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Female bassists and your thoughts...

#281
What I look for in a band member:
Essential: Competent, confident, reliable, willing.
1: Harmonies? Sing a few?
2: Stage presence.
3: Looks.

For 1, 2 & 3, all else being even, I'd choose a female. But it never gets that far, the "Essential" category does nearly all the work.
 
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#283
Zekkis09 said:
As a female bassist myself, I'm just wondering what everyone else thinks about us generally.
I don't see any female musicians in bands of my chosen genre (metal, metalcore, deathcore etc...) which sucks but also gives me something to strive towards.
I've had rejections from bands because "a girl in the band just wouldn't look right" which is a fair point I suppose, but still grinds my gears.
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That sucks to be discriminated against for being a female. I personally love seeing female bassists.
 
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#285
Zekkis09 said:
As a female bassist myself, I'm just wondering what everyone else thinks about us generally.
I don't see any female musicians in bands of my chosen genre (metal, metalcore, deathcore etc...) which sucks but also gives me something to strive towards.
I've had rejections from bands because "a girl in the band just wouldn't look right" which is a fair point I suppose, but still grinds my gears.
Click to expand...

If a bassist is better than me (male, or female), I want to learn from them. If they're awesome players in general, regardless of gender and genre, I applaud them. "A girl in the band just wouldn't look right" is a sexist excuse and should grind your gears. That isn't a fair point at all. If you can get the job done, your gender shouldn't matter. It certainly wouldn't to me.
 
#286
Lownote38 said:
"A girl in the band just wouldn't look right" is a sexist excuse and should grind your gears.
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corrs.jpg
 
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#288
Lownote38 said:
If "A girl in the band just wouldn't look right" is a sexist excuse and should grind your gears. That isn't a fair point at all.
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yeah well LIFE isn't fair. Lots of bass players get rejected for THEIR look - he's too old for us. He's too young for us. He doesn't look "rock" enough for us. He's too fat. I hate his clothes. He's too mouthy. He doesn't move enough. blah blah blah. There are so many reasons bassists (or other positions) don't get a gig. And yeah maybe gender IS a factor sometimes.

Some bands care a lot about the look and attitude of a new member and want them to fit in. They're going for a "look." I read a very lengthy bio about ACDC. Cliff Williams got the ACDC gig they took from Mark Evans because they thought he was better looking and would get girls to come to their shows. But they also had a height requirement - a ceiling. All of them are very short (Angus is 5'2", Malcolm was 5'3", Phil Rudd is 5'6" - a group of near-midgets) and the opined that anyone joining pretty much couldn't be taller than 5'8" or it wouldn't "look right." Cliff Williams is 5'7" and the tallest one in the band now by 2" (same height as Bon Scott, 2" more than Brian Johnson). Duran Duran was formed SPECIFICALLY concerning look and personal style among the musicians to choose from. Say what you wish about them, but an old guy, a woman, or an "ug" wasn't going to get the job and they sold millions of albums. Just two examples.

People get rejected all the time for reasons that have nothing to do with their ability. that's simply life. Your gears should not be "grinded" for those reasons. Most of us have lost out on gigs due to a factor that had nothing to do with our ability.
 
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#290
QORC said:
yeah well LIFE isn't fair. Lots of bass players get rejected for THEIR look - he's too old for us. He's too young for us. He doesn't look "rock" enough for us. He's too fat. I hate his clothes. He's too mouthy. He doesn't move enough. blah blah blah. There are so many reasons bassists (or other positions) don't get a gig. And yeah maybe gender IS a factor sometimes.

Some bands care a lot about the look and attitude of a new member and want them to fit in. They're going for a "look." I read a very lengthy bio about ACDC. Cliff Williams got the ACDC gig they took from Mark Evans because they thought he was better looking and would get girls to come to their shows. But they also had a height requirement - a ceiling. All of them are very short (Angus is 5'2", Malcolm was 5'3", Phil Rudd is 5'6" - a group of near-midgets) and the opined that anyone joining pretty much couldn't be taller than 5'8" or it wouldn't "look right." Cliff Williams is 5'7" and the tallest one in the band now by 2" (same height as Bon Scott, 2" more than Brian Johnson). Duran Duran was formed SPECIFICALLY concerning look and personal style among the musicians to choose from. Say what you wish about them, but an old guy, a woman, or an "ug" wasn't going to get the job and they sold millions of albums. Just two examples.

People get rejected all the time for reasons that have nothing to do with their ability. that's simply life. Your gears should not be "grinded" for those reasons. Most of us have lost out on gigs due to a factor that had nothing to do with our ability.
Click to expand...

Nothing you said makes it right, though. Especially about being female. I mean, are we making music, or forming a club? I prefer to make music, and musical ability and creativity is what I care about. I'll leave the discrimination to others.
 
#291
Lownote38 said:
I mean, are we making music, or forming a club?
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Like it or not, more often than not, you're forming a club.

Back in the 80's I lots tons of gigs because I wore glasses and was balding. I probably woulda bin famous!! :bawl:

It's easy for you to say the proper politically correct thing, but a band with a certain plan will hire a certain look. Yes, there are exceptions, but in most cases I would say 'fit' is even more important than ability. I highly doubt Bon Jovi would have ever hired Paul Goddard.

That said I've noticed a trend on CL where there's a lot of bands are specifically requesting female bass players. IMO, gender has less to do with it than attitude or a look.
 
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#293
Muttleybass said:
That said I've noticed a trend on CL where there's a lot of bands are specifically requesting female bass players. IMO, gender has less to do with it than attitude or a look.
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what? Male bassists are being discriminated against? Bald bassists are being discriminated against? Old bassists? Mediocre bassists??? We need to start a thread about it!!
 
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#294
Zekkis09 said:
As a female bassist myself, I'm just wondering what everyone else thinks about us generally.
I don't see any female musicians in bands of my chosen genre (metal, metalcore, deathcore etc...) which sucks but also gives me something to strive towards.
I've had rejections from bands because "a girl in the band just wouldn't look right" which is a fair point I suppose, but still grinds my gears.
Click to expand...
I never understood people who think that way, I don't get it. Anyone who thinks that way probably also think women should only be housewives. SMH.
 
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#295
QORC said:
Life isn't necessarily fair. People "discriminate" on lots of things in life. including whom they wish to have in their bands.
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Life isn't fair, but I'm not going to be the type of musician that discriminates based on anything other than musical ability and creativity (like I've already said). Sure, most of the musical world revolves around stereotyping, and "image". I personally don't want any part of that. I play music because I love playing music. Not for beer, not for girls, not to try and be cool, and certainly not to maintain an "image". It's fun to play music, and all I ever want is to play with other people that enjoy it, and can play. If someone says I'm wearing the wrong pants for the style of music we're playing, that's the moment I pack up my gear and walk out.
 
#297
Muttleybass said:
Like it or not, more often than not, you're forming a club.

Back in the 80's I lots tons of gigs because I wore glasses and was balding. I probably woulda bin famous!! :bawl:

It's easy for you to say the proper politically correct thing, but a band with a certain plan will hire a certain look. Yes, there are exceptions, but in most cases I would say 'fit' is even more important than ability. I highly doubt Bon Jovi would have ever hired Paul Goddard.

That said I've noticed a trend on CL where there's a lot of bands are specifically requesting female bass players. IMO, gender has less to do with it than attitude or a look.
Click to expand...

It's not about being politically correct as I'm not saying anything other than how I think about it. To me, forming a band is not forming a club.
 
#298
Lownote38 said:
Nothing you said makes it right, though. Especially about being female. I mean, are we making music, or forming a club? I prefer to make music, and musical ability and creativity is what I care about. I'll leave the discrimination to others.
Click to expand...
If you want to be a garage band, no problem - looks and image probably won't be an issue. If you want to be part of the music business then it's best to be aware of the fact that image is just as important as sound when it comes to selling most bands. "Right" or "wrong" doesn't come into it.
 
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#299
bass12 said:
If you want to be a garage band, no problem - looks and image probably won't be an issue. If you want to be part of the music business then it's best to be aware of the fact that image is just as important as sound when it comes to selling most bands. "Right" or "wrong" doesn't come into it.
Click to expand...

I work in the business side as my day job. That's enough for me to never want my music to be a part of it. Keeping my music away from the business end lets me play the music I want to, when I want to and with people who are great musicians. I don't play to make a living at it. If I wanted to be an actor, I would have majored in that in college instead of music. There is a right and wrong for ME. It's different for everyone.
 
#300
Zekkis09 said:
As a female bassist myself, I'm just wondering what everyone else thinks about us generally.
I don't see any female musicians in bands of my chosen genre (metal, metalcore, deathcore etc...) which sucks but also gives me something to strive towards.
I've had rejections from bands because "a girl in the band just wouldn't look right" which is a fair point I suppose, but still grinds my gears.
Click to expand...


Never actually looked at it from that point of view.

So now I'll start digging that hole..............

I'm a musician. I play a few different instruments, most somewhat competently, but my lack of total independent two hand ability limits my keyboard time to a C3.

I started on guitar and decided to migrate to bass on occasion. I've had studio gigs and played out in numerous bands including my own.

As a band leader, I would be an absolute moron, if I chose to reject a girl because "girl in the band just wouldn't look right". I want to get the best player, testicles or ovaries not really in the equation. I'm not sure I'd limit myself by only having a male or a female singer either, so that might be an example of moron behavior for me.

Just in case it wasn't clear....It's not a fair point, it should grind your gears! Maybe? if it was a tribute band?

Last band involved in, bass, drummer and percussionist were female, the horns, keyboards an guitar are males.

I think calling yourself a "female bassist" is somewhat insulting on a couple of levels. It's similar to when Guitar Player Magazine had a player that billed herself as a "lesbian guitarist". Not sure what Ani De Franco was trying to get across, but it seemed to draw attention to something that doesn't really contribute to being a guitarist.

Les Paul, Chet Atkins, Roy Buchanan were guitarists, not "heterosexual guitarists".

I think you do yourself a disservice by diminishing the "bass player" description when you add the female heading.

There have been times when women auditioning expressed doubts about their previous playing, BECAUSE they were women, before the instrument was taken out of the case. In some cases it was justified, as they needed more experience, in other cases they were more than prepared.

Disturbing as it made me wonder what fresh hell they endured. It also made me wonder with all the male guitar players out there with significant egos, could it be possible that somewhere there are women without egos that are guitarists? Nah, that would be like finding Bigfoot riding a unicorn at Area 51.

I will second the observation that women seem to be more self conscious about their playing and other things. Some seem to second guess that whatever the issue, it's because they are female. Sorry, but if you miss a cue, you screwed up as a musician, and not because you are a woman.

I won't think of you unless you show up "under the influence", miss a chorus, or are reeking of patchouli.

I will however..........treat you like a musician.
 
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