How bad is my playing?

[wysiwyg248]

Were you auditioning for an UZEB cover band? Would you go to a job interview wearing shorts and flip flops? These are jokes.

Now, some positive criticism: Your playing is all right, but from your video I can't honestly say you are able to hold a groove, which is one of the fundamentals of bass playing. Perhaps you should expand the video to showcase other abilities keeping in mind that as a bass player, you may be soloing once a month in a band situation.
And don't get discouraged, even Jaco when was very young got rejected in some auditions, because was playing too busy.

 

[gln1955]

First off, I don't think I'D want to play with THEM! It would be one thing if they had told you something like, "Although you're a good player, we don't think your style fits in with what we're looking for...". Or something like that.

If they actually said, "You're not good enough to play in our band", then it sounds to me as if they're not the kind of bandmates I'd want to have anyway. Constructive criticism is fine. But a generic blast like that just demonstrates snobbery to me...

To be fair, we don't know what they said.

 

[bass71]

How bout you post a vid of the band here so we can get a handle etc..

 

[TjMetalhead]

You're bass playing is fantastic so don't sell yourself short because you bombed an audition. But if you're gonna audition for another band be sure to know what kind of music they're playing. If I was doing a band that required lead playing from a bassist then hell yeah you're hired! Possibly the band you're auditioning for felt intimidated and needed to drag you down to make themselves feel better. Remember some bands feel if you can't drive 1/8th notes you're not a bass player and you should just be a guitarist. Well I say screw that, form your own band and write your own music! That's what I did.

 

[Jack Butler]

What was the genre of the band you wanted to audition for? If I was looking for a bass player that could play classic rock, country, blues, rockabilly or pop there is nothing on your tape that shows you could play that. I'd be concerned that you would be bored hammering out the much more simple bass lines required of those genres.

This x 1000.

 

[JRA]

He's disappeared and hasn't answered the recurring question of what type of band he was auditioning for. Hard to give advice when the person asking for it doesn't cooperate.

youth?

But a generic blast like that just demonstrates snobbery to me...

or fear.

Blakarian , try some of the suggestions you're getting on your thread and get back! or give some feedback about that advice. thanks. good luck!

 

[Eric Swaim]

if you auditioning for jazz band, rock, band, country band, hip hop band, etc, etc. That video show nothing but "jerking around" and any serious band is looking for "cake" and not icing or sprinkles. Take the video camera put on a real drummer or drum machine and show people you can play and variety of styles you play. Sorry but you walked into the real world of playing and they want to hear a bass play basslines. Good Luck with the band journey, your young and should learn from the mistake.

 

[SLO Surfer]

First let me say you are a talented and skilled bassist. You should be able to fit in to any band you want to fit in to. But I have to ask,

WHAT KIND/GENRE/STYLE OF BAND DID YOU SEND THIS AUDITION VIDEO TOO????

None of us can answer you accurately without knowing. But I think all the answers here already apply to almost all genres.

Seems like you are showcasing some decent lead ability, but no band really needs that. From this sample, i get the impression that you don't know how to play a groove whatsoever.

This. Any audition should showcase your ability to fit in a rhythm section and play a solid groove. Soloing well is an icing on the cake that not all bands necessarily want from a bassist, so I’d leave it out unless they specifically ask how you can solo, or it’s a jazz band audition. But even in jazz they’ll want to know if you can hold down a solid groove first and foremost. And speaking of soloing for an audition piece, I would probably showcase soulfulness, chops and groove, not a meandering ballad solo as in your video.

as a musician I don't really care for looks as long as the music is fine!

But others do, the ones that buy tickets to your show, sign your paycheck, or make the decision to hire you. Art and entertainment almost always go hand in hand, if you want to get paid. So appearances and body language can matter a lot in auditions. Look like your having fun. Look like you belong on a stage. Stand up in your next audition video and bob your head or shake your hips, or something. I have to wear a suit and tie in one band and an African daishiki in another. I can’t just wear shorts and a t-shirt to a gig. Looks do matter. Research what the band your auditioning for wears at their gigs, and present yourself as a potential member that can slide right in to their “thing.”

But a generic blast like that just demonstrates snobbery to me...

this quote is in regards to the auditioning bands snobbery in their “not good enough” dismissal of the OP, but it could be argued that perhaps they made their dismissive blast because they perceived snobbery in the OP’s choice of material and presentation for his audition.

I would suggest, as others have;
-showcase a solid groove in the genre of the band you’re auditioning for and skip the soling (unless specifically asked to demonstrate a solo)
-look like you have fun while you play and you belong on a stage
-don’t send two tracks of you playing with yourself

and lastly,

WHAT KIND/GENRE/STYLE OF BAND DID YOU SEND THIS AUDITION VIDEO TOO????

 

[Sonicfrog]

Next time do a compilation of things. I loved what you're doing. But also include a bit of you playing, say, Mustang Sally or something with groove / pocket. Give them a taste of everything that you can do.

 

[Thumpin6string]

The lead guitarist probably freaked out at the thought of a bass player being better than him, or the band wanted a bassist who played root notes only. Their loss.

 

[lfmn16]

What makes you think he knows theory?( not saying he doesn't)

+1

He knows some scales and some arpeggios. That's NOT theory. It sounded more like random noodling than any kind of coherent piece constructed by someone that knows theory.

 

[Sixgunn]

I’m going with fishing for complements.

 

[juancaminos]

Your playing is fine. It's impossible to make a sensible comment without knowing more about the band. The correct answer needs to come from them, not us.

 

[aprod]

You only gave them one aspect of your playing. You did not go through different genres or lay down any solid grooves. Also play a four string for an audition and introduce the 6 later.

 

[Sixgunn]

If you have to ask you don't know theory.

One could play a theoretically perfect passage and not know theory.

 

[cnltb]

+1

He knows some scales and some arpeggios. That's NOT theory. It sounded more like random noodling than any kind of coherent piece constructed by someone that knows theory.

I don't hear that he knows scales. I just hear him noodle(playing licks and runs that he can't 'really' play well at times) with very random phrasing, touch and timing.

 

[Muttleybass]

Nice technique... Some fancy melodic freeform jazz playing. However, you may be playing a bass, but it's not really bass playing. I don't feel any solidity or groove at all. Bass should support and drive the band, even in jazz. In the video you are playing bass as a lead instrument. I doubt there are many bands that require that.

 

[honeyiscool]

The lead guitarist probably freaked out at the thought of a bass player being better than him, or the band wanted a bassist who played root notes only. Their loss.

Ha no. That video doesn’t win you any band auditions. It’s not like he went and nailed Teen Town note for note to a drum track. That would have gotten him somewhere.

We are not saying he is a bad bass player. Just he should work on submitting a proper resume.

Nice technique... Some fancy melodic freeform jazz playing. However, you may be playing a bass, but it's not really bass playing. I don't feel any solidity or groove at all. Bass should support and drive the band, even in jazz. In the video you are playing bass as a lead instrument. I doubt there are many bands that require that.

I love virtuoso bass music, honestly. But I will say this. All the great bassists groove, even when they’re playing lead. It’s what differentiates great bass soloists from insufferable imitators. If you play bass as a lead, you should be able to both lead and support yourself at the same time. You shouldn’t need two tracks of yourself.

 

[carsbybigd]

Sounds better than me .

 

[MDBass]

Hello fellow bassists! Recently I've responded to a band looking for a bassist, they asked me to make a video of me playing something and send it to them, I did and they told me I'm not good enough to play in their band, I've uploaded the video I sent them on youtube because I'd like some more experienced bassist to see what I'm doing wrong and tell me how to better myself! Could anyone tell me what I'm doing wrong? this is the link to the video:

Interesting take on Viridian!

Work on getting those 16th note triplets and artficial harmonics in the line down, they're pretty important to the composition; the band is pretty out of tune as well.

For an audition piece it likely would have been a better idea to play it in context (ie over the original track)

The top video and the programmed drums definitely distract from the presentation, they don't add any groove or context to the melody, and they aren't representative of the original parts at all either.

Generally groove parts are better for auditions than solos, but I'm assuming this was an audition for a prog rock band based on the song choice