Played a song this weekend I'd never even tried to play before and only heard a few times before. It went surprisingly.... decent 
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"One hour to prepare? No Charts? I'll do it!"
- Thread starter Nick von Nick
- Start date
This type of thing usually happens with my regular band most times we play. The guitar player / singer knows a million songs and has them all on his I pad for reference for the lyrics. He comes from a country background (think old school country up to the heyday of Garth Brooks, Brooks & Dunn etc). I had never played Country before - old or new school country . I came predominately from a heavy metal background - think Iron Maiden , Ozzy etc so when he calls out a song from the dusty old country archives ie Willie Nelson or Merle Haggard he shouts me the key of the song and then off we go. It's country so the structure of the songs is never too difficult but needless to say it keeps you on your toes and is great training for your ear.
I've done this with a jazz group that played standards. Walk in, set up and play. All improvisation. Just tell me the key.
I love stories like this. I've done a few myself, and highly recommend the experience to every musician. All ear, no analysis. Sink or swim, baby!
Good on ya, mate!!
I was asked to play at a buddy's 50th a few years back. He plays drums and several old bandmates were attending to form a one off "opening act". (The headliner was Beatlejuice, a local-to-Boston Beatle's tribute that Brad Delp led prior to his untimely death.) I pick a few songs from the list, brush off my memory and arrive, in the middle of a blinding snowstorm. Enjoying a beer, I get a panicked, "The other bass player has to leave half way through the set. Can you finish up?" Sure, I say. Except it's all jam band stuff, blues, etc... WAY out of my wheelhouse. They call out tunes, I stare at the guitarist's neck, and pull it off. I even got a compliment from Beatlejuice's bassist, a local hero in these parts. Sometimes it's good to spice it up a bit.
I was asked to play at a buddy's 50th a few years back. He plays drums and several old bandmates were attending to form a one off "opening act". (The headliner was Beatlejuice, a local-to-Boston Beatle's tribute that Brad Delp led prior to his untimely death.) I pick a few songs from the list, brush off my memory and arrive, in the middle of a blinding snowstorm. Enjoying a beer, I get a panicked, "The other bass player has to leave half way through the set. Can you finish up?" Sure, I say. Except it's all jam band stuff, blues, etc... WAY out of my wheelhouse. They call out tunes, I stare at the guitarist's neck, and pull it off. I even got a compliment from Beatlejuice's bassist, a local hero in these parts. Sometimes it's good to spice it up a bit.
January 2015; just days after my Chris Squire (R.I.P.) encounter:
Having left the heavily gigging coverband, I had put myself out there as a sub, to enable a scratching of the proverbial itch. Sure enough, a traveling bluesman took me up on it, and I found myself playing Tempe's famous Mill Avenue yet again, with no prep, charts, or even song titles to work with. The one thing that he did not have was a tip jar. I improvised one with a Champagne bucket that I happened to have in my car (I do adult beverage promo work as another source of income). We absolutely KILLED. He could really make that old Strat scream, cry and all of those other "hot guitard" cliches that we all know and loathe. He was also pretty good at following along, and making a pair of my blues originals sparkle. The one thing that he did not have was a tip jar. I improvised one with a Champagne bucket that I happened to have in my car (I do adult beverage promo work as another source of income). The lead waitress actually took the jar on a "tirck or treat" run throughout the room. There was over $100 in it, by the end of the gig, which I proceeded to distribute equally between the guitard, drummer and myself. Net pay for the gig was thus $88, which is not bad for only 2 hours of playing time. The guitard's girlfriend even came up to help a nice version of "Fever," but she took exception to me handling the tip jar, saying that it was her responsibility. I cooly retorted that she should have provided one, and that she was derelict in her duties, thus justifying my filling the leadership vacuum. Of course, that was not the only time that I had filled the vacuum, that night. The venue was relatively new, and the sound system was incomplete. I had brought my own mics, and a powered floor monitor, which I ended up needing to use, as well as a bass rig. I had to play sound man, before we started, too. Something just wasn't quite all there with this guy, it seemed, but we covered for it. The drummer was my recruit, although I had never played with him before. It was a nice memory that I saw as testament to my skill.
3 weeks later, in mid-February, just after V-day, I get another text: "Hey man, you wanna do another gig tonite?" It was the same as before, only this time, the g/f had the tip jar, the venue had fixed the non-working stage right monitor issue, as well as hung the PA mains from the rafters. The mixing board was no-longer in the back of the stage, by the drums, but actually behind the bar. No trick or treat run with the tip jar, so the take was only 3/4 of the previous gig, but we pulled it off, again.
I don't know what happened to this cat, after that. He had mentioned moving to Flagstaff. Fun and profit were had, and the memories are pleasant.
Of course, one of the more ultimate exercises in truly winging it is live band karaoke without a bouncing ball on a screen to help the guest singer (because the BL was cheap, and the singerbabe/MC too lazy to help the guest, most of the time). Guest vocalists will skip a line, or even a whole verse, jump early to a change, or miss it completely. As musicians, the job that those of us in the band had was to shift on the fly, to stay with the vocalist. Talk about really testing your skills and ears!
It's close enough to Christmas to propose a toast. Raise your glasses, everyone, to winging it.
Having left the heavily gigging coverband, I had put myself out there as a sub, to enable a scratching of the proverbial itch. Sure enough, a traveling bluesman took me up on it, and I found myself playing Tempe's famous Mill Avenue yet again, with no prep, charts, or even song titles to work with. The one thing that he did not have was a tip jar. I improvised one with a Champagne bucket that I happened to have in my car (I do adult beverage promo work as another source of income). We absolutely KILLED. He could really make that old Strat scream, cry and all of those other "hot guitard" cliches that we all know and loathe. He was also pretty good at following along, and making a pair of my blues originals sparkle. The one thing that he did not have was a tip jar. I improvised one with a Champagne bucket that I happened to have in my car (I do adult beverage promo work as another source of income). The lead waitress actually took the jar on a "tirck or treat" run throughout the room. There was over $100 in it, by the end of the gig, which I proceeded to distribute equally between the guitard, drummer and myself. Net pay for the gig was thus $88, which is not bad for only 2 hours of playing time. The guitard's girlfriend even came up to help a nice version of "Fever," but she took exception to me handling the tip jar, saying that it was her responsibility. I cooly retorted that she should have provided one, and that she was derelict in her duties, thus justifying my filling the leadership vacuum. Of course, that was not the only time that I had filled the vacuum, that night. The venue was relatively new, and the sound system was incomplete. I had brought my own mics, and a powered floor monitor, which I ended up needing to use, as well as a bass rig. I had to play sound man, before we started, too. Something just wasn't quite all there with this guy, it seemed, but we covered for it. The drummer was my recruit, although I had never played with him before. It was a nice memory that I saw as testament to my skill.
3 weeks later, in mid-February, just after V-day, I get another text: "Hey man, you wanna do another gig tonite?" It was the same as before, only this time, the g/f had the tip jar, the venue had fixed the non-working stage right monitor issue, as well as hung the PA mains from the rafters. The mixing board was no-longer in the back of the stage, by the drums, but actually behind the bar. No trick or treat run with the tip jar, so the take was only 3/4 of the previous gig, but we pulled it off, again.
I don't know what happened to this cat, after that. He had mentioned moving to Flagstaff. Fun and profit were had, and the memories are pleasant.
Of course, one of the more ultimate exercises in truly winging it is live band karaoke without a bouncing ball on a screen to help the guest singer (because the BL was cheap, and the singerbabe/MC too lazy to help the guest, most of the time). Guest vocalists will skip a line, or even a whole verse, jump early to a change, or miss it completely. As musicians, the job that those of us in the band had was to shift on the fly, to stay with the vocalist. Talk about really testing your skills and ears!
It's close enough to Christmas to propose a toast. Raise your glasses, everyone, to winging it.
A buddies band has an accident prone bassists and ive gotten a few "we go on in 45 minutes get over here calls" it's easy hippie jam stuff so not a big deal. Now there was another old blue guy I used to back and he knew EVERY blues tune and I do NOT! he would run the lick to the 4 if I didn't know the tune and by the time the 4 hit I had to know the riff. those were some fun gigs but the dude was unhinged.
That sounds like when I show up to jam sessions with a music club at the university... except you have much more pressure to deal with! They just tell me the key, the progression, and I bang out tunes I've never heard before with some occasional haphazard fills. Fun stuff!
Reminds me of my first gig as a bassist. I was 20 and I'd been playing guitar for a few years and had just acquired a cheap P and 100w combo amp. Out of the blue, my guitar teacher asked me to play a cover band gig with his seasoned team of pros because their bassist dropped out. I had less than a week and only one rehearsal to learn 50 songs to play all night sets on a Friday and Saturday at a popular local bar. I cheat-charted my butt off and gutted it out. During the solo for Surfing With The Alien, I fell off the groove and couldn't get it back, so my guitar teacher started one hand tapping his lead and tapped the groove on my fretboard with his picking hand. I felt like poo for getting lost, but in retrospect it must've looked pretty cool from the crowd.
War stories like the OP's bring me back to that experience and I think that's an awesome experience to have in the archives.
War stories like the OP's bring me back to that experience and I think that's an awesome experience to have in the archives.
I don't like getting these sorts of calls on bass, although I've done a ton of them over the years and have never grossly embarrassed myself.
I DO like getting them on drums. Much less to butcher, and I usually get (and decline) offers to join said outfit.
I DO like getting them on drums. Much less to butcher, and I usually get (and decline) offers to join said outfit.
Being able to do stuff like that is what turns you into a badass who gets a lot of calls.
Love this thread, and love doing what the OP describes! In 1980-1982 I did this just about every weekend. Rock, jazz, country, fusion--I rarely knew what I was going to be playing the next week. And I was busy. The best training I've EVER had.
Wow! I am both floored and humbled by the staggeringly awesome responses to my original post. Thank you all for the stories/support!!!
As many have noted, this was simply my way of being the proverbial bass player. I made more than my share of mistakes. I even received a couple of really odd looks from my bandmates here and there. However, seeing the heads of a few dozen devotees rocking their heads in unison with every thump and snarl reaffirmed that I was able to hold the fort.
To paraphrase a quick conversation I had with an audience member...
FAN: "Great show, man!"
ME: "Thanks - only had an hour to prepare. I'm glad you made it through the bum notes."
FAN: "Nah...the energy was there! That's what punk rock is about..."
...that's what punk rock is about.
~Nick "Klaus" G.
As many have noted, this was simply my way of being the proverbial bass player. I made more than my share of mistakes. I even received a couple of really odd looks from my bandmates here and there. However, seeing the heads of a few dozen devotees rocking their heads in unison with every thump and snarl reaffirmed that I was able to hold the fort.
To paraphrase a quick conversation I had with an audience member...
FAN: "Great show, man!"
ME: "Thanks - only had an hour to prepare. I'm glad you made it through the bum notes."
FAN: "Nah...the energy was there! That's what punk rock is about..."
...that's what punk rock is about.
~Nick "Klaus" G.
I really admire all you guys who can just jump in and do it. I'm like dbase, I need to get charts and practice new songs for a week to feel comfortable. Heck, I'm an incessant with practice anyway. I play on my own at least an hour a day on non band practice or gig days. If I do need to do a cold sit-in I just hope there's a straight forward rhythm player positioned so I can see his fingers. 
Well done OP!
While I like to have at least a little notice and at least a song list a day or two in advance, I've done plenty of gigs like this. Usually, amongst experienced players, as long as one person in the band knows the song and plays the changes the rest can follow as long it isn't crazy chromatic outside harmonies. It is challenging when you don't know the song and it is only guitar bass and drums and the guitarist solos over changes that are different from the rest of the song. I got a call in the afternoon once to play a gig that evening. I had no idea what style of music the band played. I brought my tux, jeans, tee shirt, country and western clothes, a sport jacket with a collared shirt and a nice pair of slacks. It turned out that they played a folksy, country blues. It really was no sweat to follow the guitarist who also gave clear nods for endings, tempo changes and the like. It keeps you on your toes!
While I like to have at least a little notice and at least a song list a day or two in advance, I've done plenty of gigs like this. Usually, amongst experienced players, as long as one person in the band knows the song and plays the changes the rest can follow as long it isn't crazy chromatic outside harmonies. It is challenging when you don't know the song and it is only guitar bass and drums and the guitarist solos over changes that are different from the rest of the song. I got a call in the afternoon once to play a gig that evening. I had no idea what style of music the band played. I brought my tux, jeans, tee shirt, country and western clothes, a sport jacket with a collared shirt and a nice pair of slacks. It turned out that they played a folksy, country blues. It really was no sweat to follow the guitarist who also gave clear nods for endings, tempo changes and the like. It keeps you on your toes!
I love my band to death, but these spur of the moment gigs are great in my opinion. They always make me work harder, and really focus on what's ahead of me. I feel like I sweat like a monkey to make it through the night, but the gig flies by and I'm still wanting more of the challenge.
Fun thread, just discovered it. One summer when I was 20 (I remember that because I was underage and lied to get the gig), I was hired to play 5 nights/wk with a piano player and drummer in one of the nicest clubs in Aspen. They were both in their 40s and the piano player claimed to know thousands of tunes - he'd take any request, any time. It was mostly cocktail jazz and standards, none of which I'd ever played before. It was 2 months of yelling the key, "watch my left hand", and off we'd go - not only had I never played these tunes before but I'd never even heard them. I learned a ton that summer about listening to what is going on - it was 40 yrs ago this year! The guy died a few years ago at age 84.
