Rant:. Please learn the songs, darn it

[3Liter]

Why aren't you ranting to the band? I doubt anyone here can help you with your problems.

Same reason everyone rants herr versus at the band.

Like I said it’s a nice hobby. We rehearse at my house we play out a little. I live way outside the city so getting new people to replace for a “little gigging” is more effort than it took to rant into the vast reaches of the inter webs.

 

[friskinator]

I play in several churches. I work with a lot of people that, while we do occasionally make mistakes (we're learning new songs all the time, so that has its own challenges), they are, to a person, responsible people. They all bring their A game, and on Sunday morning, with 6 AM call times and everything.

When I played bars, I recall a lot of what you're talking about, but it is possible to find responsible musicians nowadays, if you know where to look.

That's true. There are some segments of the performing world (churches, casinos, wedding/private events) that are run like a business, and you have to be responsible in all areas to succeed there. I was more referring to the bar band world.

 

[JW56789]

What used to drive me completely nuts was after it was decided we'd work up this song or that song, we'd be sent home with the instructions, 'OK, now learn this EXACTLY like the record !' ; so there I'd go, really, really take it down to nuts and bolts and do just that, only to bring it back to the next rehearsal . . . . . and while everyone else was sure they did just that, it was all over the place, and all the little starts and stops and pushes and tags I NAILED were totally unable to fit in with what the rest of them learned.

 

[Kmonk]

I'm always amazed when I see posts or hear about cover band musicians relying on charts or having lyrics written out. I have been gigging and touring for over 40 years, playing covers and originals and have never been in a band where anybody used charts or had the lyrics in front of them. You either know the song or you don't. With all the resources available to musicians, there is no reason to show up unprepared.

 

[John6]

If you do not practice like you play, then you will play like you practice.

 

[micguy]

That's true. There are some segments of the performing world (churches, casinos, wedding/private events) that are run like a business, and you have to be responsible in all areas to succeed there. I was more referring to the bar band world.

Adding alcohol to the musicians and/or audience members never really improves anything.

 

[dr doofie]

What used to drive me completely nuts was after it was decided we'd work up this song or that song, we'd be sent home with the instructions, 'OK, now learn this EXACTLY like the record !' ; so there I'd go, really, really take it down to nuts and bolts and do just that, only to bring it back to the next rehearsal . . . . . and while everyone else was sure they did just that, it was all over the place, and all the little starts and stops and pushes and tags I NAILED were totally unable to fit in with what the rest of them learned.

Oh sweet mama that one thing BURNS me up the most...

 

[Coolhandjjl]

If you try to take all the fun out of this hobby, people are going to start wanting pay.

I was in a neighborhood fiddle jam for a while, and lots of players used a songbook of standards. No shame at all.

 

[dr doofie]

If you try to take all the fun out of this hobby, people are going to start wanting pay.

I was in a neighborhood fiddle jam for a while, and lots of players used a songbook of standards. No shame at all.

Nothing like profit expectations to suck the life outta anything fun...

 

[Coolhandjjl]

Nothing like profit expectations to suck the life outta anything fun...

What is this 'profit' thing you speak of?

 

[Bass Viking]

I'm sure it is, though they'll tell you that audiences only respond to those 45 songs they learned in 1983.

“It’s what the audience wants to hear man!”

 

[redwood]

I'm always amazed when I see posts or hear about cover band musicians relying on charts or having lyrics written out. I have been gigging and touring for over 40 years, playing covers and originals and have never been in a band where anybody used charts or had the lyrics in front of them. You either know the song or you don't. With all the resources available to musicians, there is no reason to show up unprepared.

The charts for the music I agree with. But myself, and the guys I play with are in our 50's, we have stressful, professional day jobs, and this is a hobby for us (even though we do kick some serious buttocks for being AARP eligible). The guitarist/singer and myself (I sing as well) use tablets for "vocal reminders". Neither of us stare at them. But I would probably hack up a couple tunes if I didn't have them at my disposal. Which is worse, having a cheater or blowing lines (and possibly notes as you're trying desperately to remember what words come next?
Just about every pro in the business uses some form of help for all the lyrics, especially the guys/gals that play as well as sing. Maybe you have an amazing memory. Not so all the rest of us.

 

[edencab]

This right here. I used to be motivated to work hard to get everything right between rehearsals, then I'd show up and invariably discover I was the only one prepared at that level. The slop some people come in with makes it hard to remain that motivated. You start to wonder why you're bothering to work so hard when the end product is never as good as you wanted it to be.

I have a short set of songs I have to begin to learn for a show in October. We're going to weave a bunch of songs together for a ten to fifteen minute medley of songs that showcase every decade from the sixties to the present. Most of them I could probably play already, but there are a couple of them I'm less familiar with. I've been trying to get motivated to start working on them since last Thursday.

We have a new guitarist in the band, who is very good, and I think he will work on this. So I'm going to give it my best, and I think today is the day. It's going to be a disappointment if we can't get this together easily.

make sure you ( & whole band ) focus on the transitions...most important part...otherwise it will fall apart faster than a Jenga game in an earthquake

 

[portpc]

Any cover band situation where the members are not on the same page about why they are there is not going to end well.

Some folks want to get as tight as possible, work often, make money & have fun. Some mainly want to get out of the house & have fun.. The two types never work out..

& why the heck does a guitarist need an I Pad on a stand in order to play Brown Eyed Girl for the umpteenth time?...
(Sorry, that's my own bad memory..)

 

[JimmyM]

I once immediately quit a band because two of the people in it didn't put in any time to learn the songs we had planned for two practices in a row. Too bad...really talented players...just didn't put the work in. But I don't have time or inclination to babysit players.

 

[ObsessiveArcher]

I had a singer that couldn't even bring her own lyrics to rehearsal, she always took my charts for lyrics.
It forced me to learn all songs by heart so I stopped bringing charts
After that she was singing and reading lyrics from a mobile phone
After some time I quit and now have much better bandmates without issues.

Very similar for me. I would come prepared/memorized already, so the singer would use her phone up until we got on stage to perform. Then she would just ad lib what she couldn't remember. It was rather embarrassing for the band and very confusing for the crowd, when the crowd was singing the song correctly and she was not .

I decided to find another band that took things more seriously.

 

[zon6c-f]

Ug. We've been playing these new songs all summer. We have a gig on Saturday. Dontcha think it's time your remembered the arrangements? All summer. This song is 50 years old...any time you could have made a chart...or downloaded one off the internet.

Also, we play all the other ones the same way in the same keys every time. You don't need to flip through the book before we start. You should know them by now. Plus, they are all on YouTube...we didn't write them.

And drummer, don't play fills over the lyrics. We've already discussed this.

I put in my own prep time and always feel I play like crap because I'm too busy managing the madness when folks cant recall the key or arrangements.

OK. rant over. Nothing new here.

If it pays $ then do Your job, get paid ... go home.

Sounds like it’s already a “job “ so neither you nor your passions will be respected . Your tool kit is your bass n rig Do your job and don’t care or resign

 

[Yellow Bang66]

This right here. I used to be motivated to work hard to get everything right between rehearsals, then I'd show up and invariably discover I was the only one prepared at that level. The slop some people come in with makes it hard to remain that motivated. You start to wonder why you're bothering to work so hard when the end product is never as good as you wanted it to be.

I have a short set of songs I have to begin to learn for a show in October. We're going to weave a bunch of songs together for a ten to fifteen minute medley of songs that showcase every decade from the sixties to the present. Most of them I could probably play already, but there are a couple of them I'm less familiar with. I've been trying to get motivated to start working on them since last Thursday.

We have a new guitarist in the band, who is very good, and I think he will work on this. So I'm going to give it my best, and I think today is the day. It's going to be a disappointment if we can't get this together easily.

Yeah, I was in a band with drummer who liked to pick 2-3 songs to learn for "next time", but he would never "practice them" so frustrating! He would say I listen to them in the car! After "hacking" up the new tunes at rehearsal.
I eventually Quit... I hated wasting time charting out Songs we would never play!
The guitarplayer/BL, clued me in the drummer was getting requests from girls he was trying to Hookup" with on FB... ( don't take him seriously).the Last straw the drummer nixed a couple of songs I wanted to play (wicked garden: STP; & Jeremy,J) he couldn't play 'em. But I had to learn all his crummy songs! waaah! it took all the fun out of playing music with that band. It has to be at least Fun or Why?!

 

[BooDoggie]

OP I feel your pain... Nothing drives me crazier than showing up prepared only to find that others are not...

One band I joined a long time ago had a guitar player that would get totally lost and stop playing if we even hinted at changing the arrangement of a song from the way he learned it. I told them either he goes or I'm gone. They fired him...

I also joined a band with a drummer that played nothing but fills all the way through songs. I couldn't lock in with him to hold down the groove because there wasn't one. It was so annoying that I quit that band and walked away.

 

[bearhart74]

I had a singer that couldn't even bring her own lyrics to rehearsal, she always took my charts for lyrics.
It forced me to learn all songs by heart so I stopped bringing charts
After that she was singing and reading lyrics from a mobile phone
After some time I quit and now have much better bandmates without issues.

I go to a local open mic and their is a band that shows up every time and the chick lead singer has her phone surgically attached to her right hand. Makes me want to scream at the top of my lungs "put the phone down and learn the GD songs!"