Whats your biggest beef about your musical peers?

[retslock]

In my experience;
1. Trying to impress instead of working together to make great music.
2. Many musicians not interested in singing backups and often regard singers, particularly female singers, as a reluctant necessity to getting gigs.
3. People who obsess about their instruments rather than the music to be made.

 

[phillipkregg]

People who say that "all the new music sucks".

No it doesn't. A lot of it is actually really, really good.

 

[2cooltoolz]

All of the above, basically, except the junkie/thief and the dead guys.

Trying (actually, about done) with a brand new start-up. No auditions, the drummer herded us together from Bandmix. We are all new to each other.

No one wants to learn new music. Every one wants everyone else to learn his songs. Every session (4 so far) there's a lot of "Anyone know this one?" and off he/she/or they go, usually all the way through. Mostly the expected instrumentalists who always do that, but even the drummer will just start playing and expect us to know the song and jump in.

Last week, right after practice (definitely not a rehearsal), I compiled a list of all the songs that had been suggested (I take notes), emailed it to everyone, and suggested that we each pick one song. On the list or off the list. Any song; one each, to learn or work up for our next session. The singer suggested "Flirting with Disaster". I suggested "Going Down", Freddie version. Neither on the list. That's okay.

One guitar player suggested: "Won't Back Down", "Lie To Me", "Cold Shot", "Those two songs by Black Crowes", "Broken Hearted Savior", "Low Rider".

The other never responded.

Drummer: Cream: "Born under a Bad Sign", "Spoonful", "Crossroads" and "White Room" (wonder what he was listening to??)

Half of these, I have down. Familiar most of the others; charted out "Verse, Verse, Chorus, signature licks, etc". Learned a couple from zero.

Needless to say, we showed up, everyone knew what they already knew, nobody worked on anything, and we did: "Anyone know this one?"

BUT!! I'm back in the music room, learning tunes, perfecting (well, you know) some I kinda knew, playing music. I'm going back next week, too!!

I'm sorry, what was the question again??

 

[Peeved T-40]

Or, in your mind what are people doing wrong?

For me it's two things.

The first is too much of an emphasis on gigs and not enough emphasis on development as a group and refining song structures. It seems like everyone I am involved with musically is just far too focused on the performance aspect of things, to the point that many just don't even really rehearse, and just book gigs.

It really just tells me that people are far more interested in being seen playing music as opposed to actually playing music that sounds good. While a lot of these "live jam sessions" sound ok, they just lack a lot of subtleties that would really make them sound better.

I guess for me my complaint is also along these lines. I just feel like music in general has lost it's experimental edge. It seems most people just want to make a beat or rip a shred solo. I want to make music that has time to breath and has atmosphere. I want to experiment with weird techniques and sounds.

Feels like everyone else just wants to impress people with how fast they can play. That's why I say my complaint is similar to yours. it feels like people are more interested in impressing people with their technical prowess rather than actually making music or conveying any kind of emotion or message. I feel like no one has anything to say, they just want to be the center of attention.

 

[cxcxcx]

Worrying too damn much about gear, little to no desire about improving, and a "close enough for government work" attitude.

I live in the real world, and I'm not a stickler for this kind of stuff by any means, but I do wish others would show a little more passion for the game.

 

[Adhesive_X]

Petty back biting

lack of self awareness.

Guitar parts suck and not in time,

Subpar vocals

Constant talk of "making it, and world domination" by a bunch of fat middle aged or older hobbyists who can't commit to getting together to practice or play a show once per month

Out of control egos

Posturing for publishing rights on garbage songs that are "going to be picked up for a video game"

Can't stay sober for an hour long practice or show

Members being straight up miserable cun*s making certain that everyone else is miserable too

I'm not stellar, but I will show up to jam and play shows, know my parts and don't F' up.

Rant over.

 

[alaskaleftybass]

My biggest beef? A Kansas City Steaks 18 ounce bone in Ribeye. I haven't ordered any yet because I haven't found the wife's credit card yet!

 

[woodyng2]

Haha. If anyone in any band I'm in writes an awesome chart-topping song with decades of staying power based off a between-song noodle, I will concede the point. Most of the time however, it just feels like they don't care what the other members have to say between songs and tends to make collaboration much more difficult. It just feels rude.

Glad you clarified that point. I tend to noodle some in between songs,but mostly because i bring different basses and am doing a bit of dialing in. I certainly wouldn't be if anyone was having a discussion.
In one band i was in, one of the bandmembers did that constantly, to the point where we had to ask him to please stfu. Amazingly, there was never a band rehearsal where he didn't need to be told this.
Very annoying.

 

[Passinwind]

Or, in your mind what are people doing wrong?

The beer is too cold and the salsa isn't hot enough.

 

[thabassmon]

Musicianship mostly, but not all instrumentalists, guitarists really.

Not really beef but I do find that a lot of guitarist are a bit lacking, even those that can play "fast". Out of the hundreds of guitarists that I've played with over the years there's only around 10 that I enjoy playing with because they are strong musicians not just good guitarists, a lot play too loudly, too much and inappropriately. Put in singers that want to sing stuff in a different key that the recording, have charts and arrangements, chord progressions with particular chordal voicings and it's the guitarists that choke more than any other instrumentalists.

Most of the other instrumentalist handle this stuff just fine.

I'll still play gigs with them, but if it's a choice between playing with a keys player or playing with a guitar player I'll choose the gig with the keys player everytime, it's far more fun for me. Of course there are certain types of music that guitarists are mandatory but if they are not I find it's better if they are not there.

When I first started to put groups together, like a group to simply play covers, I auditioned a lot guitar players and said no to a lot of accomplished guitar players including one who had his own music school, a 7 string player that could shred, he looked shocked that I said no. So he turned up with good gear and had exemplary technique, but it was his lack of groove, musicality and overall sound that didn't fit what the rest of the group was playing, he literally got in the way of the song.

In the town where I live, I met the local guitar hero (and everyone I met name dropped him and told me how amazing he was), we met for coffee during which he told me that people say it's a privilege to play with him. That made me nervous, especially being new to the town. I was crapping myself a bit. Once we started playing my first thought was "***, my dad is better than this guy". He wanted me to join his band, so we played a couple of times before I quit. No time in that dude, really nice guy (like super nice) and he knows a lot of songs but just not good enough to tolerate the bad rhythm (it feels like a drag, no pun intended). It's been 6 years and still to this day whenever he sees me he wants me to do gigs with him, it's only if I have nothing on and the money is worth it that I say yes. I suppose though that is the beauty of being a bass player, you are in demand.

Contrast that with a recent offer I got to play a gig on Trumpet, I was asked by a person who I met that has a music degree on trumpet. He had never heard me play, but somehow he had heard of me, and knew I played a few instruments (could of been just a line he uses, but we do know quite a few of same musicians, but they are all from the last town I lived) and he needed some players for a Brass ensemble gig he had. I hadn't played Trumpet for around 2 or 3 years and wasn't really sure I could cut it. I said I'll try and when Talkbass was down I did a bit of practice, and did a rehearsal. Everyone in the room can read, phrase well together, follow the bandleader's directions and it's fine. That would be a big ask for a group of guitar players. I'm playing the gig in the weekend.

 

[Evilheim]

My case is quite complicate, and I'm open to advice, in fact, I need some hahahah.

I'm working on writing an recording a few songs via online with a friend who plays the guitar, he lives on my hometown so we see each other during just 2-3 month a year. Also we're doing virtual drums while looking for a drummer.

The problem comes when discussing some ideas where there's some kind of disagreement from me or from him, that sometimes it turns disastrous, he getting very personal, attitude that deeply bothers me.

For a little bit of context, he's on the jazz conservatory and knows a lot of deep music theory and so, but with almost zero band experience. In other hand I'm basically a self-taught musician with musicology background, I can say that I have a solid music theory basis, but not as deep as a conservatory musician of course!, but I have a lot of band and gigging experience on different genres, in other words, how to deal with other musicians and ideas from them.

The thing is, when discussing the ideas when the disagreement is obvious he use to go very personal, even he knowing if it is an idea from him that I don't like too much, I'm still up to try that idea empirically and in context 80% of the time, to see if it works. Examples of the attitude that drives me crazy are:

-If I don't like a idea from him, he use to justify himself by his idea being superior having more musical sense than mine due to his conservatory background in comparison with mine (even tho, sometimes is something purely subjetive on most cases), even arguing that my ideas comes from playing notes arbitrarily.
I try to create ideas based always in something, specially being a bassist, where you have to play in base of something (or being the base itself), following the drums or even laying the foundations of the harmony of the song, being less improvisative that a guitar in a jazz context most of the time by comparison) .

-Also, sometimes if there's some disagreement with an idea, he tends to justify it by seeking opinions from others that can validate his idea over mine and make more noise.

-And last, when facing ideas, he goes so deep in that "idea confrontation attitude mode" that use to happen that we're even talking in fact about the same exact thing to do, or idea!

What is that, lack of empathy? what do you suggest me to do?

 

[glocke1]

I don't know if I have the emotional energy to figure out my own answer to the question posed, but I DO want to comment how it's an absolutely essential, but lost, art to get together and shed. Lots of guys practice, and lots of guys jam, but REALLY getting together to REALLY work out together is so incredibly important and helpful, and you just don't see it that much anymore

Amen brother.

There isn't anything quite like being in a band that sheds together and forms a cohesive unit. Thats really one of my biggest gripes about music in my area, it just doesn't happen and at the risk of sounding snobby/elitist it shows, in some cases it shows significantly.

20 years ago (can't believe its been that long) I was routinely playing twice a week with a singer/songwriter who wrote some pretty cool tunes and we rehearsed and woodshedded on average twice a week for probably two years. Its been 2 decades now and I still retain some of those tunes because we played so often together.

It's disheartening to me to know that at this point I'll probably never be part of something like that again and that in my circles Im just surrounded by people value playing live for the sake of playing live over putting something together thats tight.

 

[Eli_Kyiv]

Lack of desire to learn their parts any closer to original.
Total neglect of home practice and rehearsal.
For singers - inability to memorize their lyrics.

 

[fhm555]

Or, in your mind what are people doing wrong?

For me it's two things.

The first is too much of an emphasis on gigs and not enough emphasis on development as a group and refining song structures. It seems like everyone I am involved with musically is just far too focused on the performance aspect of things, to the point that many just don't even really rehearse, and just book gigs.

It really just tells me that people are far more interested in being seen playing music as opposed to actually playing music that sounds good. While a lot of these "live jam sessions" sound ok, they just lack a lot of subtleties that would really make them sound better.

Even the jazz combo I put together some months back is starting to talk about gigs. Its all amateurs, and the goal for me with this was to just bring people together to work on their jazz skills but at least one of the people involved is talking about trying to book gigs with it and mentions it at almost every opportunity. Its fine I suppose, but playing out with this group isn't something I had on my mind, it was really just put together to work on chops.

Second for me is lack of consistency and continuity in most projects. Perfect example is one set of guys thats focused solely on putting sessions together where they pay musicians to come in and play with the intent of having "awesome jams". I get it, but generally these don't work out or sound as great as the expectations are. I keep making the argument to the person putting them together that it makes far more sense to just find musicians, (even if they are at a lower skill level), that are dedicated to playing on a regular basis and improving. personally I see more benefit in regular playing sessions with a core group of people than I do in sessions with random people even if they have a better skillset.

I get the reasons for a lot of this, people are busy with their lives and just want to get to the glory aspect of things.

If i go in to a new situation i make sure everyone is clear on my desires up front, then i have the option to bow out if a situation changes contrary to my desires. If i get involved in anything with my brother, he knows he has two votes on any band decision. We don't automatically drop out if the other does, but I trust my brother so it's simpler to just let him deal with band business like playing out, naming, etc.

 

[Bass Viking]

No one wants to learn new music. Every one wants everyone else to learn his songs.

This jumped out at me and not because it's bolded but because it's so true. So many people can't or won't learn new material.

 

[Bass Viking]

Constant talk of "making it, and world domination" by a bunch of fat middle aged or older hobbyists who can't commit to getting together to practice or play a show once per month

 

[selowitch]

Some folks do not seem to understand that band practice should consist almost entirely of activities we can only do as a group—rehearse, troubleshoot, and perfect the songs so that our performance gets tighter and more refined. It is not a time to learn your parts, memorize lyrics, etc. Sometimes it involves group songwriting if that's a thing your band does, but the point is to focus on the tasks that are not possible to accomplish separately.

Respect the time you and others are investing in gathering for rehearsal.

 

[Hoyt]

There are lots of little things that annoy me (many listed in this thread already), but nothing too serious rises to the top of my list.
Ego might be my number one pet peeve, but I can forgive a lot for the right talent and work ethic.
I don't and won't tolerate bullies at all, but I'm usually the biggest former Jarhead of any band I'm involved with and very few have decided to test my patience for that type of behavior.