First Band - Originals or Covers?

[Phalex]

Cover tunes are great for educating yourself. You need to play a cover tune with some sort of skill in order for it to sound like the tune you're covering.

[hrodbert696]

A lot will have to do with your schedule and with the particular goals of the originals bands, too. Some are just guys who want to jam in their basement and record whatever while others are guys who are intent on "making it." If your time is limited and these guys want to spend three nights a week writing and recording, the originals band would not be for you. Also, a lot will depend on whether they expect YOU to be writing original bass lines, and how comfortable you are doing that, vs. if they want to GIVE you a bass line to execute - it may well be that a songwriter has already composed a bass line on keys or guitar and just will want you to perform it.

My gut reaction, if you are where I think you are, would be not to worry about jumping straight into a serious gigging band, but instead look for a group to jam with, probably mostly on covers, and let any future band opportunities grow out of (or replace) that.

[DwaynieAD]

never played in a cover band. would love to.

[BigRedX]

Do whatever gets you playing music you like with musicians you can get on with.

You don't need to play covers in a band to work out how to put songs together - you can do that on your own simply by learning to play other people's songs for your own enjoyment.

My first band was all originals. It never even occurred to us that we should start by learning how to play covers. All our favourite bands wrote their own songs and so that is what we did. I had been playing in bands for almost 10 years before I ever played a cover with other musicians in front of an audience.

[bassgod0dmw]

I think playing with other musicians is the important part for learning.

As for covers vs. originals, play in whichever you seem to like better. It will be more fun that way, and that's what this is all about! Sometimes it can feel like a job, but don't forget to have fun too.

[bluewine]

Originally Posted by bassgod0dmw

I think playing with other musicians is the important part for learning.

As for covers vs. originals, play in whichever you seem to like better. It will be more fun that way, and that's what this is all about! Sometimes it can feel like a job, but don't forget to have fun too.

Agreed, however if you passion is gigging be careful.

Your will want your search to ultimately land you on stage on a weekly basis with an original or cover band with consistent bookings.

Blue

[bassbully]

My vote is covers. When I got back to playing about 11 years ago I never thought about originals and did covers since I knew allot to the songs mentally and there were just more cover bands period. This made the learning curve less steep.

If I would of tried an originals band like I am in today back then I would of been buried. The players are too good and we are expected to write and arrange out our own parts to chord sheets or scratch tracks and work it around 4-5 instruments. This was something I could not of done without a few years of gigging covers first.

[LiquidMidnight]

When listening to musicians play originals, I can almost always tell the musicians who went straight to playing originals and the musicians who cut their teeth for a while playing covers. The latter are almost always better musicians, better arrangers, and write more interesting material. They developed their chops by playing other people's material. You can write around limitations, which sometimes impedes new musicians' progress when they go straight to originals. If you have have to nail a diminished-7th chord over a 5/4 time signature in someone else's material, then you're playing it if you want to do a good job.

For new players, I almost always recommend joining a country band for their first project. Contrary to popular belief, it's a lot more than root-5th. I recommend country because it will expose new players to a vast amount of styles, including the aforementioned root-5th, but also shuffles, swings, calypsos, 6/8 ballads, waltzs, and yes, even straight ahead 8th note roots. Also, it's a style where taste is very important. New players, particuarly bassists and drummers, like to overplay, so playing a style of music that requires restraint will be beneficial to your over-all musicianship.

[the yeti]

Originally Posted by LiquidMidnight

For new players, I almost always recommend joining a country band for their first project. Contrary to popular belief, it's a lot more than root-5th. I recommend country because it will expose new players to a vast amount of styles, including the aforementioned root-5th, but also shuffles, swings, calypsos, 6/8 ballads, waltzs, and yes, even straight ahead 8th note roots. Also, it's a style where taste is very important. New players, particuarly bassists and drummers, like to overplay, so playing a style of music that requires restraint will be beneficial to your over-all musicianship.

i'm guessing like a lot of people i thought country was "less than" until i spent some time in a country/americana band. it's tougher than it looks folks.

[bassbully]

Originally Posted by LiquidMidnight

When listening to musicians play originals, I can almost always tell the musicians who went straight to playing originals and the musicians who cut their teeth for a while playing covers. The latter are almost always better musicians, better arrangers, and write more interesting material. They developed their chops by playing other people's material. You can write around limitations, which sometimes impedes new musicians' progress when they go straight to originals. If you have have to nail a diminished-7th chord over a 5/4 time signature in someone else's material, then you're playing it if you want to do a good job.

For new players, I almost always recommend joining a country band for their first project. Contrary to popular belief, it's a lot more than root-5th. I recommend country because it will expose new players to a vast amount of styles, including the aforementioned root-5th, but also shuffles, swings, calypsos, 6/8 ballads, waltzs, and yes, even straight ahead 8th note roots. Also, it's a style where taste is very important. New players, particuarly bassists and drummers, like to overplay, so playing a style of music that requires restraint will be beneficial to your over-all musicianship.

Great post! So true at least it was for me. When I got back to playing I started in a classic rock band since I knew allot of the songs and it was where I was at musically. The songs were all covers and I picked up on them pretty quick.

The next band I joined did almost all newer rock at the time... Bush, Collective Soul etc and I had a new learning curve then. That band also did about 5 originals and I started my love then with them and recording studios etc.

I had to leave that band before I really wanted to due to band issues and found myself wondering ..where do I go now?
Since I grew up on country music I went that direction and it became the best learning experience for me. Playing 3 hour sets of old country standards, Elvis tunes and plain old oldies really was a challenge for me and I learned so much surrounded by pro's at their own game. The BL had a few albums and I learned more playing that music and his originals than ever before.

Today the experiences from classic rock, rock and country bands have helped me as a musician. I learned to play by feel and to be able to write my own basslines instead of coping others like I would of if i didnt play all the other types of music.

It has been a long road getting back but the experiences have made it fun and for an old fart like me I am still motivated.

[RandalPinkFloyd]

Originally Posted by LiquidMidnight

When listening to musicians play originals, I can almost always tell the musicians who went straight to playing originals and the musicians who cut their teeth for a while playing covers. The latter are almost always better musicians, better arrangers, and write more interesting material. They developed their chops by playing other people's material. You can write around limitations, which sometimes impedes new musicians' progress when they go straight to originals. If you have have to nail a diminished-7th chord over a 5/4 time signature in someone else's material, then you're playing it if you want to do a good job.

For new players, I almost always recommend joining a country band for their first project. Contrary to popular belief, it's a lot more than root-5th. I recommend country because it will expose new players to a vast amount of styles, including the aforementioned root-5th, but also shuffles, swings, calypsos, 6/8 ballads, waltzs, and yes, even straight ahead 8th note roots. Also, it's a style where taste is very important. New players, particuarly bassists and drummers, like to overplay, so playing a style of music that requires restraint will be beneficial to your over-all musicianship.

I agree with this. Writing original music or arrangements is very difficult, more so than playing covers. At least with covers, you have a basis to start with. As a beginner, trying to write something when you don't have a clear understanding of how everything fits is more difficult than trying to learn something already written. My first coverband, really helped me out in the learning process of writing my own bass lines. I look back at the few original bass lines I wrote (which was not many at all) before the cover band experience and it makes me want to vomit.

[bluewine]

Originally Posted by RandalPinkFloyd

I agree with this. Writing original music or arrangements is very difficult, more so than playing covers. At least with covers, you have a basis to start with. As a beginner, trying to write something when you don't have a clear understanding of how everything fits is more difficult than trying to learn something already written. My first coverband, really helped me out in the learning process of writing my own bass lines. I look back at the few original bass lines I wrote (which was not many at all) before the cover band experience and it makes me want to vomit.

I can't speak for all originals but this sense that covers are easy is absurd and just wrong in my opinion.

The originals bands I've seen in Milwaukee ( and I've seen many) all have one thing in common. They all seem to play the most basic repetitive 3 chord songs that I would call more than easy.

Blue

[bassbully]

Originally Posted by bluewine

I can't speak for all originals but this sense that covers are easy is absurd and just wrong in my opinion.

The originals bands I've seen in Milwaukee ( and I've seen many) all have one thing in common. They all seem to play the most basic repetitive 3 chord songs that I would call more than easy.

Blue

And that is your experience. Mine is allot different and like I said covers for the most part come pretty easy to me.

My band has allot of stop's, tempo shifts, dynamics and key changes and the songwriter likes to write in funky keys and loves the minor scale

Covers are already done and all I have to do is listen and practice to reproduce them. If I have an issue I go the net and pull up the chords to the song...can't do that with originals.
When you have a fiddle player saying son you are moving to much on a certain song you then have to go back and refigure how to lay down your basslines and allow the fiddle to shine.

Trust me nobody is saying covers are easy but for some of us they don't present the challenge that originals do and it is one reason I prefer them.

[rtslinger]

First band was and all original band started in my cousin basement we were writing crazy songs because we were into horror movies as kids, Screaming Lawn mowers in the cellar was title I recall oh also Skyway to mars was another, Rein Of Terror, Mid Night Massakist (spelled that way) Slow down, Joe, The walking Dead yeah fun stuff all of 11 years old
lyrics for the walking dead yeah some how I remember that some 43 years later
She was the walking dead/ she didn't have a head/ but she was still walking around she was a gastely sight but she could go all night/ once she came out of the ground

[CPplaysBASS]

I started out in an original band and found I was simply playing to my (limited) ability at that time. If a part would have sounded better with a different approach, I did not have the base of knowledge or experience to know any better.

Once I joined cover bands, it forced me to stretch all areas of my playing. And yes, I needed to be in a band for that extra pressure. I can learn covers on my own practicing at home, but it's easy to say "not quite but close enough."

With some covers, I sweated and wondered aloud why I put myself in a situation of trying to play a song beyond my abilities (still do), but have to say I always figure it out and always learn something to take forward the next time I'm working on an originals project. The nice thing is when you hear something you thought was going to be difficult and then realize you can learn it almost immediately - your fingers just know what to do if you expose yourself to enough covers.

Same goes with hearing an original part in your head and the idea being transferred down to your fingers. In my experience, the time spent on covers has made me a better player moreso than working on original songs (even though the latter is definitely more rewarding when you develolp a bassline that totally makes a song better).

[bluewine]

Originally Posted by bassbully

Trust me nobody is saying covers are easy but for some of us they don't present the challenge that originals do and it is one reason I prefer them.

Since we're generalizing, I say,
fair enough.

With all due respect;

For me originals don't present the challenge that covers do and it's also for one reason, I prefer them.

Regards

blue

[Bert Slide]

Originally Posted by bluewine

For me originals don't present the challenge that covers do and it's also for one reason, I prefer them.

Regards

blue

HAHA! I feel just the opposite: For me covers don't present the challenge that originals do and that's why I prefer them.

It's probably because I am basically lazy. I can show up every weekend with little or no woodshedding and get paid.

[backup]

you can in NO way generalize which one "presents" more of "a challenge"

[deepBassie]

Covers Band: for a beginning musician a covers band or originals band will teach a person much about playing his/her instrument . However, I think that being in a covers band allows one more time to focus on becoming a good performer and developing stage presence (more chances to play live gigs) which is almost as important as playing your instrument well.

[bluewine]

Originally Posted by backup

you can in NO way generalize which one "presents" more of "a challenge"

Your right, for example, Joe Nerve has some original stuff I could never play.

There's also some covers material that's over my head.

Blue