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Does it bother you when...?

tplyons

tplyons

Apr 6, 2003
18,766
93
39
Madison, NJ
#1
Is it me or does it bother you guys when people start playing bass just to start a band with their friends? When I started playing, there was one other bassist in my grade. Mind you there are only 270 people in my class in high school, and about 20 of them play bass. I would normally say this is a good thing, but they simply don't CARE about bass. I started, then my friend Jeff because if I can do it, so can he. Then Ian, who actually turned out decent, then Brian who's been playing upright for years. My friend Greg wants me to "teach" him how to play bass so he can start a band with his friends. My friend Vicky wants to borrow one of my basses so she can play with her friends. Sure, I appreciate them coming to me for advice, but they play straight eighths or the patterns their guitarist tells them just so they can say they're in a band.

And why does this bother me? Because these people take the place of people who actually care about bass. They can't name the strings, they can't improvise, they just take up space, play with cheap combos and borrow everyone else's gear for gigs, and never practice.

I'm just a little pi**ed off because in the past week I've been asked to show three people how to play bass so they could join a band with their friends. Do I get invitations to join? Nope. And to make matters worse, they all want to get basses because of their looks, without playing them, no research, because they have to fit an image.

I think I'm done ranting, just at the end of a bad day.
 
#3
And to make matters worse, there are more "bassists" than guitarists and drummers combined in my grade. So do I ever get a part in jazz bands? Nope, because I'm needed for my sax playing, they have plenty of bassists to fill the void.
 
#7
Yup Tplions, because everyone thinks we don't do anything back there. How many bad bassists have you seen, riding the E string of just filling? No comprehension of the drum and bass relationship. They all think they can play bass, they think it's the easiest instrument because it's all low end and they can't hear you screw up. Little do they know it's the secret to a good band, it makes the song sound like the song if you know what I mean....you do. I think it may be the easiest to play but the hardest to get right. I mean if you know they will just be hacks then maybe you shouldn't do it, but it's up to you.
 
#9
Instead of just flat out saying NO, you could come up with some bass related "chores" to make them perform for you in order to demonstrate their level of commitment. I'm sure you have some gear that needs hauling. Think "Karate Kid" here....Wax on, Wax Off. :D

I would never loan a bass to ANY beginning player without a serious deposit for scratches. Heck, I loaned my Jazz to my PRO teacher and it came back scratched.

When I was thinking about getting into competetive handgun shooting they had a rule that you had to attend the practices and only watch for 4 weeks in a row before you would be allowed to shoot. I went for my 4 weeks and decided it wasn't for me :rolleyes:
 
#11
Hmm....who carea really? Why get all uptight and feel the need to compete with the hacks? You're not obligated to loan your gear, especially for nothing. Give advice, help them out, but don't let it get to you. Be honest with yourself....when you started to have in interest in music, why was it? I started the same way, rock bands are cool, and i wanted to be in one.....still do!


Another good way to look at it, when the hobby for the minute wears out on them, you can buy their gear cheap. The more hacks that are available, the more in demand I get, doesn't bother me a bit.
 
#12
Well...

I think we can use skateboarding as a good example of this whole "fashion victim" shindig. Even town you go to will have the "cool dude boarder kids" in their Etnies, Fubu and so on clothes, doing the cool thing of sitting there looking cool. However, these wannabes don't stop the "real" skaters from doing their thing. Sometimes they're troublesome, but at teh end of the day, the "real" skaters don't let it bother them.

It's the same with this. The amount of 'bassists' (loose term, root notes only aren't playing a bass line, it's just being a one-fingered guitarist) here is pretty weird too, but then you start playing something different and people get the deal with the fact that there's playing bass, then there's being a bassist.

'sides, if those bands have people playing bass like that, do you really want to be in them?

Anyway, people dig people playing sax in jazz bands so fear not :)

Just don't let it get to you...

Mark.
 
#16
Tim Cole said:
Another good way to look at it, when the hobby for the minute wears out on them, you can buy their gear cheap. The more hacks that are available, the more in demand I get, doesn't bother me a bit.
Click to expand...

That's how I got my first bass. $40 for the TR-50 and the little crappy combo amp by Ibanez when my old friend got tired of using it. He got it because I was playing sax in a band and he wanted to go join a band too.

That was my only bass up until about 3 months ago when I got really serious about bass (and joined a band).
 
#17
I get calls from my friends all the time to jam or play for their bands...It seems like i'm the only bassist in my area or maybe the only half decent bass player. I know the group i mostly play for now had a bass player that just really didn't care. He said it gave him something to do after classes other than homework. :rolleyes:


It keeps me busy. :hyper:
 
#19
Basically, they're filling spots in bands that I really don't care about, but I would do to contribute to a band. Right now, all my music is on sax and the only bass I play is in a jazz band, not much freedom there. I just need a band to vent a lot right now and everything local has a moron playing bass...
 
#20
Figjam said:
It bothers me too. 3 of my friends recently started bass, drums and guitar just to start a band.
Click to expand...
don't get me wrong man. i absolute love playing bass. but you have to realize that being in a band is more important to some people. i know i would rather listen to primus or dream theater, than a solo by someone, not that i don't listen to solo's. but some people just want to maybe be a thrash metal band or whatever, i really do not think that there is anything wrong with that though. whatever.
 

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