am i expecting too much?

[slpntrx5]

okay, heres the deal: my band and i have been active for close to a year now, and we're all around the age of 14we have a few good songs (about 5 or 6 total) and we work together pretty well. but, i don't like our level of progress. i feel like we should have more good songs and the rest of the band be more dedicated. not to sound arrogant or rude, but i'm the most dedicated and musically skilled one in the band (i'm the only one who actually knows all the notes on the fretboard). our bassist and drummer can't even remember half the songs. i really want to be able to tour before we turn 20, but the bassist says i'm expecting too musch from the group. well, am i???

ps: any suggestions as to how i can bring everyone up to my dedication or skill level would be greatly apprreciated.

[noahsdove]

well think of it like a girlfriend/boyfriend relationship. If you need to move on then move on but do so on a good note because its always nice to be able to call up old friends and play songs.

[KKKKKocaine]

Just talk to them, tell them you want more dedication from them e.t.c.
Being 14 isn't a massive excuse, there are bands of 14 year olds around my area gigging.

[ThePinkPanther]

I'm 14, i've gigged. There you go.

[slpntrx5]

yeah, we've gigged once and are about to get another but i can't leave the band cause nobody else plays music in our age group

[Merkaba]

Talk to them and tell them youre not in it for a dam hobby. Or use it as a means to an end. Just stick around and sharpen your skills...if they dont catch up, then leave later after you've become even better. Thats kinda the way it was with me. Then you can blow them away later if they see you gig, and be like...dam...wish we wouldve been more dedicated

[Sephyr]

That's what sucks about some teenage musicians around my area too. There is hardly ANY level of devotion - which I guess I can't blame them for.

But I've definitely seen a few bands made up of your age group do some pretty good shows. So maybe you should just get them more inspired? Take them to some concert into the moshpit or whatever. It usually works to get the inspiration flowing ^^

[slpntrx5]

our bassist says that he wants to play music for a living, bu he's the worst all-around in the band!!! and when our drummer does come to practice, he barely gets anything done a dn just talks to his girlfriend on the phone, and i'm like, "dude, you came here to ****ing practice. talk to that bitch later." everyone else in the band tells him to get rid of his phone too

[slpntrx5]

bump

[alphamonkey]

Everyone in my band is ok except the rythem guitarist who doesn't even practice but no one else plays guitar, plus we have a relashionship like siblings, except without the fighting.We have no drumset due to ignorant adults, but we still write songs (lyrics and guitar/bass riffs) until the new set comes in. We're about a year behind you in age.

You are not expecting too much at all.

Skill level rises with dedication, and to get dedicated I think you experiment until you find something that gets you to enjoy playing above most other things (ie talking to your gf in a practice).

[Trigger_003]

Maybe you could make up some practise schedules or something. Set some goals with your other members if you can manage to get them to.
http://www.musicianforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=387097. Here's an article I wrote on goal setting. Seriously, if you can get your members to do this with you, and do it well, it will give them a direction and an incentive. Then your band can get somewhere.

Somehow, you could try to point out to the bassist that if he wants to succeed, they've gotta use all resources as well as they can. This means they, at least, need to be dedicated. If you can convince him (or one of the other guys) to work hard for it, then that'll make two of you.
When the others see you guys making a lot of progress together (do some little performances or busk with each other if money will talk the others into trying), it'll often result in them trying to catch up to you. If you can put it across as such, they won't want to miss out on the fun and maybe some cash on the side.

Also, if you can, put some kind of pressure on. One of my bands was really going nowhere until we got told by a music teacher at our school "Okay guys, you've got a gig coming up in so-many months. I've already committed you to it; you HAVE to play at it."
We were annoyed at first with the teacher for forcing us to do a gig when she hadn't checked if we were free and when knew our singer was going to Poland until just a few days before the performance, but we got another singer in and went from going nowhere fast to being quite efficient.

Hope you go okay :thumb:.

[kevbud187]

It sounds like they just want to jam. If you write, I wouldn't share anymore stuff with them, atleast not anything too good. Eventually their will be a couple friends at your highschool looking to form a serious band.

[slpntrx5]

Everyone in my band is ok except the rythem guitarist who doesn't even practice but no one else plays guitar, plus we have a relashionship like siblings, except without the fighting.We have no drumset due to ignorant adults, but we still write songs (lyrics and guitar/bass riffs) until the new set comes in. We're about a year behind you in age.

You are not expecting too much at all.

Skill level rises with dedication, and to get dedicated I think you experiment until you find something that gets you to enjoy playing above most other things (ie talking to your gf in a practice).

dude thats exactly how we were when we started out! i hope you get further than we probly will.

[slpntrx5]

i'm pretty much forcing the other guitarist and the bassist to learn the notes on the fretboard. i'll just give them more **** to do so we can get better. it'll be like lessons. only without the paying thing.

[Nicko_Shmicko]

our bassist says that he wants to play music for a living, bu he's the worst all-around in the band!!! and when our drummer does come to practice, he barely gets anything done a dn just talks to his girlfriend on the phone, and i'm like, "dude, you came here to ****ing practice. talk to that bitch later." everyone else in the band tells him to get rid of his phone too

in my band we have a rule, at practice no-girlfriends or phones in the room, sometimes we do let girlfriends in but that when we're not working on anything important, and no-one ever talks on their phone, its just a mutually agreed thing.

[delinquent]

sounds like an annoying situation... but i would expect that sort of thing from 14 year olds... of course not all 14 year olds are like that.... but if theyre just not going to bother and are just gonna piss around and talk on their phone, then maybe theyre not worth being in a band with...

i guess maybe you could keep going, but just not share the good things you come up with and just hang onto them or something until you find better bandmates haha!

or maybe you could destroy your drummers girlfriend. then he wouldnt be on the phone to her.

[James Van Halen]

i really want to be able to tour before we turn 20, but the bassist says i'm expecting too musch from the group. well, am i???
"The person who says 'it cannot be done' should never interrupt the person who's doing it"
I say leave. But do it nicely. If you leave bands on bad terms, then you'll start getting a bad reputation like Mustaine.

[slpntrx5]

k thanks guys. i'll try out that rule, NIcko and see how it works out.