Why are you mad right now?

[nightflameauto]

I calmed down, and went back to the track with fresh ears. I think what happened is that the amount of processing going on just fooled me. The track has been run through some amount of a mastering chain, and I think what's throwing me is that everything is smoothed over, in a way. The tone I used was mid-heavy and bite-y, but it's been scooped out and the high end boosted, which is the opposite of what I normally do. It's also compressed with something that smoothed over the dynamics to a shiny level of polish. So what started as a pissed off boosted marshall-esque sound has had a lot of it's character smoothed off, and I was very unprepared for that. My tone is in there, it's just much more polite than I was expecting. The same thing is true of the whole mix, it's a very polite mix. I dunno what to think about it.

Stuff like this is why I can't trust paid-for services on my creative output. It blows, but if someone decides that they know better what you should sound like than you do? There's no amount of twisting that will get them to hear what you want to hear in it. It hardly ever feels like a collaboration once you hit a point where you realize they aren't getting what you're throwing down. It just ends up feeling like an unnecessary fight.

Best of luck. Hopefully you can threaten them into submission quickly.

 

[wheresthefbomb]

Band member/friend/roommate (probably a terrible combo) drama. Our bassist is pretty new, I've been writing most of his parts, and they're mostly root notes. He's been asking for more interesting parts, and more agency over those parts. Fair enough. I gave him some 3-note scale patterns to work on, and today tried to show him a slightly more complex bass part. He is really struggling with both and I realized after picking up the bass he's using, that a large factor is that it's slung low as fuck and there's no room to get your thumb behind the neck. *I* struggle with the 3-note patterns on it, and while I'm no bassist, I'm also no stranger to those patterns. I know there are players who have their axes way low and still get by, but it's clear watching him try to play that it's a mechanical impediment.

I politely commented today that the part I was showing him would probably be a lot easier if he raised the bass, and he flatly refused. It made me mad as fuck. I let it go in the moment and just went back to showing him root notes. It's not my place to tell him how to play but damn dude. I almost hung my guitar up and walked away, like if you're not willing to remove basic obstacles to your own growth what the fuck are we doing here?

I'm probably overreacting and thinking like an asshole, mostly I just needed to vent because it made me so mad.

 

[Spaced Out Ace]

Band member/friend/roommate (probably a terrible combo) drama. Our bassist is pretty new, I've been writing most of his parts, and they're mostly root notes. He's been asking for more interesting parts, and more agency over those parts. Fair enough. I gave him some 3-note scale patterns to work on, and today tried to show him a slightly more complex bass part. He is really struggling with both and I realized after picking up the bass he's using, that a large factor is that it's slung low as fuck and there's no room to get your thumb behind the neck. *I* struggle with the 3-note patterns on it, and while I'm no bassist, I'm also no stranger to those patterns. I know there are players who have their axes way low and still get by, but it's clear watching him try to play that it's a mechanical impediment.

I politely commented today that the part I was showing him would probably be a lot easier if he raised the bass, and he flatly refused. It made me mad as fuck. I let it go in the moment and just went back to showing him root notes. It's not my place to tell him how to play but damn dude. I almost hung my guitar up and walked away, like if you're not willing to remove basic obstacles to your own growth what the fuck are we doing here?

I'm probably overreacting and thinking like an asshole, mostly I just needed to vent because it made me so mad.

He'll enjoy the shoulder, arm, wrist, and hand issues, I'm sure.

 

[TedEH]

I've been writing most of his parts, and they're mostly root notes. He's been asking for more interesting parts, and more agency over those parts.

Why not just say he can play whatever he wants there, as long as it fits the song?

 

[nightflameauto]

Band member/friend/roommate (probably a terrible combo) drama. Our bassist is pretty new, I've been writing most of his parts, and they're mostly root notes. He's been asking for more interesting parts, and more agency over those parts. Fair enough. I gave him some 3-note scale patterns to work on, and today tried to show him a slightly more complex bass part. He is really struggling with both and I realized after picking up the bass he's using, that a large factor is that it's slung low as fuck and there's no room to get your thumb behind the neck. *I* struggle with the 3-note patterns on it, and while I'm no bassist, I'm also no stranger to those patterns. I know there are players who have their axes way low and still get by, but it's clear watching him try to play that it's a mechanical impediment.

I politely commented today that the part I was showing him would probably be a lot easier if he raised the bass, and he flatly refused. It made me mad as fuck. I let it go in the moment and just went back to showing him root notes. It's not my place to tell him how to play but damn dude. I almost hung my guitar up and walked away, like if you're not willing to remove basic obstacles to your own growth what the fuck are we doing here?

I'm probably overreacting and thinking like an asshole, mostly I just needed to vent because it made me so mad.

I went through this with a dude I was buddies with in high school. He wanted to form a band, played the bass, and absolutely REFUSED to learn anything. Couldn't hold a rhythm. Was mystified and angry at his girlfriend because she could find the rhythm in any song and wasn't even a musician. I told him up front that I'm not a teacher, and don't have the patience for it. Yet he decided, since I was *good* (i.e. better than him) that I was going to be his teacher. I couldn't get that fuck to listen to one god damned bit of advice. It finally ended when I told him he's on his own until he can come in and play something without everyone around him falling apart due to the suck.

Which earned me a nice lecture about how *MY* heart wasn't in it. But at least I didn't have to tolerate coming together for a couple hours every week just for the rest of us to stand around with our thumbs up our asses while he acted like he couldn't find a tune with a flashlight and a tour guide.

Don't teach if you don't want to. It's not going to be worth it.

 

[nightsprinter]

I went through this with a dude I was buddies with in high school. He wanted to form a band, played the bass, and absolutely REFUSED to learn anything. Couldn't hold a rhythm. Was mystified and angry at his girlfriend because she could find the rhythm in any song and wasn't even a musician. I told him up front that I'm not a teacher, and don't have the patience for it. Yet he decided, since I was *good* (i.e. better than him) that I was going to be his teacher. I couldn't get that fuck to listen to one god damned bit of advice. It finally ended when I told him he's on his own until he can come in and play something without everyone around him falling apart due to the suck.

Which earned me a nice lecture about how *MY* heart wasn't in it. But at least I didn't have to tolerate coming together for a couple hours every week just for the rest of us to stand around with our thumbs up our asses while he acted like he couldn't find a tune with a flashlight and a tour guide.

Don't teach if you don't want to. It's not going to be worth it.

Dude you were in the sex pistols?

 

[nightflameauto]

Dude you were in the sex pistols?

Shit, I wish our drama was big enough to still be talked about. It's mostly just me grumbling that I'm flypaper for freaks.

 

[nightsprinter]

My old window a/c is about past the threshold of cleaning properly because black mold builds up from the condensation and disassembling it down to the coils to purify it works, but after a couple years, i typically trash them for safety. It's going to be over 90 inside my house today with balldripping humidity and fedex has delayed my shipment with the new unit. Can't wait to suffer this afternoon.

I might have to buy a guitar to cope with this.

 

[BabUShka]

I work with engineering and projects. I am mad right now about my work situation. I work for a great global company with very good products a lots of fantastic people, but we have been struggeling with poor top management, bad customer relations because of internal stuff, constantly under-staffed on the resource situation and the we are not doing anything about it because of cost savings. I've been here for 10 years and it kinda hurts to see so many skilled collegues leave every week, both my own employees and from other entities. So Im in a position where I am searching for other opportunities, even though I really don't want to. But its affecting the everyday/private life and I have to prioritize myself, the people around me and my mental health. It saddens me that a few persons can do this much damage.

 

[Spaced Out Ace]

I work with engineering and projects. I am mad right now about my work situation. I work for a great global company with very good products a lots of fantastic people, but we have been struggeling with poor top management, bad customer relations because of internal stuff, constantly under-staffed on the resource situation and the we are not doing anything about it because of cost savings. I've been here for 10 years and it kinda hurts to see so many skilled collegues leave every week, both my own employees and from other entities. So Im in a position where I am searching for other opportunities, even though I really don't want to. But its affecting the everyday/private life and I have to prioritize myself, the people around me and my mental health. It saddens me that a few persons can do this much damage.

You work for the VA? OH, wait, you said they had good products. My bad.

 

[wheresthefbomb]

He'll enjoy the shoulder, arm, wrist, and hand issues, I'm sure.

yeah he already is :/

I went through this with a dude I was buddies with in high school. He wanted to form a band, played the bass, and absolutely REFUSED to learn anything. Couldn't hold a rhythm. Was mystified and angry at his girlfriend because she could find the rhythm in any song and wasn't even a musician. I told him up front that I'm not a teacher, and don't have the patience for it. Yet he decided, since I was *good* (i.e. better than him) that I was going to be his teacher. I couldn't get that fuck to listen to one god damned bit of advice. It finally ended when I told him he's on his own until he can come in and play something without everyone around him falling apart due to the suck.

Which earned me a nice lecture about how *MY* heart wasn't in it. But at least I didn't have to tolerate coming together for a couple hours every week just for the rest of us to stand around with our thumbs up our asses while he acted like he couldn't find a tune with a flashlight and a tour guide.

Don't teach if you don't want to. It's not going to be worth it.

Fortunately, it's not quite that bad. Also, I actually do enjoy sharing my knowledge, but I can't force someone to put in the work. To be honest he reminds me a lot of myself as a younger musician. I was very much into the idea of being in a band, but my priorities to put it bluntly were weed and video games with musicianship as a distant third. I started seriously putting in the work about 10 years ago, and now it's very frustrating to be around people who aren't on that level. I'm sure some of my past bandmates have had similar feelings about me. I could definitely stand to be more empathetic to that.

Why not just say he can play whatever he wants there, as long as it fits the song?

This is definitely the "check yourself and don't be an asshole" answer, thanks for that. This is more or less where we're at, I'm showing him root notes and letting him do what he can with them. Even if he just plays root notes, we are moving past covers into originals and what I write is more challenging than the covers we've been playing. I probably just need to chill out and let him figure the rest out on his own.

 

[TedEH]

This is more or less where we're at, I'm showing him root notes and letting him do what he can with them. Even if he just plays root notes

This is the mode I like to live in when playing with bands. I ask up front "do you want me to play exactly what you wrote, or can I do what I want as long as it suits the song?" and just run with it. I imagine that's not super common for people to just ask outright.

 

[Spaced Out Ace]

As if today wasn't shitty enough, I turn on my guitar rig today and while tuning (as it mutes my signal), I notice a noise I haven't noticed before. A "pfffp" noise. So that should be fun to diagnose.

 

[nightsprinter]

2 shipments due today. FedEx and UPS.

Fedex shows and the box (a guitar) which I unpacked was packaged upside down with no bubble wrap presumably for the entire trip on its headstock (judging from the way I was given the box and the orientation of the shipping label). But I mentioned this already in another thread and had gotten over it.

But now.... I spent all morning and afternoon on the lookout for UPS. I have an extensive DVR camera system with live monitoring always on next to my TV. I see at one point the UPS truck down the road and it rolls on by. Didn't come within a football field of my house. Figure it's on a different truck or they'll come back later.

A couple hours later I get an email saying "sorry we missed you" with a reschedule. No one ever showed up here and that's beyond a reasonable doubt.

What a peckerhead.

 

[brector]

But now.... I spent all morning and afternoon on the lookout for UPS. I have an extensive DVR camera system with live monitoring always on next to my TV. I see at one point the UPS truck down the road and it rolls on by. Didn't come within a football field of my house. Figure it's on a different truck or they'll come back later.

A couple hours later I get an email saying "sorry we missed you" with a reschedule. No one ever showed up here and that's beyond a reasonable doubt.

What a peckerhead.

I have had USPS list unable to deliver twice, something to the effect of "an aggressive animal". Both times I was home and the neighborhood was as quiet as always.

 

[nightsprinter]

I have had USPS list unable to deliver twice, something to the effect of "an aggressive animal". Both times I was home and the neighborhood was as quiet as always.

Damn they think of everything.

Maybe they just heard some SINISTER RIFFS emanating from your dwelling and decided to steer clear.

 

[wheresthefbomb]

I have had USPS list unable to deliver twice, something to the effect of "an aggressive animal". Both times I was home and the neighborhood was as quiet as always.

I had USPS list my mailbox as "inaccessible" one clear summer's day when I was living in suburban Ohio. I went down to the post office and gently insisted that they deliver the package directly into my hands.

 

[Randy]

In fairness, guitarists usually write boring as fuck parts for bassists (if they even allow them in their ERG band) and impossible to play Guitar Pro transcriptions on drums.

 

[nightflameauto]

The never-ending expectation that I will meet and exceed every possible thought anyone else has, while absolutely nobody has to meet even the bare minimum of what they've promised me. Work, family, friends, anybody I happen to meet in general. I wouldn't even mind if people would just fucking own it. A simple, "I'm sorry I overpromised" and it'd fade away for me. But nobody ever does that. Instead they throw a shit fit and act like I'm making it up. Believe me, I don't need to make shit up to be disappointed in. This world is disappointing enough. I waste my fantasy time developing entire universes of other people being disappointed.

 

[soldierkahn]

because hot dogs come in packs of 10 but hot dog buns come in packs of 8.

#firstworldproblems