Arrrrrrrrrrrgh!
So, I get a call from a guy who's looking for a guitarist to fill out his small little prog rock group. Drum, 2 guitars (including me), and bass.
The guy who called me is the band leader and lead guitarist.
So I show up for our first get together with the lead sheets I've been sent. We set up and chat for a while.
We start playing the first song, and he looks over at me and stops the song and says something like "Dude, it's a C chord!"
I look down, sure enough I'm playing a C chord. I look at the chart. I look at him. I say "yeah, I'm playing a C."
(I'm playing 1st inversion - x7x588)
He looks at my hand and says "Dude, that's like an E9 or something!"
I politely tell him that I'm playing C major -- it's E, C, G, that's E major.
He starts talking to me like I'm an idiot and shows me that "there's a couple of ways to play a C," and he shows me an Open C, an A-shaped barre at the 3rd fret, and an E-shaped barre at the 9th fret. And follows it up with "those are the C chords. Man, I thought you said you've been playing a while!"
I unplug tell the guy I can't play with someone who is going to tell me I'm playing the wrong chords when I'm playing the chart and walk out.
As I'm heading out the door he tells me that "Man you need to fix your attitude and learn the chords. You can't play with a band if you don't know your chords!"
I'm sure he'll cut a gold record soon . ..
"The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side." -- HST
That's what I like about old fashioned rock and roll:
"Man, that's awesome! What chords are you playing?!?"
"I dunno, sounded sweet though."
Steve-0
I would have made a fist and said "Here's a "C" chord!" and clocked him. Then I'd ask him "Did you SEE that chord!"
:lol: :lol: :twisted:
Jees... that's why there shouldn't be a band leader, just a band as a whole (in my opinion), so not just one person (who doesn't know what a C is) isn't bosing everyone around.
Some people are just foolish. I find it strange that you said it was a Prog-Rock band. Normally they tended to be well educated musicians, I'd fiugred he'd know that there are more then 2 and 3 positions for a chord.
Better luck next time King!
Vacate is the word...Vengance has no place on me or her...Cannot find a comfort in this world.
I'll say this for the guy -- he could solo. But appearantly more than single notes is beyond him. And frankly, his people skills suck. But because he can play fast the other guys in the band think he's a musician.
*shrug* Glad I found out on the first night out instead of after investing some real time.
"The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side." -- HST
I feel bad for the bassist. They always seem quiet and easy to get pushed around. Or is it just me?
Who needs a signature?
I mean really...
It's almost always lyrics...
or a cliche...
or garbage about me...
Lets just save YOU from the pain, ok?
Seems like when an idiot like that is trying to tell you that an A and E barres are Cs it's time for an extremely belittling crash course in music theory to be administered.
kingpatzer
You are absolutely correct, that is a C chord, but it is an unusual voicing for Rock music. Rock usually puts the Root note on top in the bass. So it may have clashed a little with what he and the bass player were doing.
Not saying what you did was wrong, only that it may not have expressed the feel they wanted. You might play an open C chord that rings out for example when they would prefer you to play a barre E type at the 8th for the power chord sound.
Oh well, there will be other bands. You need to find a jazz Rock band like Steely Dan. 8)
If you know something better than Rock and Roll, I'd like to hear it - Jerry Lee Lewis
This reminds me of a story that the drummer in my band (Smitty) once told me about an audition.
Smitty got a call from a well-established band who was currently looking for a drummer. They set up an audition, and decided to come to Smitty's house, since he lived near them. Supposedly, they were a 3-piece band. When they showed up, the guitar player realized that he forgot his Marshall head, but decided not to go back home for it. Instead, he decided to play throught the bass player's amp, with the bass player. He also neglected to bring anything to sing through.
When they started playing, it sounded terrible. They, of course, blamed Smitty. They told him that he was playing too good, and that instead, he should only play eights with the hi-hat, 1 and 3 on the bass, and 2 and 4 on the snare. Also, he shoudln't play any rolls, because it would throw them off. The guitar sounded terrible(no surprise), and the singing couldn't even be heard.
Needless to say, Smitty hasn't alked to them sense. I still can't figure out how they are well-established, though...
Maybe he was playing a C form but just added a barre part to it. but then it woulden't be a C cord. maybe like a F or maybe a F# barre cord( if thats the right name).
"I'm as free as a bird now. And this bird you can not change" Free Bird, By: Lynyrd Skynyrd
GIT SNAKE BIT!!!
stay safe
A good rule of thumb is to never trust people who start their sentences with "Dude".
A good rule of thumb is to never trust people who start their sentences with "Dude".
Unless they're talking about the Big Lebowski!
Vacate is the word...Vengance has no place on me or her...Cannot find a comfort in this world.
Yes bass players get pushed around lol... I just quit my last band because the "band leader" was being insufferable. Im not an A List Nashville session bass player yet but damnit I can hold my own with any band ive played with no problem... he tells me that hes "Tired of cringing at the rough spots where I dont seem to be improving" when he would lose time if the drum beat added a freakin fill here and there... Needless to say I went and got my stuff the next morning and I will be starting my own band with people who know their head from their axe hehe. Oh well, dont lose heart though, thats why god invented Multiple Bands to play with haha. Or maybe it was Leo fender... oh hey, is there a difference hehe.
SHUT UP ABOUT IRON MAIDEN SOLOS AND GO PRACTICE!
-Manitou
A good rule of thumb is to never trust people who start their sentences with "Dude".
Dude, don't discriminate against guys who start their sentence with "dude"! We don't all have sub room temperature IQ's :D .
I may not know that version of a C-chord, and it may be years before I ever do, but no matter how long I've been playing, I'll never assume I can't learn something from another player.
Sharing in your frustration, I wish I could get my band mates to realise that we can't perform a song until we've practiced it enough to play it asleep. It's like, "This song is easy, and it sounds cool. We should play it on Sunday." And five minutes before the end of the last practice, they're saying things such as "so how do you think we should lead between the second verse and the chorus", as if everyone is going to remember when we play.
I haven't played in a band for long, but I can imagine there's a few things that are not good for any band member (and especially not the band leader); arrogance, laziness, and starting their sentence with "dude".
Okay, that last one was a joke.
Sharing in your frustration, I wish I could get my band mates to realise that we can't perform a song until we've practiced it enough to play it asleep. It's like, "This song is easy, and it sounds cool. We should play it on Sunday." And five minutes before the end of the last practice, they're saying things such as "so how do you think we should lead between the second verse and the chorus", as if everyone is going to remember when we play.It's verging on corporate BS I know, but call it 'rehearsal' not 'practice'.
'Practice' seems to have aquired a feeling of no urgency, ie, you practice something in your spare time because you want to get better, but it's just a hobby. 'Rehearsal' still has a strong connection to the theatre, which is known for rehearsing hard, and it'll remind you that you're doing it for a reason.
Seriously, worked wonders for my band (way back :( ). I had to tell them "wannabes practice what they can't do, real bands rehearse what they can" to get them to take any notice, but hey, they really pulled their fingers out and stopped goofing off between songs.
