Now, I've never met nor spoken to our MandolinPicker, but reading his post it occurred to me that I've never met a mandolin picker I didn't like. My grandfather - my genetic template - was a mandolin picker, so maybe that's it. But every mandolin player I've ever met has been a cool dude. (Never met a lady mandolin picker, which is surprising given its diminutive size and delicate tone. You'd think ladies would be drawn to it.)
 
That got me thinking about players of other instruments, and the stereotypes that have formed in my mind over the half-century I've been interacting with them.
 
Take drummers, for example. They're the ones you want to party with, but you don't give them your home address.
 
Bass players are the dependable ones you can count on to actually bring food to a potluck and kick in gas money.
 
Piano players: you can talk politics with them, but they're not around when it's time to haul the PA up the stairs.
 
Singers: you can talk about them all day long. By that, I mean that they are their own favorite topic of conversation. Girl singers in particular seem to have complicated love lives that require extensive discussion.
 
Percussionists live on a farm, grow their own vegetables, have an endless supply of pot and live with 6 cats.
 
A pedal steel player is the guy you want along when the van breaks down. They'll be able to improvise a fan belt out of duct tape. Compared to assembling their instrument, automotive mechanics is child's play.
 
Guitar players live in their own universe but are usually upbeat and happy - as long as they're the loudest noise on the stage.
 
I'm sure these are just my own prejudices. Feel free to tell me about the mature, responsible drummer you know (or are), or the gloomy stick-in-the-mud guitarist you had to endure on a cross-country tour.
 

The only negative guitarist story I have is the time I played with a guy who charted out songs he wrote without every playing them first (typical 2 guitars & bass; no keys).
 
So he presents the song and he teaches me his "bass part" note by note. I try to play it and I feel like my fingers are being asked to play the equivalent or "Peter Piper Picked a Peck of Pickeled Peppers" 4 times in a row. You know.... fingered tied.
 
So I'm telling the guy what he wrote was impossible to play and I only had to change one note. He's adamant that it MUST be played like he wrote it.
 
So, I  say "OK, you play it for me on guitar". He couldn't play it and said it was OK to change the one note.
 
Composers.......they ain't all Mozart. 'nuff said
 

The drummers I've played with have been interesting..the more accomplished they were, the less fun they were to be around. One of the worst drummers I played with was the greatest to go out on the town with, and the guy you could rely on if there was trouble; he always had your back...mind you, he also started most of the trouble..
 
The best drummer was such a tedious dullard I couldn't wait to get away from him after rehearsals and gigs...unfortunately he thought he was hilarious, and would bafflingly break into endless 'comedy' monologues between songs..even at gigs...

In my experience..........
 
Drummer..... safe pair of hands but a bit dull.
 
Bassist.........hard to dislike, but infuriating at the same time. Absolutely no concept of forward planning.
 
Guitarist.......often moody. Happiness directly proportional to how much of the rest of the band he was drowning out.
 
Singer..........chronically insecure and actually far better than he gave himself credit for.
 
Keyboards....total poseur who was just winging it and hiding lack of real ability behind fancy synth noises.
 
 
No prizes for guessing which one was me ! ;)

paulo
In my experience..........
 
Drummer..... safe pair of hands but a bit dull.
 
Bassist.........hard to dislike, but infuriating at the same time. Absolutely no concept of forward planning.
 
Guitarist.......often moody. Happiness directly proportional to how much of the rest of the rest of the band he
                   was drowning out.
 
Singer..........chronically insecure and actually far better than he gave himself credit for.
 
Keyboards....total poseur who was just winging it and hiding lack of real ability behind fancy synth noises.
 
 
No prizes for guessing which one was me ! ;)

Would I be crass if I said any juan of them?

bitflipper
Guitar players live in their own universe but are usually upbeat and happy - as long as they're the loudest noise on the stage.

 

 

bapu

paulo
In my experience..........
 
Drummer..... safe pair of hands but a bit dull.
 
Bassist.........hard to dislike, but infuriating at the same time. Absolutely no concept of forward planning.
 
Guitarist.......often moody. Happiness directly proportional to how much of the rest of the band he was drowning out.
 
Singer..........chronically insecure and actually far better than he gave himself credit for.
 
Keyboards....total poseur who was just winging it and hiding lack of real ability behind fancy synth noises.
 
 
No prizes for guessing which one was me ! ;)

Would I be crass if I said any juan of them?

 
Nah, that would be cool - I've never bin hard to dislike or better than I give myself credit for before.

Well, thanks for the kind words!
 
Most of the mando pickers I have seen or known in bluegrass tend to be goofballs. John Duffy (the mandolin picker from Seldom Scene and Country Gentlemen) was a well known jokster. He was also a big man with big hands, but you would never know it listening to him play.
 
Mike Andes is another great player from Nothing Fancy. You gotta love a guy who can write the premo country music love song, "I met my baby in the porta john line."
 
There's not many mando ladies, but one of the best has to be Rhonda Vincent. And yes, she tends to cut up just like the rest of them.
 
With all the talk about musicians, lets not forget the guys behind the scene - like the front of house, monitor mix and lighting guys. Heaven help you if you have any pryotechnics. These guys put the musicians to shame!!
 

In my limited experience:
 
Singers: "Hang on, there's no need to panic. Stop having a screaming fit and calm down. Wipe your eyes and catch your breath for a moment. There. That's better. No, I can't hear you when you start whining like that. Are you ready to settle down? Okay, where was the last place you remember seeing your mirror?"
 
Keyboards: Sometimes, I think they love to change keys without warning just to watch the bassist sprain his brain. You realize that there is a point where experimenting with music theory becomes an impediment to playing "Louie Louie", right? Also, nobody is perfectly on pitch, so stop telling the guitarist to re-tune between every song.
 
Guitars: For all of the posturing, grimacing during solos, and frenzied berserker playing style, some are surprisingly girly when they break a nail. In addition, their version of "helping" during the load-in/load-out process consists of carrying their own amp. There are notable exceptions, of course. Some ask you to carry in their amp for them.
 
Bassists: "Dude, I'm not kidding, the front of the stage is that way. It's where it has been all night. No, that's a fire escape. Yes, I'm sure. I know the guitarist is re-tuning again. He listened to the keyboardist. Yes, your speaker cabinet is bigger than his. What do you mean, 'How does the next song go?'"
 
Drummers: I sit in the back. I don't dance around the stage. I don't pose for the fans. I don't toss my silken locks over my shoulder. Granted, that may be because I don't have silken locks anymore, but you get the point. Also, I can't dance. Anyway, I'm working here. Yes, I got here hours before the rest of you to haul all of your gear and I'll be here long after you've all gone. I'm the one who helps everybody remember what song is next. When you lose your place and you can't remember what verse we're on, I'm the one who will guide you home. I'll give you a drum fill to clue you in when it's time for your solo. Yes, after the show, you'll greet fans while I catch my breath, wring the sweat out of my shirt and start tearing down the gear. It's okay, though. Most people want to keep a certain minimum safe distance from a drummer out of a sense of self-preservation. You can't blame them for having standards. Hang on. Watch me now. I'm making eye contact with you and giving you a big drum break. That's right. It's time for your solo.  
 
Audio Engineer: I work with morons. Not the clever, creative, or cute morons, mind you. No. (sigh) "Your vocal is already up in your monitor, the reason you can't hear yourself is because you're holding the mic two feet away from your mouth." "Oh no. Don't you glare at me because you played the wrong chord. Maybe if you showed up for a rehearsal once in a while you'd know how to play the songs." I used to have dreams, you know. I wanted to work in a nice studio with great musicians and be a part of making some audio magic. Instead, I'm running sound for a band that shouldn't be allowed to play for the Grand Opening of a 7-11. (sigh) "Yes, I turned up your guitar for your solo. You rock, dude." If that monkey on the drums keeps smashing that crash cymbal like that I'm going to shove it down his throat. My head is pounding. I don't know how much longer I can keep doing this. (sigh) It's only been 10 minutes. Did that bassist just fall off the stage? Maybe it's not too late to go back to filing papers at the insurance agency. Oh, good. the drummer found his cowbell. That will be the next thing I cram down his gullet. I work with morons.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
jk :)

UbiquitousBubba
 
jk :)

know yer knot