Band's keys player "wants to play bass on a few songs...." Alarm bells?

[Woodinblack]

50 minutes ago, hiram.k.hackenbacker said:

If your keys player reckons she can play the synth bass bass line plus the actual keys parts at the same time, I’d like to hear that.

 

Really? its not that tricky of a song for a keyboard player to do all of that

[solo4652]

17 minutes ago, Woodwind said:

Bass and synth bass doubled can sound really great. I suspect the original recording is exactly this. 

 

You'll have to be locked in together though and I fear that when the syncopation inevitably drifts it will be you who gets the blame 😞

 

This is a big concern of mine. I think drummer/band leader was possibly suggesting that keys player and I double. However, I am almost completely sure that she and I will not be able to manage this. That's why I said that I'd be the one who plays the bassline, since I've done it before.

[Chienmortbb]

Keyboard players playing low down and dirty? Not if I am playing. I have enough trouble with the Rhythm Guitarist using all six strings and extra bass. It may work on a recording where each part can be finely controlled but even if she can manage it, synchronisation and  spetral overload would not sound nice together. Either walk or sit the song out until it is resolved.

[Boodang]

3 minutes ago, Chienmortbb said:

Keyboard players playing low down and dirty? Not if I am playing. I have enough trouble with the Rhythm Guitarist using all six strings and extra bass. It may work on a recording where each part can be finely controlled but even if she can manage it, synchronisation and  spetral overload would not sound nice together. Either walk or sit the song out until it is resolved.

We solved this problem by only employing one armed keyboard players. 

[asingardenof]

3 minutes ago, Boodang said:

We solved this problem by only employing one armed keyboard players. 

 

There's always the classic:

[Boodang]

30 minutes ago, asingardenof said:

 

There's always the classic:

… so much easier than trying to find a one armed keys player! 

[Dad3353]

I can't hear anything in that track that makes me think of keys playing the bass riff. It sounds to my cloth ears like a bass player, and can't really think what a synth/keys bass would add. It's a simple enough 'lick', deftly played; why anyone would want to alter that beats me, unless there's an underlying motive. I'd ignore the 'suggestion', play the bass line as you know how, and let the keys player do what they want. If the song improves : great. If not, either the BL stops it from happening again or the troop starts looking for another bass player, I'd say. 

[Lozz196]

I think the main question here is why is it so important to said BL & wife for her to play the bassline to the song on her keyboard rather than other melody parts. 

[asingardenof]

51 minutes ago, Lozz196 said:

I think the main question here is why is it so important to said BL & wife for her to play the bassline to the song on her keyboard rather than other melody parts. 

And if it's more important for her to play the part than for OP to remain in the band

[uk_lefty]

2 hours ago, Boodang said:

… so much easier than trying to find a one armed keys player! 

You could always find a two armed keys player and cut one arm off.

[Boodang]

1 hour ago, uk_lefty said:

You could always find a two armed keys player and cut one arm off.

We've tried that but it's a bit messy... plus they complain a lot when you do it! 

[Boodang]

Ooh, just thought of another option... get the keys to play the bass synth, you can take a break, nip off to the bar and heckle while having a pint. 

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

4 hours ago, Woodinblack said:

Really? its not that tricky of a song for a keyboard player to do all of that

Well, it depends how accurate you want to be I suppose.

Before a note is sung, there are two synth parts and then there’s the bass on top of that.

[Dad3353]

1 hour ago, hiram.k.hackenbacker said:

Well, it depends how accurate you want to be I suppose.

Before a note is sung, there are two synth parts and then there’s the bass on top of that.

 

Indeed, there's the drums, guitar and bass riff, then two synth lines which themselves should be enough for any keys player to be getting on with. Why the need, or even the idea, of wanting to do the bass part as well..? It's an odd request. Why not the drums whilst they're at it..? 

Edited June 22 by Dad3353

[Woodinblack]

46 minutes ago, hiram.k.hackenbacker said:

Well, it depends how accurate you want to be I suppose.

Before a note is sung, there are two synth parts and then there’s the bass on top of that.

 

Just listened again, you would need a split to get the sounds but there is nothing hard there in the intro, I could do it and I am not great. The keyboard player in my band could do it better. I mean, I wouldn't, I would have the bass player playing the bass, but it could be done without too much difficulty. 

I gets a bit trickier in the chorus and i notice that live Madonna had bass, guitar, and two keyboards.

 

[Wolverinebass]

I'd be quitting. There's no way I'd be putting up with "Linda McCartney having a go."

 

It's not an argument you'll ever win and it'll only get worse. The more you dig your heels in the worse the atmosphere will get. The more you accommodate it, the more will be taken from you. Sod that. Leave.

[tauzero]

7 hours ago, solo4652 said:

Since I started this thread, the keys player has seemingly abandoned her idea of possibly playing bass guitar on some songs. However, she has now suggested that she could play synth bass on Madonna's Material Girl. I said (possibly too sternly); "No - I'm the band's bassist - I'll play the bassline. I've played it before." Band leader is supporting her, not me by suggesting that we both play the bassline. Not quite sure what he meant by that. Apparently, I'm being "Obstructive".

 

Thoughts?

 

Suggest that the drummer plays keys, the keys player plays bass, and you play drums for the track.

 

Or try it at a rehearsal, making sure it's recorded.

[Bassfinger]

I don't see how a bassist wanting to play bass on a song for which he knows how to play bass is being obstructive.

 

We sometimes swap instruments about - I play mandolin some songs and our rhythmist covers bass, and I do lead guitar on Sultans of Swing and our lead player covers bass - but it's all by mutual agreement among grown ups. Even our drummist plays a little bass, but not with the band.

 

I'd suggest doubling up, and if they won't go for that I'd be asking why they want you there at all if they're going to start playing that game. It depends how much you like the band and really want to be there as to whether you call their bluff and threaten to walk, and I personally would,don't threaten unless I meant it.

[prowla]

I once saw Todd Rundgren and the whole band swapped instruments for one song.

My inclination in this scenario would be to say I'll play guitar on a song.

[LowB_FTW]

Is there no scope for compromise in this situation?

I realise that there shouldn't be the requirement for such a conversation in a band, but this issue isn't of your making, it's been forced upon you, so the best situation can surely to be attempt a compromise.

If you don't feel comfortable in relinquishing full bass duties (and why should you, really?), and you are not wanting to take over drums or guitar or whatever other instruments are already played in the band, suggest a new one?

Tell them you'll play gong throughout the song? Or triangle?

Try and make the suggestion just ridiculous enough to highlight that their suggestion to you is equally daft and offensive.

You may not be one for confrontation, and that's fine, I can understand that if that's the case, but again, this is not a situation of your making, they brought this to you, not the other way around.

 

It doesn't seem as though you are quite prepared to walk away from the band, the posting of this thread says as much to me, but sadly you'll have to deal with the situation one way or another.

 

Mark

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

2 hours ago, Woodinblack said:

Just listened again, you would need a split to get the sounds but there is nothing hard there in the intro, I could do it and I am not great. The keyboard player in my band could do it better. I mean, I wouldn't, I would have the bass player playing the bass, but it could be done without too much difficulty. 

I gets a bit trickier in the chorus and i notice that live Madonna had bass, guitar, and two keyboards.

 

We'll have to agree to disagree then.

To my ears, there are two distinct keyboard parts that yes, are playable by one person.

Quite how you play the bass line on a keyboard as well as playing those two parts at the same time is beyond me, and I started my musical life as a keyboard player.

 

NB. We don't use any backing or samples of any kind.

[GuyR]

6 hours ago, Boodang said:

… so much easier than trying to find a one armed keys player! 

Any keys player can be “remodeled” if they stray too far left.

[Dad3353]

38 minutes ago, hiram.k.hackenbacker said:

...Quite how you play the bass line on a keyboard as well as playing those two parts at the same time is beyond me,...

 

It could be done with church organ-type bass pedals, and a virtuoso organist would have little difficulty with the riff itself. I doubt, however, from the description, that the lady in question is such a player. 

[Woodinblack]

1 hour ago, hiram.k.hackenbacker said:

We'll have to agree to disagree then.

To my ears, there are two distinct keyboard parts that yes, are playable by one person.

 

 

I am assuming that in a regular group the melody line that starts after the first intro is played by the guitar.

[Dad3353]

19 minutes ago, Woodinblack said:

I am assuming that in a regular group the melody line that starts after the first intro is played by the guitar.

 

To me, there's already a guitar doing the rhythmic 'chunking' in the background.