Not tolerated as a musician

[Jeff Roller]

Are you the bands musical director? If so, leaving may be the best option, if they question your direction. If not, read on.

How would you respond if the drummer requested you to play your bass lines differently? Sounds like typical musician egos in play. The ideal channel would be to talk with the director/band leader and let them address it.

I actually welcome input and direction, no ego on my part. I've been playing music a long time, and as long as I'm alive, I'm still learning my craft. You may be correct, in that I offended his ego, but I'm normally surrounded by musicians who are more confident and would not be offended at spitballing suggestions while learning a new song.

 

[mikewalker]

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[Manticore]

I'm not sure why you can't have both. I've looked just about everywhere, and I've had a lot of time to do it, and yet I've never found a formalized rule requiring the bass player to be in only one band at a time.

 

[tpaul]

I think Yacht Goth is a thing. There's a whole movie series about it.

 

[ArtechnikA]

...I've never found a formalized rule requiring the bass player to be in only one band at a time.

It'd be in your contract under exclusivity clause. And I'd expect a retainer. No contract and no retainer? no exclusivity...

Everybody wants you to dedicate 100% of your effort to their Magnificent Vision - and gig once a year for $50.

 

[MattZilla]

So, I’m betting on the song being “Sailing” by Christopher Cross. I wouldn’t be surprised if that song is where the term originated from.

i was certain it'd be "Sailing On" by Bad Brains.

@Jeff Roller I'm dying to know- what is the specific yacht ballad in question?

 

[Bassbeater]

Whereas I was imagining a Captain and Tenille tribute act.

 

[Biggbass]

If a drummer ever 'dresses me down' it will be the last gig he plays with me. Musicians who can't accept creative input eventually end up being a solo act.
We had a drummer a while back that was problematic. He couldn't play an ending the same way twice and when he botched an ending he just shrugged his shoulders and gave us a goofy grin like, "oh well". On his last night with us he deliberately over played a fill at a specific part of a song, one of my songs, where I'd asked him to drive the phrase with the floor tom simulating a heart beat. I'd made this request numerous times as we were working up the song, and after we'd played it a a few gigs, always emphasizing courteously that I'd been asking this of him since I'd introduced the song to the band. On the last night he worked with us we got to that phrase in the tune and he went all Keith Moon on it and sabotaged the song. When the gig was over I left without saying a word to him. The next morning we fired him. I had another drummer ready to go weeks ahead of this since I knew
we had to get rid of him. But it was just a matter of letting him pull the pin on his own band grenade. And the guy was actually shocked when our BL told him he was fired. He thought he was doing a great job.
There is a huge difference between "a guy that owns a set of drums" and a "drummer".

 

[Kipp Harrington]

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View attachment 2958937

Interesting pic! I never knew!!!

 

[40Hz]

This is strictly a rhetorical question, but what do you do with yourself when involved with musicians who aren't interested in stretching their abilities? I got dressed down tonight for suggesting the drummer withfrain from a 4/4 rock beat over the top of a "yacht rock" ballad. Got downright hateful about it. Of course theres more to the story, and I don't feel like vomiting it all out here tonight...

The only question for me is do I stick to it and play the gigs (they stay booked regularly), or do I go out and have fun playing with guys who work less often but play with passion and spontenaity and have some real fun?

Like I said, rhetorical, but wondering if others hold their nose and collect the steady work?

I was never dependent on the money I made from music, so I always had the luxury of standing on principles or arguing for art.

Not everybody has that luxury. And it is a luxury.

Some people need the income. Some just want (or really need) to get out and play as often as possible without getting overly bogged down in arguments over details. And I’ve got no problem with that even if I probably wouldn’t want to remain in a band with some of them for any length of time.

We each have to decide what’s personally important to us, and (hopefully) act accordingly.

My take is if you’ve outgrown your band, and you don’t need the money or really like the hang, what’s the point of sticking with it if you’ve reached an impasse?

But that’s me. I never was one to cling to the past. YMMV.

Luck.

 

[sean_on_bass]

i find i am holding my nose..partially. No band i have been in has risen up to my artistic ideal honestly, but at the same time i still enjoy playing with them as the people are nice and audiences appreciative. I also strive to be in a group where folks stretch out, take risks, and try new things. But alas my current group stays mostly on the rails. Someday i am sure i will get into a project that more closely resembles my ideals, but until then i am content with what i have.

 

[chaosMK]

I get sometimes angry about playing in 4/4. I spent years of my life leveling up drummers to play in twisted time sigs.

 

[Rompin Roddy]

It's sounds like your band leader may be part of the problem.

Sounds like he knows the drummer is a problem but is choosing to ignore it. Cycling through bass players instead of pulling the root.

Granted, I have very little clues to base this off of, but it may be worth discussing with the band leader. That is, if he's as open minded as the drummer.

 

[pcake]

i couldn't care less if musician i play with are stretching their abilities. does the music sound great? do we all get along with no drama and add / write new songs to our repetoire? then i'm happy.

as far as the drummer, sounds a little off the hook, but we have had a couple fairly recent posts from bass players who were very annoyed that a band member decided to suggest they change something.

 

[RustyAxe]

Four freekin' pages, and still don't know the specific song in question? Bah.

 

[toowrongfoo]

You guys are brutal. He's genuinely upset about the experience and most a pilling on. The intrawebzes, what would we do without it.

 

[Spidey2112]

... a "yacht rock" ballad.

Your band leader wouldn't be Judge Smails, would it?

 

[HotelX]

The only question for me is do I stick to it and play the gigs (they stay booked regularly), or do I go out and have fun playing with guys who work less often but play with passion and spontenaity and have some real fun?

Why not both?

 

[aprod]

What are you talking about? What is withfrain and yacht rock? And was the song not in 4/4?

 

[HotelX]

I get sometimes angry about playing in 4/4. I spent years of my life leveling up drummers to play in twisted time sigs.

Good luck getting gigs in the US if you play those odd time signatures.