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You are a decent guitar player, with a chance at a good gig for a 3-piece band; IF you can get one together and some kind of set list worked up. And only 2 weeks to get it done. You know a great bassist, and the drummer of your dreams - both are available, but can't stand each other and won't work together. Knowing you can only have one or the other, which do you choose when the 3rd member of your band won't be as good as you and whichever you choose?

 

I think I'd have to pick the bassist. I speak a tiny bit of bass, but I've never had a clue about percussion.

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A real life dilemma Gary?

 

Generally I'd pick the drummer. Nothing annoys me more than a sloppy beat/drummer. That's like the backbone of a song. Also drums are kind of hard to cover up.

 

Then again, if it was a funk-band I would need the slap and pop of the bass.

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You can't do sh_t without a decent drummer.

 

Our group (bunch of co-workers mostly without any real musical talent) lost the drummer more than a year ago (the sob moved overseas to San Francisco, CA) and I had to play the drums and do the vocals for six months. We've now had a new guy behind the drums for some time, he started from scratch and usually has to play anything with 1/8ths to the metronome beat. I'm sooo bloody tired about the whole situation I just don't give a #¤%# anymore. Fortunately he has made some progress in the last months. I sing and play the 2nd guitar with them because I don't have anything better and it's fun when it happens to work out, but I really enjoy playing with a backing track at home...

 

Then again, you can't sing sh_t without a decent bass player, either.

Maybe I'd take the bassist and play the drums and the guitar myself :)

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In the past we have been blessed/cursed with some very good but incredibly dysfunctional drummers. I learned a long time ago to always stay tight with a few really good drummers that we could call on in a pinch. If something were to happen with our bass player we'd most likely cancel the show.

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Have to go with the drummer. Too hard to find decent ones. I agree find a keys player or another guitarist that can cover bass until you can find a compatible bass player.

 

I just played with some folks a few days ago and spent most of the time playing through the drummers time changes or being thrown off by them, it sucks.

 

While I think ICH's comment regarding Cream is a hoot, I spent too much time in the past mediating for people that couldn't get along. Same with female band members While it's entertaining for a minute, the problems it creates aren't worth it. (no disrespect girls)

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In my part of the world bass players are a lot easier to find than drummers so I'd glom on to the drummer.

 

Yep, I can't find a solid drummer to save my life. Eventually, a buddy and I just bought a $500 set and take turns backing each other up with drums. He's gotten pretty good, but not yet gig-worthy. His wife is good, too (a childhood drummer), but she hates to play drums.

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Drummer, definitely! I don't much like playing with No bass player, but if they are at least adequate,

you can get by, alright. Most times, the "audience" won't know (unless they are terrible). But, they (and you)

will know, immediately, if the drummer's bad!

 

CB

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Depends on the gig and the style of music. Usually I'd pick the drummer, but if it was a mellow, jazzy sort of scene, I'd work with the bass player and a second guitar or keys and not use drums at all if necessary.

 

Anybody remember the Mark-Almond band? They started as an offshoot of John Mayall's "Turning Point" album as a four piece with no drums (!) When they later added a drummer, it was Dannie f***ing Richmond, one of the baddest jazz drummers ever (worked for many years with Charles Mingus).

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I already have a good bass player- my drummer has only been playing for

a year and hopefully he''ll be great someday...

 

Some aspiring great drummers have tendencies to play "above" the sound levels...

:) So i would say dream drummer who can stay within the context of the music...

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I voted drummer because I was a bassplayer.

 

and there's nothing worse than some of the guys I worked with.

clumsy, rough, no smooth at all. no dynamics. no chops.

ugly sounding drums are the worst thing in the world.

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I voted drummer as well... I was/am a bassist first (not a reject guitarist, thank you very much) and like Twang said, there's nothing worse than a crappy drummer who can't keep consistent time and/or plays too f#@%!ng loud! A good drummer and bassist will lock in and feed off each other, but nobody can shine with a bad drummer... It's just a train wreck..

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