Strappin' on a feed bag...

[NorM]

It's after midnight, I'm not allowed to eat. So I'll report on Monday's lunch...

Chopped beef-steak, mushrooms, four enchiladas, a slice of ham, grilled chicken breast, green beans, too much broccoli, not nearly enough spinich (it goes with everything), two glasses of water, a slice of pumpkin pie, a slice of coconut pie and a diet pepsi (cause I'm keepin' an eye on my girlish figure).

Topic: Getting along

When people ask me if I play in a band, my standard response is: I lack the social skills to be in a band.

When I was 14, a drummer told me it was more important to get along with your bandmates, than to play with the best musicians in the world. Also, mom tells me that it's more important to get along, than for everything to be absolutely right. Of course, when you're 14, this advice falls on deaf ears. As I got older (and was tired of getting fired from various jobs), I realized mom, and oh yeah, that drummer guy, were right. I have found that in a work/band/social/everything environment, making the small sacrafices to get along elevates you to being a great member of the team or band.

"It's amazing how much smarted my parents got from the age of 14 to 21." - Mark Twain

Now-a-days, I realize it would be ideal if you could get along with the best musicians on the planet, but I am just too damned arrogant.

Assignment: Give an example of sage advice that did not come intuitively to you.

 

[KungFu Grip]

Last time I was in a band was when I was around 23. Now I'm 32.

Last time I was in a band I ended up leaving because the drummer needed money and visited the local pawn shop with his drum set.

In the band before that I ended up leaving because the bass player needed money and visited the local pawn shop with his bass and amp.

In the band before that, everything was going ok until the drummer decided to add another guitarist who said things like "You're an idiot if you think a 500 watt PA is enough for anything but practices".

I don't like bands. Makes me have to deal with other musicians.

 

[shreder75]

trouble usually starts with the drummmer...hehehehheeh

 

[milky]

yeah ... changes the continent but all the problems with bandmates were with drummers....

drummers....strange people

Milky

ah today spaghetti with tunafish

 

[bing4sons]

Well, my son plays drums with me, so we get along great.

I can truly say that I love my drummer!

Bing

 

[Warg Master]

Yeah.... Other musicians? *shudder*

 

[kbaim]

Seems as though the question is...Is being in a band more trouble than it's worth?

Answer - Probably. But like anything else in life - some degree of pain and some degree of pleasure.

We all play guitar for different reasons with the common one being it makes us feel good. Add to that most guitar players sound better playing with other musicians (or along to some music) rather than by themselves. Also, some of the best friendships I've had in my life have been with guys I've played with.

Uh, not sure if that came out right, but you get the gist.

Once you come to grips with the fact we won't become famous, won't make much money playing music, and it's okay for other guitar players to be good without it bothering us, all that's left is playing music because you need to.

Better to share it with others if possible imo.

KEITH

 

[shreder75]

Well, my son plays drums with me, so we get along great.

I can truly say that I love my drummer!

Bing

of course..he knows where his allowance comes from so he doesn't give you trouble! heheh..j/k

 

[shreder75]

Seems as though the question is...Is being in a band more trouble than it's worth?

Answer - Probably. But like anything else in life - some degree of pain and some degree of pleasure.

We all play guitar for different reasons with the common one being it makes us feel good. Add to that most guitar players sound better playing with other musicians (or along to some music) rather than by themselves. Also, some of the best friendships I've had in my life have been with guys I've played with.

Uh, not sure if that came out right, but you get the gist.

Once you come to grips with the fact we won't become famous, won't make much money playing music, and it's okay for other guitar players to be good without it bothering us, all that's left is playing music because you need to.

Better to share it with others if possible imo.

KEITH

that sentence came out just fine..it wasn't until you pointed it out that it sounded wrong..lol...

anywho, none of my full 'band' experiences were good....there were times when I had MOST of a band..and those times were fun...for the longest time it was me and my best friend at the time, jamming and writing just about every day when we were learning to play and as we got better....we had a drummer there for awhile..and that was fun..until he got more and more odd in his behavior (that's why I joke about drummers)...

after he totally freaked out, it was still me and the other guita player..and it was still fun...then after awhile we parted ways..we don't even hang out anymore (long story)...but I miss it, for sure..now it's just me, myself and I..nobody else I know really plays...oh, some say they do..people who started before me..but they never stuck with it like I did..they go through guitar phases and like music, but I'm the only one who still plays just about every day so jamming with them isn't an option..

but without a shadow of a doubt, I'll never forget the 'jamming days'

 

[bing4sons]

of course..he knows where his allowance comes from so he doesn't give you trouble! heheh..j/k

What's an allowance?
.

 

[tvanveen]

I think by sheer dumb luck I've found myself in a pretty good situation.

"My" bass player is a guy I hired out of college about 8 years ago when I had a real job. For *years* he asked me to come out and jam at his house, but I never went, being a chicken.

Finally, like 9 months ago, I went. Figured "what the hell?".

He had somehow hooked up with a drummer at some point. Turns out this drummer is a monster and just about the nicest guy in the world. No drummer flakiness that I can detect.

So we've been jamming around in the basement. Girlfriend says she wants to sing. Shows up, blows us away. We did a Gillian Welch tune, and I swear, I teared up a bit.

(Don't tell anyone about that.)

Anyway, now we're trying to do originals. The drummer and bass guy are sort of into funky stuff...I suppose their dream gig would be to back James Brown or Tower of Power, but the stufff I come up with is sort of poppy, and they seem to like it ok.

So we'll see what's next. I really should try and get the funk out.

Assignment: Give an example of sage advice that did not come intuitively to you.

I'm bad at taking advice, so I've had to learn everything the hard way. Right now the lesson is not to promise what you can't deliver. I tend to want to please everyone, and hate to say no, so I end up committing to things on a timeline I can't meet.

Motto of the month - "Underpromise, overdeliver."

tv

 

[bing4sons]

Assignment: Give an example of sage advice that did not come intuitively to you.

I played/sang by myself for many years. When playing with "real musicians", learning "Less is More" was the advice that did not come intuitively. It's OK to leave some spacing. If I've got a drummer and bass, I don't have to do everything on my guitar.

 

[koogie2k]

Lunch....Bologna and Cheese sandwich, fudge stripe cookies (made by the elves in the tree...lol), mountain dew and water. I call it the contractors lunch. I eat on the go alot (defense contractor) so I need easy to eat foods usually.

I do not currently play in a band. Did once and I was the drummer! Yes, I read all the posts about us flaking out and what not....I know who you are!

My band practiced at our guitar players house. The end came when his brother-in-law drove his car through the garage and destroyed all the amps and guitars, PA, boards and all. He was just this side of being legally dead drunk. Idiot! My set (9 piece, double bass with Gibraltar cage) made it out alive. Thankfully, I was located in the back of the garage. Thus endith my rock star dreams!

I do play guitar with a friend who is just absolutely gifted. He teaches me things, and we write stuff. Really cool way to get away from it all and have fun.

Advice - from my buddy who plays guitar and I quote "Relax Koog, you can play just about anything when you relax. Look how relaxed Eddie, Satch, Vai and Paul Gilbert are when they play". Best advice I ever received for playing.

 

[NorM]

For all of you that did the assignment I want to say "THANK YOU"! Those are great. Please keep them coming people. This is fantastic stuff!

I would like to suggest two things:

1) Go ahead and lock this thread up next week when the next lunch report is started.

2) I personally liked the lesson that koogie2k shared. I think that one will apply and be the most helpful to me in the present. Koog, Will you say the blessing (metaphorically speaking) at lunch for us next week?

 

[skabassist13]

lets see. lunch. i had a pb&j sandwich, hot and spicy cheez-its, 3 choclate chip cookies(home made of course) and water. all made by my mom. im to lazy to get up early so i can be on time for school and make it myself, and my mommy loves me.... when im not playing.

the piece of advice i didnt listen to was "take your time and do it right the first time". my dad and my bass teacher tell me that all the time, and i usually dont listen. so i end up having to do whatever it was all over again.

 

[Jimi D]

Lunch: a couple baked Somosa, carrot fingers, broccolli and apple juice (yes, I always eat like this)...

The band I currently play in is a loose collection of guys I've known and hung out with since I was 15 years old... Pretty much everyone covers more than one instrument, so we have a couple drummers (one of whom is one of the best musicians I've ever known - he can play anything!) and keys and guitars and bass... We pick up and play once every couple weeks whether anyone else is going to show up and listen or not Two of the guys were pro and semi-pro for years, and despite grotesque amounts of talent are now playing catch-up with the rest of us in the real-world career department... But as far as playing together is concerned, we've been doing it since high school and we're all over 40 now (as of this year, in fact).

Advice I wish I'd learned sooner and lived better: "We're Human Beings, not Human Doings! What you do is not so important as how you do it, how you feel about doing it, if you can just be yourself while doing it." I spent years killing myself trying to be a hotshot manager/bureaucrat - and hating every minute of it. Now I do what I love, and love what I do, and I can wear jeans to work and listen to Vai all day, and I go home feeling good about it. 'course, I'm not part of the "network" anymore, and the guys wearing Brooks Bros. don't look at me twice, but my hair's stopped falling out, my kids like me again, and my wife knows I'll be home for dinner.

 

[Warg Master]

Lunch: Nothing yet

Guitars rule!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[bing4sons]

Advice I wish I'd learned sooner and lived better: "We're Human Beings, not Human Doings! What you do is not so important as how you do it, how you feel about doing it, if you can just be yourself while doing it." I spent years killing myself trying to be a hotshot manager/bureaucrat - and hating every minute of it. Now I do what I love, and love what I do, and I can wear jeans to work and listen to Vai all day, and I go home feeling good about it. 'course, I'm not part of the "network" anymore, and the guys wearing Brooks Bros. don't look at me twice, but my hair's stopped falling out, my kids like me again, and my wife knows I'll be home for dinner.

Good advice!

I like this lunch time thing. It's great to learn a little bit more about each other.

 

[koogie2k]

No problem Norm...I'll say guitar grace on Tuesday.

 

[OrangeChannel]

Lunch Today (since I can't post during the day save for Thursdays and Fridays) consisted of toothpaste, then snapple.....bleeeech!!!!

Nasty. Currently I am bandless. Looking for a new project to sink my creative teeth and fingers into. Also changing up the stable a bit. Getting a few things repaired so I can sell them, other than that nothing else to report.