More dumb questions about cover bands

[whatizitman]

Sorry if all of this has been hashed to death, but I'm really curious about all the ins and outs of playing in cover bands. I've really never played in a situation with a serious focus on covers. So, bear with me.

So, I've been thinking of late that maybe I could eventually get to the point of not sucking too much to play in a cover band. Don't get me wrong - I still got a ways to go. But it would be nice to know what I'm up against should I decide to focus toward that.

My questions:

(1) I will never play jazz, classical, or prog in a band situation. I will never be that proficient, and don't really plan on trying. And I can't slap well at all - so funk/disco with slap is out, too. at least for a while. Does that limit my prospects too much?

(2) In what situations do cover bands play? Anything beyond bar/house bands, parties, weddings, or promotional thingies?

(3) I picture the typical professional cover band to play all the crowd favs from the 50s to now, between top 40, rock, and country. And should be able to pull anything from that stack at any request, and play it well. Right? Do bands that do limited genre or eras play as much as typical bands? Not talking about tribute bands, necessarily. More like, 80s bands or seattle grunge, or whatever. Is that considered novelty at that point?

(4) Is there any time or place where NOT knowing every request is ok? When can you say "sorry, don't know that one", or "that's not really our bag, baby."?

(5) In what situations are charts typical? I have a good ear and can pick up lines/progressions fairly quickly, but I also don't tend to play very complex music. Am I gonna have to step up my game with charts for most cover situations?

Any thoughts are helpful. Thanks!

 

[fdeck]

In my view, cover bands are all over the map in terms of the questions you've asked. There are cover bands that have a set repertoire of just enough tunes to get through a gig, and don't do requests. On the other end of the spectrum, there are bands that can cover practically anything. There are bands for whom a decent dance-able rendition of a song is good enough, and bands that expect to play note-for-note transcriptions of recorded songs.

There is probably a roughly increasing pay scale as you move from one end of the spectrum to the other, creating a sort of vicious cycle: There is more competition to get into the higher paying bands, they can attract better players, who in turn enable those bands to offer more value added services such as playing requests or covering a specific genre for a client. The top bands want to limit their competition by persuading the public to demand those things.

 

[whatizitman]

That's helpful. Thanks! I can't see myself getting to the point of being in a very highly competitive, corporate/wedding band. But I would want to keep challenging and improving to the point of being marketable. The more I read about "first bands", the more I think it's doable. Just get out and try something. I did the band thing a lot in college as singer/guitarist, performed tons in choirs as a kid, so being in a band is not a new thing for me. But playing covers anymore than just for sheets and geegles as a bassist would be a totally different challenge. Sumpthin to think about.

 

[chungweishan]

1. The less techniques you know obviously limits your song repertoire. So you're going to have to make sure your prospective band understands your limitations, thus the band's limitations.

2. The cover band I'm in is trying hard to play in local bars. That means a lot of promoting, and continuously bothering venues for a gig. What makes it difficult is when your band doesn't have a following, and that's exactly what venues want. They want to make sure the band they hire brings in business... your fans.

Now if you're shooting for weddings or "casino" type bands, then you're going to have to sell your musical soul to what the audience wants, not what you want.

3. Usually a cover band promotes themselves as a certain genre to make it easier to promote. My band tends to be a 90s-2000s hard rock band although we do other styles of popular music. We aren't a jazz, country, or prog band, and we want to make sure folks know that.

4. Not knowing a request is fine, it happens. It's up to you and your bandmates to decide to learn that request for the next time you're hopefully booked for the same venue seeing the same audience members that requested those songs. Apparently my band should learn "Enter Sandman" from Metallica, as a lady keeps asking us to play it (we've been to the same venue a bunch of times). We haven't other than I know it on vocals, guitar and bass. Apparently no one else cares to learn it.

5. I usually learn by ear, and don't use charts. Although it's never a bad idea to write out your own charts when learning just to increase your musical abilities and outline what you need to do in a song.

While it's somewhat looked down upon to having musical charts in some bands, there are some musicians that can play 100s of songs... it's just difficult to memorize and play those 100s at the drop of a hat.

For example, my band can do about 50 songs, but I might not perfectly remember the arrangement of the last 10 because we haven't played them in a while. A chart would make my life easier as a cheat sheet instead of flubbing around hitting wrong notes and trying to remember what happens after the chorus. Eventually, I'll relearn them.
---

My band tends to be democratic about choosing songs, which can lead to long boring discussions. But there are bands, apparently, that have a more dictator-type bandleader that chooses songs and you must learn them. That's when you have to up your game in techniques and memorizing. A chart would help in that situation just to keep yourself on track.

Also, make sure every band member is doing the same version of the same song. That helps unless you're all exceptionally good at adapting and improvising. There are musicians that fall apart if one mistake is made because every song has to be note-for-note like the recording, there are others that know how to play through the mistakes and keep the groove going. Make sure you know your bandmates.

You might play songs you dislike, but your main focus should be keeping the audience entertained, and keeping the business/venue happy so you get called back. Overall, just have fun.

 

[Winfred]

My questions:

(1) I will never play jazz, classical, or prog in a band situation. I will never be that proficient, and don't really plan on trying. And I can't slap well at all - so funk/disco with slap is out, too. at least for a while. Does that limit my prospects too much?

Nope. You don't have to be proficient in a certain genre in order to play it in a cover band. You just need to play it well enough.

Don't worry about slapping. You can play funk and disco without being a great slapper. Practice it a little every day, and soon enough you'll be annoying everyone.

(2) In what situations do cover bands play? Anything beyond bar/house bands, parties, weddings, or promotional thingies?

That pretty much covers it. We play all of those places, and private parties are the best. Especially in wealthy neighborhoods. Good pay, free food and drinks, and lovely ladies in expensive dresses. Bars, country clubs, lodges, private parties, and weddings. Out of those, bars are by far the worst gig. Not even close.

(3) I picture the typical professional cover band to play all the crowd favs from the 50s to now, between top 40, rock, and country. And should be able to pull anything from that stack at any request, and play it well. Right?

No. "Well" is a subjective term. All you need is the recognizable "hook and groove" for the song. If the singer can do a decent job, and the drummer (and you) can make it groove, you've got everything you need. Women will dance, everyone will drink and have a good time. Keep your volume in check. Voila! You're a success!

Do bands that do limited genre or eras play as much as typical bands? Not talking about tribute bands, necessarily. More like, 80s bands or seattle grunge, or whatever. Is that considered novelty at that point?

I currently play in a Soul/Motown/Pop band. We do stuff from the 60's to now. Mostly dance-able stuff. We're playing for the 40 and up crowd. Mainly because they're the ones with money. A "limited genre" band can be very successful if you have the right crowd for your tunes. The problem with only doing a specific type of music, like Seattle Grunge, is that you're limited to specific crowds that will enjoy it. And you have to make sure you bring out and retain that type of crowd. It's tough to do that and consistently get gigs.

(4) Is there any time or place where NOT knowing every request is ok? When can you say "sorry, don't know that one", or "that's not really our bag, baby."?

Yep. We get requests for all kinds of songs we don't do. We politely say no, and usually apologize for not knowing that one. Then start the next song. If people are requesting songs, it means they like you. Unfortunately, you can't cover everything. A Soul band isn't gonna play a Rush tune for the 50 year old white guy that's had one bourbon too many.

(5) In what situations are charts typical? I have a good ear and can pick up lines/progressions fairly quickly, but I also don't tend to play very complex music. Am I gonna have to step up my game with charts for most cover situations?

Depends on the band you're in. IME, no. I just listen to the songs and learn them. And not playing "complex music" is a good thing. Drunk women that are dancing and partying don't care about complex music. They want to dance and enjoy their evening. They don't care about the amazing right hand sweeping arpeggio technique the guitarist uses while soloing in the Dorian mode. No one cares, except the guitarist.

 

[Joe Nerve]

(1) I will never play jazz, classical, or prog in a band situation. I will never be that proficient, and don't really plan on trying. And I can't slap well at all - so funk/disco with slap is out, too. at least for a while. Does that limit my prospects too much?

No.

(2) In what situations do cover bands play? Anything beyond bar/house bands, parties, weddings, or promotional thingies?

What's left?

(3) I picture the typical professional cover band to play all the crowd favs from the 50s to now, between top 40, rock, and country. And should be able to pull anything from that stack at any request, and play it well. Right? Do bands that do limited genre or eras play as much as typical bands? Not talking about tribute bands, necessarily. More like, 80s bands or seattle grunge, or whatever. Is that considered novelty at that point?

No. Bands play what they want, you won't be called on to play songs you don't know so long as you're not playing with musicians you don't know, and your success depends more on the amount of friends you can consistently pack into a club than on any other factor.

(4) Is there any time or place where NOT knowing every request is ok? When can you say "sorry, don't know that one", or "that's not really our bag, baby."?

You can say we'll learn that song for next time, and then learn it. While this happens for certain, it's not that big a deal and handling well comes with experience.

(5) In what situations are charts typical? I have a good ear and can pick up lines/progressions fairly quickly, but I also don't tend to play very complex music. Am I gonna have to step up my game with charts for most cover situations?

No. But it won't hurt to practice doing that. There are all different types of cover bands. Some have a 40 song setlist that they never vary on, most I know have about 60-70, and some can pull songs out of the hat with no problem. If you plan to do weddings and corporate parties, you need to be one of those bands. I've known bands to make the same kind of money as wedding bands having 50 songs in their song bank. It all goes back to what I said in question 3.

The only rules to the cover song game IMO are the ones you make. The most important thing IMO are again, getting as many people as you possibly can to come see your band, and then doing everything in your power to make sure you get them all to come back again. If you suck, well... If you keep them entertained, regardless of how many songs you know, and what you play, you'll enjoy some success.

 

[bearfoot]

Ok, my 2 cents, grain of salt o'er the shoulder:

1) It's important to be honest about our current abilities, but you said "never". So I throw a yellow flag at that. You may surprise yourself one day. Aim high and all that jazz..
As for thumb slap - not neccesary for funk IMO. Bootsy does a slap with open hand, four fingers, as if the bass were a cheek. Funk is more about feel, and you can and should bring your own style to it.

2) Maybe fundraisers?

3) It's entirely up to you. People love it when you can effectively take requests, but you have to set the parameters.

4) same as above, but try not to respond negatively "thats not our bag" can hurt your business and the club if that person, and whoever is with them, leaves. I would advise against getting into requests unless you have a band member who's good at talking to (drunk) people.

5) chord charts are the fastest, best way to learn new stuff for most. If not for yourself, you will need them for other players. Teaching a whole band a new song by ear is agonizing and takes 20x longer than with charts.

 

[whatizitman]

I currently play in a Soul/Motown/Pop band. We do stuff from the 60's to now. Mostly dance-able stuff. We're playing for the 40 and up crowd. Mainly because they're the ones with money. A "limited genre" band can be very successful if you have the right crowd for your tunes. The problem with only doing a specific type of music, like Seattle Grunge, is that you're limited to specific crowds that will enjoy it. And you have to make sure you bring out and retain that type of crowd. It's tough to do that and consistently get gigs.

OK you had me at Soul/Motown/Pop. For one thing, I love motown/soul. I'm also 40 and up.

That pretty much covers it. We play all of those places, and private parties are the best. Especially in wealthy neighborhoods. Good pay, free food and drinks, and lovely ladies in expensive dresses. Bars, country clubs, lodges, private parties, and weddings. Out of those, bars are by far the worst gig. Not even close.

Even better.

5) chord charts are the fastest, best way to learn new stuff for most. If not for yourself, you will need them for other players. Teaching a whole band a new song by ear is agonizing and takes 20x longer than with charts.

This is a good point. I've realized over time that not every musician is primarily a "by ear" musician like me. I can pick up the patterns of others' songs pretty quick, but I can find it frustrating when others can't get what I'm thinking/playing quick enough, even if I might consider them more proficient players than me.

I think I'm getting more serious about this as I read y'alls' responses. It's weird that I never really thought of playing primarily covers, but it just makes sense in so many ways.

I think I'm gonna set a New Year's resolution to learn as many commonly played/requested songs over the next few months. Just this morning I realized that although I had heard Brown Eyed Girl zillions of times, I had never thought to actually play it. Just had no reason to. I mean, I know from years of hearing it that the chord progression/melody is standard enough, and the prominent bass parts seem straight forward enough. I figured it shouldn't be too hard. I just had never had a reason or inclination to play it. So I thought for a while what I figured the key must be in, and played it a little in my head. Later on in the day I picked up the bass to see how close I was. I figured the song was in G, but it turned out the root in my head was actually F. Still haven't checked what the recording actually is in, but I just picked through it for a while in F. Tried to play the song as I recall the recording sounds like, with the little arpeggios and all. No big whoop.

Just put it on. It's in G. That's even easier to play HAHA.

Seems silly. I mean I've done it zillions of times before with other songs I just felt the urge to figure out. I've just never thought about doing it for the purpose of developing my "covers chops", as it were. I tend to only learn covers of songs I want to learn, for whatever reason (favorite song, learning technique, etc...). Had kind of an epiphany. I'm gonna make a list of typical cover songs I either don't know at all, or know only cursory. Then I'm gonna learn them, as if I was auditioning for a cover band. If all goes well, maybe I will get out of the bedroom, start saving for better live rig, and make some contacts. Up 'til now, I have only really considered myself an original/songwriter, etc... Maybe it would be fun to just play covers, and actually play for people who want to be played to. LOL

 

[bearfoot]

Just do it. A 1x15 combo can be stupid loud, and under $200.

 

[Picktastic]

You're overthinking it. Cover bands don't have to have any certain repertoire , unless maybe they are playing weddings. You don't necessarily have to be able to nail the bass lines the same way as the song either - except on some specific songs maybe. Just get out there and play. I think you'll be surprised at how successful you are at it.

 

[whatizitman]

Just do it. A 1x15 combo can be stupid loud, and under $200.

That's what I have now. Acoustic B100mkii. Paid $200 on stupid deal. It is definitely stupid. Just not loud. Too heavy, too, for how loud it isn't. My BDI21 makes it sound a little better, though. I'm looking to save for the rumble v3 500watt. I think having a goal to get working list of covers under my belt will help motivate me to actually save for an amp, instead of a zillion other little DIY projects I end up spending time and money on.

You're overthinking it. Cover bands don't have to have any certain repertoire , unless maybe they are playing weddings. You don't necessarily have to be able to nail the bass lines the same way as the song either - except on some specific songs maybe. Just get out there and play. I think you'll be surprised at how successful you are at it.

Yeah, I realized I probably am overthinking things. That's what I'm good at. Sometimes that's all I have. Don't take that away from me.

My guitarist buddy texted me and wants to play tomorrow. He's been thinking he wants to shake things up a bit, write some R&B/soul songs. He's a huge St. Paul and Broken Bones fan. We've been writing and playing alt-country/americana stuff for last couple of years. I'm gonna broach the topic of playing some soul/motown/dancemusic covers with him. I'm usually the one that gets uncomfortable when the covers topic comes up. I'm usually like: "Actually....Why don't you play that new one you have been working on...". I'm gonna surprise him and say, "let's play Mustang Sally!", or "check out my mean Brown Eyed Girl!"

 

[StyleOverShow]

Over thinking aside, the limitations of cover bands is generally their likes. They are limited by their own tastes that generally aligns with a genre, if not specific artists.

Because you don't know much about jazz or prog, whatever, you presume that you will never be involved in it. Keep playing long enough and you will see your borders crumble.

When I was abroad a couple years ago with an RnB artists we would go to pubs and bars to catch local acts. It was amazing the range of music they would cover from Telestar, Satin Doll, Dock Of The Bay, the Beatles to War Pig. They weren't attached to anything. Btw they played all equally well.

Live long enough and you see it all.

 

[hrodbert696]

(1) I will never play jazz, classical, or prog in a band situation. I will never be that proficient, and don't really plan on trying. And I can't slap well at all - so funk/disco with slap is out, too. at least for a while. Does that limit my prospects too much?

I double-checked if this thread were in "bass humor" when I saw this one. Cover bands don't generally play jazz, classical, or prog. No, that doesn't limit you at all.

(2) In what situations do cover bands play? Anything beyond bar/house bands, parties, weddings, or promotional thingies?

That would be most of the gigs. "Bars" would include any venue that has a bar, though. There are straight-up bars and dive bars, biker bars, clubs named for various animals (Elks, Eagles, etc.), Veteran halls (VFW, Legion, etc.), and dance clubs/discos. All basically bars, but with different clientele and subcultures.

(3) I picture the typical professional cover band to play all the crowd favs from the 50s to now, between top 40, rock, and country. And should be able to pull anything from that stack at any request, and play it well. Right? Do bands that do limited genre or eras play as much as typical bands? Not talking about tribute bands, necessarily. More like, 80s bands or seattle grunge, or whatever. Is that considered novelty at that point?

There are a lot of different kinds of cover bands. Generally you have some kind of identity or focus. A tribute band that recreates one particular famous act is one way. Most at least specialize in a particular genre or era (disco, funk, classic rock, New Wave, etc.). Many are eclectic to some extent and combine songs from several genres, but still have some kind of focus. It's really only the wedding/company party bands that have a repertoire to play from ANY genre, and they get top dollar for it.

(4) Is there any time or place where NOT knowing every request is ok? When can you say "sorry, don't know that one", or "that's not really our bag, baby."?

Of course. There are millions of songs in the world. No one knows them all.

(5) In what situations are charts typical? I have a good ear and can pick up lines/progressions fairly quickly, but I also don't tend to play very complex music. Am I gonna have to step up my game with charts for most cover situations?

When they're needed. Most tunes the average bar band plays are not that complicated and charts aren't really needed to get through a gig of 35 or 40 songs. If you're in one of those corporate bands with a song list of 300 tunes, though, you're probably going to have a book or ipad of charts.

 

[bearfoot]

Sounds like a plan, man!

When I used a Peavey TNT 1x15, it would rattle the rafters for days. Not exactly a "pro" amp, but it sure got the job done. Mine also had a built-in chorus that I did use.

I'm in a similar boat looking for a new bass rig, reading the advice here, checking CL, checking the GC used section. They have one of those Henry 8x8's right now for 250. A guy on CL has a 2x15 cab with new speakers (eminence gamma) he's been listing for months - $180 - the ad has terrible pic, and he lives out of the way. The makings of a good deal. Keep looking -

 

[samson3382]

My cover band played a small county rodeo last summer. It was great, PA, stage, and lighting all provided, which is rare for this band. Our female vocalist actually got hired to sing the star spangled banner while we were setting up. Not gonna be your bread and butter, but you might look into smaller fairs/rodeos for supplemental gigs in the summer.

 

[lfmn16]

(1) I will never play jazz, classical, or prog in a band situation. I will never be that proficient, and don't really plan on trying. And I can't slap well at all - so funk/disco with slap is out, too. at least for a while. Does that limit my prospects too much?

It only limits you if you want to play jazz, classical, prog and any music that requires slap.

(2) In what situations do cover bands play? Anything beyond bar/house bands, parties, weddings, or promotional thingies?

Any place that pays.

(3) I picture the typical professional cover band to play all the crowd favs from the 50s to now, between top 40, rock, and country. And should be able to pull anything from that stack at any request, and play it well.

Not even close. Many cover bands stick to one general genre and have maybe 100 - 200 songs. I know they may be out there, but I've never heard a band that played all of the things you are mentioning well.

(4) Is there any time or place where NOT knowing every request is ok? When can you say "sorry, don't know that one", or "that's not really our bag, baby."?

I say, "Sorry, don't know that one." when the band doesn't know it. As a member of the band or the audience I'd rather that a band skip a song they don't know than butcher it. I think that bands don't do nearly as good a job playing something that most of the band doesn't know as they think they do.

(5) In what situations are charts typical? I have a good ear and can pick up lines/progressions fairly quickly, but I also don't tend to play very complex music. Am I gonna have to step up my game with charts for most cover situations?

Your typical cover band does not use charts.

These answers are based on playing in a cover band that plays primarily clubs and my experiences. Other's experiences may vary.

The best thing you can do to find out the answer to your question is to get off the internet and go to clubs to see cover bands.

 

[DirtDog]

The best thing you can do to find out the answer to your question is to get off the internet and go to clubs to see cover bands.

Next step after that is to find a cover band to jam with and go from there. You might even get into a gigging situation but it won't happen right away. You can plan all you want, but you know what they say: a plan never survives first contact with the enemy. Or something like that.

I checked out your Youtube solo stuff. You've got more than enough talent to hold your own in an above average cover band.

 

[s0c9]

Stop thinking about it and go do it!!
While you may not get into a top-tier cover band immediately.. we all had to start somewhere.
There's dozens and dozens of CL ads, music store sticky boards (GC?) and other places to find cover bands looking for people.
Pick a genre, send some emails.. talk on the phone, get an audition, join a band, play gigs.. !
Easy eh?
Also factor in your demographics - where you live, typical bar/venue music being played, etc.. no point in joining a death-metal band in the middle of bfe - if you expect to gig more than once a year

I'm in a top-tier local Country cover band.. we play as much we want to. I played 75+ gigs this year (finished my last for the year this last Fri/Sat night), and it could easily have been 100. I started focusing on bass, about 4 yrs ago. I'd rate myself so-so!

There's always hope! Let us know how it goes..

 

[bigboy_78]

I'm with s0c9 on this one. You sound like a guy standing at the edge of the pool asking "Is it cold?", "How deep is it?". Just jump in the freaking pool.

Answer the next bass player wanted ad you see, ask them to send you a set-list, then learn the songs. It doesn't matter how you learn them - tab, youtube, ear, pro charts, whatever, - as long as you learn them. If you don't get the gig, or don't want the gig, then you go to the next audition. Chances are the most of the bands will ask you to learn a least a handful of the same songs. Before you know it you have a "cover band" song list at you fingertips. There's a selection of songs nearly every cover band will play, unless they're a very genre specific band.

 

[whatizitman]

The best thing you can do to find out the answer to your question is to get off the internet and go to clubs to see cover bands.

HAHA yeah. I've been mainly bedroom playing for years. It's only over the last couple of years I have been playing with other musicians again, and only playing bass seriously during that time. Speaking of... We're in Huntington. Would love to see your band(s) if and when I make it out near Charles Town.

Next step after that is to find a cover band to jam with and go from there. You might even get into a gigging situation but it won't happen right away. You can plan all you want, but you know what they say: a plan never survives first contact with the enemy. Or something like that.

I checked out your Youtube solo stuff. You've got more than enough talent to hold your own in an above average cover band.

Thank you kindly! That means a lot.

Well, as luck would have it, my guitar buddy is on board to start a new project. We both want to do oldschool soul/r&b, and we're both up on the idea to work primarily on covers. Him and I love to write and play our own stuff, so it will be a new challenge to play covers, particularly soul/r&b - those guitar parts can be difficult. He picks up guitar licks better than I ever could, though, so he'll be fine. My fingers were just never meant for guitar. I wish I picked up the bass way earlier than I did.

I told him my plans to learn a bunch of covers, and that I played through Mustang Sally and Brown Eyed Girl yesterday. He was excited that I knew them, so we worked on them a bit. I think it's hysterical that we're excited to learn these, since they tend to be every cover band's recurring nightmare LOL

I'm getting stoked. This is gonna be fun. Even if nothing big comes out of it, it looks like I have a good start on a new project for 2016. Our current project has only played a few parties, and has been losing a little steam, since the third member hasn't been able to devote enough time and energy (he has the pa, and can handle drums at his house. arggh). Need to find percussion and vocals, but no hurry. I can do some singing for practice until something better comes along. I certainly don't have the range or grit for soul, though LOL. Oh well. Maybe we'll start a new genre - nerdsoul.

Can people learn that soul/gospel scream? Or are people just born to do it? LOL I so wish I could sing like that.

Thanks for the input, everyone. I'm gonna do this!