I'm purely an acoustic player, have been for decades.Always solo, I just do stuff as it comes into my head and never play other people's songs, nor play with other musicians.
However, early this year I met a chap at my brother-in-law's funeral who used to play in bands with him and we soon became friends. A couple of months back (when I was last over here on the North Island) I popped around for dinner and, with one thing and another, afterwards he and I got together in his practice room with a third friend, a (damn good!) drummer.
I played acoustic of course (it's my only instrument), the drummer drummed, and my friend sang and swapped back and forwards between electric guitar and bass. (When my BIL was alive the two of them always used to share guitar and bass duties.)
So that left me, most of the time, as the one and only guitarist. That was uncharted territory. Back in my band days - 30 and 40 and even more years ago, I always used to sing and play 2nd guitar (never took a solo in my life). Later on I switched to bass. But here I was, THE guitarist. Nowhere to hide. I have never, ever done that before!
But it all went OK and we had fun.
Fast forward to yesterday. I'm over here visiting the mainland once more so I gave him a ring and we did the same again. As before, we started with me on acoustic, him on bass and vocals, the drummer on drums. All good.
Then he handed me his bass and picked up a guitar. Strewth! But I I haven't played a bass for 30 years! Oh well, let's give it a go, I said. What the hell.
I reckon it took about one minute to get back on the bass guitar bike after three decades not p[laying it. I was amazed how it all came back to me. We ended up swapping back a couple of times for different songs but I spent most of the rest of the evening playing bass guitar and having fun. They've got a gig booked for next month and reckon the three of us should do it but that's not going to happen - I'll be back at home on the South Island by then. But we will at least have some more fun jamming next week.
Just one thing. I got a bit carried away on the bass and I woke up this morning with a painful little blood blister on my right index finger from too much punk-style buzz-sawing. Now I'm struggling to even play my guitar. :)
However, early this year I met a chap at my brother-in-law's funeral who used to play in bands with him and we soon became friends. A couple of months back (when I was last over here on the North Island) I popped around for dinner and, with one thing and another, afterwards he and I got together in his practice room with a third friend, a (damn good!) drummer.
I played acoustic of course (it's my only instrument), the drummer drummed, and my friend sang and swapped back and forwards between electric guitar and bass. (When my BIL was alive the two of them always used to share guitar and bass duties.)
So that left me, most of the time, as the one and only guitarist. That was uncharted territory. Back in my band days - 30 and 40 and even more years ago, I always used to sing and play 2nd guitar (never took a solo in my life). Later on I switched to bass. But here I was, THE guitarist. Nowhere to hide. I have never, ever done that before!
But it all went OK and we had fun.
Fast forward to yesterday. I'm over here visiting the mainland once more so I gave him a ring and we did the same again. As before, we started with me on acoustic, him on bass and vocals, the drummer on drums. All good.
Then he handed me his bass and picked up a guitar. Strewth! But I I haven't played a bass for 30 years! Oh well, let's give it a go, I said. What the hell.
I reckon it took about one minute to get back on the bass guitar bike after three decades not p[laying it. I was amazed how it all came back to me. We ended up swapping back a couple of times for different songs but I spent most of the rest of the evening playing bass guitar and having fun. They've got a gig booked for next month and reckon the three of us should do it but that's not going to happen - I'll be back at home on the South Island by then. But we will at least have some more fun jamming next week.
Just one thing. I got a bit carried away on the bass and I woke up this morning with a painful little blood blister on my right index finger from too much punk-style buzz-sawing. Now I'm struggling to even play my guitar. :)