It's a good job I'm not sensitive...

[MarkW]

So, as the title suggests, I am without doubt the least musically valued member of our band. They are a lovely bunch and we get on like a house on fire, but the innate assumption amongst all of them is that whilst keyboard, guitar and drums all require skill, anyone can play the bass. Now I don't really mind - not least because I know I'm nowt special - but it does make me laugh sometimes.

Because I have a 4x4 and a trailer I hump most of our gear to and from gigs, and a few weeks ago I was described in all seriousness by our keyboard player as 'a roadie who plays a bit'. Charming! And tonight, when we're trying to sort a dep guitarist for an imminent gig, our singer said "if you'd learned the guitar instead of the bass we'd be fine, 'cos I could probably learn what you do in a fortnight'.

Now this isn't a play for sympathy or moral support because I really couldn't give a toss (I taught myself Rhythm Stick to a gig-able standard, so I can't be completely useless) but it did get me thinking: I've read all the stuff about how important we are, and how good bass players are so much harder to come by than good guitarists, but is that really the case? The fact is that in a pubs & clubs covers band like mine pretty much any monkey could do just as good a job as me: there isn't exactly huge scope for wowing the punters with a flashy rendition of the two notes in 'Moves Like Jagger' is there? And even if I could play like Les Claypool or Marcus Miller, what exactly would I do with 'Summer of 69' or 'Country Roads' that I'm not doing now? So given the noddy-bass-line stuff we play, how would I ever look like anything other than a noddy? :-(

[Myke]

Not sure they know what they're talking about

[KevB]

Tell them you're taking an extra cut of all fees for the gear transportation you do.

[CamdenRob]

They sound like a right bunch of a**holes to be honest... I'd not be putting up with that, plenty of other covers bands out there

[Lee-Man]

[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1439754728' post='2845531']
They sound like a right bunch of a**holes to be honest... I'd not be putting up with that, plenty of other covers bands out there
[/quote]

This!

[RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE]

You can only grit your teeth, for so long. Start casually looking for someone more appreciative

[Slipperydick]

Call his bluff, tell him your taking a break next month but your happy to lend him a Bass.
Mind you, if he does only take a fortnight to learn to play rhythm stick and sing at the same time, you might have to backpedal.

[Japhet]

At a gig once a punter shouted out 'What does the bass do?' I replied, 'OK, I won't play in the next song' and the band backed me. It sounded sh*te and when I started playing again in the next song I got a big cheer. It's not only punters who don't know what we do but I'm lucky that my bandmates do.

[M@23]

They don't sound like musicians to be honest. If that's a genuine opinion, they have little understanding of the basics.

[neilp]

They barely sound like musicians at all! Anyone worthy of the name knows the bass isn't an easy option. Even "noddy" bass lines need feel, technique and concentration if the band wants to do the song justice. Find another band...

[machinehead]

Suddenly, and without warning, stop playing in the middle of a song that the bass largely carries. They'll soon understand.

Actually, that should work with almost any song.

Seriously, if they don't understand the role of the bass they are poorly educated musicians. Even worse, they lack "feel".

Frank.

[BassBus]

This is "getting on like a house on fire"? I'd hate to think what things would be like if you hated each other.

[Subbeh]

[quote name='MarkW' timestamp='1439754464' post='2845525']Because I have a 4x4 and a trailer I hump most of our gear to and from gigs, and a few weeks ago I was described in all seriousness by our keyboard player as 'a roadie who plays a bit'. Charming! And tonight, when we're trying to sort a dep guitarist for an imminent gig, our singer said "if you'd learned the guitar instead of the bass we'd be fine, 'cos I could probably learn what you do in a fortnight'.[/quote]

Take the singer up on the offer next time! let them play a song or two at rehearsal or a gig, they sink or swim but wither way maybe they'll have a better understanding of what it is that you do.

[grumpyguts]

I got the "anyone can play bass" at our last session; I launched into my best Hysteria - drums and key's were surprised, guitarist ignored me.

[machinehead]

Actually, a lot of guitarists could play bass fairly quickly. I started playing bass when our bass player couldn't make a gig at short notice and the singer asked me to stand in on bass. I was playing guitar at the time with about 15 years playing experience.

This was in 1986-ish.

I got by well enough on the gig but I discovered that I much preferred playing bass to playing guitar.

However, it took me years to become an even halfway decent bass player and nearly 30 years later, I'm still learning.

Bass isn't as easy as it first appears.

Frank.

[Woodinblack]

Just ask them to put an advert out for the bass and guitar at the same time, see how many respondents they get for both. Wouldn't be surprised if you had 10 times the number of responses for the guitar than the bass - at which point you can conclude that many more people can play the guitar!

And most of the bass players wouldn't be able to play rythmn stick.

Edited August 16, 2015 by Woodinblack

[discreet]

Very few players of any instrument are genuinely any good. The rest are basically winging it.

[MarkW]

I think part of the problem is that I am naturally very self-deprecating - I have no ego whatsoever, and poke fun at my playing far more than they do. Perhaps that's reinforced their assumption that it really isn't very hard. I dunno...

But then again the bottom line is I [i]could[/i] teach our singer to play most of our set just as well as me - it's about as easy as it gets! Perhaps the feel would be different, but it would probably be passable.

I'll tell you what does p*ss me off good and proper though: as a man of very modest talent on the bass I had to invest some time and effort into learning Rhythm Stick, but our keyboard player couldn't be bothered. He had a few half-arsed stabs at it in gigs and then decided it wasn't a crowd-pleaser. So my one and only chance to shine has been dropped from the set, and I'm back to 'Higher and Higher' and 'Jolene'. Give him his due though - he did tell me on day one that he was a bit lazy when it came to learning new stuff!

[discreet]

[quote name='MarkW' timestamp='1439757417' post='2845577']
Give him his due though - he did tell me on day one that he was a bit lazy when it came to learning new stuff!
[/quote]

You shouldn't be giving him his due, you should be kicking him up the arse.

[Woodinblack]

[quote name='MarkW' timestamp='1439757417' post='2845577']
I'll tell you what does p*ss me off good and proper though: as a man of very modest talent on the bass I had to invest some time and effort into learning Rhythm Stick, but our keyboard player couldn't be bothered.
[/quote]

Couldn't be bothered or couldn't?

Gives you the perfect comeback, the 'well at least one of us could learn rhythm stick'.

Most keyboard is pretty easy too, and sounds like he is just winging it.

[discreet]

[quote name='Woodinblack' timestamp='1439759795' post='2845606']
Most keyboard is pretty easy too.
[/quote]

Exactly. All the notes laid out in front of you! How hard can it be..?

[paul_5]

[quote name='M@23' timestamp='1439755467' post='2845541']
They [s]don't sound like musicians[/s] sound like twats to be honest. If that's a genuine opinion, they have little understanding of the basics.
[/quote]

Fixed

[M@23]

[quote name='paul_5' timestamp='1439761793' post='2845625']


Fixed
[/quote]

Yep, that also works!

[4-string-thing]

Insulting and lazy keyboard player, singer thinks he's gods gift and they all expect you to lug their gear around.... I'd have told 'em to find someone else long ago...

[geoham]

Sounds a bit like the abuse I give the drummer in my originals lineup... How hard can it be? Count to four and hit things with sticks. All tongue in cheek - he knows I know I could never do it!