Why is it so darn hard to find a bass player?

[RitchieDarling]

We bass players are busy earning a living while drummers and guitarists are giving us the wrong change at the drive-thru during lunch!

Funny! I actually had a drummer tell me once that his occupation was "part time bus boy at Denny's".

R

 

[AnthonyD]

Mark summed it up nicely...

 

[PocketGroove82]

craigslist: minneapolis / st paul classifieds for jobs, apartments, personals, for sale, services, community, and events

Go here...log in...click on the gig or community or job tabs and post the message.
You will get some interested partys...I promise.

 

[Norrin Radd]

Mark summed it up nicely...

Maybe, but I don't have any interest in playing Floyd tunes - I don't relish that kind of scrutiny from the audience! Really, we just like to play our own stuff.

As for the practice time - well, I have 3 kids. I put them to bed before I go to practice - makes the wife happy. Plus - I like having the practice time be more in line with the time we'd actually be playing out.

AND, we're not looking for someone who needs this gig to support themselves. The others of us don't and it would be awful to have someone with us whose sole motivation was making money - that's not what we're looking for. Maybe we ARE asking too much!

 

[Aussie Mark]

Really, we just like to play our own stuff

That's admirable, but I stand by my comment that you won't find many 30-40 somethings who are excited by the prospect of playing a 30-40 minute gig to 10 people, 6-12 times per year. In most parts of the world, that's life for original bands, sharing the bill with 3 or 4 other bands, rushing to get your gear off stage while the next band sets up, with the same cycle repeating every 40 minutes.

Unfortunately, that's the reality your potential bass player candidates are facing, so you'll need to give them a bigger carrot. The carrot doesn't need to be money, just something appealing. You need to put yourself in their shoes.

 

[Mobay45]

That's admirable, but I stand by my comment that you won't find many 30-40 somethings who are excited by the prospect of playing a 30-40 minute gig to 10 people, 6-12 times per year. In most parts of the world, that's life for original bands, sharing the bill with 3 or 4 other bands, rushing to get your gear off stage while the next band sets up, with the same cycle repeating every 40 minutes.

Unfortunately, that's the reality your potential bass player candidates are facing, so you'll need to give them a bigger carrot. The carrot doesn't need to be money, just something appealing. You need to put yourself in their shoes.

+1

I did it for a while. It got real old real fast.

 

[Caca de Kick]

You'll find somebody, big cities are better for original music and people in all ages that want to play it than smaller cities.

My band, we're all in our early 30's and only do originals. And two other bands I do session playing for are about the same age and also only do orignals too.
Come to think of it, most bands we've played along side with around Seattle, those guys range form late 20's to early 40's, and every one of them is an originals band. Of course Seattle is known more for it's original music, still far more original bands than cover bands here.
But I don't know what the Minneapolis music scene is like.

-Mike

 

[57RIP]

Yep.. 52 I'm doing as many gig's as I want to play. Generally 50 to 75 % Originals. Some for low dough but the majority seem to repelenish the gear budget well enough.

If I were in Minni-Paul, and lookin' I'd hit some open mic's and see who is out there - I'd probably call Willies (I assume they're still around) and ask 'em if they know someone lookin' ...

Hey I got an idea - join the Local! you used to get this nifty book that listed all the old guy players ... (only kiddin' only kiddin...)

 

[tkarter]

Just find some guy in the audience and put him up there with a bass and say hit the big string on the beat. He has enough fun it won't be long before you have a new bass player.



tk

 

[lomky]

Wow, I'm old. In a band at 33 playing all originals (metal), sometimes playing to ten people, sometimes playing to a packed bar. Wouldn't trade it for the world. I love the musice we play, I would be a fan even if I wasn't a member. In fact I was a fan before I joined. I guess I +1 to the point of find a fan and turn them into a bass player

 

[stretch80]

Another thought: in the 30-40s age bracket, you might find someone who "retired" to go get a day job, but might not have some time, be up for playing or checking it out. I was that guy 10 years ago, and am now anchoring several bands.

Those guys might not be reading the bass-player wanted ads, so you need to talk to friends, people who used to be in bands, etc. etc., and if you find someone just get em by to jam to suck em in...! (and play a floyd tune or two they can have fun with...)

good luck!

OR find a guitarist who can be converted to the Light Side...

 

[Slim]

If you can't find a bass player be one like I did. You have two guitar players so both of you learn bass and see what happens. I am a guitarist for 43 years and I just became a bassist two years ago because our bass player had a stroke. It is not bad idea to be versatile so you can pick up more gigs as guitarist or as bassist. I am an old guy at age 58 but I can play hip hop to Led Zep to Frank Sinatra on both guitar and bass parts. I like to play guitar when good looking girls are in audience though. Girls like hot guitar solos or Samba patti by Santana and they feel sexy, but they don't pay much attentions to bass player.

 

[Aussie Mark]

Girls like hot guitar solos or Samba patti by Santana and they feel sexy, but they don't pay much attentions to bass player.

On the contrary, most girls who love dancing understand what member of the band is making it happen. Plus, they love to watch our hands.

 

[AnthonyD]

So true...

This one chick I knew couldn't help herself whenever I played - dancing for me, giving me the eyes and then some, watching me every note...




















I married her!

 

[tkarter]

If bass playing got you top billing. You would be known.

As a bass player you are just the thumpty thump guy.

If you can count to four. You know enough.

tk

 

[TNT]

If bass playing got you top billing. You would be known. As a bass player you are just the thumpty thump guy. If you can count to four. You know enough. tk

Hey, I like "thumpty thump"!! In fact, I can't name anything I don't like that goes thumpty thump - and I'm a skinny stringer!

We Guitar players want our brothers (bass players) to know that we "really do understand"!! And, that we really do care!!




LOL

 

[Colin]

Hey, I like "thumpty thump

what about Icky Thump?

 

[shamus63]

We practice Monday nights at 9:00.

The stuff is original so it only pays marginally, if at all, when playing out.

We only want to gig 6-12 times a year. We are doing this just for fun - not to make a living.

This bit right here answered the question for me; it's the wrong combination of ingredients.

Mark nailed it.