Sounds like you were auditioning them, I would of just learned the songs do the audition and then ask questions..
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Rehearsal expectations.... How many songs?
- Thread starter TexasEdition
- Start date
Some people can handle their alcohol, and some can't.
So many band don't realize that when they audition someone, they are also being auditioned. If a band can't or won't answer basic questions about their organization and goals, they fail. I won't waste time with anyone disorganized or playing games during the audition process.
My guess is that you hesitate to learn 10 songs because you don't like those songs. If you liked the music, learning the songs would be enjoyable and probably not that hard as you would be familiar with the tunes.
I was asked to learn 6 songs to audition for the band I'm in. I looked up their YouTube channel and added a 7th song for an on-the-spot delighter. And, low and behold I got the part over the other guys auditioning because I showed initiative.
We are now auditioning for a new lead vocalist. We asked the last candidate to learn 8 songs. She did those 8 and asked what else we had. We played 4 more. She was offered the job, but accepted an offer with another more established gigging band.
The candidate we are auditioning this Thursday was given a list of 10 to learn. (We're cool if they need the lyrics - not expected to memorize all the words right out of the gate.)
It's probably incorrect to go by the number of songs vs the amount of music. I would say asking someone to be ready to jam for 30-45 minutes in an audition is not unacceptable if it's for a band that plays gigs that last 3 hours.
I was asked to learn 6 songs to audition for the band I'm in. I looked up their YouTube channel and added a 7th song for an on-the-spot delighter. And, low and behold I got the part over the other guys auditioning because I showed initiative.
We are now auditioning for a new lead vocalist. We asked the last candidate to learn 8 songs. She did those 8 and asked what else we had. We played 4 more. She was offered the job, but accepted an offer with another more established gigging band.
The candidate we are auditioning this Thursday was given a list of 10 to learn. (We're cool if they need the lyrics - not expected to memorize all the words right out of the gate.)
It's probably incorrect to go by the number of songs vs the amount of music. I would say asking someone to be ready to jam for 30-45 minutes in an audition is not unacceptable if it's for a band that plays gigs that last 3 hours.
I'd just learn the ten songs, show up and play them, then make my assessment whether they were a good fit and worth spending time on. They may have been a great group with little or no social media presence or the reverse. You never know until you get in there with them. At the least you learned ten songs you may not have known and gained some experience through the process.
10 songs with lead sheets? No problem.
10 songs I have to learn exact parts from YouTube videos for an audition? Pass.
Edit: unless the band was really good, and playing music I really liked. Then I'd learn 10 songs from YouTube.
10 songs I have to learn exact parts from YouTube videos for an audition? Pass.
Edit: unless the band was really good, and playing music I really liked. Then I'd learn 10 songs from YouTube.
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It was a two way test. You failed your half of the test, and they failed their half too (by failing to impress you).
I guarantee you someone else was happy to learn 10 songs and get the gig.
I guarantee you someone else was happy to learn 10 songs and get the gig.
Whether it's 3 songs.or 20... there has to be a certain amount of professionalism...but that also depends on the age of the musicians not all but most times....I don't mess with people's time or money....works well.
Ten songs is not a big ask, though it's twice as many as I usually do. But that wasn't the point. The point was that he'd be learning ten songs to go into a blind situation about which he knows nothing, and they deliberately are not telling him anything. So there are a lot of unanswered questions and I personally would not be busting my chops to do the work to learn 10 songs with so much unknown.
The one known thing now? They aren't going to be easy to work with. Hard pass.
Right on brother!
Liking has little to do with it, and there is nothing I don't like about the tunes. Familiarity yes, I don't often listen to new country so I have not heard them on the radio thousands of times over the last 40 years, so there is a steeper learning curve for sure. And that's the whole point... That's hours spent for what seems more and more to be a sketchy group. 10 songs I already know? No brainer.
On the same page... And I pointedly asked several times for those answers.
I brought this up with the wife to get her compass heading on how unreasonable I might be... She said "Sounds like a scam and they want you to show up so they can beat you up and steal your gear." I'm guessing not, or they would let me do 1 song lol.... but nice to know she's got my back.
LOL there's no test for the OP. Their unwillingness to share information was unreasonable. The only "test" there was how far he's willing to bend over to kiss someones... ring. The correct answer is to not play.
10 songs for an audition is excessive
You were asking simple, reasonable and expected questions and they kept stonewalling you with "Just learn the 10 songs." instead of having what would boil down to a 5-minute conversation? Bullet dodged for sure. I have no time for anyone who has no time for me.
I learned 9 songs for an audition and got the gig.
They told me the other bass player was working out
his notice which lasted almost a year. They gave me a
few gigs in between to string me along. Not what I expected.
What a poopy business.
They told me the other bass player was working out
his notice which lasted almost a year. They gave me a
few gigs in between to string me along. Not what I expected.
What a poopy business.
When the group in question is less than forthcoming with basic info then I would see no need to expend any energy learning their list. They sound like the typical craigslist dreamers anyway. Bullet dodged.
As to the question in the thread title (whether 10 songs is too much) I would say that it depends on a number of factors.
Personally, my expectation is that someone who expects me to learn 10 songs and thinks that should be easy is probably not playing them with a lot of precision or attention to detail. It's easy to learn 10 songs with roots and fives. It's not easy to learn 10 songs with all the notes and all the fills played exactly like a studio recording. If you want that level of attention to detail it's going to be a shorter list or I'm not interested, because it has turned into a lot of work.
Going into an audition with chord charts is even easier, but it's not "learning" anything. That may be all that's needed though.
This all gets back to the core of the issue here, which is that they aren't communicating enough to know what they expect.
Personally, my expectation is that someone who expects me to learn 10 songs and thinks that should be easy is probably not playing them with a lot of precision or attention to detail. It's easy to learn 10 songs with roots and fives. It's not easy to learn 10 songs with all the notes and all the fills played exactly like a studio recording. If you want that level of attention to detail it's going to be a shorter list or I'm not interested, because it has turned into a lot of work.
Going into an audition with chord charts is even easier, but it's not "learning" anything. That may be all that's needed though.
This all gets back to the core of the issue here, which is that they aren't communicating enough to know what they expect.
A meet and greet might have been a good Step 1.
Real story, two guys playing banjo and guitar busking on street corners in the mid 2000s ask someone they know through a mutual friend to meet them in an empty parking lot to jam. The someone is actually a guitarist who brings an upright bass (which he can barely play) because the two busking guys thinks it looks cool. The jam didn't go all that great. The three form a friendship and playing partnership that lasts for over a decade eventually performing in packed arenas and resulting in lucrative recording contracts and grammy nominations. Guess the group? Point is, unless you're set musically and have no need to collaborate with anyone else, there's nothing to lose by taking a chance by playing one short rehearsal and learning a few tunes. One common trait of good musicians is they'll play with anyone, anywhere, anytime in the hopes of discovering musical experiences, good and/or bad.
I think a lot of people are missing this point. Generally speaking, getting through 10 songs is going to take 40-ish minutes. Include setup and chatting, that's an hour for an audition. You can get a good sense of someone's skill and likability within 15-20 minutes (often times less because a lot of musicians are highly unlikable). 3-5 song auditions are normal, especially for first auditions. If you like a couple of people and need to filter one out THAT'S when you schedule the 10 song follow-up.
The only exception I would make is if a gigging band has an emergency slot open and they're like "We need someone who can learn songs quick cuz we've got a gig in a month." Then being able to prove you can competently knock out 10 songs in a hurry is a qualifying part of the audition.
There were looking for a bassist who will keep their mouth shut, follow directions, not ask questions, and obediently learn 10 songs without whining. I wouldn't want that gig, and it sounds like neither would you. But that is a totally legit "ask" in my opinion, and at least they were upfront about what they're looking for in a bass player.
I don't think either side was "in the wrong" and this band is just a bad fit for the OP.
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