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

[solo4652]

Folks - thank you all for your thoughts and suggestions. The basic issue here is that the keys player just isn't good enough to be in the band. She's there because she's the BL's wife. She spends most of her time shaking a tambourine. Recently, she decided she wanted to do BV's. She managed an occasional "ooh" here and ther, but that was it. She's a nice enough person, and she tries hard to play the keys, but she doesn't have the talent. I've had enough. I handed in my notice yesterday. I'll honour the next gig which is 8 days from now. The one after that is 3rd of August and I'm being asked to honour that one too. I don't feel I want to - that's 5 weeks away and, in my mind, that's enough time for the band to make alternative arrangements. 

[LowB_FTW]

Good on you for standing up for yourself.

Sorry it came to the point you had to leave the band, but if you told them why you were handing in your notice, and they didn't reverse their decision to have the keys player doing basslines (synth or otherwise), then it looks like you made the best decision.

 

Mark

[Mickeyboro]

They will come crawling back!

 

I had a similar situation re BL wife calling the shots and drew my line in the sand. Bad feeling was never far from the surface but they needed me.

 

 

[TimR]

I am also suffering the keys players left hand problem.

 

It's just a musical maturity thing. I've had to talk to keys players before and explain why it doesn't work and the way I've done it is to say that we would need lots of extra practice to make sure we are exactly together otherwise it'll sound a mess. In the same way as backing vocals need extra practice. These things don't just happen. Make it a two way problem rather than suggesting the keys can't play what you're playing and that's their problem.

 

I did have the same problem in a two guitar band where I had to diplomatically tell the guitarists to play different parts as it sounded a mess. They had more fun working out what to play instead and it sounded 100% better. 

[uk_lefty]

1 hour ago, solo4652 said:

that's 5 weeks away and, in my mind, that's enough time for the band to make alternative arrangements. 

Ample time for Mrs Keyboards to learn all the bass parts, surely.

 

Sounds to me like you've done the right thing.

[Guest]

19 minutes ago, uk_lefty said:

Ample time for Mrs Keyboards to learn all the bass parts....

 

And for a real Keyboarder to be found to replace L̶o̶l̶ T̶o̶l̶h̶u̶r̶s̶t̶ Mrs BL

[Woodinblack]

probably for the best, didn't sound like it was going to get much better and there were going to be more of these events.

did you mention the reason?

 

I suspect it will be trickier to get someone in in 5 weeks but that isn't really your problem, maybe she can do the bass for those too?

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

9 hours 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.

No, as @Dad3353 suggested, the guitar isn’t doing that.

I’m sure I have a video of us performing it somewhere.

[12stringbassist]

Well, she's got the bass job now. If she suck, the band will suck.
I was going to suggest that you took a flask on stage and pointedly stood and drank a cup of coffee while they played the Madonna song.
Best wishes in your next venture. You know what to avoid now.

Edited June 23 by 12stringbassist

[diskwave]

Nope. Nip in the bud immediately and do it in a way that shows you have supreme confidence in your position in the band.. Yes its a test but they've dropped the ball now it needs to be deflated. If they get ruffled over this then their unprofessional attitude was going to show itself anyhow at some other point in the future... best to get it out of the way asap. Your the bassist, end of.

[Guest]

I'd be keeping in close contact with the singer and guitarist.....

[tauzero]

18 hours ago, GuyR said:

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

 

Handcuffs provide a simple solution to keep the left hand close to the right.

[tauzero]

12 hours ago, solo4652 said:

She's there because she's the BL's wife. She spends most of her time shaking a tambourine. Recently, she decided she wanted to do BV's. She managed an occasional "ooh" here and ther, but that was it.

 

She sounds like Linda McCartney crossed with Yoko Ono.

[mcnach]

11 hours ago, TimR said:

I am also suffering the keys players left hand problem.

 

It's just a musical maturity thing. I've had to talk to keys players before and explain why it doesn't work and the way I've done it is to say that we would need lots of extra practice to make sure we are exactly together otherwise it'll sound a mess. In the same way as backing vocals need extra practice. These things don't just happen. Make it a two way problem rather than suggesting the keys can't play what you're playing and that's their problem.

 

I did have the same problem in a two guitar band where I had to diplomatically tell the guitarists to play different parts as it sounded a mess. They had more fun working out what to play instead and it sounded 100% better. 

 

Excellent post 👏