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How many songs can you play?
- Thread starter LoveAlfalfa
- Start date
Probably in the ballpark of 100. The album my band is working on now will be my 7th album plus a know a good amount of covers
This is kind of similar to asking me how many words I can say... I may not be able to spell them all perfectly off the top of my head, and there may be some that don't mean what I think they mean... but if I string them together with confluence, most people either won't notice or won't have the heart to correct me.
A more impressive list for me would be how many songs DID I know. It’s been well over 10 years since I’ve played in front of an audience. I got back into playing over a year ago, but just as a bedroom hobby. Mostly a lot of Down to the Bone type tracks, but I do alright on most of the metal cover songs I can remember. I do still have some MP3 recordings of original ideas from the others and myself, and when I listen to them now, my reaction varies from “ how on earth did I do that?” to “was that ME?”
I can play thousands.
What's more of a concern is the list of songs I can't play, which is much longer than I'd prefer.
John
What's more of a concern is the list of songs I can't play, which is much longer than I'd prefer.
John
I play daily-at least an hour to two...for years and years and years. I've been playing bass for 35 years and am in an active original instrumental band. I cannot play a single cover song. Not one.
After 35 years of playing in cover bands, the number has to be in the high hundreds if not 1000+.
How many songs can you learn in one week?
I've had to learn 4 sets of material in less than one week on more than one occasion.
IMHO if you can't read music, learning how to make & read your own charts & cheat sheets is essential.
How many songs can you learn in one week?
I've had to learn 4 sets of material in less than one week on more than one occasion.
IMHO if you can't read music, learning how to make & read your own charts & cheat sheets is essential.
I can read sheet music, chord charts, etc. So, other than some wank fest of a song that nobody really wants to hear, all of them.
It is always quality not quantity. But if I had to count...I really don't know. I cover several very distinct genres.
Only 1. Relax by Frankie. Really just playing along with the keyboard "bass" but man, it's the only song anyone needs to know. Bonk, bonk, bonk, bonk, bonk....
Last time the band was gigging regularly we had about 150 songs in rotation that we could play blindfolded or blind drunk. Could muddle through many times that. Usually a rehearsal run through, then good to go.
If we couldn't get it right on the second or third attempt we would usually drop it
If we couldn't get it right on the second or third attempt we would usually drop it
I started playing in cover bands in the early 80s so if you count, as has been mentioned, all the 1-4-5 tunes it's in the hundreds. Then there are bunches of songs from the 1950s that are C Am F G in different keys like Stand By Me and Duke of Earl, In the Still of the Night and on and on.
A few years back someone requested a Beatles tune when we didn't have any on our song list. Without a word, one of our guitar players started playing the into to "I Feel Fine." I started playing a root/fifth part in G (if I remember right) and the drummer and other guitarist came in and our female singer started singing it and we did a pretty good version of it and I never played it before. Same thing happened when someone requested a Bee Gees tune, the guitar player started playing one of their earlier hits and we did the tune.
At one time in my current band we had about 6 45-minute sets of rehearsed material, but then we always had a shuffle of guitar players from time to time and it drops back.
Also on newer tunes, there are a lot of four chord tunes that use the same chords in the verse and chorus such as "Prayer in C" and I think "Waves" by Mr. Probz.
"Creep" by Radiohead is another no brainer.
A few years back someone requested a Beatles tune when we didn't have any on our song list. Without a word, one of our guitar players started playing the into to "I Feel Fine." I started playing a root/fifth part in G (if I remember right) and the drummer and other guitarist came in and our female singer started singing it and we did a pretty good version of it and I never played it before. Same thing happened when someone requested a Bee Gees tune, the guitar player started playing one of their earlier hits and we did the tune.
At one time in my current band we had about 6 45-minute sets of rehearsed material, but then we always had a shuffle of guitar players from time to time and it drops back.
Also on newer tunes, there are a lot of four chord tunes that use the same chords in the verse and chorus such as "Prayer in C" and I think "Waves" by Mr. Probz.
"Creep" by Radiohead is another no brainer.
