I understand now.

[pezoamo]

I go to school at MVCC and i was chillen in my dorm room today when a guitarist and drummer came in. They said they heard that i play bass and wanted to know if id jam with them. They seemed like really cool kids. They told me they play blues stuff, and ive never had any experience with that. So interested, I agreed to play.

We met up and unloaded their car. Turns out we got to play in an empty classroom and they had a nice little combo amp i could use. We started to jam and I, being a rock fan, played some geddy lee style lines and the guitarist totally got pissed. He started whining about my playing and i just laughed it off. He explains to me that i should be playing the roots of his chords and nothing else. So basically, i just played the same line over and over again while he soloed.

He was happy when i did that, but i mean did he really have to act like a spoiled brat when he didnt like what i was playing? I understand its a different style of music that i have no experience in, but i dont even know this kid. Hes telling me im playing it wrong and get pissed. Im into music for the fun of it and it really wasn't that much fun. It was more like just trying to avoid his temper tantrums.

The thing is, the drummer is a real cool kid. When the guitarist went out for a smoke, me and the drummer jammed and the fun began. I felt some chemistry between us and it was great.

I feel better now after getting that out. I didn't say anything to them about any of this and if you were there, you wouldn't have known i was pissed. They said it was pretty much official that i was their bassist. So the question is, should i stay with this band for the drummer or not pursue it because of the guitarist?

P.S. I understand now what you guys are talking about when discussing bitchy guitarists

Thanks guys

 

[Trevorus]

Tell the guitarist that you want creative leeway. Roots is fine for some things, but a walking line or a slide note here and there can make a line fun. If you don't want to be playing roots all the time, then don't do it. Just announce your intentions right off.

 

[pezoamo]

I did add little stuff to line here and there, but it got kinda old anyway.

I think you are right about confronting him though. I he goes off on a tangent next time, i tell him strait up whats on my mind.

That was pretty quick, by the way.

 

[Trevorus]

I did add little stuff to line here and there, but it got kinda old anyway.

I think you are right about confronting him though. I he goes off on a tangent next time, i tell him strait up whats on my mind.

That was pretty quick, by the way.

Yeah, I'm on here too much. so I tend to respond quick. Just tell him that blues is not always droning on the roots. You just have to figure out what's right for a certain tune. Guitarists are really whiny when it comes to someone stealing the spotlight, so that may be some of his problem.

 

[Blackbird]

[...]They said they heard that i play bass and wanted to know if id jam with them. [...]
They told me they play blues stuff, and i've never had any experience with that. So interested, I agreed to play.

[...]I, being a rock fan, played some geddy lee style lines and the guitarist totally got pissed. He started whining about my playing and I just laughed it off.

Sorry, Pezoamo, but I think you're the one who made the boo-boo.

The guitarist and the drummer told you they played blues. Your lack of experience in that style doesn't change the fact that you know full well that Geddy Lee ain't a blues bassist. You'd get all pissy if you were in a Rock band and a guitarist you just met started playing John Lee Hooker licks, wouldn't you? They invited you to play with them, not the other way round.

I wouldn't be too harsh on the guitar guy either. If you're into playing with the drummer and you have no other band, try to learn a bit more about the blues. It's not going to hurt you and will probably add a new dimension to your playing as far as tempo, key (there are a lot more blues in minor keys than rock songs) and they can be really easy and fun to solo over.

Maybe sometime down the line you might convince them to do some stuff you like too, although Rush seems a bit of a jump.

Don't forget, Your bass is a bass guitar, which sorta makes you a guitarist too.

 

[Sippy]

hmmm this is a kinda touchy subject.. I originally played the guitar and I had to talk the bassist into being creative. When all musicians are doing there own creative thing, yet still working on the same groove, it sounds SOOO much better then when everybody is working on the technicalities of the song. Just my Humble Opinion though

 

[Mickey Shane]

hmmm this is a kinda touchy subject.. I originally played the guitar and I had to talk the bassist into being creative. When all musicians are doing there own creative thing, yet still working on the same groove, it sounds SOOO much better then when everybody is working on the technicalities of the song. Just my Humble Opinion though

I agree! One of the bands I play in has been getting quite good lately and is scheduled for gigs in some of the 'A' rooms around town. This apparently is making them nervous. They decided that the overall sound might be better is I stayed below the 7th fret. (I've been playing with the lead guit and drummer for 5 years now).

When I mentioned it to my wife, she said "They just want you to be as boring as they are". That cracked me up!

I thought it over and sent them a quick note that said that I would be playing at the upscale performances pretty much like I always have been.

They decided that that would be OK.

 

[pezoamo]

Sorry, Pezoamo, but I think you're the one who made the boo-boo.

The guitarist and the drummer told you they played blues. Your lack of experience in that style doesn't change the fact that you know full well that Geddy Lee ain't a blues bassist. You'd get all pissy if you were in a Rock band and a guitarist you just met started playing John Lee Hooker licks, wouldn't you? They invited you to play with them, not the other way round.

I wouldn't be too harsh on the guitar guy either. If you're into playing with the drummer and you have no other band, try to learn a bit more about the blues. It's not going to hurt you and will probably add a new dimension to your playing as far as tempo, key (there are a lot more blues in minor keys than rock songs) and they can be really easy and fun to solo over.

Maybe sometime down the line you might convince them to do some stuff you like too, although Rush seems a bit of a jump.

Don't forget, Your bass is a bass guitar, which sorta makes you a guitarist too.

Im not mad at them for not liking what i played. Im mad at the guitarist for acting like a jerk. I wouldnt have gotten mad at a guitarist who played something i wasnt looking for. I would just explain to them what it is that i want. This guy just totally flipped and really acted like a baby. Like i said, im in it for the fun, not to whine.

I'm all about new stuff so hopefully this will be a good experience.

 

[Alan Vorse]

While Blackbird made some good points, I can't stand it when guitarists feel obligated to inform you that "bass is here to support my solo." Especially if he is being a jerk about it.
Check out some Johnny B Gayden with Albert Collins, Tommy Shannon with SRV, Roscoe Beck with Robben Ford to hear some great blues bass players who don't stay on the root.
If this guy gets in your face again, then confront him and ask what his problem is.

 

[Blackbird]

Im not mad at them for not liking what i played. Im mad at the guitarist for acting like a jerk.

I can't stand it when guitarists feel obligated to inform you that "bass is here to support my solo." Especially if he is being a jerk about it.

Please take notice to the edits I have made to your posts and keep the forum rules in mind when posting.
Anything that takes too much time to edit is deleted outright.

 

[DaftCat]

I agree with BlackBird's forst post.
Bitchy guitarists aside, dey told you dey into da Blooz, man!

Good on ya to not let small things get to you.

DCat

 

[Munjibunga]

If this guy gets in your face again, then confront him and ask what his problem is.

Yeah, like this: "What is your problem, Beavis?"

 

[syciprider]

You should've immediately established the pecking order by beating him to a pulp.
I mean, who died and made him band leader?

 

[bucephylus]

With all due respect, when any instrument is soloing, it is the task of the other instruments to be supportive. That is generally independent of style. Different styles handle the solo roles differently, so it is a good idea to learn how each style handles it. That blues guitarist should support you for your solo, and you should support his. It's called "taking turns;" a seemingly difficult concept for human beings, I suppose, because it involves mutual respect at some level. You need to acquire both supportive and solo capability, although one of the coolest spaces to get to is playing supportively, while hiding the solo within the support. Anyway, don't give up on blues. You'll eventually find its a pretty significant part of the music you do like.

 

[BartmanPDX]

+1 on listening to Tommy Shannon.

Since the guy probably wants to be Stevie Ray anyway, you could always steal some sweet lines from Tommy. You might really get into playing those lines; they're less overtly flashy than Geddy Lee (who BTW, was my motivation in learning to play 17 years ago), but they're rock solid and have a great groove. If he has a problem with that, well, then, he really is a jerk and there's little you can do (except steal his drummer and find a new guitarist) .

My guess is he'd really get into it, unless he started playing as a cry for attention instead of a need to make music.

 

[Alan Vorse]

With all due respect, when any instrument is soloing, it is the task of the other instruments to be supportive. That is generally independent of style. Different styles handle the solo roles differently, so it is a good idea to learn how each style handles it. That blues guitarist should support you for your solo, and you should support his. It's called "taking turns;" a seemingly difficult concept for human beings, I suppose, because it involves mutual respect at some level. You need to acquire both supportive and solo capability, although one of the coolest spaces to get to is playing supportively, while hiding the solo within the support. Anyway, don't give up on blues. You'll eventually find its a pretty significant part of the music you do like.

I actually agree with what you are saying. I 'm just saying the situation he described sounds symptomatic of egocentric rock and blues guitarists who think bass is a musical doormat. I had a rock guitarist tell me "Bass should be subtle and blend into the background." I just can't buy that. Maybe I listen to too much jazz where everybody gets equal time.
Of course you should support the soloist, but if this guitarist actually knows something about Blues, he'd know that 9 times out of 10, the bass does not stay on the root. It walks.

 

[tplyons]

Simple, there are too many guitarists around to waste time on this jerk.

Offer to work with the drummer, but leave the guitarist out of it.

 

[bucephylus]

I had a rock guitarist tell me "Bass should be subtle and blend into the background."

Such a Rock Guitarist is unaware. Best to move on to other players.

Tommy Shannon is great.

I've been enjoying Tommy Castro's stuff lately; and furthermore, there's a semi-recent cd with Double Trouble backing Castro, Jimmy Hall, and Lloyd Jones. Great stuff.

 

[The Clap]

As Blackbird notes, you would probably do well to play more roots like the guitarist suggests. Of course there's not excuse for being a dork about it, but your guitarist probably has a point about laying down the bluesy foundation.

 

[Steve]

A. The guitar player was a jerk. Welcome to the machine.

B. Best if the blues sounds like the blues, country sounds like country, jazz sounds like jazz...latin sounds like latin...ect. You'll work A LOT more that way.