So sick of it . . . weird audition

Getting so sick of stuff like this . . .

I audition for a cover band yesterday and I have the songs learned to a T. We start playing and the guitarist is NOT playing the songs correctly. Not as in adding his own flavor; he's just playing the wrong chords. I know this because I uh, used my [i]ears[i] when I was learning the songs and I know what the right chords are. Anyways, things naturally sound off and the singer looks at me as if I'm off or something! And I'm not off - believe me. I am obsessive when it comes to learning things correctly. Plus, I know the difference between Gb and D. I've been doing this for a little while now.

I didn't say anything about it. My habit is to err on the side of politeness and try to make the best of situations. But I also didn't change what I was playing to suit everyone else. The hell with that. If I'm going to do something, I'm going to do it right.

Anyways, I've run into this a lot lately. Musicians who do a hack job at things and think it can suffice. People who learn songs in a half#*&@'s way and wonder why things don't sound right. Is it me, or are a lot of musicians getting lazier? When I was younger, standards seemed to be a lot higher - even in the local jam scene when I was a teenager.

A shame, really. They seemed like really nice people, and we got along well. But they sounded like crap. If they actually learned stuff the right way, they might be pretty good. I wouldn't be upset if they didn't call me back. If they DO call me back, I'm going to have to find a non-offensive way to tell this guitarist that he's not playing the songs correctly. Yech. I hate doing stuff like that.

[pasta4lnch]

I hear ya - gets me too. If you're gonna play something different you should at least give warning to other players!

I tell my singer/guitar player this all the time - I DON'T CARE how you want to play it, just tell me before hand so I can not look like an ass when we play different things and you look at me like I'm nuts!

but, unfortunately, this is not how things work. so much so that when we need a sub, and I give detailed charts, I get made fun of! . . . t'is what it t'is!

[MrTAteMyBalls]

that must have been really frustrating. there is no excuse for playing it wrong. i think it would have been OK to educate him a bit. or just ask why he was playing x chord instead of x chord?? politely, of course.

To top it off, we were playing mid-level, not too technical Euro symphonic/Gothic stuff like Within Temptation and Lacuna coil. Most of that stuff is played down-tuned to B standard, B flat, or even A standard, and a lot of the guitarists in the genre have simply made the move to 7 strings to get the job done right. The guitarist was playing a six string tuned to E standard and was substituting chords. Didn't sound right at all.

It's like . . . dude, use the right tool for the job, why don't ya? Get a $300 Ibanez 7 string and switch out the electronics if you don't have a lot of dough. Let's be a little daring here.

[duff beer]

It sounds like you auditioned for the band I just quit...they played the songs both wrong and poorly. It's too bad, because they were nice guys and a good hang, but I can't be in a band where they are happy sounding less than mediocre. To make things worse, they were more interested in adding more songs to their set list rather than learning to play the ones they "knew" correctly.

They never would have been great, but had they made an effort they could have been "acceptable". I'd rather play 35 songs well than 60 badly.

[duderasta]

hahaha what amazed me was how wrong I used to play stuff...
after years in an original band I started to put out feelers for a cover band gig. I got a list of songs in my inbox, and I think "this will be easy, I used to play that stuff 20 years ago"

LOL I don't know what we were playing back then, but it wasn't those songs! So lately I have been revisiting stuff I hadn't listened to in a long time. Lots of great playing that I never noticed before..

[Bob C]

Originally Posted by duderasta

LOL I don't know what we were playing back then, but it wasn't those songs! So lately I have been revisiting stuff I hadn't listened to in a long time. Lots of great playing that I never noticed before..

I'll second that. I've been there.

To the OP, I think in a sense older players (like me) ARE getting lazier. They don't approach learning yet another song with the same fervor as in the old days. They want to get to the end of the process and move on to the next song.

In your situation, it probably just wasn't the right band for you. Simple as that. I don't think there is any tactful way to convince them that YOU are the solution, rather than the problem. That is, I don't think telling everyone what is wrong with the guitar player is going to get you the gig.

Yeah, that's what I'm thinking too.

Originally Posted by Bob C

. . . I don't think telling everyone what is wrong with the guitar player is going to get you the gig.

[fretlessguy]

Well, not everyone has the same mindset when it comes to playing cover songs. If it were a pure cover band I can see your point. If it were just a mediocre performance, I can see that. But if the band has their own way of arranging their songs and you don't like how they do them, then they are not a fit for you and vice-versa. You are better off being in a band that you like their approach and that you will gee-haul with.

[Ric5]

If they play the wrong chords and they are good with that do you even want them to call you back?

[Zooberwerx]

Originally Posted by fretlessguy

But if the band has their own way of arranging their songs and you don't like how they do them, then they are not a fit for you and vice-versa...

Been there myself but let's not confuse "alternate arrangements" with "close enough". The latter may reflect some degree of apathy which does not lend itself well to any facet of performance. In the age of the information super-highway, its not that difficult to do things right with a minimum of research.

Riis

[squirefan]

Originally Posted by duderasta

hahaha what amazed me was how wrong I used to play stuff...
after years in an original band I started to put out feelers for a cover band gig. I got a list of songs in my inbox, and I think "this will be easy, I used to play that stuff 20 years ago"

LOL I don't know what we were playing back then, but it wasn't those songs! So lately I have been revisiting stuff I hadn't listened to in a long time. Lots of great playing that I never noticed before..

Right on! I'm in a Skynyrd tribute now with musicians that are sticklers for getting it right. We're always open as far as correcting each other. On that note, I remember years ago when I'd cringe at playing '3 Steps', and hearing other bar bands play it. But now, after learning things right I have a great appreciation for Skynyrd, and especially Leon Wilkeson's playing.

[ggunn]

Originally Posted by Zooberwerx

Been there myself but let's not confuse "alternate arrangements" with "close enough". The latter may reflect some degree of apathy which does not lend itself well to any facet of performance. In the age of the information super-highway, its not that difficult to do things right with a minimum of research.

Riis

There are only two ways to play a cover tune as far as I am concerned. Either correctly as recorded or completely differently.

[ggunn]

Originally Posted by MrTAteMyBalls

that must have been really frustrating. there is no excuse for playing it wrong. i think it would have been OK to educate him a bit. or just ask why he was playing x chord instead of x chord?? politely, of course.

That's kinda what I was thinking, too. I think I would have stopped and asked (in my most diplomatic tone of voice), "Isn't that supposed to be a Gb instead of a D?" If they played it the way they know it and you played it correctly but didn't say anything, they probably assumed that you are the one who learned it wrong. If they insisted that their way was correct, for the purpose of the audition I'd have played it their way to demonstrate how well I could fit in. If I got the gig, I'd fix the song.

Come to think of it, the whole setup was a joke. I was actually a little embarassed. Like I said, I consider myself a get-the-job-done metal guy, nothing spectacular, but come on . . the singer said she started the band five years ago, and she's singing through a beat up fender 212 combo at their rehersal space 'cause they have no PA. ???!!! Dude, not for nothin', but you can get a decent practice PA package at Guitar Center for $300.

And it was definitely apathy as far as the songs went. There's a big difference between creativity and laziness.

The crazy thing is, this bands gets gigs. No matter. Everything tells me to run. Thanks for the input, folks.

Originally Posted by Zooberwerx

Been there myself but let's not confuse "alternate arrangements" with "close enough". The latter may reflect some degree of apathy which does not lend itself well to any facet of performance. In the age of the information super-highway, its not that difficult to do things right with a minimum of research.

Riis

Exactly. You re-do it with a completely different spin, in a sense re-genre-fying it, or you do it as is.

If I had been content with learning songs half-^%$'d when I was a kid, my bass teacher would have thrown me and my bass through a window. That didn't mean I had to play fills exactly as Geezer Butler or Chris Squire or Rocco Prestia played them, but I had to play fills that were 'right' and fit the song.

Originally Posted by ggunn

There are only two ways to play a cover tune as far as I am concerned. Either correctly as recorded or completely differently.

[K2000]

Originally Posted by ggunn

I think I would have stopped and asked (in my most diplomatic tone of voice), "Isn't that supposed to be a Gb instead of a D?"

Yeah me too... I would have talked it out, to get everybody on the same page right away. You have to be able to communicate with your bandmates. It's more important that things sound good, than sticking with a bass part that is technically correct.

[kesslari]

OTOH, there are some questions that are either difficult to ask in phone interviews, or unlikely to get honest answers.
"Are you guys hacks who screw up the songs you try to play?" is definitely one of those questions.

So in one short audition, they saved you several weeks of pain and hassle. Good deal, that. Really.

[Craigmartini]

Originally Posted by jhan

Getting so sick of stuff like this . . .

I audition for a cover band yesterday and I have the songs learned to a T. We start playing and the guitarist is NOT playing the songs correctly. Not as in adding his own flavor; he's just playing the wrong chords. I know this because I uh, used my [i]ears[i] when I was learning the songs and I know what the right chords are. Anyways, things naturally sound off and the singer looks at me as if I'm off or something! And I'm not off - believe me. I am obsessive when it comes to learning things correctly. Plus, I know the difference between Gb and D. I've been doing this for a little while now.

I didn't say anything about it. My habit is to err on the side of politeness and try to make the best of situations. But I also didn't change what I was playing to suit everyone else. The hell with that. If I'm going to do something, I'm going to do it right.

Anyways, I've run into this a lot lately. Musicians who do a hack job at things and think it can suffice. People who learn songs in a half#*&@'s way and wonder why things don't sound right. Is it me, or are a lot of musicians getting lazier? When I was younger, standards seemed to be a lot higher - even in the local jam scene when I was a teenager.

A shame, really. They seemed like really nice people, and we got along well. But they sounded like crap. If they actually learned stuff the right way, they might be pretty good. I wouldn't be upset if they didn't call me back. If they DO call me back, I'm going to have to find a non-offensive way to tell this guitarist that he's not playing the songs correctly. Yech. I hate doing stuff like that.

Since it was only an audition, I think you did the right thing by not saying anything.
If they ask you to join their band, bring a copy of each tune with you to rehearsal.

When you start to play a song and the guitar player is playing the wrong chords. Stop, and ask " Are you sure those chords are right? Because I spent a few hours learning this and something doesn't sound right"

Pop in the original song and listen to the chords in question and compare. If he is so sure he is right, he will have no problem showing you that you are wrong Only, you can prove that you are not wrong because it will be rather apparent his chords are wrong when compared to the original.


Everyone in the band will see that you know what you are talking about. You can straighten out all the wrong notes, and be a knowledgeable voice of reason in the band.

If they don't call you.....Great! They play everything wrong anyway and you don't need to teach the guitar player his parts as well as learn yours.

IMHO

Craig

[Zooberwerx]

Originally Posted by ggunn

If I got the gig, I'd fix the song.

You are hopeful, aren't you? You can't fix obstinacy which is too often the case.

Riis