Geek99 Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 [quote name='Weststarx' timestamp='1436962407' post='2822333'] .... (Starts running faster!) [/quote] Total of people persuaded onto dance floor by a guitar line : 3(ever) Total of people persuaded onto dance floor by a bass line : 73.8million Go figure Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CamdenRob Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 (edited) [quote name='Geek99' timestamp='1436968596' post='2822427'] Total of people persuaded onto dance floor by a guitar line : 3(ever) Total of people persuaded onto dance floor by a bass line : 73.8million Go figure [/quote] Total groupies obtained by a guitar line : 73.8million Total groupies obtained by a bass line : 3(ever) Edited July 15, 2015 by CamdenRob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlungerModerno Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 [quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1436968846' post='2822429'] Total groupies obtained by a guitar line : 73.8million Total groupies obtained by a bass line : 3(ever) [/quote] Yeah - maybe. I'd say those numbers are broadly accurate for rock, metal & country. But groupies don't pay the band. It's about filling the floor, getting the groove going - and selling tickets/merch and of course drinks. I guess what I'm saying is it's a team effort. Bassists tend to not get the lions share of the spoils, unless they're also the front man: Or get a bigger share of the take by extra roles (e.g. running PA, doing DJing after etc.). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeEvans Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 Well, obviously, after tasting the delights of the bass guitar, you're never going to want to go back to one of those silly twangy things. So the only answer is to keep doing your scales and look for another band... Or sack the songwriter and start writing your own songs, or look for another singer / songwriter? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CamdenRob Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 [quote name='PlungerModerno' timestamp='1436978873' post='2822539'] Yeah - maybe. I'd say those numbers are broadly accurate for rock, metal & country. But groupies don't pay the band. It's about filling the floor, getting the groove going - and selling tickets/merch and of course drinks. I guess what I'm saying is it's a team effort. Bassists tend to not get the lions share of the spoils, unless they're also the front man: Or get a bigger share of the take by extra roles (e.g. running PA, doing DJing after etc.). [/quote] You're right of course. I do understand the saga of the unappreciated bassist... I was just being facetious as usual. It's a difficult balance. Bassists (and drummers) always get a lower cut of everything unless they are the singer / songwriter. The thing is IME bands only really work when someone is comming up with the initial ideas for songs and everyone fits their parts around that structure. Bass players get undervalued because they are seen as a bit of a secondary part of the creative process, our bit comes in after the creative bit has already been done is the general view. There isn't an easy alternative. I've just joined a new band which I'm not sure about yet... Rather than using the singer / songwriters songs the idea is to write as a band and I just can't see it working. This is all driven by the drummer who is son of a rather more famous drummer and has worked in pro bands before, but always received a lower cut because he's "just" the drummer and not a songwriter... So now he wants to be involved in the songwriting and get a bigger cut if the band gets anywhere. It remains to be seen if this approach has any chance at all of producing decent material. I'm going to give it another session but I'm not convinced. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrumpymike Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 [quote name='The Badderer' timestamp='1436798724' post='2820845'] Well, if you're enjoying bass then you could always find a new slightly better organised band who need a bass player and focus on them as your main outlet for bass playing. If your current band are still messing you around you can always leave. I'd start looking for a new band who have roughly the same ethos that you do. It doesn't mean you have to walk away from your current band, but if they're still messing around in 6 months you aren't left feeling like you've wasted half a year. [/quote] +1 I have never looked back after switching from guitar to bass under similar circumstances - and that was in 1964 btw!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SubsonicSimpleton Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 Do you like the music that the band is making? Is changing instruments going to make a big difference to the level of enjoyment you get from playing in the band? Does the ability to play two instruments allow you more creative input in the writing & recording process? Nothing stopping you from making music with other people as well as your current band - I would be tempted to stick around for a little while to see what happens if you have been enjoying the band until now, it might even be worth suggesting via jedi mind trick that the songwriter just focuses on singing rather than splitting their effort between vocals and guitar/bass, and add a guitarist that already knows how to play. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gadgie Posted July 16, 2015 Author Share Posted July 16, 2015 [color=#222222]The music is ok actually. It's as I said...a long story. The lead guitarist asked me about 2-3yrs ago to play guitar for them. This was more of him saying ‘I’ve got a band going on and we need a 2[sup]nd[/sup] guitarist’. He told me that the songwriter guy wrote the songs on a guitar, but was looking at playing bass as it’s harder to get bass players. So I said okay I would have a listen to the stuff and see. The next time I saw him he said the songwriter now wanted to play guitar and would I play bass. I said no as I had never got past playing the start of The Chain by Fleetwood mac. So they continued to play the songs they had while looking for a bass. Now to cut a story short, I ended up playing bass for them at the end of last year. Letting the songwriter now play guitar. However he now wants back on bass (lazy I think) because I’ve made it sound really cool lol.[/color] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SubsonicSimpleton Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 Let him have a go and see how 'cool' he can make it sound - you might find yourself being asked to return to bass duties by popular demand if he isn't nailing it from the off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weststarx Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 [quote name='SubsonicSimpleton' timestamp='1437047487' post='2823089'] Let him have a go and see how 'cool' he can make it sound - you might find yourself being asked to return to bass duties by popular demand if he isn't nailing it from the off. [/quote] Yeah theres nothing more noticable than a bass player cocking up. People dont notice the bass being there most of the time, but when you mess up and the bass is no longer there everyone knows somethings gone wrong! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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