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How Possible It is to Learn 5 songs a week?

#61
Here are the actual audition requirements for current Army applicants:

Link Removed


All I will say is, the quality level must be significantly lower since I left.
 
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#62
Donald Thompson said:
So, I want to get in the Army band. They gave me a list of genres to play(country,jazz,R&B,Pop/Rock, and Latin). If I had 6 hours after work, would that be enough enough with homework, drums, and singing?
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Most bass parts are repetitive grooves, or steady chord progressions, so for the most part you can learn an awful lot in 7 days. Even if you're only playing for an hour. Dont trip. When I joined my meal band, I took my bass to work, and practiced in my car on breaks. I learned the entire set list in less than a week, playing along in my car, working nights. But depending on people, you could take longer than that. All in all, you'll be fine. Just use the time you have wisely.
 
#63
I'm retired so I'm at an advantage. Got a call to sub in a popular country band I haven't played country in a decade. I had 8 days to prep. Got the set list. 16 songs. I've not played any before and only heard about 5. and none were 1-4-5.

I spent a total of about 3 hours a day on the music. Day one, I worked on 3 or 4, day two a different 3 or 4 and reviewed the first days work. I did this for the 1st 5 days, by then I had a working knowledge. The last 3 days I practiced all the songs in order of the list. Sometimes playing the list in reverse order. Were they perfect? No. I did my best to play like the recording but simplified difficult parts.

I didn't get a chance to meet anyone for a run through but was assured that they play them like the recordings so I concentrated on the songs structure, Starts, stops and endings..

The gig was a success, Sure I made some flubs but shook it it off and kept going. Your biggest enemy is self doubt.

After all, If you start and stop together, any screw-ups in the middle can be called JAZZ!
 
#65
The number of songs one can learn in a week comes down to three things. In order of importance they are...

1) Your individual skill level
2) How complex are the songs
3) The time you have to put into learning new songs.

I’ve known people who can hear a song once and play it back just about note for note, certainly close enough it would take a careful comparison to find the differences, but put a chart or some sheet music in front of them and you get the deer in the headlights look. I’ve also known people who could take just about any piece of sheet music and play it like they’d been doing it all their lives, but call a 12 bar in C and they get that thousand yard stare.
True pros can do either or with equal ease.
The only time i focus on learning songs is when i have a set list to learn. If it’s in a genre i’m familiar with i can pretty much lock down a forty five song list in a few days. If i’m venturing into uncharted territory it could take a while. When my brother started doing more jazz oriented stuff it was the first time in my life i’d ever been there and it took me close to a month of every spare minute i had just to come up with twelve bass lines that made sense for the style my brother was going for, but throw me a forty five song blues, country, or guitar driven R&R set list and i can prolly run all but a few songs off the top of my head. I honestly spend more time just refamiliarizing myself with the fretboard and my right hand than i do on individual songs. I’m just not disciplined enough to practice on a regular basis so when i don’t have a specific goal i noodle on the same things and reenforce my bad habits. I have been working on relaxing my right hand so i can play longer without pain the next day, but that’s been the only thing i’ve worked on outside of preping for a job in so long i can’t remember the last time i had a specific bass related goal i’ve put in any significant work on outside of learning set lists or stuff for the music my brother and occasional others, write.
 
#66
Pacman said:
Here are the actual audition requirements for current Army applicants:

Link Removed


All I will say is, the quality level must be significantly lower since I left.
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I have no experience with actually doing something like this - if I were more intelligent at a younger age I might have, as most of the players I've met over the years who came from military band background were excellent, versatile players. But as I look at the requirements here, seems to me that (looking at criteria #2 - Prepared Music) - you'd have to be already quite versatile and equally adeptat quite different genres of music; I don't run into many bass players who are equally good at pop, country, swing, jazz, and ballads, do you? And looking at criteria #3 - music preparation - you'd have to be a decent notation reader and experienced at playing melodies as well as comping and soloing over chord charts, for tunes that you'd just received the night before. No way you're going to do that well using tabs and/or relying on YouTube.
 
#67
A good friend taught me a trick that helps. Listen to the songs over and over without playing them. You can memorize the structure and then when you pick up your bass it comes to you. That is if you have the time to do this.
 
#68
bherman said:
I have no experience with actually doing something like this - if I were more intelligent at a younger age I might have, as most of the players I've met over the years who came from military band background were excellent, versatile players. But as I look at the requirements here, seems to me that (looking at criteria #2 - Prepared Music) - you'd have to be already quite versatile and equally adeptat quite different genres of music; I don't run into many bass players who are equally good at pop, country, swing, jazz, and ballads, do you? And looking at criteria #3 - music preparation - you'd have to be a decent notation reader and experienced at playing melodies as well as comping and soloing over chord charts, for tunes that you'd just received the night before. No way you're going to do that well using tabs and/or relying on YouTube.
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Isn't that THE army band? Like the special forces of musicians?
 
#69
army band (or similar gigs) are actually pretty strong performing ensembles. I've seen the marine corps string orchestra- absolutely fantastic group.

it's a real professional musician type of gig. lots of reading and high expectations. good luck!
 
#70
hintz said:
No, you can audition as a civilian and *then* go to basic/AIT. At least that's how most do it(myself included). Hell, in the Airforce the band folks have a separate basic training from everyone else?! I joined the wrong branch of service! Bahahah



Yeah, the OP is wrong on this. You still have to be able to read despite what they might have told him, just not for an incoming audition. I just got out of the active duty band after 8 years(now in the reserves for another 6), my audition liaison told me "yeah, don't worry about sight reading as a bassist!" and heard the same thing all through AIT at little creek. During concert band they'd tell all the rhythm players to go "IP" (individual practice) in the pods on the 1st deck(it's at a navy base)... really though that was setting up many for failure down the road.

A little background on myself: I went to a music school before this and struggled with reading(still do) but got a scholarship despite my shortcomings! In AIT(advanced individual training) I recieved the C1(Charlie 1) identifier which means you are considered "excellent" by their standards also despite the gap in my knowledge/skills!

Got to my 1st band at Ft Bliss and first rehearsal was with the big band, no chord charts and all written out lines! I had my ass handed to me, it was embarrassing to say the least! The 1SG was like "I though you had a C1? What gives SPC Hintz?" LOL. Eventually I got better at reading and now I'm much more comfy with it to a certain extent!

For an incoming audition they don't test sight reading like they used to so I think the OP will be fine! When I did it they let us pick our prepared pieces so I picked "Havona", "YYZ" and "Smooth". Just practice your ass off, forego some sleep and 5 songs ain't nothing in a week! You can always get caught up on sight reading down the road, the main thing they want is that you sound good and can learn songs quickly!! Good luck!!
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Sounds like a pretty good description of what to expect. As for the Marines, you go through the same basic training as the grunts, and will be combat ready before going to the music schoo at Little Creek.

Certainly a great gig. Thanks for your service guys.
 
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#72
bherman said:
I have no experience with actually doing something like this - if I were more intelligent at a younger age I might have, as most of the players I've met over the years who came from military band background were excellent, versatile players. But as I look at the requirements here, seems to me that (looking at criteria #2 - Prepared Music) - you'd have to be already quite versatile and equally adeptat quite different genres of music; I don't run into many bass players who are equally good at pop, country, swing, jazz, and ballads, do you? And looking at criteria #3 - music preparation - you'd have to be a decent notation reader and experienced at playing melodies as well as comping and soloing over chord charts, for tunes that you'd just received the night before. No way you're going to do that well using tabs and/or relying on YouTube.
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Two points. Yes, I do know a lot of bass players (and others) who are equally good at pop, country, swing, jazz, and ballads. Latin styles, too. In my auditions (for both the Army and the Air Force), we didn't get the music the night before. We got it during the audition. Sight reading was a HUGE part of the audition process. Prepared music was usually quite difficult (I had to do "First Circle" by Pat Metheny for one - it's in 22/8 time), but sight reading was lots of notation at full speed.
 
#73
Pacman said:
Two points. Yes, I do know a lot of bass players (and others) who are equally good at pop, country, swing, jazz, and ballads. Latin styles, too. In my auditions (for both the Army and the Air Force), we didn't get the music the night before. We got it during the audition. Sight reading was a HUGE part of the audition process. Prepared music was usually quite difficult (I had to do "First Circle" by Pat Metheny for one - it's in 22/8 time), but sight reading was lots of notation at full speed.
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Thanks for clarifying, I’m not surprised at all to hear that. Message to OP - 2 yrs playing bass without well-developed and diverse musical abilities (including strong sight-reading) is not likely to get you the gig.
 
#75
Hi Donald, so it's been 2 days. Just checking in, which songs have you learned so far? How was the experience? Do you need any help or advice, or would you say you're making good progress and you're on track to finish learning all 5 songs by the end of the week?
 
#76
Mushroo said:
Hi Donald, so it's been 2 days. Just checking in, which songs have you learned so far? How was the experience? Do you need any help or advice, or would you say you're making good progress and you're on track to finish learning all 5 songs by the end of the week?
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I looked on the prepared music section, and they only needed three. So I've been learning only three right now.
 
#78
Mushroo said:
Which 3 songs did you choose? Is it taking 15-30 minutes per song like you expected? A little more? A little less?
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1. Blues after Hours(A little hard with all that shifting. Haven't finished the whole yet.)
2. A walking bass track with roots and fifths(easy, but using open notes with fifths is tripping me up.)
3. The first track(Tumbao Stlye) from the Latin Book(focusing on rhythm. Trying to read the chord chart on the fly is tripping me up since I have to flip pages. I've never seen many chords used in one song. Playing at 50%. VERY long too.)
 
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