician".
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Hmm... well, when they ask me if I'm a bass player, I am usually happy that they know what a bass is and say "Hell, yeah!"

By saying what you say, you imply that the term "a bass player" is pejorative, while it is not. For me, "a bass player" has an inherent quality of "a musician". So what's the point?:confused:
 
#175
FireBug said:
Going into a music store and seeing a 40 year old dude playing Higher Ground. :scowl:
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Last time I checked, Flea was well into his 40's. :rollno: :rollno: :rollno:

OK. Don't have time to go through the whole thread (if these have been done...sorry) but here are my biggest ones:
1. Guitarists and/or Keyboardists that play with more low-end than I do (Find your OWN sonic space people!).
2. Guitarists and/or Keyboardists that insist on playing every signature bass ONLY line/lick WITH you (I got it covered guys, thanks. Not enough solos for YOU?!?).
3. And finally, everytime I am pushed to play a solo that is not a chops/Funk fest (i.e. A piece of music where something nice and melodic would be appropriate.) the Guitarist and Keyboardist both stop playing. As if a Bassist couldn't possibly want the same chordal support they give each other during THEIR solos. OIY!
 
#179
PhatBasstard said:
3. And finally, everytime I am pushed to play a solo that is not a chops/Funk fest (i.e. A piece of music where something nice and melodic would be appropriate.) the Guitarist and Keyboardist both stop playing. As if a Bassist couldn't possibly want the same chordal support they give each other during THEIR solos. OIY!
Click to expand...

Ain't it the truth. And then when you give them the nod, they say more, more... and keep hangin' you out to dry. :hmm:
Next time this happens to me, I'm gonna hit the root of whatever tune we're playing, let it ring and stand there 'til the rest of the band comes back in.
 
#180
I've recently noticed a new, and disturbing, habit of the guitar player in my band. When we play live, the ghuitar solo stretches out mightily, and then me and the drummer go off on a bit of an improvised thing for a bit. We leave said guitarist to his own devices during his solo, letting him finish when he pleases. Does he show us the same courtesy?:scowl:
He's started to do this little 'wind-up'gesture by rotating his finger, indicating that it's time for the bass/drum blow to end. Because HE says so.
As if this wasn't bad enough in rehearsal, He also does it LIVE for ALL TO SEE!!
:mad: :mad: :mad:
 
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