Playing in a band with a bassist that converted to another instrument...

[Crescent Seven]

I've had a few responses from guys that used to play bass, but now they play guitar. Has anyone besides me lived this nightmare before?

In my last band, our guitar player was also a bass player (thought pretty highly of himself, too), and he would get frustrated when I played a bass line differently than he would have played it. Is this common, or should I put myself in that situation again?

C7

[Verlian]

Everyone is different. Give it a shot if you want to. Maybe the person will like the way you play.

[SpaceGhost]

 

...he would get frustrated when I played a bass line differently than he would have played it.

 

I've experienced the same. Very lame.

[Gruntollio Bass]

I guess it comes down to how the other fella delivers the feedback. I think it's great to get constructive feedback that will help you grow as a player, but if they are just jumping on you because it's different then I wouldn't want to be part of it.

At the end of the day......YOU are the bassplayer of the group and you're the one playing the bass lines. If they are playing other instruments now......thats their problem.

[slapthefunkyfour]

I'll bet DRF has something to say about this. Damn keyboardists.

[collinwho]

my band does one song where the guitarist/lead singer and I switch. I make a point to not offer advice on how to play it unless he asks, because I understand the concept of individual style as it applies to music. I don't think guitarists do though . . .

[willsellout]

Just let it be known, which I'm sure you won't have any problem doing, that you are the bassplayer and he needs to STFU.

 

 

Dan

[Optimus Prime]

Apparently this is very common in metal bands. I know like 5 guitar players who have switched to bass in their "metal" bands. They can do it because all they have to do is play an open B as fast as they can and look "brutal" while doing so.

[max maroon]

...I think it depends on the person too, I played guitar in a couple of bands and I never told anybody what or how to play, unless it was a song that I had written and recorded previously I might ask to have them keep a certain part but I always wanted them to come up with somethang of their own too cause you never know if you might like it better.

[D Aussie]

Apparently this is very common in metal...because all they have to do is play an open B as fast as they can and look "brutal" while doing so.

He he.. I reckon so.

 

All three of us in my band are bass players, which was kinda a problem in the beginning.

I was playing bass and singing but couldnt find a geetar player to play the way I had in my head, so I had to learn geetar, so I guess I can kinda relate.

We all swap instruments during the show, and everyone gets a turn on bass.

We do all offer suggestions to each other, but we hooked up as a band of mates first, and then sorted out instruments and music later.

[Thrashterpiece]

In my last band the singer was a multi-instrumentalist. Every so often he would ask me to change things up here or there but the cool thing was A: He was always respectful about it and suggested it, not demanded it and B: He could always show me what he had in mind rather then just saying what I did sucked and to do it this way, he would actually play it. Made things easier.

 

But yeah Ive dealt with guys before that try to tell you what to play, how to play it, and even how to set my tone. That bugs me to no end.

[Jugghaid]

I think there's a difference between a couple of scenarios.

 

If I write 90% of a song, I obviously want creative input from the other band members. But I'm not bashful about telling one of the other players "Here's kinda what I had in my head when I wrote this..." and go from there.

 

But that's a lot different from saying "Play it this way".