Bilbo Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 ...is that you always need other musicians to be able to do your thing. Yes, I know there are a number of solo bass players out there but, frankly, I think most solo bass stuff sucks and I have no desire to sound like that. So, like most of us, I am reliant upon the interest and goodwill of others (and, no doubt, on my competitiveness as a performer on the 'scene') to engage with the things I would like to do. I can safely say that, in 30 years of playing, I have been 100% satisfied with the ensembles I have performaed with on no more than a tiny handful of occasions and have had to settle for pretty mundane, journeyman stuff. I now have a trio I like to write for and perform with so it's all good at the moment but I wonder how much better I could have been if I had been surrounded by great, enthusiastic, sympathetic, searching players instead of struggling to find something to do with my bass that didn't involve Chic tunes. There, I said it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bremen Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 I didn't play bass at all for about 10 years for those reasons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassPimp66 Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 (edited) I'd like to add that we tend to be real drummer-lovers. And, we desperately need drums in general to exercise our craft. But oh god!!! I am fed up with prima-donna drummers. I find it really hard to find a good drummer, who's also a good chap. Edited October 17, 2012 by BassPimp66 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 Thing is, Bilbo, I don't see that as "the trouble", I see it as one of the chief benefits. If I played guitar or piano (as I used to) then I doubt very much I'd ever have ended up in a band, or climbed up on stage. I had to do those things precisely [i][b]because [/b][/i]I played bass and I needed other musicians. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earbrass Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 (edited) Same for me. After years of being a soundtrack-composer working on my own with a stack of MIDI synths, sequencers and wot-not, I returned to the bass precisely because I wanted to get out and play with other people again. Bass is a great instrument for that. Edited October 17, 2012 by Earbrass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorks5stringer Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 Yes, it's like that for me when I go to jam sessions..if I rock up with the Godin ( which has a guitar- like case) they think its a guitar. So when I say I play Bass you then have to find someone who is happy to let you play Bass with them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chest Rockwell Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 (edited) I play in a stoner rock band and every band I've played in I might not have been the best musician in the room, and even now I'd have to guess which notes are in a minor or major scale... but I seem to be the one withe passion for arranging things so that they flow, sound good and enjoy an interesting musical dynamic, swapping notes around etc... and that helped get my current band reasonable critical acclaim and a spot on the cover CD of an international rock mag (nothing amazing in itself, but still a reasonable feat for a few part timers). I'd rather be a bassist than any number of know it all musicians that couldn't keep time, couldn't remember what to play next, couldn't tame their gizmo piles and couldn't tell you why a good song differs from a bad one, amongst a hundred other things. moving yer fingers fast and being able to spew forth musical knowledge is not the whole truth. not mine anyway. Edited October 17, 2012 by Chest Rockwell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krysh Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 I find it is a benefit being a bassplayer. since music is a language it mostly needs a partner to communicate with rather than only being a storytelling solo artist. I find the dialog in a group even more interesting and enjoy it much better than playing solo which I also did with bass, guitar and looper. not that I didn't enjoy it, but I always think that if you have a proper team it will always enrich you more than you would have been able to do on your own, plus on jamsessions there are mostly less bassplayers than guiterds so you can play more often. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RhysP Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 It's a serious problem, especially if you hate having to interact with other people as much as I do. I've recently sold pretty much all my gear for this reason. When I was younger I was happy to just noodle around on my own, now I get no pleasure from doing that whatsoever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xilddx Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 There is a simple answer to your troubles, Rob. Stop living in Felixtowe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakenewmanbass Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 [quote name='silddx' timestamp='1350472634' post='1839231'] There is a simple answer to your troubles, Rob. Stop living in Felixtowe [/quote] ahem... sorry Rob... man speak da troof innit! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lfalex v1.1 Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 I'm not sure which is the greater handicap: My choice of instrument, or my rampant misanthropy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 Well, I enjoy putting units together as I think I know what I like and others buy into that to a degree..maybe they like or need me to do the leg-work of getting things moving..but it takes a lot of energy to sustain it..and of course..good people are expensive so the trade-off is that the units tend to be very good fun but can't work much as everyone needs a bottom-line figure AND to be available. This can be so frustrating that you don't have enough time together to really build something. I think to play locally, there are so many limiting factors to how good the band can be... so the most popular acts are the acts that get about the most..and the little gems tend to be the best kept secret to the few.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted October 17, 2012 Author Share Posted October 17, 2012 [quote name='silddx' timestamp='1350472634' post='1839231'] There is a simple answer to your troubles, Rob. Stop living in Felixtowe [/quote] You're gonna laugh but the drummer in my trio, who has played with Martin Speake (alto), Pete Oxley (Guitar), Mark Lockhart (Sax), Richard Fairhurst (p), Steve Melling (p), Simon Spillett, Don Weller, Claire Martin and 1000 other leading players, actually lives in Felixstowe!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thisnameistaken Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 I am feeling a lot like Bilbo at the moment. I quit my last band a year ago and still haven't managed to rope a group of musicians together for long enough to get them gigging. I had a great group earlier this year but the pianist turned out to be the flakiest guy I've ever met, one of the singers wasn't far off, and the other vocalist - who has so many great skills that I really want in a band - doesn't seem to want to do anything without the other singer. Only plus side is I've found a really good drummer, but he invited me out to jam with a guitarist at the weekend and it ended up being several hours of blues/funk, which I am really not interested in. Currently I've got two guitarist/singers who I accompany on double bass and I enjoy both gigs but they aren't very regular, and I've got a slowly growing pile of my own recordings that I can't find a band for. Every time I look on the musicians classifieds and sites like Bandmix it seems 99% of the people in my area are guitarists who wants to play alt-rock, or wedding/tribute bands. 'king depressing tbh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earbrass Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 [quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1350475152' post='1839320'] ..and the little gems tend to be the best kept secret to the few.... [/quote] .. shhh!... don't tell everyone, they'll all want some. [attachment=121373:lettuce.jpg] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krysh Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 ps: hmmm, after reading again, I think I missed the 2nd half of bilbos post. I believe it doesn't help being hypothetic. asking "what if..." is just a waste of time. it is always making the best of what you have and can do with it and the will to improve. I always tried to play with people where I really enjoyed what I played with them plus that I could learn something from them and of course there had also been a time when I couldn't find the right people do do what I wished to do. it doesn't matter how good someone might have been, but how much one loves what he is doing. and if this means you need a better team to spread your love, then you have to move to where you can find it or settle for what you already have. I wouldn't do the latter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gjones Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 (edited) Hopefully, one day before I die I'll find a band who can do justice to The Blockheads 'Hit me with your rhythm stick' just so I can play that bloody bassline I took such a long time learning. I'm not holding my breath though. Edited October 17, 2012 by gjones Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted October 17, 2012 Author Share Posted October 17, 2012 You are, of course, correct but that kind of compromise is occasionally a little wearing when there are no standout moments Having said all that, I am waiting for news today of a possible weekly session where I will be part of as rhythm section playing with visiting frontline players like John Etheridge, Jim Mullen, Don Weller, Alan Barnes etc etc. So maybe things will pick up there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xilddx Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 [quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1350477302' post='1839369'] You are, of course, correct but that kind of compromise is occasionally a little wearing when there are no standout moments Having said all that, I am waiting for news today of a possible weekly session where I will be part of as rhythm section playing with visiting frontline players like John Etheridge, Jim Mullen, Don Weller, Alan Barnes etc etc. So maybe things will pick up there. [/quote] Blimey, this and your previous post lead me to wonder what on earth it is you are moaning about Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted October 17, 2012 Author Share Posted October 17, 2012 I am moaning about the fact that I never get to play with Dave Liebman and Adam Nussbaum. That and the fact that I am an ungrateful little s*** Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xilddx Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 [quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1350477777' post='1839387'] I am moaning about the fact that I never get to play with Dave Liebman and Adam Nussbaum. That and the fact that I am an ungrateful little s*** [/quote] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AntLockyer Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 [quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1350477777' post='1839387'] I am moaning about the fact that I never get to play with Dave Liebman and Adam Nussbaum. That and the fact that I am an ungrateful little s*** [/quote] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimR Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 You're right. No one notices the bass player, until he's not there. Which makes networking even more important. Getting yourself noticed as a bassplayer is either standing up front doing slapfest (and no one really wants to see or hear that) or locking in with a drummer who likes playing with you and recommends you whenever he gets a gig. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 or always on the look out for interesting things.. that is what bass players do..as they are always listening Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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