Things Amateurs Don't Get

[GR7G5TER]

There are issues I've noticed over the years when playing with others in band or jam situations. Here's a list of things that sadly a lot of players don't understand. There is some overlap between them. This is just a get-it-off-my-chest rant. Feel free to add your own pet peeves!

LISTEN TO THE OTHER PLAYERS: So many musicians are in their own world. They play stuff that doesn't fit into the context of the music.

WATCH WHAT'S GOING ON: Don't stare at your fingers or feet, a bandmate may be trying to get your attention.

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE SONG: What you play should serve the music, not show off your chops. Play what fits.

YOU ARE A TEAM PLAYER: Playing in a group is different from playing solo. e.g. Attention keyboardists! Ease up on that left hand!

LOUD DOES NOT EQUAL GOOD: It equals hearing damage.

DON'T BE AFRAID TO PLAY SOMETHING SIMPLE: This is great advice I got years ago. I often read about drummers who can't play a fill without losing the beat and throwing off the rest of the band. Leave out the fill and focus on a simple steady beat.

There, I feel better already!

Does this apply to all non professional players and never apply to professionals?

Seems this has been framed in way that is a tad elitist as opposed to being a helpful to those that may need to hear it or as a rant specifically framed against your lived experiences of the people who have exhibited this, I 100% agree with every point you made btw and I would and have called out bands members for all of the above in my Amateur bass playing career. I ain't the greatest bass player but poopie has always been together when needed.

I totally agree, my beef is with players who never learn and remain amateur.

I assume you mean amateurish as opposed to amateur as being paid for something is no indication of your ability to learn and develop and as has been mentioned, some pros will also need to learn the above.

Give advice, help those that need it, call out those that don't learn and are disruptive, but don't lump everyone into one category.

But I will add:

PUNCTUALITY: If a rehearsal starts at 1900, be ready and waiting to get into the rehearsal space bang on time and get yourself set up and ready to play asap. If you want to chat about what you did last night then there is plenty of time once you've loaded the car up to head back.

NARCOTICS: same sentiment as above, have you poison after the rehearsal.

The first band I was in after my "bass playing" lay off, suffered strongly from the above and as well several from your original post.

 

[Peteyboy]

This from Chick Corea:

Chick Corea (RIP) Offers 16 Pieces of “Cheap But Good Advice for Playing Music in a Group” (1985)

Jazz instrumentalists who “play the changes” have learned to make improvisation look easy.

www.openculture.com

I like "create space - then place something in it."

 

[Basvarken]

- Don't grab your beer between every song.
- If you need to tune up, do it silently and quick.

 

[Matt O]

Wearing short trousers on stage was a brief experiment that failed in the early 1990s.

 

[GrapeBass]

There are issues I've noticed over the years when playing with others in band or jam situations. Here's a list of things that sadly a lot of players don't understand. There is some overlap between them. This is just a get-it-off-my-chest rant. Feel free to add your own pet peeves!

LISTEN TO THE OTHER PLAYERS: So many musicians are in their own world. They play stuff that doesn't fit into the context of the music.

WATCH WHAT'S GOING ON: Don't stare at your fingers or feet, a bandmate may be trying to get your attention.

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE SONG: What you play should serve the music, not show off your chops. Play what fits.

YOU ARE A TEAM PLAYER: Playing in a group is different from playing solo. e.g. Attention keyboardists! Ease up on that left hand!

LOUD DOES NOT EQUAL GOOD: It equals hearing damage.

DON'T BE AFRAID TO PLAY SOMETHING SIMPLE: This is great advice I got years ago. I often read about drummers who can't play a fill without losing the beat and throwing off the rest of the band. Leave out the fill and focus on a simple steady beat.

There, I feel better already!

Unfortunately, these issues are not limited to 'amateur' players but it does prove how amateuristic some players are. One of my friends, a keyboardist, proves this point but his arrogance doesn't allow him to see the light.

 

[Hot Rats]

Have a setlist. Don't be the band that stares at each after each song saying, " what do you want to play now?"

 

[Five or Six]

LOUD DOES NOT EQUAL GOOD: It equals hearing damage

^^^This, I don't know how many bands I've watched that are way to freakin loud. (Not for long) Couple that with guitars running effects that make them sound like a kazoo is ridiculous. Don't get me wrong,. Effects are great when used right. But, they can also cover a bad or sloppy player.

Stack the inability to hear vocals or, anything else on all of that for that matter. The whole thing usually turns to crap. It's just noise. You hear that from band members here on TB a bunch about their loud band. Loud does not equal "we are a kick ass band" no matter what type of music is being played. Good post all around.

 

[/\/\3phist0]

Louder is NOT better. Guitarist: if you can’t get a usable tone at a volume “below” that of a hard hitting acoustic kit drummer?
Go home please.

If I’m running front of house and monitoring, I ask you to turn down, listen to me please.
I’d love to put your controlled amp mic’d into FOH so we can get a mix. If you are stadium volume at a small bar, you are clueless.

 

[REV]

Don't bring your phone onstage.

 

[Chris Wilke]

Here are a few...

1. Thinking cover songs need to be played just like the original (especially if you think you need the specific effects to play a song). Special Note: Keyboard players activating a clavinet patch seemingly for the first time just to play Superstition badly: I'm looking at you!

2. Not realizing you are performing the entire time you're at the gig (includes speaking to the crowd between songs, setting up/taking down, behavior onstage/offstage, before/after the set, etc)

3. Discussing things onstage with a hot mic.(extra credit though to one of my drummers for lamenting the quality of a backline kit with expressive profanity - that was pure gold!)

4. Tablature

5. Understanding stage volume and EQ vs PA (guilty!)

6. EQ'ing sound for one's own instrument (ie best bedroom sound) instead of band as a whole, and how the audience hears it.

7. Thinking people actually care about your TOAN!

8. Sticking to a setlist instead of reading the crowd

9. Disparaging the sound engineers publicly (see #2)

10. Sound engineers EQing everything for max volume without feedback, or EDM-type bass response regardless of vibe of the band.

 

[Bass Viking]

- If you need to tune up, do it silently and quick.

Yes! One guy I played with insisted on silence while he tuned by ear.

 

[Bass Viking]

I assume you mean amateurish as opposed to amateur as being paid for something is no indication of your ability to learn and develop and as has been mentioned, some pros will also need to learn the above.

Yes, I'm talking about those with an amateur mentality.

 

[J Wilson]

There are issues I've noticed over the years when playing with others in band or jam situations. Here's a list of things that sadly a lot of players don't understand. There is some overlap between them. This is just a get-it-off-my-chest rant. Feel free to add your own pet peeves!

LISTEN TO THE OTHER PLAYERS: So many musicians are in their own world. They play stuff that doesn't fit into the context of the music.

WATCH WHAT'S GOING ON: Don't stare at your fingers or feet, a bandmate may be trying to get your attention.

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE SONG: What you play should serve the music, not show off your chops. Play what fits.

YOU ARE A TEAM PLAYER: Playing in a group is different from playing solo. e.g. Attention keyboardists! Ease up on that left hand!

LOUD DOES NOT EQUAL GOOD: It equals hearing damage.

DON'T BE AFRAID TO PLAY SOMETHING SIMPLE: This is great advice I got years ago. I often read about drummers who can't play a fill without losing the beat and throwing off the rest of the band. Leave out the fill and focus on a simple steady beat.

There, I feel better already!

Old Testament Truth. This should be required reading. Nailed It !

 

[gtmalone]

Louder is NOT better. Guitarist: if you can’t get a usable tone at a volume “below” that of a hard hitting acoustic kit drummer?
Go home please.

If I’m running front of house and monitoring, I ask you to turn down, listen to me please.
I’d love to put your controlled amp mic’d into FOH so we can get a mix. If you are stadium volume at a small bar, you are clueless.

Yes!. We had a big band tune that had the Freddie Green "chunk chunk" quarter note comping. The guitar player was a little too loud. The director said, "If I can hear you, you're too loud." lol. The point was that style of comping is mostly feel and not a defined sound.

 

[GR7G5TER]

Yes, I'm talking about those with an amateur mentality.

Thank you for clarify, your opening post and title do not read that way.

 

[Bass4ThePublic]

Don’t call songs you don’t know.

 

[J Wilson]

My favorite I-Wish-I-Could-Hit-You-With-A-Pie-In-The-Face Aggravation:

LAZY frontmen who can't play without a big binder with all their song lyrics on a stand next to the mic, never, ever memorize the words.

Extra Points (Seltzer-Bottle-SprayDown) if they have a cup holder and/or an ashtray on the stand, and order their own drinks over the mic.

Makes me wonder when Sweetwater is going to sell recliners.

Get a Life ! ! !

 

[smeet]

My favorite I-Wish-I-Could-Hit-You-With-A-Pie-In-The-Face Aggravation:

LAZY frontmen who can't play without a big binder with all their song lyrics on a stand next to the mic, never, ever memorize the words.

Extra Points (Seltzer-Bottle-SprayDown) if they have a cup holder and/or an ashtray on the stand, and order their own drinks over the mic.

Makes me wonder when Sweetwater is going to sell recliners.

Get a Life ! ! !

I used to play with a singer who read all the lyrics off an iPad attached to his mic stand. Not glancing at it sometimes, but staring and reading every flippin line. This was for classic rock songs he had been performing for 40+ years.

Then at one point he saw some famous band (I can’t recall who) perform, and he just went OFF because the singer had a water bottle holder attached to his mic stand, and took sips between songs. I said, “do you really think that’s worse than reading all the lyrics from an iPad?”. He said “yup”.

 

[Guitalia]

Pros break those rules as well as amateurs, and on top of it they are being arrogant about it.

In my experience, pros are respectful when they work with players, pro or amateur, who do their homework. And pros don't come into a project with a list of songs that they consider themselves to be above playing.

Having a long list of songs that you refuse to play is a sure sign of an amateur. And fair enough---if you don't have to play music for a living, why compromise your artistic integrity as a cover band artiste?

 

[mambo4]

Things amateurs don't get:
Up off the floor for rehearsal because they're too high off their ass in a pink gorilla suit.
True story.