Band Q&A

Rylonmcnz · #1 02-25-2011, 08:24 AM

I have been playing bass for about 9 years now. I have barely any band experience because of lack of a place to practice and also a lack of good musicians.

My friend rem who is a great guitar player, and my friend Nate who is a great drummer started jamming with a guitar/piano player names jesse. They asked me to jam with them because Jesse has a place to practice. Of course I jumped at the opportunity.

Now I have been realizing that Jesse(the person with the place to practice, and who has been playing for maybe 2 years with barely any knowledge of musical theory) wants lead parts, wants to sing, and want to play a lot if his songs.

Last practice Jesse introduced a song to me with about 3 different time signatures and is written in 3 different keys. I told him that the song would need changes in order to sound like music, i explained why, and he didnt seem to care. This song sounds ridiculous, jesses voice sounds tone def, and now Jesse wants to go to a recording studio.

Jesse is really trying to take the lead on this band, even though he is the least talented and least experienced. Our lead guitar player on the other hand has great songs and a great voice.

Questions:
Should there be a band leader?(the lead guitar player, who IS talented and experienced)
Should we be recording what is not really considered music?
What should I do?(I don't have much band experience, I don't really understand what actions should be taken)
Should we be playing the songs written by Jesse(the one who is NOT talented)
Should the rhythm guitar/piano player(jesse) play lead guitar in some songs or should he remain rhythm?

JohnMCA72 · #2 02-25-2011, 09:05 AM

Most successful bands do have a leader. Somebody usually has to herd all the cats in some consistent direction. A lot of people just plain don't want to take on the role, even though they might be pretty good at it. Some people want to do it, even if they suck at it. A lot of times, the role of leader falls to the guy who has the rehearsal space, PA, lights, truck, etc.

In the absence of true leader, take a vote on what to play. If you do that often enough, you'll find out first-hand why it's usually a good idea to actually have a leader!

You really didn't give enough information to make any sort of reasonable answer for most of your questions. What should you do? I don't know. What I would do would be to look hard for a replacement for Jesse & his rehearsal space!

What is or isn't considered "music" is very personal. Apparently, you & Jesse have different opinions. Neither is more or less valid than the other.

Trying to tell other people what to do seldom works, unless you're paying them to do what they're told. Some band leaders do exactly that. Otherwise, where band members are all more-or-less equal partners, you all have to figure out some way to arrive at some consensus of what to do. If somebody isn't willing to bend to "majority rule", there will be problems.

Col Pruse · #3 02-25-2011, 09:13 AM

Jesse does have that valuable practice space, so it seems that without him, you have no band...

Rylonmcnz · #4 02-25-2011, 09:15 AM

Yeah I understand what you're saying and I agree. But it's lookin like me and the lead guitarist are what makes the band what it is, not to be arrogant. I just feel used. If the band is going to work out for me and him I guess we'll just have to have more creative control.

Marko5657 · #5 02-25-2011, 09:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnMCA72

... What I would do would be to look hard for a replacement for Jesse & his rehearsal space!

+1

Quote:

What is or isn't considered "music" is very personal. Apparently, you & Jesse have different opinions. Neither is more or less valid than the other.

Well, imo, it's not quite as subjective as all that.

If you want people to want to listen to your music, there are some basic rules to making it palatable.

Rylonmcnz · #6 02-25-2011, 09:29 AM

Yeah, these songs are beyond amature

touji · #7 02-25-2011, 09:31 AM

Also remember that the "leader" of a band does not necessarily have to be the one who "makes" the band what it is. I know of some bands whose leaders are the rhythm guitar players, who are not the front man. The leader is someone who can keep the group cohesive, book your gigs, be diplomatic, and make things work. It seems like this Jesse guy just doesn't know whats up (I'm still a little naive like him and I've been playing bass for about 6 years and guitar for about 4). Before getting to the studio, suggest to him to record jams to see if its worth spending the money to hit the studio. He might be shocked at what he hears (unless he really is tone deaf).

NKUSigEp · #8 02-25-2011, 09:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rylonmcnz

...Questions:
Should there be a band leader?(the lead guitar player, who IS talented and experienced)
Should we be recording what is not really considered music?
What should I do?(I don't have much band experience, I don't really understand what actions should be taken)
Should we be playing the songs written by Jesse(the one who is NOT talented)
Should the rhythm guitar/piano player(jesse) play lead guitar in some songs or should he remain rhythm?

You win some you lose some. Sometimes the best thing to do is record what you guys sound like and then sit back and let everyone draw their own conclusions. If it's that bad, he'll hear it firsthand. Having a "leader" is not a bad thing as long as they put the BAND's best interests before their own. Invest in some cheap recording devices (a Boss BR-532 with a good mic in the middle of the room has produced excellent results for me!) and that way you can get a rough-draft to work with and decide if you want to spend money professionally recording it.

Decide as a band what songs you're going to play...if Jesse wants to play something he wrote, don't just ignore him. Give it a couple go's and then simply tell him, "I'm not feeling it and the last time we played that song should be the last time we play that song".

However, maybe use some of his ideas for other songs? Like taking a riff or two and making a song out of it and then taking another riff or two and making another song. So instead of just one song he wrote, you guys have two songs that you collectively wrote. And as far as the whole lead vs. rhythm thing, it doesn't matter. Some bands just work trading off lead and rhythm (Slayer) while others just work having a "rhythm" guy and a "lead" guy (Mastodon).

What it boils down to is how much you're willing to put up with given the situation you're in not having much of a choice. Whatever happens...good luck!

tZer · #9 02-25-2011, 10:03 AM

I think all worthwhile projects need a leader or leadership.

A leader is only someone who can get people to follow him.

A good leader will keep good people interested in following him.

HeadyVan Halen · #10 02-25-2011, 10:12 AM

1.) Yes you should have a leader.
2.) Record it as long as it's on his dime.
3.) Stay in the band until something or someone comes along.
4.) Again, if the session is on his dime, sure. If you guys have gigs lined up and you KNOW you can't play these songs...um, probably not.
5.) You can't make someone lead. Either it's in'em or it ain't.

Good luck..welcome to music

Rylonmcnz · #11 02-25-2011, 10:45 AM

Haha well thanks for the help. I guess we'll just have to take it as it comes, and keep an eye out for another band.

bluewine · #12 02-25-2011, 10:52 AM

I think you should can the whole Originals thing for right now. See if you can land some auditions with experienced musicians that are playing out. You might have to go the route of cover bands, but that should be ok. It will get you some experience playing out.

Theres a lot to be learned from doing shows , it's not easy.

Marko5657 · #13 02-25-2011, 11:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bluewine

I think you should can the whole Originals thing for right now. See if you can land some auditions with experienced musicians that are playing out. you might have to go the route of cover bands, but that should be ok. It will get you some experience playing out.

Theres a lot to be learned from doing shows , it's not easy.

I have to agree with this, if you want to be a gigging band and get paid, and gain experience as a musician.

You can always slip in some originals in time.

electracoyote · #14 02-25-2011, 11:15 AM

You and your guitar player friend need to have a serious heart-to-heart, and you just need to be honest regarding how you feel about Jesse.

If guitar player agrees, you will have an ally and maybe you can get something done.

If guitar player disagrees, you have two choices: Grin and bear it, or politely bounce.

bluewine · #15 02-25-2011, 03:01 PM

Just a side note, I know how tough it is for musicains that don't live in highly populated metro areas to get something going.

jaywa · #16 02-25-2011, 04:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by touji

Also remember that the "leader" of a band does not necessarily have to be the one who "makes" the band what it is.

Well put. Every successful band needs a frontman (or woman), and a leader. Those two roles do not have to reside in the same person and very often, they don't.

hrodbert696 · #17 02-26-2011, 06:00 AM

Seems to me a lot is going to depend on how willing Jesse is to listen to the rest of the band. Having a leader is a good idea; see what happens if all of you vote on leader, with no one allowed to vote for themselves. From what you describe, I assume that vote is not likely to go with Jesse as things stand. Band leader doesn't need to be band dictator, but he will set the agenda for what you are going to work on and he'll make the final decision which songs will make the cut or not for performance.

As for Jesse's songs, do him the courtesy of taking the time to learn them. Then have the band vote (or the elected leader decide) if they are suitable for an audience and if they fit the kind of sound you want to have. Or, for that matter, play one in front of an audience and watch what happens. If the dance floor empties out, everybody wanders away, and you get only a smattering of mildly polite applause, hopefully Jesse will get the point.

Stumbo · #18 02-26-2011, 03:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rylonmcnz

I have been playing bass for about 9 years now. I have barely any band experience because of lack of a place to practice...

Since having a place to rehearse has created a very big problem for you, especially playing bass for almost a decade, I suggest that you invest in electronic drums and headphone practice/rehearsal technology.

Here are a few links to check out:
http://www.thegearpage.net/board/sho...d.php?t=600002
http://www.vdrums.com/forum/showthre...-band-practice
http://www.sweetwater.com/forums/sho...p-%28Silent%29
http://www.the-nextlevel.com/tnl/thr...chnology-great!

More links here.