OVERPLAYING...is there a solid definition?

[Fire-Starter]

I have listened to people like Ricky Minor for example, and I hear comments about how he tends to over play, but isn't this subjective? not only to him, but to anyone, I mean song by song, what one thinks is overplaying, another thinks is creativity. In my opinon, the only one who should have that kind of say, is the Composer who Knows EXACTLY what he wants to hear from the bass, no more, no less, but if you are ask to fill in a bass part with your feel etc, of course not being a showoff etc, who is to say/judge at that point?

Can someone please give me a ROCK SOLID DEFINITION OF OVERPLAYING?

[SuperDuck]

It's when you play too much.

[stedtale]

...playing more than is needed or the music calls for....

[lefty007]

It is highly subjective and it depends on the music style.

Jazz, fusion, prog-rock, calls for a lot of notes and a lot of playing. But if you are doing all kinds of stuff on your own, without locking in and listening to what other musicians are doing, you are overplaying.

In a pop context, vocals are king. You need to make sure your playing enhances the track withouth stepping over the melody.

Same thing when people are taking solos: let them do their thing and provide a solid foundation - don't compete with what they are doing.

But obviously, the secret of mastery is to know when to kick it up a notch and play more and fill more space, and interact with the soloist or frontman, and when to lay back and let others speak.

There is a fine line between being a genius and overplaying.

The more you listen to others musicians in the band and try to enhance the music coherently as "one" the more you will know if you are overplaying.

Overplaying is a pet peeve of mine. Most drummers I've played with overplay, doing a freakin' fill every four bars, and doing fills that have nothing to do rhythmically with the content of the song. It boils my blood.

[iplaybassguitar]

there really isnt a ROCK SOLID definition of anything in music. everything is what sounds good and what doesn't, and that is subjective to each individual.

[CelinderMotoMan]

Overplaying, he's just classically trained.

[stedtale]

^

[CelinderMotoMan]

Originally Posted by Fire-Starter

I have listened to people like Ricky Minor for example, and I hear comments about how he tends to over play, but isn't this subjective?

He gets called for major dates, to be the band leader. If you hear someone say that he overplays, that person is most likely an idiot. Pat him on the helmet and give him his medication.

[Baryonyx]

No, just do whatever the song takes. If being busy sounds good, go for it!

[tZer]

I'll take a stab at a definition...

To overplay (verb):
a) Playing in such a way as to detract from the primary focus of the part at hand.
b) Showboating while still docked


When the singer is singing, it is probably not a great time to try out that Wooten-slap-tap-doublethumb-thingamabob you have been woodshedding on all month.

[Eric Perry]

Originally Posted by CelinderMotoMan

If you hear someone say that he overplays, that person is most likely an idiot. Pat him on the helmet and give him his medication.

Post of the day!!!!

[MysticMichael]

Yes, of course it's subjective. And no, of course there's no absolute, rock-solid definition of overplaying that fits every conceivable situation. That's because it's a matter of aesthetic judgment and good taste...

This is music. Ya need the structure and security of absolute objectivity and universal definitions? Go into accounting. Or engineering...

MM

[anderbass]

Originally Posted by lefty007

It is highly subjective and it depends on the music style.

Jazz, fusion, prog-rock, calls for a lot of notes and a lot of playing. But if you are doing all kinds of stuff on your own, without locking in and listening to what other musicians are doing, you are overplaying.

In a pop context, vocals are king. You need to make sure your playing enhances the track withouth stepping over the melody.

Same thing when people are taking solos: let them do their thing and provide a solid foundation - don't compete with what they are doing.

But obviously, the secret of mastery is to know when to kick it up a notch and play more and fill more space, and interact with the soloist or frontman, and when to lay back and let others speak.

There is a fine line between being a genius and overplaying.

The more you listen to others musicians in the band and try to enhance the music coherently as "one" the more you will know if you are overplaying.

Overplaying is a pet peeve of mine. Most drummers I've played with overplay, doing a freakin' fill every four bars, and doing fills that have nothing to do rhythmically with the content of the song. It boils my blood.

+1...Great post.

[CelinderMotoMan]

Originally Posted by lefty007

Overplaying is a pet peeve of mine. Most drummers I've played with overplay, doing a freakin' fill every four bars, and doing fills that have nothing to do rhythmically with the content of the song. It boils my blood.

I agree, no matter how simple the song, most drummers will double up the kick drum/ high hat pattern or try to complicate the beat and then ask why the song doesn't seem to groove.

[lowphatbass]

Overplaying: When the person who is paying you, or can fire you thinks you are playing too much.

[BellBottomBlues]

Playing 50 notes a second when playing blues....

[Asa Samuel]

Originally Posted by CelinderMotoMan

He gets called for major dates, to be the band leader. If you hear someone say that he overplays, that person is most likely an idiot. Pat him on the helmet and give him his medication.

forget his medication, i'd put him down.

[AdlerAugen]

In music, your ears tend to go to the most complex or the loudest line. If you make the least important part the one most listened to by making it too complex, you're overplaying.

Or trying to make sure there's nothing with more time than a quarter note. Trust me, half and whole notes are cool once in a while.

[Digo]

In the words of The Musical Emperor to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

"Just too many notes, there are only so much notes a body can hear in one evening, cut a few of them and it will be perfect"

[Deacon_Blues]

Overplaying is not about the amount of notes. It's about playing tastefully, i.e. knowing what to play and when. However, as many people have said, taste is subjective.

Another subject not often mentioned is underplaying. It's not as bad as overplaying, but it can kill a song, too...