What questions do you wish people would stop asking?

[Relayer71]

"Want to come home with me?"

At every damn gig. Or even when I'm at a music store.

Come to think of it, at the supermarket, pharmacy, DMV, Home Depot, even at the unemployment line. It's a curse I tell ya, a curse!!!

 

[BAG]

A musician friend in Australia, got sick of people asking "can you play something we can dance to", so he wrote a song called "Something We Can Dance To". He did resist the urge to write it as a funeral dirge type song.

 

[truand85]

"Want to come home with me?"

At every damn gig. Or even when I'm at a music store.

Come to think of it, at the supermarket, pharmacy, DMV, Home Depot, even at the unemployment line. It's a curse I tell ya, a curse!!!

Do a lot of drinking huh...

 

[Lenny JG]

Do you use a pick?

 

[Killing Floor]

Not strictly bass-related, but since I always wear a kilt, it has to be: «Do you wear underwear?»

Well?
You rang the bell, you can't un-ring it. Don't leave us in suspense.

 

[Lenny JG]

Can you do bass sweeps?

 

[DJ Bebop]

"Can you direct me to a table and take my order?"

 

[ChrisBowsman]

I've been a retail manager for over a decade. Since 2010, every time I've scanned something and there was an error, the oh-so-funny customer will say, "That means it's free, right? Bwahahaha," like they came up with it. I used to politely smile, now they get a dead pan "No."

 

[Bunk McNulty]

"Are you with the band?"
"Yeah."
"What kind of music do you play?"
"Ooooh, we suck."

 

[Thumpin6string]

On TB it's "tort or no tort?".

 

[WillyW]

weight?

 

[Wasnex]

I used to get annoyed by such things both here and "out there".

These days I'm a little more philosophical about it.

As for young beginners here, let them ask whatever they want. I certainly here a couple decades ago with a TON of misconceptions. I learned. That's how it works.

Countless times I have had younger beginners stop me after a show or during a break. I used to (albeit politely) brush them aside. These days?

"Sure. Come on up here. Check this thing out. Put it on. You can't hurt it. Hit a few notes. You have a Soundgear? Awesome! That's MUCH nicer than my first bass!"

My wife is a pediatrician. Not long ago she was rounding on new babies in her practice. The father of a new baby heard her last name and asked if she was related to me. When she said she was married to me, he had her relay a message to me.

He wanted to thank me for being so cool to him when he was a teenage boy playing guitar as open mic nights. He was kind of a "nerd" (his word) back then. And our letting him get up and jam boosted his confidence immensely. He turned a corner. He came out of his shell. He still plays guitar to this day.

On short, our being kind to him wad a turning point for him.

Often here I cringe when people pile on a kid/new member asking about the best bass for metal or something similar. Give the kid a break. Either ask some questions to gain context and clarity or move along. Welcome them or see yourself out.

Ask away, I say. I'm not that delicate.

(circle of life)

After you have been on TalkBass for certain period of time, you start to notice the same questions are asked over and over. Newbs should be welcomed and encouraged to participate, and it's only natural for them to ask the same type of questions others asked when they were Newbs. When you get tired of answering Newb questions, become more selective of the threads you participate in.

IMHO, when you get to this point, it's time to log off.

 

[WillyW]

 

[GeneralElectric]

“How much does it weigh?”

 

[mike buzzetti]

People asking ?'s about People asking ? 's

 

[31HZ]

Where's the bathroom?

 

[Stewie]

Not a question but, “i love the way you play that cello “

 

[Nephilymbass]

Whether it be drunk people approaching you in a bar, or beginner bass players here in the forums, what questions are you sick of getting?

Not so much at gigs or on forums but just in general the thing that bugs me the most are people asking for shortcuts. For example people learning to play looking for a shortcut because they don’t want to put in the time with their instrument. But it’s even more annoying to me because as a musician who’s always checking out gear demos on YouTube I get suggested a lot of ads that are exactly that. People trying to sell shortcuts to beginner players. And sure I get that shortcuts might fool some people but for me, anyone who tries to learn that way it just ends up where everything they play sounds the same.

 

[N. Kentucky Bass]

"Hey, wait a minute -- aren't you that guy on TalkBass?"

 

[ebo]

"Want to come home with me?"

At every damn gig. Or even when I'm at a music store.

Come to think of it, at the supermarket, pharmacy, DMV, Home Depot, even at the unemployment line. It's a curse I tell ya, a curse!!!

The cross we have to bear my friend, the cross we have to bear.