General Music Chat

As a bassist myself who can hold his own.
I am wondering about others experiences with bad/lazy/worthless bassist.
I guess this same line can be applied across the instruments, but it seems bassist get the worst judgements.

"Lazy"
"Doesnt do as much as everyone else"
"Doesnt contribute"

Ive heard all of these lines.
And with that backstory, whats your worst experience with a bassist or any other instrumentalist?

I guess I've been lucky, nearly every bass player I've been associated with has been very good. I'm playing bass in a prog rock band right now but I'm a better guitar player than the one they have. So I suppose a lot of bass players might think they're supporting musician(s) that aren't as good as themselves. Or something.

My worst experience was with a guy who thought he knew everything, and he had by far the worst technique I'd ever seen, and he came into the band and tried to take it over.

He had been with another band for two years playing gigs, and he thought he was the sh*t. So his band was breaking up and ours needed a bassist, and we invited him over. Immediately - having never heard the songs before - he's trying to tell us exactly how we should be playing them. Like, "you need to pull back on this verse here, and he needs to boost on that chorus, blah blah blah".

I'm thinking, "Dude, these are covers - and we've all heard them 1,000 times and played them hundreds of times already, and we know how they're supposed to sound. And you haven't heard even a CD of the original artist yet, and you're trying to tell ME how to play the song?"

And on top of that, his technique just sucked. I've never seen anyone fret the bass like he did; it looked like the most f*cked up thing I'd ever seen, and his playing was lousy.

He also didn't do his own homework. He kept asking me to make bass charts for him (lyrics with root notes over the proper words) for EVERY SONG. He didn't know how to use the internet, didn't know what Guitar Pro was and had no idea how to read a tab. Lazy? Yeah. I'd bring the bass charts in and he'd put them up on a stand and stare at the chart the entire time he was playing. He didn't make any effort to memorize the songs and his parts... It was supremely disappointing.

And to top it off, he relentlessly pushed us to play "Sweet Home Alabama", even though we clearly stated we were a modern rock band doing stuff like Foo Fighters, 3 Doors Down, Creed, etc., and that we had NO interest in doing classic rock. So, after weeks of us brushing off "Sweet Home Alabama" and telling him no f-ing way, he decides to try and convince us to play the Kid Rock song that is basically just "Sweet Home Alabama" with different lyrics. And I was like, "Are you f-ing serious dude? Do you think I'm a moron? Do you think I can't hear that it's the SAME DAMN SONG!"

I hate kicking people out of a band, but I was relieved when we got rid of him.

I don't love kicking people out but I've done it enough. The Farleys once had two guitarists, but the other guy kept trying to top my guitar volume, and he wasn't as good a guitarist. So it just brought the overall sound of the band down to his level. If he would have just played at a lower volume we might have kept him.

Then there's our drummer number 2. Substance abuse issues. He would show up for practice relatively straight and do great. But at gigs he would show up trashed, usually forgetting equipment, etc. I have fired a lot of drummers come to think of it.

The other guys always let me do the firing, I guess they must think I'm a prick and better suited.

We got really lucky in the Bass category.
Eric is a seasoned vet who apparently was sick of the BS and just wanted someone to make music with.
We are proud to have him. Other than the overall chemistry, he is our greatest asset.

As a bass player, I think the biggest obstacle to me joining a band is that the vast majority of them that I'd want to be a part of already have a bass player. The rest are pretty darn lame.

I will never again join Yet Another Norcal Classic Rock Band. Come on guys, the seventies were decades ago.

I will never again join Yet Another Norcal Blues Band. Um, *yawn*.

I will never again join a band whose biggest ambition is to play the local dive bar. Seriously.

I know a lot of good bass players who have had much the same experiences. Most of them have just given up being in bands.

I've said it before, it you're really having that much trouble finding a bass player, the problem is most likely your band. I really think bands that are worth my time are much rarer than good bass players.

I guess Ive had to fire my share of folks thru the years.

Years ago I had a pretty good metal band and our singer would just slaughter stuff. I lived with him for a while so it was a tough deal to get rid of him and find a place to live ha ha

Anyway a couple of years later we found out that he did a couple of albums with a band called Annihilator out of Canada and did a European Tour backing up Judas Priest in the band. So I go and buy a Cd hes on and pop it in the player and he sounded exactly like he did with us. They liked that growling stuff kinda like your more modern rock you hear today. This dude was way ahead of his time. Maybe I should have worked with him more.

I guess he still doesnt like me cause I recently found him on facebook and sent a freind request and he wont respond.

I have gotten rid of quite a few folks. In fact 2 years ago I was asked to join a group f guys I know form way back. I got in the group and they wanted me the new guy to fire one of the founding members. So after some coaxing I did it. A week later they told me they didnt need me any more. I thought they wanted me for my chops ha ha

Band are tough because in ways its more emotional that say a job. Someone either does their job or doesnt. In a group when bringing in a new memeber maybe it would be good to write down exactly what you expect from this member and give them a timeline to learn the material, kinda put them on probation til they get up to speed and dont let them have any say so til they prove themselves. I dont know what the answer is.

One of my mentors on guitar from junior high and i have tryed to play together off and on for years. I respect this guy beyond anyone I know musically, in fact on my player he plays the lead on Cyber Outlaw, but whenever we try to get serious he turns back into my teacher and trys to show me how to play. The last time this happened other members stepped in and told him to leave cause they thougth I could handle it way better on my own than with him. But the guy is a briallant player, just cant get in a group without feeling he is the self appointed leader for some reason.

I know Im an ass in ways with other but I alwasy felt like it is a democracy where everyone had input and if one person objects just leave it and move on to something else.

I have to admit, I seek simple bass players.
Gimme a less technically proficient bass player that plays well in a team atmosphere over ANYONE else.

AS IN, I don't need slapping, popping or other strange noises.

I DO look for a melodic bass player that can play.
Pick or fingers, makes no difference to me.

I also avoid bass players than want to be a lead bass player i.e. a "Jean Luc Ponty" type. I once knew a great bass player, but he was so full of himself he couldn't play with others AT ALL. He also didn't feel like he needed to play in KEY. (FAQ THAT NOISE)

I play bass with a pseudo-vampire band as well. I play with a pick and I fill, melodically. I play as part of a team.

If your sound doesn't sound like 1 well-oiled machine, something is wrong.

SUM OF THE PARTS + TEAMWORK = SOMETHING GREATER THAN EXCELLENCE

It sounds like everyone hates letting some one go the most. That or someone who HAS to take control.

We started off with 5 of us in Axis of Arrows, we're just a power trio now. We have auditioned other to replace our old rhythm guitarist (I took over on bass and vocals, just the way i like it) but no one really fits the bill we want. We either get a lead guitarist 2, or someone who just picked up the instrument. Our drummer likes to try and take control, but we just say this isnt a Nicktatorship, and we laugh and move on.

These are all really neat stories to read. Thank for posting guys,
keep 'em coming if ya can.

I also avoid bass players than want to be a lead bass player i.e. a "Jean Luc Ponty" type.

Man you would hate me then.

lol

If you play and it's not meshing together as 1, you'd be right.
Mine is to create GROOVE that HYPNOTIZES.


Now when I play with the scary folks, their goofy emo makeup and dark clothing, they want someone to CARRY THE RHYTHM and THE BEAT.

And when you pay $ for that, well that's what you get. I take orders from anyone signing my check/paying me cash. It doesn't matter what I think at that point. It's all about the PAY4PLAY!

And I forget who said it, but I am stealing their line.
"I play for free, you just pay me to setup and breakdown."

I gotta say that with all my classical training from school band,
if it doesnt match up 100% I cant play it. So I wouldnt call it meshing as much as I would say its bringing out the leads, when I solo.

Although I do enjoy a nice dream theater super technical solo too.


Last night we were working on a song that our guitarist was showing us, and they kept asking questions and conversing but i was staying pretty quiet (you know that thing i dont do on this site) And they became frustrated at me because I wasnt giving input and they asked me what they hell i was doing.

I told them numbers. And they said what the hell does numbers have to do with music (as only our drummer has school knowledge about music) I laughed and gave them the day 1 intro to music theory.

After explaining to them all of the technical things i do to write music and leaving them with their jaw down. I then broke up their processing saying.

A=440. But its also 441,442 and even 438. So nothing is completely absolute in numbers. Pushed them over the top a bit with that one. hahaha

I quit as the front man of a band. When I asked them what thier goals were. they said "We want to be the best darned band in Martinsburg." I knew it was time to leave...

Don't get me wrong. They were a pretty damned good band, but our reasons for playing didn't match up. I wanted more than the occasional weekend gig in the same old town, yet they were happy with that. It seemed like a waste of practice, to me.

I've sorta floundered around in lots of bands since then, & did a whole lot of solo stuff for years, but I won't be bothered getting into bands that don't match what I want & need in music.

Perhaps some of you more learned Bassmen could look into doing what Eric has done ?

I'll bet you could find some guys much like us whom have a great deal of desire and a goal, though not technically proficient as individual players, whom could bring out that simple love of creating music for you again.

An analogy if you will.

You want a long term equally beneficial relationship, you might not want to look into ladies whom have already been married for 30 years.

Many companies don't hire people with long term experience for managers, because they are apt to do things their own way. Instead of learning and adhering to new policy.


Just a though, for what it's worth.

First of all, I love the "hair" JW!

From my experience, it seems like the problem is that the bassist isn't "expected" to do much. I've been to so many rehearsals where the guitarists look at me and say, "All you need to do is play be 'bass' notes, we'll take care of the rest." I ended up staying in the pocket and supporting the songs, but outplaying these fools who don't know what to expect from their bassist.

The bands are riding the guitars/keys for the majority of the musical interest, and therefore the bands have low expectations of bassists. Bass players, in turn, only practice mediocrely, and become mediocre players because that is what they think is expected of them.