First gig in more than 10 years!

[LeftyP]

OK, "Gig" is perhaps not the right word as I was playing in our church band today with a 100+ congregation belting out the songs.

A quick bit of background;  I'm 67 years old. About 15 years ago I was part of a Christian music band that had around 15 members.  There was a brass/horn section, drums, guitars, keyboards, clarinet, oboe, bass and sometimes a violin.  I was more sound guy and backing vocals until the bass player moved away so I stepped in - having never played bass before.  I just learned the bass parts by rote and didn't try anything more than root and fifth with the occasional third and chromatic approach.  With so many members it was inevitable that people would drop out and leave the band so eventually we called it a day and my Tanglewood copy of the Hofner violin bass was retired to its case.  Ten years on and attending a new church I let slip that I once played bass.  The next thing I know I'm on the music rota!  I took delivery of a Chowny SWB-1 in January and have been getting to grips with it (off and on) since then.  My playing is basic and I'm still trying to get my fingers to do what my brain wants them to do.  I'm left handed but play right handed and have a limited finger spread, which means one finger per fret is not on.

The church has a pool of musicians and singers who are on a rota to provide the music each week.  The rota means that you don't always play with the same people each time.  Rehearsal is about an hour before the service on a Sunday morning where we run through the five songs we will be playing.  There is no set band and no mid-week get together so I was in at the deep end today!  I'd been practicing the songs to backing tracks using chord charts with the lyrics but today was the first time I had played with other band members.  So there I was in the corner on bass, crammed between the keyboard and drum kit.  The drummer forgot he was on the list to play so we had no drums!  That was a relief because I was so close to the kit if the drummer had hit the cymbal it would have chopped my arm off!  The rest of the band was; keyboard, flute, semi-acoustic guitar (band leader) and two female vocalists.  I was sticking to root notes and the odd fifth or third except for one song for which I had the sheet music and bass line that was for the bass guitar as opposed to the keyboard player's left hand.  Band leader decided to change the tempo of one song which made life interesting as I'd practiced it in standard 4/4!

I think I did OK.  There was the odd fumble for notes but, on the whole, I was fairly pleased with how it went.  I was caught out on one song when BL decided to repeat a chorus causing me to have an Eric Morecambe moment for a couple of bars - playing all the right notes but not necessarily in the right order!  Afterwards a "senior" member of the congregation came up and congratulated me on my playing and said how good it was to hear a solid bass line.  Then a young lady (17 years old - half a century younger than me!) came across and said "Hey Mr cool bass player!"  I wish I'd had that effect on 17 year old girls when I was young enough to do something about it!

My next "gig" will be at the beginning of August with a different line up and no drummer.  I can't wait!

Edited July 1, 2018 by LeftyP

[Len_derby]

Congratulations, and welcome back to the fold!

I played in a church band for several years; I've now bowed-out to give a couple of teenagers the opportunity to play bass.

I found the church band experience a really good one for developing musical skills.

It was also the only place that, at the age of 60, I was still addressed as 'young man'.

[casapete]

Excellent stuff, well done sir! Just goes to show that feeling never leaves you.

[Les]

Awesome, well done that man.

[Baxlin]

Congrats, Lefty, join the club!

Even older than you, I'm also on our church band rota.  Similar circumstances, different band/lineup each time, with an hour or so pre-service rehearsal, but due to younger bassists being away during school holidays, I seem to be a permanent fixture for the next few weeks.

Our 'pool' includes the usual g, b, d, plus keys, flutes, sax, and one guy who plays an 'Electronic Wind Instrument', (EWI), played like a clarinet but with many synthesised voices.

As you say, it’s often a challenge (at least to the older brain) when you’re completely self-taught, playing alongside 'proper' musicians, including several music teachers, but thoroughly enjoyable, with excellent fellowship.

Malcolm