band is overhauling everything, need suggestions

The Ethanator · #1 12-03-2008, 03:16 PM

well, oakvilles (a local high school) battle of the bands is in january. and we didnt have enough time to throw together a decent set at all. one of our guitarists is playing for his previous band (who got back together just for this). so ive been suggesting all sorts of things. mainly that we should expand our musical horizons in the next few weeks by ALOT. the sound we were originally set on is a power metal/iron maiden-style sound. but now we are all thinking of progressing out of that to create our own unique style. i said that the first step in this is to tell each other what we all listen to. for me, its everything from tool to necrophagist. metal of all shapes and forms. then, i said that once we get back together to play regularly we should begin playing a wide variety of music to find out what we are best at. settling on that kind of music, then throw in different elements from other genres. has anyone ever tried this before? how did it work out? do ayou have any other suggestions on how i could make this plan better?

Hyde · #2 12-03-2008, 03:54 PM

Two words: polka metal. Think about it.

GearHeadBassMan · #3 12-03-2008, 04:08 PM

theres saying and doing. I was in a progressive experimental metal band as a teenager, at least, looking back, thats what I call it now. You can't force a sound, you just have to get together, and play. your genre will emerge from those jams and what you write.

What I'm saying is, don't TRY to be a genre. just play, and figure it out later.

you might end up with something like this www.myspace.com/diatribeart the last spawn of that prog experimental metal band I mentioned, most of those songs were written before I left.

Stumbo · #4 12-04-2008, 06:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Ethanator

.....to create our own unique style. how i could make this plan better?

I suggest that you just write some tunes and don't worry about "this influence or that influence". Your creativity is what it is. To be "unique" may not be a realistic goal. I mean, the Beatles started out as a skiffle band; who knew what they would develop into.

Wasted Bassist · #5 12-05-2008, 08:29 AM

I tried to be unique for a while, until it got cheesey. Just write music that doesn't suck. Beign unique is IMPOSSIBLE if that's what you're going for when you start out. Do you think Bach woke and decided he wanted create his own sound? No he wanted some money. Do you think Zappa decided to be awesome right away? No, you have to grow into a sound. Just try to not suck. Not sucking is an incredibly useful skill (that I'm still working on after 4 years of songwriting).

stflbn · #6 12-05-2008, 08:42 AM

Rather than trying to dictate what you're going to be before it happens I suggest just 'letting the sound happen'.

Each person come with what they prefer sound-wise and style wise and let the sound and style gel on it's own.

If someone's style and preferences sticks out as not especially gelling then there's choices to be made. Either that person can adapt sound/style wise or you can start looking for someone who's preferences and tone styles match better.

Personally I'm a big fan of players being true to their preferred styles and tones. When a player forces themselves to go other places it's not as rewarding.

Let the bands own individual styles and tones dictate the direction and band sound rather than taking a shoe-horn to the band.

Usually I prefer playing with guitarists with smooth flowing Satriani type sounds and styles, yet here I am now in an original project with two guitarists both playing Fender's with very clean sounds and styles. And frankly it's working great combined with my lowmid punchy bass sound. Everything is very distinct and clear. I never would have gone that direction with guitarists if it hadn't just 'happened'.

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blubass · #7 12-06-2008, 12:31 PM

Against the other posts here telling you to just "let it come" I do think you and your band need to have some idea of what you will be playing. It's cool to just let it come, except if my band did that one guitarist would be playing a power metal solo, the other a Protest The Hero song, while my drummer and I layed out a 12 bar blues pattern, does that sound right? No, it isn't. The idea is to have a common idea on the sound. If it's going to be heavy, then everyone should agree on heavy. Just remember not to spend too much time talking about what to write, rather than writing. Two or three practices of talks may find members searching for something else.

cassanova · #8 12-06-2008, 03:28 PM

simple solution, just have everyone pick one song that each of you like and work on it.

Zappstorius · #9 12-07-2008, 01:33 PM

Well personally I think that while you might have an idea of how you "want" to sound, one of the great things about writing original music is the process of being creative...meaning that things don't always turn out the way they were originally intended to be. Get in your rehearsal space and JAM! Don't go in with any preconcieved notions about what your going to play, but grind it out and see what happens.

"except if my band did that one guitarist would be playing a power metal solo, the other a Protest The Hero song, while my drummer and I layed out a 12 bar blues pattern, does that sound right?"

That actually sounds pretty interesting to me...much more that song rehashed Maiden or something like that...kinda sounds like Mr. Bungle!