It's kind of like elementary school all over again. You either learn to play well with others or you play by yourself... There is really nothing like the feeling you get when everything "clicks" and your band runs like a well tuned racing engine!!!
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I love bass. Bands? Not so much.
- Thread starter darwin-bass
- Start date
In last 15 years or so I have played mostly at home on my own material. No band. The classic layering of tracks. Last year I played with a country style band and really, really enjoyed those times when everything locked together. They're both rewarding situations but unlike dealing with people, the home recording is consistently more fun for me because people are, well, people.
- Jun 6, 2012
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- I don't wait 30 minutes after eating, to go swimming.
Just like a marriage, job, etc., etc., there's good and bad. You just have to find a good on and there's countless good ones out there. I'm in a good one (band, not marriage).
To paraphrase Tolstoy: "Happy bands are all alike. Every unhappy band is unhappy in its own way."
When things work, it's just about the best thing one can experience. After a start-up period (which is fun in its own way), there can be a pretty long period when things work (though with ups and downs), but eventually everything comes to an end. How long each phase lasts just depends on circumstances.
What's important is to not get discouraged by the downs. You can put a positive spin on it and call it "learning."
When things work, it's just about the best thing one can experience. After a start-up period (which is fun in its own way), there can be a pretty long period when things work (though with ups and downs), but eventually everything comes to an end. How long each phase lasts just depends on circumstances.
What's important is to not get discouraged by the downs. You can put a positive spin on it and call it "learning."
Maybe I'm an optimist, but I tend to forget the bad experiences and keep the good ones in my heart. There have been a LOT of good ones. Not a lot of bad. Learning experiences, I guess.
For me, the first time I got on stage, did my thing and received applause (and dancers, etc) was it. The ultimate drug. I knew I needed more, and as soon as possible. I was in an original band for a long time, but gigs were few. Moved to a cover band. MUCH more receptive crowd, and you can justify it with the Mrs. by bringing home cash. Win win! I look at it as a hobby that actually pays back a little. I could golf, but that's a one-way expense. Yeah, I have gear, but if it wasn't music gear it would be spendy golf clubs or mountain bikes. So I get to do something awesome, have a couple beers, and leave with more money in my pocket than when I got there. Cool!
The bands I was with early on weren't great, but still fun. 25 years later, I'm in with a great group of guys who are all on the same page. The musical interaction is better than I've ever had. We're in a good spot where we don't have to fight for gigs, rather our name precedes us and booking is easy. Everyone brings enough to the table.
And nothing makes me want to improve more than gigging. Motivates me to practice more. I don't know how motivated I'd be without gigs.
For me, the first time I got on stage, did my thing and received applause (and dancers, etc) was it. The ultimate drug. I knew I needed more, and as soon as possible. I was in an original band for a long time, but gigs were few. Moved to a cover band. MUCH more receptive crowd, and you can justify it with the Mrs. by bringing home cash. Win win! I look at it as a hobby that actually pays back a little. I could golf, but that's a one-way expense. Yeah, I have gear, but if it wasn't music gear it would be spendy golf clubs or mountain bikes. So I get to do something awesome, have a couple beers, and leave with more money in my pocket than when I got there. Cool!
The bands I was with early on weren't great, but still fun. 25 years later, I'm in with a great group of guys who are all on the same page. The musical interaction is better than I've ever had. We're in a good spot where we don't have to fight for gigs, rather our name precedes us and booking is easy. Everyone brings enough to the table.
And nothing makes me want to improve more than gigging. Motivates me to practice more. I don't know how motivated I'd be without gigs.
I can't recall when I've been in a band with people who weren't my friends. I get paid to hang with my friends. What's not to like?
all of the practice and playing you can get as a 'bedroomist' does not inform your playing in the same way that only gigging can do. however: it is absolutely not necessary to gig with bands, IMO, to enjoy music and the instruments which make it an enjoyable pursuit.
if you've never been in a band where all of the other players were better than you = your experience is lacking!
but if you've found something you like: go with it! good luck!
if you've never been in a band where all of the other players were better than you = your experience is lacking!
but if you've found something you like: go with it! good luck!
I really dig being in the "right" band. I don't even care about music genres so much as I care about clicking with the right people and having a low stress low drama collaboration. In fact, I would even go so far as to say that if I had to pick between low stress-low talent and high-stress high talent, I'd go low. Of course the best scenario is to get high talent low drama, but that's wanting your (carrot) cake and eating it too...
it's just like any other like minded group ... it has drama , ... sad but true ...
and we have ' expectations ' which are rarely met ...
like any relationship = gotta find folks with similar expectations that can skip the drama
and we have ' expectations ' which are rarely met ...
like any relationship = gotta find folks with similar expectations that can skip the drama
Bands are like families. There will be people in them you want to kill.... but you can't without pissing off grandma. OK, maybe not the best analogy.
It's my go to analogy too. It's the sibling rivalry that really makes it work IMHO. Some of the best shows I've played have been when I want to prove a point to that whinging cheese-wire-playing so and so on the other side of the stage, and I know his being pissed off at me has driven him to some of his best performances too. It's probably less about pissing off grandma (the audience) than jockeying to be grandma's favorite...
I'm not alone in the world... I love TB.
I must have a problem. I find bands frustrating so I joined 3 of them? One band is fun, plays music I like, and I get to help help write most of it - just the singer isn't as committed to the project as he says he is (very slow learning material) - but we killed it the other night. Another band is mostly fun & more experimental but we've got one guy like you describe above who is self-appointed musical director. And in this group nobody wants to do the grunt work of booking &etc so I do it usually with some arm twisting and later complaints about how they wished it would have been different. If they were doing the booking there wouldn't be any shows. Because I had been in another band previously only to find out 6 months in that they weren't interested in live performances, I talked with them early on about band goals, and everybody was like ... "Goals? Huh?" :-/ Basically they fall in love with their own stuff and expect the whole world is going to as well without them lifting a finger. But I get to use a bunch of effects and experiment with sounds, and they're good players. Then for good measure I started another one a few weeks ago so we'll see how that goes.
I voted "Carrots" then changed it to "never meet my ideal".
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I am lucky, and old enough, to now play only with wonderful people, most of whom are also wonderful musicians. I feel privileged.
I love being in good originals band. My criteria for a good band is (1) good songwriting chemistry; (2) tunes at least good enough that I would listen to them if I weren't in the band; and (3) either friendly or at least "professional" relationship between members. If the band doesn't meet that criteria I don't join, and if it ceases to have those criteria, I leave.
Sticking to this means I've been in fewer bands than I could have been, but I believe it has also contributed to my being part of a few bands I've loved (particularly given that, unless I'm already in a good band, my schedule is clear for the next good thing that comes along).
Sticking to this means I've been in fewer bands than I could have been, but I believe it has also contributed to my being part of a few bands I've loved (particularly given that, unless I'm already in a good band, my schedule is clear for the next good thing that comes along).
I voted it varies. I will say i am not the type of guy that cannot handle being in multiple bands and always being on other peoples schedules. Though that is a personality quirk, i just need to have alot of uncommitted time in my week to relax and do what i want to do(not what someone else wants to do). If i didn't have a full time, mentally intensive day job my tune might change and i would likely want more on my plate in terms of music. There was a period of time i was in a few different projects, a couple having weekly rehearsals on week nights. Just too much for me.
Now i have narrowed things down to one project, that only rehearses every couple weeks and always on weekends. Gigs are more sparse too, maybe 8-10 annually. I now spend my free time and weeknights engaging in personal practice and focusing on what i want to outside of the bands material. My technique is actually progressing again because i actually have time to practice it, while before the frequent rehearsals took up all my playing time. You really need that personal practice on upright bass.
This will likely be how it works for me for awhile. I am also striving to produce my own music and working toward getting the right gear to make that happen, as well as solo performances with a looper.
Now i have narrowed things down to one project, that only rehearses every couple weeks and always on weekends. Gigs are more sparse too, maybe 8-10 annually. I now spend my free time and weeknights engaging in personal practice and focusing on what i want to outside of the bands material. My technique is actually progressing again because i actually have time to practice it, while before the frequent rehearsals took up all my playing time. You really need that personal practice on upright bass.
This will likely be how it works for me for awhile. I am also striving to produce my own music and working toward getting the right gear to make that happen, as well as solo performances with a looper.
In my perfect unicorn world, I would prefer to be in an original band where members don't have to be technically brilliant but know some very basics of music theory and song structure and have a creative and positive can-do attitude. Also members would bring in music and lyric ideas or send each other mp3s via email or file sharing sites and we would work them up to completed songs at weekly rehearsals. I'd also need SOBER (I can't abide by alcoholics and drug addicts again - I'm done with that!), realistic DIY-minded people who would be into establishing an online presence and recording and releasing material online - not thinking sudden fame and fortune was around the corner because they are playing to an almost empty room once a month or less. I'd absolutely need people who are firstly into BEING A BAND for the songs and the challenge of recording and performing well and not just THE IDEA OF BEING IN A BAND for bragging rights or "hey look at me" ego purposes.
Forgive me if this was already mentioned in the 3 intervening pages I didn't read, but I think the poll misses the folks who job as a hired gun while not necessarily being in a "band".
I'm technically in a "band" with two other folks. I really like them and the music, we gig about 3 times a month, and I play any gig big enough to need a bass player. However, we don't have to rehearse and we aren't trying to make a living at this (though I do appreciate the pay) so I have to deal with almost none of the annoyances, pressures or complications that folks typically associate with "being in a band". It's great.
I picked the first one as playing live, with other people, in front of an audience is about my favorite of this whole music thing. If I'm not playing out then I feel very little impetus to play at all.
I'm technically in a "band" with two other folks. I really like them and the music, we gig about 3 times a month, and I play any gig big enough to need a bass player. However, we don't have to rehearse and we aren't trying to make a living at this (though I do appreciate the pay) so I have to deal with almost none of the annoyances, pressures or complications that folks typically associate with "being in a band". It's great.
I picked the first one as playing live, with other people, in front of an audience is about my favorite of this whole music thing. If I'm not playing out then I feel very little impetus to play at all.
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The band I'm in was formed originally in 1991. We changed lineups slightly a couple times and ended up with the dame core group. We broke up in late 1993 or so and most of us gave up music for years. We reunited for kicks in 2006 and it was like we never broke up. We played several gigs throughout 2017 and a couple already this year and we have rehearsal tonight. Being in a band is good. Lol
There are no Soap Opera dramas on Wikiloops....Just Jammin' joy.
>>>>>> wikiloops.com | Free Backing Tracks | Online Jamsession
>>>>>> wikiloops.com | Free Backing Tracks | Online Jamsession
It's like having a bunch of wives/girlfriends/boyfriends/husbands... things are going to ebb/flow.
And if you tour... everything gets magnified. Touring can be the worst of times and the best of times... often at the same time. But always been worth it for me.
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