Am I in a band, or am I giving free guitar lessons?

[flip333]

My last band grew to 5 people. guitar, bass, drums, and two singers, a girl and a guy..

 

The girl and guy are better singers than me. They each have acoustic guitars.

 

They each pushed heavy for a pure country band. I knew this was not for me. The guy singer replaced a previous rhythm guitar player/singer.

 

We did well for a year. The girl played a little guitar (G, C, D + a few). The new guy was the same.

 

The bass player gave the girl an old {censored}ty fender copy and a Peavey 8" amp to play out of (for gigs!).

 

So, here we go, night after night: "How do you do a Bm again?"

"I can't do that, my fingers aren't strong enough, could you show me that cheater 3 string chord again?.

 

I began to look for others to jam with. I found some guys and have a nice band now. The pure country thing was not for me anyway. I show the new guys some things, but then again they show me things I don't know.

 

Best of luck to the old band. I am not going to give free guitar lessons and call it band practice.

[ratthedd]

Sounds like you're better off now. The thing that stick out for me from your story is that obviously the others are not practicing the material at home. they're using BAND practice as their PERSONAL practice and wasting everybody else's time.

[jahozer]

you are definately better off. I don't mind being a little more knowlegable or even a little less, but its a drag having to show simple chords to people. Most times its their own refusal to learn it. I played with a guy a little while ago who constatantly would give me a quiscial look when I said a chord was a seventh. nothing more than that. not a maj 7 or dim or anything, just a 7th. I would show him each week and each week he would just look at me. The weird thing was, that he could play fairly well on some things and had incredible gear. I like to share knowledge, but yeah, in my band I really don't want to have to give beginner lessons.

[Timezarrow]

Guitar lessons and/or learning how to play should come before joining a band, unless it's a band of all learners just fooling around. If people don't know basic chords, it's guitar school, not a band. If you want to teach that's fine, but gigs?

 

[flip333]

Hey guys:

 

This was one of those situations where you know its time to move on, and then after you make that decision, reasons appear to justify your plans.

 

When I left, I knew I must leave with a positive attitude. Then when the new band forms, I won't have any baggage to deal with.

 

Ratthead, its true that each member must practice on their own. These people each had multiple problems to deal with apart from the band.... and they were each trying to do their best under their circumstances.

 

The bass player in that band could not communicate with me about 7ths or any other number designation....but he would learn the songs anyway, and he did a good job. But he practiced on his own time...nevertheless, our sharing and creative potential was always low.

 

My new colleagues know what I mean when I say: move up to the 4, then back to the one. Or: Try Em7 C D then Am C9

 

Communication is comfortable now.

 

Oh yea, and I'm not saying I would never give free guitar lessons to certain people with high potential. Like you said Jahozer, its OK to share knowledge.

 

I do not want to be negative. Thanks for listening so I can shed this resentment! Hell, they might read this.