General Music Chat

I went to play with a band up near Flint (as seen in EVERY Michael Moore film). I sucked.

A byzantine maze of roads to the middle of nowhere left me 45 minutes late.

I had to hurry setting up cuz the drummer had to work early tomorrow.

They were supposed to be tuned a step down. But, I had to detune MORE cuz apparrently the guitarist expected me to tune to HER (off-key) and not the TUNER.

I was already nervous, had taken a caffeine pill and a 5 hour energy drink shot. I f**k up EVERY song.

They said I was the best bassist they'd seen so far. My reply was, "they were THAT terrible?"

Thats what makes us better musicians Bro. the hardships! Remember MY favorite saying! In every Negetive there is always a poisitive. You are a very intelligent guy Music is NO DIFFERENT than SCIENCE!

All auditions and interviews suck. The most important points for success:

1) Show up

2) Don't be late

3) Be poilte and friendly

4) Let the interviewer do most of the talking

5) Only interview for positions that you have a real chance of getting

You no tune? I no play!

Ditto, all three replies ^^^^^^^^^^

You no tune? I no play!

Definetly this. The first thing that a pro does before playing is to make sure that he/she is tuned properly to the rest of the band. Heck...every drummer that I work with also tunes his drums to the guitars.


Worked with a guy last night that did just that. My Ibanez 7 is tuned to "A" standard, so he took the time to tune his whole kit to that tuning. Had him playing so hard and fast that he got sick for a minute, but came back in ready to go. This dude is a keeper.

I'd like a tutorial on the whole " drum tuning thing ". From a guitarist stand point. That looks like a freaking nightmare.

I'd like a tutorial on the whole " drum tuning thing ". From a guitarist stand point. That looks like a freaking nightmare.

I think that's best covered by a drummer.
Although I've been surprised at how many drummers don't bother or don't know how to

5) Only interview for positions that you have a real chance of getting

What would be a situation where you wouldn't have a "real" chance? Last year, I made Cisco go and audition for P. Diddy's Making the Band clusterfuck. I don't like the show and we both knew Cisco was too old. He was flashy looking, he got pulled out of line early. He also met some really cool people standing in line. We met a bass player who we are looking to do some gigs with once she gets her band going, and a singer who wound up being paying clients. You never know who you're going to meet, so look at it like advertising.

Otherwise, I agree with everyone here about tuning. I will be the first one to tell you that my ear sucks - I can pick a key and stay in it - but that's about it, that's why I have Cisco who is adamant when it comes to having his guitar in tune. We'll be at a gig and he'll go, he's out of tune.

Funny story, my youngest daughter has been learning the guitar. He restrung it and tuned it up for her. She gets it and reworks all the knobs. He got tweaked and said "why'd you do that after I tuned it for you?" She goes: "it didn't sound right so I fixed it." I told him one battle at a time.

Chaeya

I'd like a tutorial on the whole " drum tuning thing ". From a guitarist stand point. That looks like a freaking nightmare.

I think that's best covered by a drummer.
Although I've been surprised at how many drummers don't bother or don't know how to

Agreed. All I can tell you is that they start with the biggest floor tom (sometimes there's 2 in metal), then tune that to the lowest string of the guitar. After that, Jake went to the other toms, in order, and tuned them to my corresponding strings. The kick and the snare he did by using the tones from different toms. Then he added a crap load of brass to the mix as well. From 7 inch splash, to 20 something inch crash, and everything in between. Even a cool cow-bell and a wood block. Quite interesting to say the least.

What would be a situation where you wouldn't have a "real" chance?

Living too far away from the band, working an afternoon or night shift, being under or overqualified, not having experience or interest in the band's genre, being too young or too old, etc.

Funny story, my youngest daughter has been learning the guitar. He restrung it and tuned it up for her. She gets it and reworks all the knobs. He got tweaked and said "why'd you do that after I tuned it for you?" She goes: "it didn't sound right so I fixed it." I told him one battle at a time.

Chaeya

Maybe she was going for an alternate tuning sound.

What happened to you was a blessing....

Would you really want to play in a band where they didn't use tuners????

And so arrogant as to think they didn't need them???

Hey I did a GIG the other night where everybody was out of tune. I don't like any get together with people where ANYBODY is out of tune. It's not professional. Amateurs don't give a sh*t. Are you an amateur? Do you like to drink and get high when playing music? If so then what difference does it make if you're out of tune...

Hey I did a GIG the other night where everybody was out of tune. I don't like any get together with people where ANYBODY is out of tune. It's not professional. Amateurs don't give a sh*t. Are you an amateur? Do you like to drink and get high when playing music? If so then what difference does it make if you're out of tune...

I like atonal music when it's done on purpose...or is just funny. I'm not too jazzed about so many bands demanding crazy tunings out of the blue, expecting me to re-tune everything to THEM instead of a tuner.

Am I an amateur? I dunno. A former rock star told me that "if you get paid for it, you're a professional." Maybe I'm a "professional amateur." But, I DO give a sh*t. It's just not worth blowing a gasket for every little thing, though.

I NEVER get high or drunk when I play. That is a disqualification for anyone to play with me...unless they are really REALLY good even after getting tore up. But, they'd better be Jimi f**k Hendrix or John Bonham reincarnated.