TimR Posted August 31, 2010 Share Posted August 31, 2010 (edited) How much work as a band do you put into your endings? I played a gig on Saturday where quite a few of the endings we played were nothing like what we had rehearsed. Not really a problem as the crowd probably didn't know any better. I've been in bands where every ending has been crash bang and drawn out until the drummer thinks it should end which is tedious and boring and to me shows lack of imagination. I've been in bands where the endings have been practiced more than any other part of the tune. I've also been in bands where we've had no practices and everyone just takes their cues from the singer and ends as tightly as they can by watching each other. Probably the tunes (covers) in question don't need tight endings but I like good endings that make the band sound tight. We do have several tunes that we have worked on tight endings for and work very well so I don't think there will be an issue suggesting we work on a few more. I know we can do better but before I broach the subject with the band I'm just after some opinions. Edited August 31, 2010 by TimR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoffbyrne Posted August 31, 2010 Share Posted August 31, 2010 Tight. G. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
endorka Posted August 31, 2010 Share Posted August 31, 2010 (edited) Intros/endings are really important - if you mess them up, it tends to be more noticeable and memorable to the audience than any other part of the song. Messy intros/endings will give the audience a poor perception of the band. Jennifer Edited August 31, 2010 by endorka Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted August 31, 2010 Share Posted August 31, 2010 A mix...but has to fit with the song. It isn't a problem to tie off any song ad-hoc, but I don't consider a song finished until we work on the ending as much as anything else. For function throw-togethers, I am not fussed, they serve a purpose, but I wouldn't elevate them into a proper set until we have worked all the way through a song. It is all about what you are trying to do with the song. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimR Posted August 31, 2010 Author Share Posted August 31, 2010 [quote name='endorka' post='940724' date='Aug 31 2010, 10:18 AM']Intros/endings are really important - if you mess them up, it tends to be more noticeable and memorable to the audience than any other part of the song. Messy intros/endings will give the audience a poor perception of the band. Jennifer[/quote] That's my view as well. They're not messy just not always the same and so I think that can lead to a few nervous glances amongst us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tauzero Posted August 31, 2010 Share Posted August 31, 2010 I prefer a nice crisp ending, I think there's general consensus on that in the band but it then tends to get forgotten about once we've got the rest of the song sorted, so we get some idea of what we're doing and then move on to something else. The result is that at gigs, there will be one or two songs where I suddenly realise that we're heading towards the buffers and I don't know exactly when the brakes are going to go on... I don't mind the occasional braaang braaang, thumpity thumpity thumpity ...... BRAAAANG! but it's as well not to have it for every song. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Low End Bee Posted August 31, 2010 Share Posted August 31, 2010 Well rehearsed and tight as a gnat's chuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted August 31, 2010 Share Posted August 31, 2010 I like a couple of "rock/n/roll" endings on songs in a set, but overall, I prefer crisp endings. I find that if I see a band that has clearly defined endings, it makes them seem more professional, whereas a band that just does the bang-crash-end about now-another crash thing for their whole set makes me think they`re not too well rehearse.d Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the_skezz Posted August 31, 2010 Share Posted August 31, 2010 Depends on the song, but if you're ending in a drawn out manner you all need to be well rehearsed in it, very tight with each other and therefore able to take cues from each other audibly (as much as visually) as to when to end. This, admittedly, is one area where my own band is lacking...roughly a third of our songs and covers have drawn out endings, and I dread them each time they come up...it's become a running joke of us all trying to hit the last note; so that we eventually end up with a repeated trinity of a guitar chord, a cymbal and a bass note until the singer tells us off If the tight endings fit the song, then definately those, they're much easier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keving Posted August 31, 2010 Share Posted August 31, 2010 I think that the long drawn out endings are best suited to the last song in a set. If you want to keep people on the dance floor don't give them an excuse to leave, keep the endings short or better still not at all. Rehearsed segues between songs are great at keeping the momentum going and can really add some polish to a show. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heathy Posted August 31, 2010 Share Posted August 31, 2010 I tend to go for big endings, and normally hold up a random number of fingers to indicate the number of thuds to do at the end (18 is the highest so far). Admittedly there's only so many times you can do this in a night, and it is totally ridiculous - but that's pubrock for you! Also, I find that a lot of pubrock audiences tend not to like 'surprise' endings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skankdelvar Posted August 31, 2010 Share Posted August 31, 2010 One Chuck Berry-esque band I was in, we ended virtually [i]every [/i]song with: [b]Dee[/b]-dee-dee-dee-[b]Dee[/b]-dee-dee-dee-[b]Dee[/b]-dah-duh-[b]Domp[/b]_____________________(Drop a whole tone) Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah__ Tick-Tick__Bap. It got a little wearing after a while. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heathy Posted August 31, 2010 Share Posted August 31, 2010 [quote name='skankdelvar' post='940942' date='Aug 31 2010, 01:43 PM']One Chuck Berry-esque band I was in, we ended virtually [i]every [/i]song with: [b]Dee[/b]-dee-dee-dee-[b]Dee[/b]-dee-dee-dee-[b]Dee[/b]-dah-duh-[b]Domp[/b]_____________________(Drop a whole tone) Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah__ Tick-Tick__Bap. It got a little wearing after a while.[/quote] After the Bap did the drummer sometimes go Diddledum? That would really p**s me off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat Burrito Posted August 31, 2010 Share Posted August 31, 2010 Our endings are well rehearsed and vary dramatically but they are always together. My last few bands have had the so often typical "Don't panic Mr. Mainwaring" type approach to endings and a well rehearsed intro / ending can be the difference between a good band and a great band. It's fine if you are a jam band but I think in the past I've been guilty of flooding the band with material at the expense of doting the "i"'s and crossing the "t"'s with what we have. Better to have an hour of great well rehearsed songs than 3hrs of stuff that goes a bit wayward. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tauzero Posted August 31, 2010 Share Posted August 31, 2010 [quote name='Heathy' post='940900' date='Aug 31 2010, 01:07 PM']I tend to go for big endings, and normally hold up a random number of fingers to indicate the number of thuds to do at the end (18 is the highest so far).[/quote] You have 18 fingers? Were you born in Norfolk? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truckstop Posted August 31, 2010 Share Posted August 31, 2010 Some songs I like to end almost instantly. Some songs I never want to end. Truckstop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironside1966 Posted August 31, 2010 Share Posted August 31, 2010 I like tight endings and segways into other songs to keep the set moving. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BottomEndian Posted August 31, 2010 Share Posted August 31, 2010 (edited) [quote name='ironside1966' post='940974' date='Aug 31 2010, 02:08 PM']...segways into other songs[/quote] Are you in Rammstein? Edited August 31, 2010 by BottomEndian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShergoldSnickers Posted August 31, 2010 Share Posted August 31, 2010 A tricky one for me as all our stuff is made up on the night. We do have a large clock placed on stage with a set time limit - this gives us a rough idea of where to start winding things up. We always try to end together via visual cues and it almost always works. Failing that it'll be an atmospheric ending with copious looping and twattery going on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimR Posted August 31, 2010 Author Share Posted August 31, 2010 [quote name='Heathy' post='940950' date='Aug 31 2010, 01:49 PM']After the Bap did the drummer sometimes go Diddledum? That would really p**s me off.[/quote] That could well be why I have asked the question Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tauzero Posted August 31, 2010 Share Posted August 31, 2010 [quote name='Heathy' post='940950' date='Aug 31 2010, 01:49 PM']After the Bap did the drummer sometimes go Diddledum? That would really p**s me off.[/quote] For revenge, simply finish with "cha cha cha". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BottomEndian Posted August 31, 2010 Share Posted August 31, 2010 [quote name='tauzero' post='940996' date='Aug 31 2010, 02:31 PM']For revenge, simply finish with "cha cha cha".[/quote] Or "Shave and a haircut... two bits". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heathy Posted August 31, 2010 Share Posted August 31, 2010 [quote name='tauzero' post='940960' date='Aug 31 2010, 01:59 PM']You have 18 fingers? Were you born in Norfolk?[/quote] Good question. But on this occasion the audience were invited to pick a number between 1 and 50 prior to the start of the song. If I did have 18 fingers I would probably still play like a Tw@t. Essex and proud by the way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parker_muse Posted August 31, 2010 Share Posted August 31, 2010 Some songs of ours have very very tight BANG sort of endings, but a lot we draw out and then i'll run down the scale that the song is and we all stop on the root or i'll slide up to an octave higher and we'll stop after two bars of that. It's odd, that sounds very rehearsed but we've fallen into that. That's what you get when you start a band at 13 and then learn how to play your instruments i suppose, we've an intricate understanding of each other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skej21 Posted August 31, 2010 Share Posted August 31, 2010 (edited) The endings of songs are always fun. It's the one bit in a song that cheers my day up. Especially when you have a really mundane run-through for a reading gig and you find that one of the songs has a killer ending! The last time this happened to me I was playing for a production of "Hairspray" (which is good/cheesy, but has a lot of boring, BIG rock and roll style endings) and then got to the end of this and it totally rocked my world! Just one of those things that feels COOL as funk when you nail it first time with a huge ensemble Edited August 31, 2010 by skej21 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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