Hehehe I just sacked my bassist for a lot less than root and 8va playing. She must of been 68 too. It was like sacking my gran.

Heartless to the end

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No no and no

Simply tell them you know us; they will gasp in awe. Once recovered, they will exclaim in unison, "YOU'RE IN!!!"

Like many others have already said, go in with a most friendly yet professional attitude, be yourself and demonstrate to them how you can FIT IN with their project. Keep in mind too, you only have ONE chance with a first impression.

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You dig?

All of the advise so far is right on, you will be great, let us know how it goes.

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you can save the world with your guitar one love song at a time it's just better, more fun, easier with a fender solid body electric guitar or electric bass guitar.

Well, the band leader just called me back. I kept calling when she wasn't home and she kept calling when I wasn't home.
She said that I should come to band practice this Friday. It looks like they really need a bass player right now, so that's what I'll be playing for now.
They're a modern rock/pop band that does covers and originals. Not even remotely like the blues I'm into now, but luckily I wasted my first two and a half years learning guitar by playing modern rock and pop. But it's OK, I like pretty much all music. I'll have my own band later.
They also need a PA, so I have a leg up on anyone else who wants to join because I have one.

My Mom isn't too happy about it though, since we don't know two of the band members and because it doesn't look like I'll be playing guitar much. But I just want to play music, and I can't really be picky about it. I'm more worried about her than I am about this Friday's practice.

EDIT: I just realized I have over 1000 posts now. Yay!

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Good luck TGS!! I'm sure you will do fine. Just be yourself!

Tex so it is going to be an all girl group I guess. Well I wish you the best of luck but I have a feeling that you are going to be better than one of the girls already playing guitar and that you are going to want to pick up your ax and play something and someones not going to be to happy. So if right now all you want to do is be in a band and are content with just playing bass then at all cost dont touch a guitar unless someone ask you to .Good Luck

Congratulations on your 1000th post. keep them coming!!

Remember 2 important rules (which will eliminate wasted time and get you out gigging quicker) :

1. You all practice the songs at home.

2. You all rehearse the songs at band rehearsals.

Know the songs and the keys, work out the arangements together (unless they already have set arrangements).

Find out if 1099s will be used. This will eliminate any surprises come the end of the year!!!

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Being able to play and enjoy music is a gift that's often taken for granted.

Don't leave home without it!

Actually the drummer is a guy. My friend told be confidentially that he's really only there because he has a crush on the lead singer. (I really hate band politics, especially when it involves relationships.) But if he's not serious about it, then he won't stick around (I hope).

It's sort of a garage/jam band. They don't have any gigs lined up yet. It's sort of laid back, they aren't really going after any big break or tour. Just friends hanging out and jamming.

Someday I'm going to have a blues band with people who like blues and want to play it (which isn't going to be easy since I don't even know anyone who does). But now isn't the time since I have no practice space and no friends who are into blues.

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Congrats on the 1,000 posts!

Miami Mike makes a good point about 1099s and it goes along with what I was going to add on. Everything has been well covered except "how serious is this group?" In my earliest bands, we made a little money and had a good time but no one was keeping the books so to speak.

I don't remember what the 1099 limit might have been back in 1968 - 69 but in the beginning we were probably under. However, by 1970 we decided that we'd better start paying the tax man because we were semi-making a living at it (while in college). When we were starting to make (each) $100 - $200 at least 3 weeks a month, we started keeping track.

This year, the 1099 limit is $600, so if you think it unlikely you'll make that much, not too much to worry about. (Though then you get into whether or not you have other income, are you a dependent student, etc.) Bottom line -- if its a casual band that rarely makes that much, go play and enjoy it. If you're making as much as you might in a regular P/T job and you're doing that consistently, you want to at least keep track on your own.

If the band doesn't 1099 you, it's very unlikely clubs will either. At least in my time, they paid you and that was that. They didn't keep track of who was in the band.

Also, watch what you sign or agree to. Again, if its just a casual band, go and enjoy. But I know people who've gotten into serious debt when the band decides to buy a lot of gear and everyone co-signs. There are creditors who specialize in musicians and you pay high risk rates. They won't let you go just because the band broke up.

Finally, resist going along with the band incorporating. Yep, I know those who've done that too. There are fees, now you do have to pay taxes and it may not get you out of liability for band debts anyway.

On the other hand, if you are serious and are starting to make some bucks at it, seriously consider a formal partnership agreement. This spells out who contributes what and how much share each gets. It also makes clear conditions under which a partner can leave or be asked to leave and what happens then. Doesn't have to be 20 pages of legalese -- plain language will work as well if not better. This agreement can save you a world of bad feelings down the road!

I agree with Phillip, a Limited Liability Partnership is a good way to go if you think you'll make over the $600 limit.

If you get booked at any corporate events (Christmas parties, summer outings, etc), they usually pay by check and require someone's Soc Security number to issue a 1099.

The reason I brought this up is because I learned the hard way. Many years ago I made over the limit and ended up paying 3x what I should have paid if I had filed correctly.

_________________
Being able to play and enjoy music is a gift that's often taken for granted.

Don't leave home without it!

I hadn't really thought about all that yet. Thanks for the pointers.
In this band I doubt we'll be thinking much about paying gigs. The band that I'm already in at church, Redemption, is probably better. It's too bad we volenteer for everything, or it would be like a part time job.

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Well, I just got back from my first practice. They play (and listen to) mostly what bands are popular now. I like it, but I don't listen to it and I haven't tried to play any of it since back when I was first teaching myself to play guitar.
We still don't have a bass player, but my friend wanted me to play guitar instead so that worked out fine.

We did a couple of songs today, and we actually got them sounding fairly good. I had never heard them or played them, but they were easy and I actually figured out the bridge to one of them on the spot.

And we are going to try and gets some gigs. The lead singer says she knows of a few good websites for finding gigs. We'll play things like parties and school events.

The only bad thing is that blues won't work with this band, I can tell that right off the bat. I might be able to convince them to do a Jimi Hendrix song, or a Deep Purple song, but that's about as close as I'm going to get.
I've figured out how to incorporate blues into praise and worship music, but now I have to figure out how to incorporate it into (modern) hard rock.
Luckily I still remember enough shred licks to last me until I can figure out a way to work something better in.

On one of the songs (it was a really heavy rock song in drop D) my friend told me to take the solo and I automatically launched into some licks that sounded like the solo of Love Struck Baby. It didn't work at all.

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