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Guys Who Only Play Covers: What Happened?

#41
matante said:
The vast majority of bass guitarists, on the other hand, buy their first bass with the intention of joining or starting some type of pop/rock band when they're in high school. Their ultimate goal is to record albums and become stars. I think only a tiny percentage would pick up the bass with the ultimate dream of being in a cover band.
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How'd you come to that conclusion? There are many people that pick up an instrument, even a bass guitar, with the intention of learning to PLAY, rather than being a star.
 
#43
matante said:
So my question to you 'cover guys' is, what happened? At what point and why did you give up on making your own music?
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You can't give up on anything you never started.

I never had any of my own music, interest or ability to write good songs that anyone would have any interest in listening to.

I love playing covers in packed clubs, having fun and getting paid.

Blue
 
#45
matante said:
Please reread my post. I never said what you claim I said.

That fact is that a lot of people, probably the vast majority, take up those instruments with the desire to play, but not the intention of becoming composers. (And many of them have no desire to play but do so to placate their parents.)

The vast majority of bass guitarists, on the other hand, buy their first bass with the intention of joining or starting some type of pop/rock band when they're in high school. Their ultimate goal is to record albums and become stars. I think only a tiny percentage would pick up the bass with the ultimate dream of being in a cover band.
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What are you talking about?

Blue
 
#46
matante said:
Again, I don't want this to be a covers vs originals thread. Let's get past that. This is about "I have no interest in originals" and how you got to that point. No judgement on one or the other being better.
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Do you know what happens anytime anyone I know has asked me to listen to their original song.

" No, I mean it, it really sounds good, I like it."

I would never want to put anyone through that exchange.

Blue
 
#47
I haven't quite given up on originals yet, but damn near it. I'm 33, which is musically over the hill (pretty sure 27 is "middle-aged" in the original music world :)) and have no desire to take time off of work to pile into a van and "tour." I guess I never did that when I was 23 either. I'm too responsible and more concerned about holding down a job, paying my mortgage, and staying married. I still play in an original band but playing seedy bars to 10 people for $8 is getting old. Dabbled in covers a bit since they pay way more. Ideally I'd like to do both. Originals to keep me sane, since I enjoy writing/arranging and covers to fund my G.A.S.
 
#48
Freddels said:
You mean someone like Will Lee?
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That's exactly who I thought of when I saw the thread title. If you make a living or even a part living playing music you're going to have to do covers from time to time, even the Beatles did covers, and the best jazz cats do standards [basically covers] from time to time.
 
#50
Killens84 said:
My band has an EP of 5 originals out, and a new full-length album coming out in January with 11 new originals on it. However, the cover gigs are the ones that pay well. We're a five-piece band, and we've played a few gigs where we made $600 and $700 per man for playing covers. So it definitely has its benefits.
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^ This seems to be the case for all the musicians I know who make music as their main/only source of income. They all have their own solo projects on the go, where they can flex their creative muscle (some of them very well, in fact), but they find it hard to make much money from these. It's difficult to get a regular gig in London playing your own stuff, so they play in covers bands, or busk, in the meantime to pay the rent.

Incidentally, my own 'main' band has just started doing the same. We're quite reassured that we can slip a few of our own numbers into a set of covers and people keep on dancing.
 
#51
matante said:
I have a hard time believing that someone who decides to buy an electric bass and learn how to play it does so with the intention of only playing covers.

I can imagine people who want to play the violin, cello, even the piano, with no desire to make their own music, but electric bass guitar? I doubt it. (Please correct me if I'm wrong.)

There are a lot of guys on talkbass who only play covers and don't seem to have any interest whatsoever in making their own music. A lot of guys also seem to enter every discussion, whether it's about amps, strings, or basses, with the assumption that the intended use is to play covers.

So my question to you 'cover guys' is, what happened? At what point and why did you give up on making your own music?
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Don't think of it as playing covers ... think of it as playing songs that people actually want to hear.

The lamest songs in the lamest bands that I have ever played have all been originals.

There is no shortage of people out there who write below average songs without hooks.
 
#53
Really, the OP is in the wrong state of mind.
1st mistake: you play bass you compose, you play violin or piano you play classical - covers. What is the 1st intrument used for composing, because of its range, its ability to be either melodic or harmonic? do you really think it's "bass" ??? :scowl:
2nd mistake: you are a musician you must compose. Well hem... many guys said what I'm thinking: it's about time, about knowledge, about experiments, etc... about money of course! and the first thing you do with an instrument is : covering, it's rewarding, it's challenging, and sometimes you know what? it helps you for composing !! NOOOOO :eek::eek:..... :D

But... I think the OP is quite young @ music practice or experiences, let's give him some time to find by himself his own way.

My experience? as many I started in cover bands, then a guy asked me to compose for him. I replied that it was not free, so i've been paid for composing. Now @ this present time? 'm composing easy-listening tunes for a travel agency (money...!) and working on jazz covers (not money.... but fun and knowledge, and improvement!!).

.... my 2 cents of course
 
#55
I think anyone who took up the bass with the dream of being a famous rock star picked the wrong instrument. :D

I've never done a covers band but that's mostly because there's so much music I don't like I wouldn't want to put myself in a position where I have to play it. And nobody wants to watch a band rolling their eyes throughout a whole set.

I can appreciate though that there are people who enjoy all the cover songs they play, and that would be reason enough to play in that band. I can't imagine what it would be like to be one of those people but I am content to concede that they exist, and in very large numbers judging by the number of cover bands around.
 
#56
Music has many categories, musicians play, composers compose, arrangers arrange, lyricists write words, engineers engineer, producers produce, etc etc.
Learning an instrument is not about originality, its about freeing what is inside you. Once that is out then it is for others to judge its worth, you have made its worth by freeing it from you for others to hear.

Is it a cover you have freed....makes no difference, It moved you enough to learn it so now it is done. Write an original piece, again you were moved to do so and now it is done.
Music to the player is an art, it is for others to make the comparisons or draw conclusions on it.
Those that look at music as a way to get rich or have fame and fortune have missed the point of music, those that get into music to satisfy themselves are a rare breed indeed if they stay that way. The need to perform normally takes over at some point, but that is not a given for all.
 
#58
Didn't read all this cuz I've read it all before, so feel free not to read my response, because you probably all read it before. :)

The answer to the question though is simple. They picked the bass up cuz it's the easiest instrument to play (especially when doing covers), and they did it because they wanted to meet girls. Why girls do it I don't know, but I'm pretty sure all girls who pick up a bass play originals first.
 
#59
:confused:This topic has just about as many opinions as it is old. Like;
Picks or fingers, this bass vs that bass, jazz vs p vs every other bass known to man, this amp vs that amp.
What difference does it all make? :(I don't need to validate what I play, or how I play, where I play, what gear I use, by ramming on what anyone else does and all I ask is the same in return.:cool: For me it's about music whatever I'm doing at the time.:cool::bassist: Be true to who you are, play from the heart, and respect all who do the same.:D
Love & Peace
 
#60
I am a professional tuba player by profession. I play in a symphony, and teach music to others. It's a rigid life where there's only one correct way to play music, and 1000 wrong ways.

Bass is my creative outlet. I get to play the way I want to, even when playing covers. It's fun, and I love exploring that side of music.

That's why I play bass. The OP is condescending, and a little off his rocker.
 

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