And man, I blew it.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained. But...painful. Really painful. A local (Seoul) metal band just gave me an audition to play bass for them.
We'd had a "pre-audition," when we met, they showed me their songs, gave me some material, and I played along (alright, I guess) with a couple of numbers.
BUT. Audition day, their drummer was sick, so it was just bass (me) and two guitars. They asked me to play solo to show them what I could do, first, and I realized I've never learned a single solo piece on bass. No biggy, just did some of my warmups, but...it put me off, and I never really got it back.
We played through the two songs they'd asked me to learn, or tried to. Just COULDN'T seem to keep rhythm, and then I got flustered. Are we in 4/4? 6/8? Didn't quite know. Lost track of where I was- these aren't killer difficult bass parts, but really thumping out roots and keeping the rhythm is the game, and I lost both. Wrong notes, moving the beat around. Painful.
Funny, though- everybody thinks metal guys are surly. They were REALLY helpful and nice, kept trying again, but it wasn't working. We finally called it a day...
And I'm disappointed, but...probably I'm not ready to play in a band, at least not that kind of band, right now. But I will be. And I've probably already got my worst audition out of the way!
Thanks for listening,
Ande
Wow Ande not sure what to say other than I feel for ya. I don't think I could have done that myself...actually I know I couldn't have.
I did "audition" in one of the member's bands on this forum and had a somewhat similar experience. First at the time I didn't know this was an "audition" so I actually wasn't nervous and this was to sing not to play.
I don't consider myself much of a singer that's why I never thought this was an audition. When I got there they handed my lyric sheets for all of their songs and bam we started. Most of the songs I knew (kinda mostly) but never sang them and didn't know where all the breaks where etc. and timing with the band was off in parts.
Was pretty much a train wreck although I managed a few decent ones and a couple passable ones.
Just keep your eyes open and it will happen again if that's what you want.
"It's all about stickin it to the man!"
It's a long way to the top if you want to rock n roll!
Funny, though- everybody thinks metal guys are surly. They were REALLY helpful and nice, kept trying again, but it wasn't working. We finally called it a day...
And I'm disappointed, but...probably I'm not ready to play in a band, at least not that kind of band, right now. But I will be. And I've probably already got my worst audition out of the way!
Ande
It's a matter of paying attention to the things that tripped you up, and correcting them for the next audition. As long as you learned something, it was worth the time and effort.
Re: metalheads . . . most of the people that play metal that I know are a buncha vegetarian pacifists. The only thing violent or surly about them is their music.
Playing guitar and never playing for others is like studying medicine and never working in a clinic.
Well, it wasn't a waste of time - think how much you learned from the experience and what you'll do different next time
A :-)
"Be good at what you can do" - Fingerbanger"
I have always felt that it is better to do what is beautiful than what is 'right'" - Eliot Fisk
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metalheads . . . most of the people that play metal that I know are a buncha vegetarian pacifists. The only thing violent or surly about them is their music.
As it happens, I'm a vegetarian, semi-pacifist. In love with screaming distortion and a crashing wall of sound. Guess it's not so weird.
Best,
Ande
...........semi-pacifist.
Only little wars? :D
I started with nothing - and I've still got most of it left.
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I prefer individual violence... :twisted: And sometimes commit random acts of carnage against guitar strings.
Ande.
Weird.
THey called. Said that they aren't sure if I'm what they're looking for (kindness, I thought) but that they're still interested, and wondered if I could come along to their next rehearsal.
Very weird.
Ande
Good news, now you can show them what you can really play!
Perhaps they saw a quality in you that they are looking for? Who knows. Gives you a bit of time for more practice. :)
Roy
"I wonder if a composer ever intentionally composed a piece that was physically impossible to play and stuck it away to be found years later after his death, knowing it would forever drive perfectionist musicians crazy." - George Carlin
