The Musical Instrument Thread
- Thread starter Casual Fan
- Start date
Really? Nothing in 10 months? How are any of you going to Be Famous and Get Chicks? Or Get Dudes in Wolf's case?
Hi y'all. Casual Fan keeping it real in the V to the A. I've joined/started another band, this one with actual talented musicians, as well as me. I'm on bass. We're a trio, my bass plus drums and guitar/vocals, so like Rush, without any elves. Just put out a bunch of feelers and already have two gigs in the negotiation phase up in the Shenandoah Valley about an hour or two north of here. "Negotiation" as in they want to pay us in beer, and we want to be paid in beer and a few twenties. Anyway, it's a real band with real music, and when we get more stuff recorded and our Facebook and Soundcloud presences are a little beefed up, I'll share it all here.
I hope all of you are well, and that memebag puts on clean underwear before he risks death on his bike rides.
Hi y'all. Casual Fan keeping it real in the V to the A. I've joined/started another band, this one with actual talented musicians, as well as me. I'm on bass. We're a trio, my bass plus drums and guitar/vocals, so like Rush, without any elves. Just put out a bunch of feelers and already have two gigs in the negotiation phase up in the Shenandoah Valley about an hour or two north of here. "Negotiation" as in they want to pay us in beer, and we want to be paid in beer and a few twenties. Anyway, it's a real band with real music, and when we get more stuff recorded and our Facebook and Soundcloud presences are a little beefed up, I'll share it all here.
I hope all of you are well, and that memebag puts on clean underwear before he risks death on his bike rides.
#skidmarks
CF!
Ya gotta check in more frequently. I don't think anybody else is playing anything these days.
Glad you put together a new band and are looking to play out.
We're still puttering about without much progress. We're hoping to play a party this summer, but I won't subject anyone to hearing a recording of it. It'll be bad enough for the drunken fools that will actually be in the same room trying to ignore us.
I've been swamped lately. If all goes well, It's supposed to settle down next year. Hopefully there will be more time for music.
#Horriblebandname
Wolf
AI is here, time to obey our robot overlords!
So, my latest band broke up because it turns out our lead singer/guitarist/provider of the practice space is a psychopath. Long story short, our drummer got his car stuck in the guitarist's yard after a heavy rain. Next thing I know, the guitarist is demanding money to fix the damage to the grass, and has moved the drummer's entire kit onto the porch. This is in addition to a general temper tantrum/crazy person behavior around the whole incident.
SO, we've moved the drummer's kit into another musician friend of mine's basement, where it's safe, and have started a new band, root-rock/blues/Americana. In this endeavor, I'm singing, playing acoustic and electric guitar, and bass, but not all at once necessarily.
To sum up:
Band 1: Bass player/singer/provider of practice space got dementia, had to move in with family in Ohio.
Band 2: Uber-talented guitarist got job out of town, showed up for gigs and practice stoned and drunk.
Band 3: Lead singer/guitarist/provider of practice space proved to be mentally unstable. Also VERY stoned.
Band 4: The current undertaking. Guys are mentally stable and are "good dudes." Secure practice space. Good talent. We'll see what happens.
So I've had nearly every kind of band drama. Haven't lost a band due to money or women yet, but there's time.
SO, we've moved the drummer's kit into another musician friend of mine's basement, where it's safe, and have started a new band, root-rock/blues/Americana. In this endeavor, I'm singing, playing acoustic and electric guitar, and bass, but not all at once necessarily.
To sum up:
Band 1: Bass player/singer/provider of practice space got dementia, had to move in with family in Ohio.
Band 2: Uber-talented guitarist got job out of town, showed up for gigs and practice stoned and drunk.
Band 3: Lead singer/guitarist/provider of practice space proved to be mentally unstable. Also VERY stoned.
Band 4: The current undertaking. Guys are mentally stable and are "good dudes." Secure practice space. Good talent. We'll see what happens.
So I've had nearly every kind of band drama. Haven't lost a band due to money or women yet, but there's time.
Wolf
AI is here, time to obey our robot overlords!
Bass players house = behind the garage.
Drummers house = anywhere outside the dog goes.
Singers house = Hold it. You should have gone before you came over. What makes you think you can take a leak where he keeps his hair brush and looks at himself in the mirror? Never mind. Just get out. He can't sing under these conditions!!!!
Drummers house = anywhere outside the dog goes.
Singers house = Hold it. You should have gone before you came over. What makes you think you can take a leak where he keeps his hair brush and looks at himself in the mirror? Never mind. Just get out. He can't sing under these conditions!!!!
Did you hear the drummer is homeless? His girlfriend dumped him. And so on, etc., etc.
Not that this was cool, but the drummer did take a piss off the singer's second story deck at one of our first get-togethers. The singer was upset and asked him not to do it again, but on the other hand, the dude lives in the country (thus the parking in his yard and getting stuck) and his closest neighbor behind him who even might have had a chance to see the pissing is a couple hundred yards away.
So the world is his toilet then!
The stars are in alignment.
And do I know my band drama, or what?!?!?!?!
Boom! #HecticTheAllKnowing
I did a really dumb thing. Our community concert band just played a town bicentennial event, which was really nice. During the intermission, I overheard a conversation that has gotten me into a situation.
Some background first. Next Tuesday, the band has their annual fundraiser at one of the Flatbread Company locations. When anyone gets food or drink there, a portion goes to the band. The band isn't performing, but as an incentive to attract customers, our own roving saxophone ensemble (called the Sax Pack) is performing on the outdoor patio of the restaurant. The conversation I overheard involved our 1st clarinet player (and Sax Pack leader) telling another band member that they may have to cancel their upcoming Flatbread gig, because neither of the tenor sax players would be available.
I play clarinet in the community band. I also played tenor sax back in my school days. About 15 or 20 years ago, I sold my valuable Selmer Mark VI tenor sax, because it wasn't getting used, and I needed the money. A few years later, I discovered that there were adult community bands where I could play. Had I known, I surely would've kept the sax.
So I hear the conversation, and I offer to fill-in on tenor sax, so that they don't have to cancel. Other band members have an instrument I can borrow, and there's a rehearsal Wednesday night. ONE REHEARSAL, on an instrument I haven't played in 30 or 40 years. The guy tells me they have a repertoire of about 150 pieces, and that I'd basically have to sight-read, because they only rehearse a fraction of that. They've all been playing together for years and years. WHAT WAS I THINKING?
The tenor sax is in the same key (Bb) as the clarinet. The fingering of the upper octave (above middle C) is the same for both instruments. On the tenor, the lower octave has the same fingering as the upper (just without the octave key). On the clarinet, the lover octave is totally different.
So far, they've sent me 7 songs for me to start looking over in advance. I worked on them with the clarinet. I'm going to see if they can send me more before Wednesday.
It's not Carnegie Hall; it's not even a concert. It's just a casual performance for the fundraiser. But these guys (and gals) are real pros. I'm still hoping they find someone else available, but I don't think they would've gotten to this point if there was another possible player. I'll update after Wednesday's rehearsal.
Some background first. Next Tuesday, the band has their annual fundraiser at one of the Flatbread Company locations. When anyone gets food or drink there, a portion goes to the band. The band isn't performing, but as an incentive to attract customers, our own roving saxophone ensemble (called the Sax Pack) is performing on the outdoor patio of the restaurant. The conversation I overheard involved our 1st clarinet player (and Sax Pack leader) telling another band member that they may have to cancel their upcoming Flatbread gig, because neither of the tenor sax players would be available.
I play clarinet in the community band. I also played tenor sax back in my school days. About 15 or 20 years ago, I sold my valuable Selmer Mark VI tenor sax, because it wasn't getting used, and I needed the money. A few years later, I discovered that there were adult community bands where I could play. Had I known, I surely would've kept the sax.
So I hear the conversation, and I offer to fill-in on tenor sax, so that they don't have to cancel. Other band members have an instrument I can borrow, and there's a rehearsal Wednesday night. ONE REHEARSAL, on an instrument I haven't played in 30 or 40 years. The guy tells me they have a repertoire of about 150 pieces, and that I'd basically have to sight-read, because they only rehearse a fraction of that. They've all been playing together for years and years. WHAT WAS I THINKING?
The tenor sax is in the same key (Bb) as the clarinet. The fingering of the upper octave (above middle C) is the same for both instruments. On the tenor, the lower octave has the same fingering as the upper (just without the octave key). On the clarinet, the lover octave is totally different.
So far, they've sent me 7 songs for me to start looking over in advance. I worked on them with the clarinet. I'm going to see if they can send me more before Wednesday.
It's not Carnegie Hall; it's not even a concert. It's just a casual performance for the fundraiser. But these guys (and gals) are real pros. I'm still hoping they find someone else available, but I don't think they would've gotten to this point if there was another possible player. I'll update after Wednesday's rehearsal.
What were you thinking?????
I hope you can sight read well. I'd be screwed.
You can always Willy Manilly it. (At least for the lower octave.)
I recommend that you stand in back....
I hope you can sight read well. I'd be screwed.
You can always Willy Manilly it. (At least for the lower octave.)
I recommend that you stand in back....