Playing Bass in Weddings with Event Bands [ AN's Bass Lessons #6 ]

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For the 6th Adam Neely's Bass Lessons we're up in Skeneatelas, NY for a wedding reception with an event band. Playing with these bands is great because of the high energy gigs, good vibes, good money....but it can be demanding, and requires you as a musician to be on the top of your game.

Thanks to the Metropolitan Players! Check them out below.

Peace,

Adam

[IanUnderwoodBass]

Dude, this is hilarious that I'm seeing this video now. Published Aug 31, I played a gig up in Skeneatelas at another venue for another wedding the 29th, lol. Here's a little bit of advice: try not to be that bass player who leaves during the second set in an ambulance for internal bleeding and blood clots.

[Tommat]

I was working weddings last summer but as a barman. That Ed Sheeran song, as well as Uptown Funk, were the bane of my existence.

[charliebarber]

Jayzus that drunk guy hit a D5! Well, I use 'hit' in its broadest possible sense...

[RobKandell]

Doesn’t professionalism also include not getting drunk and hitting on the bride?

[mdp]

I did these gigs for years. Your description is very accurate. It is the case that the effort put into learning the detail is what justifies the fee. This is much harder work than people think it is. It’s also the death of playing pleasure if you do too many. When I stopped I didn’t pick up an instrument for about 2 years.

[christiannorton]

I'm so glad I'm rewatching these videos now that I have my own bass and equipment. I'm even about to play my first real gig--not church, not college, just a group of dudes playing at a bar--pretty soon. This information is so much more pertinent now than when I first discovered the channel ~3 years ago.

[Alleycat]

In college I was somewhat in an event jazz band. Whenever the college was a part of some funs raiser our jazz quintet would play wallpaper music during seating and dinner. I don't know how many times we were asked to play In The Mood.

[ozbondweefin]

Hey Adam, I have literally played (no kidding) thousands of these kinds of gigs over the years (many, many years) all over the country. Can you address the calling of a tune's key using fingers, that is for example, two fingers down meaning B flat. Peculiar to the NYC area, sharps are called down and flats are up (two fingers up, like a "peace sign" means B flat). This seems completely counter-intuitive. I've been told that the reason for the "key calling signal inversion" is that in the early jazz days, horn players would call the tunes and the keys. Since horn players prefer to play in "flat" keys they would just flash the keys, assumed to always be in a flat key, as fingers up (one finger up, "F", two fingers up, B flat, three fingers up, E flat, etc.). Since you're now in NYC playing "club dates", or as some have called it, "musical prostitution" (willing to play anything as long as you get paid), have you run into this yourself?

[andyoncea]

Seems like cover bands are doing almost the same stuff in every country. Hello from Moldova! :)

[RussellRodgers]

Great fan of your teaching videos. I have all my students watch your left hand technique video. Great work!!

[kickbiker]

Quite a lot of detail in a short time frame. No fat ... Very informative ... and done in your no nonsense style! Cool!

[michailzagranichny]

Playing in wedding and event band in Russia I may say - there's almost no difference.

HUNDERDS of song and long live sets.

[Rakoah]

That's awesome man. I just started playing Piano about a year ago and I can't wait untill I can reach a level to be a full time paid musician. Your channel is inspiring me to actually learn how to read/write music instead of just being an improv studio producer.

[rafetizer]

I spotted Jamiroquai on one of those song lists! Do you ever play any Jamiroquai? Those basslines rule.

[randmace]

Great service to the bass community Adam....😎🎸🎶

[randmace]

What do you get after you drink parallel 🍸

[petersams]

I'm from seattle, I've never heard the term "event band". A LOT of my gigs are these type gigs. Thanks for the east coast insight.

[eskil]

2:45 that dude actually hit a high D in chest voice, impressive

[resistthisday]

Awesome. Insightful and interesting video about and area of the business that people rarely see.

[vigilancebrandon]

Love your account. I play trumpet but it's awesome to learn about bass and lots of great theory in general. Thanks