Whats your biggest beef about your musical peers?

[glocke1]

Or, in your mind what are people doing wrong?

For me it's two things.

The first is too much of an emphasis on gigs and not enough emphasis on development as a group and refining song structures. It seems like everyone I am involved with musically is just far too focused on the performance aspect of things, to the point that many just don't even really rehearse, and just book gigs.

It really just tells me that people are far more interested in being seen playing music as opposed to actually playing music that sounds good. While a lot of these "live jam sessions" sound ok, they just lack a lot of subtleties that would really make them sound better.

Even the jazz combo I put together some months back is starting to talk about gigs. Its all amateurs, and the goal for me with this was to just bring people together to work on their jazz skills but at least one of the people involved is talking about trying to book gigs with it and mentions it at almost every opportunity. Its fine I suppose, but playing out with this group isn't something I had on my mind, it was really just put together to work on chops.

Second for me is lack of consistency and continuity in most projects. Perfect example is one set of guys thats focused solely on putting sessions together where they pay musicians to come in and play with the intent of having "awesome jams". I get it, but generally these don't work out or sound as great as the expectations are. I keep making the argument to the person putting them together that it makes far more sense to just find musicians, (even if they are at a lower skill level), that are dedicated to playing on a regular basis and improving. personally I see more benefit in regular playing sessions with a core group of people than I do in sessions with random people even if they have a better skillset.

I get the reasons for a lot of this, people are busy with their lives and just want to get to the glory aspect of things.

 

[Jeremy Crockett]

My beef is that I don't play well enough to have any "peers".

 

[JRA]

Whats your biggest beef about your musical peers?
historically = they die.
presently = they move to another state.

i try not to take any of it personally...but, TBH, it hurts.

 

[two fingers]

With my particular band, it's simply sticking to songs that translate well with audiences AND work with our current instrumentation.

They're constantly bringing up songs that were cool a few years ago for a brief period, but are no longer relevant... in other words, songs that got to #34 on the charts for three weeks 4 years ago.

Also, we are drums, bass, 1 guitar and one keyboard. They constantly bring up songs that have 3 or more guitar parts, or a horn section (our keys player despises keys horns), or for whatever reason would have to be drastically altered to fit our band.

I end up being "the bad guy" sometimes when I poopoo their choices. I pick my battles. Everything else about this band is so awesome that I just let them win one from time to time.

Our goals are/were completely different from OP's. We set out to play gigs initially.

 

[MrLenny1]

Lazy.
BL that are control freaks.
No vision of playing together for the sake
of improving.
Playing really old material.

 

[PWRL]

Mostly just people who treat band time like party time or lack genuine commitment. (Sometimes I doubt your commitment to Sparkle Motion!) The rest is just par for the course stuff. If you're all around the 50 range, give or take five years either way, you're a bunch of old dudes with bad knees and bifocals who used to be cool, all trying figure out which of your favorite songs from high school and college you're going to cover for your 10 friends.

 

[Thumpin6string]

All my peers are better than me.

 

[bigdaddybass12]

All my peers are better than me.

This ! I am good to occasionally miss a note, I get the 'look' !

 

[ELG60]

Their failure to comprehend my musical genius.



Oh wait, that's my self-delusion.


Nevermind.

 

[bolophonic]

That they have their own compositions that they want to work on as much as I want to work on my own.

 

[Rabidhamster]

Or, in your mind what are people doing wrong?

For me it's two things.

The first is too much of an emphasis on gigs and not enough emphasis on development as a group and refining song structures. It seems like everyone I am involved with musically is just far too focused on the performance aspect of things, to the point that many just don't even really rehearse, and just book gigs.

It really just tells me that people are far more interested in being seen playing music as opposed to actually playing music that sounds good. While a lot of these "live jam sessions" sound ok, they just lack a lot of subtleties that would really make them sound better.

Even the jazz combo I put together some months back is starting to talk about gigs. Its all amateurs, and the goal for me with this was to just bring people together to work on their jazz skills but at least one of the people involved is talking about trying to book gigs with it and mentions it at almost every opportunity. Its fine I suppose, but playing out with this group isn't something I had on my mind, it was really just put together to work on chops.

Second for me is lack of consistency and continuity in most projects. Perfect example is one set of guys thats focused solely on putting sessions together where they pay musicians to come in and play with the intent of having "awesome jams". I get it, but generally these don't work out or sound as great as the expectations are. I keep making the argument to the person putting them together that it makes far more sense to just find musicians, (even if they are at a lower skill level), that are dedicated to playing on a regular basis and improving. personally I see more benefit in regular playing sessions with a core group of people than I do in sessions with random people even if they have a better skillset.

I get the reasons for a lot of this, people are busy with their lives and just want to get to the glory aspect of things.

I have more beefs about myself than about my peers.

 

[31HZ]

This topic reminds me of the George Carlin bit about how anybody driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac.

 

[MCS4]

I dunno, it seems like different people want different things out of music, which I think is natural. There is no "right" or "wrong" in this.

I personally prefer to play original music that has been rehearsed to death, both for purposes of "perfecting" the tune in the writing phase and then executing it as tightly as possible live as well. That is also, generally speaking, the type of music I most like to consume as an audience member, although I certainly enjoy other things now and then.

That being said if someone else's main goal is to play live as often as possible, rather than focus on rehearsing or writing, who's to say they are wrong? They just enjoy a different thing. If you have competing desires in the same band, then it might make sense to take a hard look as to whether there is a way to satisfy everyone or if maybe it just isn't a good match, but that doesn't make any person's view better or worse than another's.

 

[smogg]

People who don't know the difference between practice and rehearsals.
People who don't understand the difference between being good enough to play a gig and being good enough to get re-booked on a regular basis.
I could go on........

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

Or, in your mind what are people doing wrong?

For me it's two things.

The first is too much of an emphasis on gigs and not enough emphasis on development as a group and refining song structures. It seems like everyone I am involved with musically is just far too focused on the performance aspect of things, to the point that many just don't even really rehearse, and just book gigs.

It really just tells me that people are far more interested in being seen playing music as opposed to actually playing music that sounds good. While a lot of these "live jam sessions" sound ok, they just lack a lot of subtleties that would really make them sound better.

Even the jazz combo I put together some months back is starting to talk about gigs. Its all amateurs, and the goal for me with this was to just bring people together to work on their jazz skills but at least one of the people involved is talking about trying to book gigs with it and mentions it at almost every opportunity. Its fine I suppose, but playing out with this group isn't something I had on my mind, it was really just put together to work on chops.

Second for me is lack of consistency and continuity in most projects. Perfect example is one set of guys thats focused solely on putting sessions together where they pay musicians to come in and play with the intent of having "awesome jams". I get it, but generally these don't work out or sound as great as the expectations are. I keep making the argument to the person putting them together that it makes far more sense to just find musicians, (even if they are at a lower skill level), that are dedicated to playing on a regular basis and improving. personally I see more benefit in regular playing sessions with a core group of people than I do in sessions with random people even if they have a better skillset.

I get the reasons for a lot of this, people are busy with their lives and just want to get to the glory aspect of things.

My guitar player doesn't "get it" and he thinks he knows sound. And he thinks he knows bass gear. And he thinks he knows what the bass should be playing, regardless of anything else going on. Everybody else, gets it. Sees the bigger picture. He doesn't. Everybody else understands that you can't scoop the singers voice out of the mix, and then yell at him that he's not projecting. Everybody else gets that if I turn up my bass knob and drop my mids, I drown out the band even though you can't hear me. Everybody else gets that business sounds busy. Everybody else gets that there's four instruments working together, not four instruments playing the same thing.

He doesn't. And he's the "band leader"

 

[DWBass]

Musicianship. So many I have encountered are not properly musically prepared. Many don't take the time to learn songs properly. I've also encountered folks trying to play music they have zero experience playing. It wears at you! I'm 62 and am really tired of dealing with these folks.

Not to mention loud guitar players and drummers.

 

[Killing Floor]

Not so much a beef against others but in general I've found the most difficult thing to even out is the ambition of every player. If there isn't a cohesive intent you always end up with someone feeling like it's too much for them and someone else feeling like they're being held back. It's difficult to have everyone on the same page unless there is a clear leader and that is known by everyone prior to joining or committing.


And edit to say don't dress like it's a snow day. Look like an entertainer.

 

[Vitamin D]

When there's a list of things you "can't" do in a song. Like have a pre-chorus here, or double a guitar part, or play a swung bass line over straight drums... why? Who says? That's just like, your opinion, man! I don't mean situations where we say let's see if it works, and if it doesn't drop it. They say you just CAN'T!! Meantime I have countless counterexamples of huge hits that do exactly that.

Some people forget music is a creative endeavor.

 

[pbassnut]

Or, in your mind what are people doing wrong?

For me it's two things.

The first is too much of an emphasis on gigs and not enough emphasis on development as a group and refining song structures. It seems like everyone I am involved with musically is just far too focused on the performance aspect of things, to the point that many just don't even really rehearse, and just book gigs.

It really just tells me that people are far more interested in being seen playing music as opposed to actually playing music that sounds good. While a lot of these "live jam sessions" sound ok, they just lack a lot of subtleties that would really make them sound better.

Even the jazz combo I put together some months back is starting to talk about gigs. Its all amateurs, and the goal for me with this was to just bring people together to work on their jazz skills but at least one of the people involved is talking about trying to book gigs with it and mentions it at almost every opportunity. Its fine I suppose, but playing out with this group isn't something I had on my mind, it was really just put together to work on chops.

Second for me is lack of consistency and continuity in most projects. Perfect example is one set of guys thats focused solely on putting sessions together where they pay musicians to come in and play with the intent of having "awesome jams". I get it, but generally these don't work out or sound as great as the expectations are. I keep making the argument to the person putting them together that it makes far more sense to just find musicians, (even if they are at a lower skill level), that are dedicated to playing on a regular basis and improving. personally I see more benefit in regular playing sessions with a core group of people than I do in sessions with random people even if they have a better skillset.

I get the reasons for a lot of this, people are busy with their lives and just want to get to the glory aspect of things.

Different strokes for different folks ... I'm pretty much at the other end of the spectrum as you are. Playing gigs is what it's all about for me. Sure, I like to make money playing as much as the next guy ... but $75 - $100 - $125 on a 4 to 5 gigs a month basis isn't going to change my life. However, playing tight cohesive music as an ensemble that I can be proud of is what's fun for me and I've found that the bands I've played with that played regular gigs tended to be the tightest. A real deal gig where there is pressure to perform well as an ensemble, not make any mistakes, be professional, please the audience and get return bookings is the best practice in the world, IMHO.

 

[Empiar93]

Lack of commitment, lack of respect for one's time.
If you're gonna tell me to be somewhere at 11, I'd like you to also be there at 11, if you don't mind. Or at least show up at 12!