Interesting Rehearsal Tonight.

[Prime_BASS]

For a while my first and main band has been in a state of disarray.

We (vocalist, myself and drummer) have all been concerned with the guitarist effort (or lack) we thought it was just a tempory thing since becoming madly in love with his latest partner, but he has even admitted to me he isnt really interested in the music we make anymore. Which is obvious in his atitude at rehearsals and his body language while playing. He barely remembers to bring picks, and we forever have to listen to his endless niggles.

Anyway, he has been ill recently and we thought instead of cancelling another rehearsal that we would make an effort to at least write a few tunes that I and the vocalist had been working on privatly.

We soon went over some other material and singer got the spare guitar out, I set him up with a sound (I prefer a guitarist to have haha) and we gave it a shot. Despite his sloppy playing and singing it went rather well, I was pleased with the guitar not being there in the mix all the time giving some tunes more downtime and space for the singing, and a lot less high pitched endless noise that gets annoying in some songs that the guitarist wants to do becuase "chords are boring".

Myself or any of the other guys would rather not loose the guy as he is a very talented player, but we cant make him want to play and write songs and bring all his gear so it helps form a definate clean/dirty sound.

The guys have even discussed getting a second guitarist to generate competion for him so he would be more interested but dispite having 2 guitars being a nig no no for me, it would proabbaly have the opposite effect.


Was I just happy to hear our songs live again after not hearing them a for a few weeks? or is a 3 piece and a lot less playing (from all parties) an improvement? A 3 piece to me as a bassist sounds great, more room for bass!!! I've also seen some truely great local 3 piece bands recently that I personally would aspire to, and have been a good eye opener for great bass playing in a simple but interesting format.

Obviously hard to judge without hearing it all. There is link to our first real recording on our bandpage in the sig (shameless plug). If we were to go down the 3 piece route there would be probably very little if any guitar during verses unless it was a basic 4 chord progression.

[Doctor J]

Guitarist has to go, first. Been in this position in my last band, when you've got a guy who just isn't learning the songs or bothering his hole it just sucks the fun out of it. No matter how talented he might be, if he's not making and effort, he's not worth the trouble.

Second, are you guys covers or originals? If originals I'd say stick to the three piece and use the singer's idiosyncracies on guitar as part of your sound. You do the rest. If covers, you've got to make an effort to replicate the original so if he can't play and sing at the same time to to a sufficient standard you're looking at another guitarist.

[discreet]

I don't get it... if he isn't interested, why does he turn up at all?

[Nibody]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1321661304' post='1441859']
I don't get it... if he isn't interested, why does he turn up at all?
[/quote]

Probably in a subconcious way to get away from the Partner for an evening. Been there myself.

[paul torch]

We had a similar situation for a while, we were going to have to say something but fortunately the chap did the decent thing and fell on his sword. I love 3 piece set-ups, there is a clear definition between all the sound sources.

[allighatt0r]

I think it's clear you're not happy in the situation as it is, and a change is needed. It's obvious you can make something work with the singer playing guitar, and he will only improve with time if he continues to sing and play. You can always find another guitarist if you feel you need it in future.

[Prime_BASS]

Well I made an effort to talk to him nefore he became ill and he just says its a chance for him to get out for a bit. Although he admits it is fun playing with us, he isn't interested in going furthar or really having a part in writing songs. His is very much more than happy playing his acoustic and didgerydoo alone in his bedroom.

We verry much focus on originals. I have to tell you the lack of guitar was like playing bass after you've recorvered froma cold. I use a very middy sound and a hard attack so in a lot of places the guitar is there because as we all know, guitarist just want to make a noise.

As far as covers go we do a strange redndition of bonker-dizee rascal and the singer played and song it quite well. I was very surprised.

The trouble with dumping him is that he is very close friend so we all would rather not have the awkwardness after.

I'm a hard git so it doesn't me so much but the singer even though he likes the idea of a three piece having a lead guitarist can add something.

Having just chord based guitar is easyier for me to write sonhs for as well, as songs are usually based on a riff for verses and chord work for chorus.

I'm a try record some of our older songs and re-arrange them to work better with less guitar and see how the other two feel about them.

We've got gigs that we've booked to think of too.

So frustrating.