Okay, there are drum machines.  Musicians who find themselves without a flesh and blood percussionist can always turn to programmable electronics to provide their rhythm section.  

My question is whether it's possible for drummers to make music without guitarists.  We already know that it's virtually impossible WITH guitarists.  And the more guitarists in the mix, the more difficult it becomes.  

I recently saw a joke that read, "What's the difference between guitar players and the PLO?".  The answer is:  You can negociate with the PLO.  

It would be hysterically funny IF it didn't hit quite so very close to home.  I'm finding guitar players to be the most hard-headed, irrational, irresponsible, and unreliable people on the planet.    

I'm tellin' ya, there's a ripe market for a guitar machine!!!

I'll be happy to.  But I would, as in most cases, prefer to refer you to my bassist for a more objective view.  He's not here, so I'll do my best.  

My approach has been that, since I am less experienced than most of the musicians I've been around, to "go with the flow".  I let them choose the music, and I do my best to accomodate.  Period.  

In the current situation, my bassist has certain favorites (groups, songs), and so I refer the prospective guitarists to him.  

The problems with guitarist have specifically been these:

1)  They simply do not show up when expected, and do not call to indicate such;

2)  They are often so very limited in their musical taste as to refuse to even consider music other than that of two or maybe three groups;

3)  When they DO have a disagreement, their way of handling it, rather than to discuss it with other members of the group, is either to turn up the volume of their amps in order to drown everybody else out or to go off by themselves and pout.

I insist upon open, honest communication, dedication to the project at hand, and common courtesy.  That's it.  I've yet to even attempt to impose my will musically.  Quite the opposite.  I've had a bassist say, "Oh, come ON, the music should be everybody's choosing.", and I'd say, "Whatever you pick is fine with me."   Because I knew and trusted my bassist to pick good stuff.  

If that paints me as a hardass, then so be it.  

Learning to get by with no guitarist at all sounds like an awesome idea. I'll mention this to my bassist.  

Truth is, what I really would like to find is a guitarist whose musical listening range spans more than, say, 3 or 4 groups, can dial a telephone, and will show up when he says he will.  Hey, maybe it's the area where I live, but so far, I only have met one.  He's an awesome guitarist, and an awesome human being.  But he's quit playing altogether and is dedicating himself to doing tatoos.  Go figure!!!

All I can tell you is what MY experience with guitarists has been, and it has been rotten, but for that one exception.  If you don't like it, then I'm sorry.  I won't debate it.  I'm just relating my experience.  Period.  It could have ALOT to do with where I live.  THAT would not surprise me.   Of the local groups whose breakup I have witnessed as an observer (knowing some of the members), it was always a guitarist or guitarists who decided that they were suddely too good to play with their fellow bandmembers, and walked out  -- not with proper notice, not with any civility, but simply (sometimes without any notice) just WALKED.      

D'oh!   I apparently totally forgot something ...

http://www.sharewaremusicmachine.com

Great source for software.   You should be able to hack together a laptop guitarist for free via the stuff on that site.  

NO, Joe.   Not at all.  I said, "I'M finding guitar players ... ".  That would imply clearly MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE with guitar players -- guitar players with whom I have had personal contact.  How else COULD it be taken?  I did not make ANY blanket statement about ALL guitarists.  Merely the ones I have had contact with.  I stated the way in which I AM FINDING guitar players.  

And that's exactly what I meant.  A whole series of guitar players -- one after the other -- have exhibited the most CONSISTENTLY BIZARRE, immature and irresponsible behaviour I have ever seen in one relatively small group of people who are unrelated, except for the fact that they all play guitar.    

Rather than anything else I LAMENT that this relatively small group might represent ALL guitar players.  I hope and pray that they do not and I hope very, very soon to be proven GROSSLY mislead by their specific conduct.  I hope to be proven so far off course as to hang my head in shame.  That's what I hope.  

And while I thank 563 profusely for the link he shared with us, I must add unfortunately that the way in which he reacted to all of this (taking it very, very personally -- for those of you who have not seen the private messages I received) has simply not gone very far to convince me that what I have experienced is terribly out of the ordinary.        

I've read tons of brutal jokes about drummers and I merely LAUGHED at them.  Why?  Because they are funny.  And because I know that ALL stereotypes, whether or not we like to admit it, DO stem from a GRAIN, however minute, of truth.   And because I KNOW that these jokes do NOT apply to me personally, so why should they upset me?  Why should I react the way that 563 did?  I don't.    

I would say that I regret this whole thread, but I don't.  I don't regret it because you have convinced me that music without guitar players --- yea, even rock music --- might be very possible without any guitarists at all.  Let's hope.  We may just give it a serious try.      

And that is my very last word on this subject.  

Period.  

 

Now it is clear, apparently, what you meant.  However, please note that I said, "It is not wrong...to assume...", not "the sentence indicates no other meaning or phrasing than a description toward all guitarists".


So long as a chance is given toward the guitarists in question, I agree, with the hope that you would instead work to move forward rather than hang your head in shame.    


As far as I can see, you refer to jokes when the matter at hand seems to consist not of jokes (and tolerance of such) but your real disappointment with some guitarists; more specifically, a series of whom with poor personalities that seems to have influenced your opinion of they as a whole, despite your disclaimers of such.

I work with two guitar players in my band.  Both are very responsible, are always on time, and work very hard to make sure everything sounds good. Having said that, our difficulties have all stemmed from bass players.

As to making music without guitar.... "Morphine" ...one rockin' band!

Actually, Porterhouse Quintet.  

I found it HERE

Indeed it is, for a big success story in the UK look at a band called Keane, they have 3 members: a singer, piano player and a drummer. They released probably the biggest album of 2004 which I believe is still number 1 in the UK album charts. No guitarist there and they can make great music that really sells