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Bassist Wanted Ad on JMB - shows the mentality of some people


Sean
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By "jobbing musician" at this level, I meant the person who will join a regularly gigging band just for experience and the (very) occasional few quid - people who are playing with a band "until the right one comes along".

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[quote name='Beedster' timestamp='1424538537' post='2697487']
Spot on



Your experience is different to mine, I've played with a few who are exactly the opposite.



Exactly.

[b]And seriously, spelling errors, you guys got nothing better to do on a Saturday afternoon than spellcheck a band add for a bunch of kids?[/b]
[/quote]

To be honest, no. It's been a bloody miserable day and I've not been able to go anywhere because a child puked up in my car yesterday and I'm waiting for the smell to disperse and the upholstery to dry out. Picking holes in ads is about as fun as it gets on a Saturday afternoon...

... :)

Edited by Marvin
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[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1424534602' post='2697415']
...the bands listed have simple bass lines a regular guitarist or newbie bass player could handle, you dont need to be Marcus Miller to apply is what they are saying, of course that might touch a nerve with some 'less able' bassists?
[/quote]

Simple bass lines are often the most difficult to get right and not only played by 'less able' bass players. There is the matter of timing, groove and feel. And IME you have to be pretty good to get maximum groove and feel into a simple bass line. As any fule kno. :)

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[quote name='Beedster' timestamp='1424538537' post='2697487']
Spot on



Your experience is different to mine, I've played with a few who are exactly the opposite.



Exactly.

And seriously, spelling errors, you guys got nothing better to do on a Saturday afternoon than spellcheck a band add for a bunch of kids?
[/quote]

This...

Since when did you need good grammar to be in a band ???

Leave those kids alone.

Edited by BILL POSTERS
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[quote name='Beedster' timestamp='1424538537' post='2697487']
And seriously, spelling errors, you guys got nothing better to do on a Saturday afternoon than spellcheck a band add for a bunch of kids?
[/quote]

Seriously, you got nothing better to do on a Saturday afternoon than pass comment on people who post about the poor grammar of a bunch of kids who can't even be bothered to construct a half-decent band member advertisement? ;-)

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[quote name='skej21' timestamp='1424544501' post='2697606']


Seriously, you got nothing better to do on a Saturday afternoon than pass comment on people who post about the poor grammar of a bunch of kids who can't even be bothered to construct a half-decent band member advertisement? ;-)
[/quote]
Having been trawling around Gumtree for a project that takes my fancy, I can assure you that this ad is better than most of the ones that I've seen.

If the grammar of your band mates bothers, don't apply. If being seen to be associated with a band that might accept someone who has played guitar twice as long as bass rankles, don't apply. If the bands mentioned baffle or irritate, don't apply.

I genuinely can't see why this ad would be singled out for derision. Is any one really upset that a band might even consider someone that has greater experience or ability on another instrument?

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Depending on what role the bass is to take in the band, I think what they`re trying to put across is another type of musician could probably handle it, such as guitarist, keys, drummer maybe, rather than someone who has never played a note. If doing Oasis type material it wouldn`t take too long to be competent enough, though I think Blur may take a bit longer.

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[quote name='Musky' timestamp='1424546749' post='2697634']
...

I genuinely can't see why this ad would be singled out for derision. Is any one really upset that a band might even consider someone that has greater experience or ability on another instrument?
[/quote]

There are a few points.

First there is a serious lack of good bass players about. I played a jam night on boxing evening. I was up all night. The only bass player there amongst maybe 20-25 guitarists and 4 drummers.

Second, bass is seen as a simple, easy instrument. That may be why my first point happens.

Third, when a guitarist plays a bass in most cases it's very evident as all groove goes out the window. (Generally)

Fourth, when a guitarist learns bass properly they always, without fail, remark on how they didn't realise how difficult it is.

So the ad just reinforces the stereotype and belittles those of us who have spent years working on our 'simple' instruments. Fair enough if it's tongue in cheek, I don't mind a bit of Micky taking. But these guys are serious.

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[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1424550129' post='2697673']
So the ad just reinforces the stereotype and belittles those of us who have spent years working on our 'simple' instruments. Fair enough if it's tongue in cheek, I don't mind a bit of Micky taking. But these guys are serious.
[/quote]

Shouldn't really be bothered about it after all this time and it really is first-world stuff and all, but you're right.

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Maybe I’m missing something here, but I don’t see the wording of the advert as a slight on bassists or what they do – it seems to be saying (to me, anyway) that a love of that style of music and a commitment to improve is more important than technical competency. And I agree wholeheartedly. I joined my first band because the guitar/vocalist and drummer were great guys to be with and I really loved the material. I sucked big time at our first rehearsal, but because they could see how much I wanted to be in the band and how committed I would be, they asked me to join. I worked my nuts off for months, learning the songs, practicing, improving. It was hard, frustrating work and I lost count of how many times my Hondo Ric copy went flying across the bedroom (onto the bed – I wasn’t stupid!) in a hail of obscenities. But I persevered. And I turned into a reasonable bassist.

To me, the ad says “You don’t need to be Geddy Lee to join our band as long as you love the music we play and work hard at it”. Take, for example, Tina Weymouth of Talking Heads. A complete novice when she joined the band (convinced by boyfriend/drummer Chris Frantz she could do it), she turned into a superb, innovative bassist. How good were you when you joined your first band?

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Mark King played bass because Level 42 already had a drummer.

Paul McCartney was a guitar player, he reluctantly took up bass when Stuart Sutcliffe left.

This is maybe a bunch of kids looking to form a band, that's great, it should be applauded, not ridiculed.

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[quote name='ambient' timestamp='1424552971' post='2697712']
Mark King played bass because Level 42 already had a drummer.

Paul McCartney was a guitar player, he reluctantly took up bass when Stuart Sutcliffe left.

This is maybe a bunch of kids looking to form a band, that's great, it should be applauded, not ridiculed.
[/quote]

Yep, if I recall correctly both JJ Burnell and Bruce Foxton were both guitarists, and Duff McKagan was a drummer and guitarist. All three are not exactly shoddy on the bass, and their initial recordings were all rather good to say the least. No reason why someone who plays another instrument can`t "have a go" they may well find out they have a real aptitude.

Sometimes works in sport too - Thierry Henry was a winger when Arsenal bought him, but Arsene Wenger thought he had the potential to be a striker, and boy was he right.

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[quote name='ambient' timestamp='1424552971' post='2697712']


This is maybe a bunch of kids looking to form a band, that's great, it should be applauded, not ridiculed.
[/quote]

Well said.
When a novice asks on here about how to improve the usual answer is to join a band, and rightly so. Yet here's a band looking for that sort of person and most members are knocking them.
I learnt to play as part of a band with mates when I was young and we ended up gigging for ten years. Another fifteen years on and I now play doublebass in one band and electric bass in another, both bands gig regularly.
If it gets them into playing live music, whether that be gigging or just playing in their garage then all well and good, if it doesn't then no harm done.
As for the grammar, are we really that shallow as to say that someone shouldn't get a band together if their grammar isn't spot on? I'm sure we all understood the advert anyway.
I thought the Basschat community was better than this.

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playing devils advocate, maybe these guys have been looking for months, and would rather have someone play bass to allow them to create their music, rather than looking for a bass player.
ive been in situations where ive taken bass players who can play guitar just to get music out there, and in fairness, i would rather have a guitarist who is totally into what im playing play bass than a bass player who is doing just because...

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WTF? This forum used to have hardly [i]any [/i]reasonable, forward-thinking, compassionate and caring members on it. I remember when the mob could gang up and relentlessly bully someone with impunity and no-one would bat an eyelid! What the hell has happened? The place is rapidly going downhill! :D

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