Basska Posted March 10, 2010 Share Posted March 10, 2010 (edited) I had no idea where to put this video so please say if you think it doesn't fit here! Basically, the drummer, guitarist and myself think that our brass section is bringing us down at our gigs and our practices This is a recent example: We did a acoustic show at the weekend in Brixton and we feel that the brass played badly timing wise, had some hints of good and when they felt it was necessary to play, they played, instead of sticking to planned routine. [url="http://s30.photobucket.com/albums/c331/hostile_hostiles/?action=view¤t=MOV00140.flv"][/url] That's our sax player going 'wooh' out of time and you might hear our trombone players sudden urge to fill a gap haha We were trying to keep the horns to a minimum as they overpowered us at points and it was a 100% non-amplified All tho we have told the brass players time and time again that they need to practice (everyone else puts in at least an hour) they still don't (or they haven't shown it so far) and we have a wedding with a full set of covers to play soon... What will it take to make them see? We don't want to kick them out but man, sometimes... Chris P.s (I couldn't get the video to rotate and I'm sorry if the swearing offends you, it's not everybody's style) Edited March 10, 2010 by Basska Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
josh3184 Posted March 10, 2010 Share Posted March 10, 2010 Whoever is on the trumpet (I assume?) at about 1.35 sounded awful. Didn't think the sax was that bad (though obviously not perfect). The rest of the band, or at least the parts I could hear, sounded great though! I'd agree with your diagnoses that the brass is letting down the band. The aformentioned bit at 1.35 really stuck in my head and marred what is, to my ears, a good song. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basska Posted March 10, 2010 Author Share Posted March 10, 2010 (edited) [quote name='josh3184' post='769966' date='Mar 10 2010, 01:44 AM']Whoever is on the trumpet (I assume?) at about 1.35 sounded awful. Didn't think the sax was that bad (though obviously not perfect). The rest of the band, or at least the parts I could hear, sounded great though! I'd agree with your diagnoses that the brass is letting down the band. The aformentioned bit at 1.35 really stuck in my head and marred what is, to my ears, a good song.[/quote] Haha, nahh it was Trombone. But it came to my mind earlier that he is starting to take a Trumpeters approach to playing (which isn't good) Cheers for that dude If they'd just practice man, it would make me jump for joy. It was meant to be just sax and my brother on guitar and backing and myself playing bass and on lead. My trombone player is admittedly very vain (N) Chris Edited March 10, 2010 by Basska Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
throwoff Posted March 17, 2010 Share Posted March 17, 2010 Brass players are a funny old breed. We had one in my ska band a trumpet player. He had never heard Ska till he joined us all Jazz and stuff. Which kinda worked for the best, I think because he was learning a brand new style he practiced a lot and it came together. I dont know what to suggest, make childish jokes about valve lubricant and playing with their horn, im not sure it will help but it will make you feel better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted March 17, 2010 Share Posted March 17, 2010 Tricky dat. To be fair, we're hearing the brass out of context, sitting right on top of everything else, so it's going to draw attention to the flaws... ..of which there's a few. The sax gets away with it.. the trombone player doesn't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGit Posted March 23, 2010 Share Posted March 23, 2010 Sounded Like they don't have parts. Are you expecting them to just play the right thing in the right places without a plan? That's tough for hornies to do. Unlike guitarists and bass players Horn players usually learn to play in ensembles where someone tells them exactly what to play. Sounds like your people need to sit down and work out the notes, runs and harmonies to do, in that song at least. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatback Posted March 23, 2010 Share Posted March 23, 2010 [quote name='OldGit' post='783424' date='Mar 23 2010, 01:49 PM']Sounded Like they don't have parts. Are you expecting them to just play the right thing in the right places without a plan? That's tough for hornies to do. Unlike guitarists and bass players Horn players usually learn to play in ensembles where someone tells them exactly what to play. Sounds like your people need to sit down and work out the notes, runs and harmonies to do, in that song at least.[/quote] +1000 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basska Posted March 25, 2010 Author Share Posted March 25, 2010 [quote name='OldGit' post='783424' date='Mar 23 2010, 01:49 PM']Sounded Like they don't have parts. Are you expecting them to just play the right thing in the right places without a plan? That's tough for hornies to do. Unlike guitarists and bass players Horn players usually learn to play in ensembles where someone tells them exactly what to play. Sounds like your people need to sit down and work out the notes, runs and harmonies to do, in that song at least.[/quote] They had parts and a plan which we rehearsed several times and even just before the show which is why we're annoyed at them! My brother the guitarist and myself write all the songs and the horn parts which we teach them and tell them to play and practice with them. So really they don't have any excuses. The only band both of the players have ever been in is ours. I think it's a personal issue. Mr Trombone player has been with us since the start so nearly a decade and his problem is that he's just lazy and doesn't practice, which conflicts with his vain persona. He's always up for playing but he doesn't practice on his own? He should be at home doing scales and stuff but admittedly he doesn't. The saxophonist (I'm going to try and be nice here because in fact, I despise her but we try to keep the band a democracy and it's a 2/2 vote so theres nothing I can do and I don't want to moan too much) is too big for her boots playing and as a band member! She's only been in the band for little over a year and she too doesn't practice, does unrehearsed stuff a little too often and generally doesn't know her place. Singing and speaking into the mic when she's not meant to and silly things like that. We've sat both of them down and explained the situation giving them the chance to improve on their attitudes. But I still fear for the worse. In the end, it's really going to come to the point where it's going to be 'you didn't get better, so you have to get out'. Which is sad (in the trombone players case) because he's an old friend (find me a male saxophone player that's good and the girl is out without a second thought on my part). They've had their warnings. We are in the running to tour with some of the biggest bands in our genre in the world! I'll reveal those details when the time is right My point being tho, I don't want to go on that stage fearing for my life that the horns are going to ruin everything. I have my own playing and singing to worry about. A bad horn section is just as noticeable as bad singing and I'm just sick of it! I say this all not implying that I am perfect all of the time, but knowing that I practice and take the time out because I don't want to suck, and knowing that they don't practice and can and do suck 85% of the time. As a section they actually make me question how much longer I want to be/am willing to be in the band and in my opinion NOTHING accept maybe taking time out for a child or illness (something on that grand of a scale) should get in the way of doing what I love. Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGit Posted March 26, 2010 Share Posted March 26, 2010 Ah .. Well, that's different ... That's not a playing problem that's a "on the verge of something big so it's time to shed the wasters" situation. Dump them both. You've given them good reason and chance to sort it out and they haven't. You've used up the nice options. I'll do your festivals. When can I audition for the sax job? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGit Posted March 26, 2010 Share Posted March 26, 2010 PS your myspace link from your sig doesn't work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basska Posted March 26, 2010 Author Share Posted March 26, 2010 Yeah! It's gunna be tough, but if it comes down to it... Let's just hope it doesn't! hahahaha You live a bit far away sorry! We try to keep to a 40 mile radius haha. But I'll keep you in mind for future I actually knew about the sig thing already, but I thought i'd taken it out because I have no idea how to fix it, oops! Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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