Scariest thing for an insecure bassist

In the last decade, the one insecure time was being called on Thursday evening to do Sunday services at a church I'd never played at before. The place didn't make me insecure, the schedule did - normally, I have 1 to 3 weeks to polish material for a weekend, but they were desperate, and I gave in to their begging. My insecurity was about being the least prepared person on stage - in my normal gigs, anyone who started working on stuff only a couple days before would stick out like a sore thumb. So, I woodshedded like heck for a couple of days, and got the material down pretty well.

Got there Sunday morning, set up, and the band launches into the first tune. Crap! - it's in a different key, For a few seconds, while the band plays, I'm figuring out what key we're in, contemplating transposing the thing, then the leader stops us. The guitarist was in the wrong key. Long story short, a few minutes and a few little issues later, I realize.....

I'm the MOST prepared person on stage.

The band wasn't the best I'd ever played with, but we did fine.

 

I've been playing about seven months and this is the song I'm working on learning now. It's... kind of a bitch, actually. Really only three riffs to the whole song but that intro riff is a challenge to execute. It's encouraging to hear even veterans worry about this one.

 

Two things.

First thing - when someone's off-beat. There's always that thought - do I continue what I'm doing, or do I switch to their rhythm? (This happened tonight at practice - for some reason, the band missed a transition and I didn't - there must have been a signal I missed, because we kind of hung in the same phrase for a bit, something we never do, and due to that I had no idea where the one was. When we transitioned, it definitely had moved. I think our singer might have had a mic issue and signalled the drummer? Not sure.) This isn't so bad with one other player, but with multiple players it's rough. It can happen with drummers also, and it's a choice you have to make when you don't know the drummer well enough to know whether it's intentional or whether it's just a mistake.

Second thing - before a gig, when I have to go on stage after a really solid rhythm section or a really awesome bass player. I've gotten insecure about the band as a whole when I don't think we're musically tight and we follow a band that sounds pretty professional, and that is a bad feeling.

 

Meh..I mean this doesn't bother me..if anything it motivates me to prove I'm better..if anything..but really I don't pay a whole lot of attention of other bands that play before or after my band for two reasons..1) they may be having an off day, or a really on day so how do you really gauge it..and 2) music is not a competition..we are all trying to achieve the same goal...make people happy. Most of the people in bands where I live are friends of mine and many of them I have played with in other bands before..my band is good..I know that so I don't worry about that stuff..I only worry about playing my best and hoping I can make people happy and forget about this poopy world for maybe a song, a set or a whole night...I'm good if I can do that..

 

Used to be "Valerie" by Amy Winehouse. Not a tough bass line but the drummer doesn't follow the same groove, as the record so it would throw me off then everyone else off. It didn't help that the guitar player would play fills that weren't quite in rhythm, which made my job even tougher.
But, now, I just work my part with what the drummer can do and just make it work.

 

Requesting payment from a shady bar owner with three giant bouncers.

 

Love that song. Love that bass line!

 

When it comes to that bass break in “All right now”, and I realize I’m playing my Thunderbird. It’s quite a reach to those last frets.

 

The bass player in my favorite local band has the same struggle. It's fun to watch, what's gonna happen this time?

 

When this used to happen to me i’d usually just play the regular line only dig in a little harder. I do not like solos, i’m perfectly content in my support role thank you very much.