Advice for young guy playing with older gents

[bassliner50]

Bassliner should've weighed in earlier this is the only post the OP needs. Good job.

We were all in his shoes at one time............sigh

 

[wmhill]

and be totally honest & frank with them-and let your audition tell the tale. People see right through someone blowing smoke up their skirt.

 

[Gravedigger Dav]

Never even made a hint of "Being to good to play other peoples music". On the dues issue, playing Hendrix and whatever else by somebody else wether in your bedroom or in a local bars or weddings or events isn't much paying dues either. I learned to play and continually learn to play and write music with the conscience effort to not sound like something before. If a lick or riff I think up reminds me of something I've heard myself or others do I sh!t can it right then, I try not write lyrics using the same words or subject matter. Basically try and be original as possible. Now that doesn't go without saying that I haven't been influenced by anybody, band or anything but I don't need to play other songs to get me where I'm at creatively. Could I play the Lemon Song or some Rush or some whatever sure anybody can. As good as the OG artist? Never.

Didn't say you said you were to good. Another poster did and I do find it pervasive among those refuse to do covers that it is beneath them.
I still disagree with your premise. You do learn a lot from playing other people's music.

 

[mellowinman]

Didn't say you said you were to good. Another poster did and I do find it pervasive among those refuse to do covers that it is beneath them.
I still disagree with your premise. You do learn a lot from playing other people's music.

Maybe not everyone does. I sure did/do!

 

[aborgman]

So if an originals band spends the first few years of its existence piled into a van trucking all over the country playing shows (good ones and bad ones) town to town eating bologna sandwiches sleeping wherever and whenever they can establishing presence and building momentum and eventually getting picked up and graduating to a very respected worldwide act. I believe that's called "paying dues". Not night after night of two tickets to paradise.

Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley of DBT both played in cover bands as teenagers.

 

[10cc]

Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley of DBT both played in cover bands as teenagers.

We are not talking teenagers here we are talking playing with older gents.
Plus Patterson has been writing songs almost his entire life. Cover here cover there not an entire night of somebody else's music.

 

[10cc]

Didn't say you said you were to good. Another poster did and I do find it pervasive among those refuse to do covers that it is beneath them.
I still disagree with your premise. You do learn a lot from playing other people's music.

And once again I never said you wouldn't learn from others I just stated that it wasn't necessary.

 

[aborgman]

We are not talking teenagers here we are talking playing with older gents.
Plus Patterson has been writing songs almost his entire life. Cover here cover there not an entire night of somebody else's music.

It also isn't "never do any covers".

Do you need to play in a cover band to write good songs? Nope.

Do you need to play covers at all to write good songs? Nope.

Does understanding how past artists have constructed their music help you write good songs? Absolutely.

Want to be a great writer? Read the greats and understand how they constructed their prose.

Want to be a great painter? Copy the masters and understand their techniques - Jackson Pollack started out painting rural landscapes under his teacher and then worked for the WPA Federal Art Project.

As I always tell my kids - you can learn from your own mistakes, but it's more efficient and less painful to learn from other peoples mistake.

 

[Vanceman]

You need to see it close up.

Can't quite see it..... a Cohiba?

 

[Howlin' Hanson]

I noted in comment 33, generation zero felt the old guys complained about the bassist not using a pick. In my band, I don't use a pick and those 60-year-old punks better not be telling me to start now!
Of course, I'm 65.

 

[Howlin' Hanson]

And The Beatles started out doing covers. Just sayin'.

 

[ryco]

Listen well - learn all you can - have a good time - don't be afraid to ask if you notice them doing something you don't understand, they will be more than happy to share some inside advice or tips!

 

[AndyPanda]

I'm 60's most guys in the band are 40-50's ... but we have a drummer 20's. We all get along great and all welcome having the younger guy in the band (lots more hot girls come to see the band). The main thing I notice with younger players is that they over play and tend to rush tempos. That is something to watch when playing with older players who may have learned to relax and get a solid groove without rushing and without playing every lick they know in every song.

 

[KevInDaBassment]

UPDATE:


So there's an unnamed audition time and here's the audition list I was given:


Here's the "main" aud. songs and extra easies.
I'll give the set list out at the audition.
"Do You Love Me (DC5) D
Glad All Over D
To Sir with Love G
Keep on Dancin G
Double Shot (of my baby's love) G
Gimme Gimme Good Lovin A"

Extra easies:
Louie Louie G
Hanky Panky A
Hang on Sloopy G
Gloria E
Twist and Shout C


I might hit my teacher up for some sheet music on these, I see a lot of wonky tabs out there and I think the Dave Clark 5 did a simplified version of Do You Love Me compared to the Contours. Tempted to ask if they want carbon copies or just roots, but I think coming in with the full basslines memorized should do a better job of saying "I'm serious".

 

[godofthunder59]

That looks like a fun set list. Back in the day sheet music for pop/rock tunes was very inaccurate when it came to bass lines, don't know if it is still that way. These days I just learn tunes off youtube.

 

[glocke1]

I've been on both sides, the young guy playing with older guys and the older guy playing with younger guys. Your teacher is right on the money in terms of telling you to play out with these people.

Really the only advice I have to give that probably has not been given already is to be as professional as possible in your interactions with these people. Show up for gigs and rehearsals on time, be prepared and make sure your gear is working and you know how to use it (can't count the amount of down time I've experienced because people show up with gear that either does not work or they don't know how to use)..

 

[nutdog]

27 ain't that young. Pretty much downhill after 23.

 

[xgator4u]

UPDATE:


So there's an unnamed audition time and here's the audition list I was given:


Here's the "main" aud. songs and extra easies.
I'll give the set list out at the audition.
"Do You Love Me (DC5) D
Glad All Over D
To Sir with Love G
Keep on Dancin G
Double Shot (of my baby's love) G
Gimme Gimme Good Lovin A"

Extra easies:
Louie Louie G
Hanky Panky A
Hang on Sloopy G
Gloria E
Twist and Shout C


I might hit my teacher up for some sheet music on these, I see a lot of wonky tabs out there and I think the Dave Clark 5 did a simplified version of Do You Love Me compared to the Contours. Tempted to ask if they want carbon copies or just roots, but I think coming in with the full basslines memorized should do a better job of saying "I'm serious".

OUTSTANDING !

LMFAO at "Hang on Sloopy"

"MY" dad [ and I ain't no spring chicken] played that song in a band in the 60's.

DO NOT trust tabs found on the net.
If your teacher does not have sheet music for any of the songs, don't be afraid to ask your Contact person for same, or charts or whatever THEY use.
Trust me they would much rather you ask, than learn the song wrong.

Please keep us posted.

 

[BassCliff]

Hi,

UPDATE:

Here's the "main" aud. songs and extra easies.
I'll give the set list out at the audition.
"Do You Love Me (DC5) D
Glad All Over D
To Sir with Love G
Keep on Dancin G
Double Shot (of my baby's love) G
Gimme Gimme Good Lovin A"

Extra easies:
Louie Louie G
Hanky Panky A
Hang on Sloopy G
Gloria E
Twist and Shout C

I'll share my routine for learning new songs.

Download and install the VLC media player from videolan.org. This program plays *everything*, all audio and video file types (.flv, .avi, .mp3, .mp4, .wmv, .ogg, *all* file types).

In your Firefox browser, install an add-on called "FlashGot". It will allow you to download audio and video files from Youtube and other sources.

When you find the song on Youtube, right-click the page and choose "Flashgot all" from the context menu. Uncheck everything in the file list box. For audio, find the one file that says "audio" in the first column, the file name being something like <song title_artist_ etc>_large.mp4. Put a check mark by it and save it to a folder on your hard drive.

Use VLC to play the file. You can loop a section, speed up or slow down the track, etc, while you learn it by ear. Tabs and charts found on the internet are very unreliable. Use your own ears.

... I think coming in with the full basslines memorized should do a better job of saying "I'm serious".

Great idea! Plus, I'm always learning new licks by lifting lines off of others' recordings. Best of luck to you!

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

 

[xgator4u]

Hi,

And a HOWDY to you as well Cliff.