Re: Bass players?

Pt <peatea@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

I have been playing in bands for decades and the most unreliable
members of bands has been bass players.

I've been playing in bands for decades.

I can't recall ever missing a rehearsal without good reason, I don't
believe I've ever not shown up at a gig, and I've played gigs when I
really shouldn't have been out of bed (post surgery) let alone playing.

What I have noticed is that all attempts to stereotype musicians into
personality types based on their instruments fail fairly miserably.
There certainly are musicians who are notoriously unreliable, but they
seem to play a variety of instruments. There are musicians who are
always well prepared, turn up early, go home last after playing
flawlessly, again they are not grouped in any way by instrument.

None of these stereotypes really stand up to scrutiny. There are lead
guitarists who have so much ego it sometimes oozes out onto the floor,
and others who are totally humble and focussed on the job.

Take the current band, two guitarists, both playing lead or rhythm
depending on the tune. One of them wasn't at rehearsal and we wanted to
go through one of the tunes he plays a lead break on. The other
guitarists said "I'd rather not, I haven't learned that solo", but we
went ahead anyway. When it came to the solo he played an almost flawless
solo.

One of the singers owns the PA and his own mic and stands, drives the
van, always turns up first and leave last, often giving other people
lifts if needed.

One observation I would make is that you seem to have problems with all
manner of musicians in your bands. This month it seems to be bass
players.

How come?

--- Derek


--
Derek Tearne - derek@xxxxxxxxx
Vitamin S: improvisation from New Zealand http://www.vitamin-s.co.nz/
d'Groove: 12 piece party/covers band http://www.dGroove.co.nz/
.

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