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Timing issues with idiots!

eric atkinson

eric atkinson

"Is our children learning "Is our teachers teachin
Feb 4, 2001
2,344
7
52
Joplin,Missouri
www.myspace.com
#1
Man have you just ever had one of those nights at band practice when you wonder what the hell is going through the guitar players and singers minds? Is it a rule that the drummer and bassist r the only ones that have to worry and think like that? You ever get that look from the drummer you are playing with that kinda looks like this :eyebrow: . This is the first time that the drummer has said anything to me since we started this new band about 3 months ago. I think we decided to kick both member from the band and start over again. Its kinda like this me and the drummer have been playing together for over 10 years now. We played in a semi-pro band for 5 years. Then just me and him and a few guest players since. We can never find anyone that can even compare to the original guitarist/singer that we had back in the original band. But he moved on to chicago to play jazz. So after that band spilt up me and the drummer kept looking. We must have said no to atleast 30 people! But you have to understand that this isnt a great music area. Most of the players that could play anything at all only wanted to do country or classic rock. Me and the drummer could have fixed this problem years ago and just split and do other things. But its like we have been working on a master piece together for so long now that we think alike and thats the only way i truly feel comfort in music. So we decided to settle and get the best we could find. A singer/rythem player that cant sing for crap! I have had better sounding things come out of my butt! The guitar player can play guitar just like SRV (but everything sounds like SRV.) Its like they battle the rythem of a song and it is just killing me! Sorry just had to rant! Been a bad night.
 
#3
Yeha i have really thought about the singing lead! Me and the drummer both have tossed ideas for good singing lessons! We have always background sang. Just not sure if i could swing the lead thing! I am a buisy bass player,but then again i know the drummer or i could sing better than this dude!
 
#7
eric atkinson said:
Its kinda like this me and the drummer have been playing together for over 10 years now.

We must have said no to atleast 30 people! But you have to understand that this isnt a great music area.

But its like we have been working on a master piece together for so long now that we think alike and thats the only way i truly feel comfort in music.
Click to expand...

Dude. Read what you wrote. Then read it again.

If you and the drummer are that "locked in" together, there is NO WAY to replace that. EVER.

So DON'T COMPROMISE. If you can't find the musicians you need in your area, it's time to relocate - together. Situate yourselves in a more populated area with more talent to choose from. If you intend to move forward there's no way around it. Stick to your guns, and good luck.
 
#8
I think i am going to make up some flyers and try for another musician! Just forget about a guitarist. Seems its always the guitaist around here that are stuck in classic rock mode. Would be nice to find a good piano player or horn player! Crap i would take a wicked kazoo player at this point as long as he has a open mind and can keep time! Like tonight i got so up set because we are covering a tune that the guitar player picked out--closing time by semi-sonic. I cant stand to play the song anyways cause i find it terribly boring. But there is a part in the center of the tune that everything cuts out except the piano. I asked the guitar player if he wanted to play the part. He said sure,well its been like 3 weeks now and hestill cant get it down. I dont understand how a man that can play SRV all day and night cant figure out a simple little rift like that. He has it figured out but cant get the timing down for it. So i started doing it on bass instead. He got all bent out of shape over it. I was nice about it but the truth is to hear him try to play this part during practice makes me want to rip out my spinal cord and beat him to death with it! And from the horrified look from the drummer i think he would hold him down. Yeah me and the drummer would love to relocate but he is in the middle of a divorce and we both have children. The only thing i can hope for is that good things come to those who wait! I just hope it comes before i start killing guitar players.
 
#9
Yeah, sometimes lead guitarists can be like that. Our former lead guitarist could jam away on blues and funk like anybody (usually getting too carried away, but that's beside the point). However, sometimes he couldn't pick up on simple songs like "I Wanna Be Sedated", which is just a simple three chord progression with one key change where everything just moves a whole step up. :P
 
#12
Unless it's a jazz band or with an incredible drummer of studio quality (not so often) I insist on using click tracks in performance. That solves all the timing issues. If people resist it, it's usually because they don't want to solve their timing issues. Putting together a rig to have a click for the drummer is simple and cheap (under $500) and it solves a lot of problems.
 
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