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winging it


Kevin Dean
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I'm sick & tired of doing gigs with talented musicians in this case a drummer that don't even listen to the songs , They might be able to blag it in a blues type jam but not when you doing covers like , Killers , Stranglers & Yes for flip sake !! grrrr !!....& calm .

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[quote name='Kevin Dean' timestamp='1492941953' post='3284220']
I'm sick & tired of doing gigs with talented musicians in this case a drummer that don't even listen to the songs , They might be able to blag it in a blues type jam but not when you doing covers like , Killers , Stranglers & Yes for flip sake !! grrrr !!....& calm .
[/quote]

I feel your pain and I am so pleased to say that I have found a band who are even more fussy than me about getting things right. I don't like winging it at all!

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Winging it is fine for a late notice dep gig or a buskers night etc but if you want to make the music your own and have some interesting arrangements, it means a bit of work prior to playing (either rehearsing or learning a pre-written arrangement). Makes the band sound much more professional and gives it all a tightness that can be compromised slightly if someone's winging it. I much prefer to be well rehearsed and the sound that produces.

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I was once booked for the Prince's of Lichtenstein's stag do. Easy now. Before they moved off to more adult entertainment the idea was they recorded some songs as they were both keen musicians- the song they wanted to blag- Roundabout. We persuaded them another choice might be best.

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Depends on the band. If your out gigging every week then yeah putting the effort into getting songs right is the name of the game.

However, if gigs are far and few in between there's really not much incentive to practice the songs.

Blue

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I've had (and have) the good fortune to work with many incredible musicians, some classically trained - the type of people so talented that, as someone who has yet managed to commit the names of the notes to memory, can reduce me to tears.

And to a man jack of 'em they will [i]not [/i]learn ANYTHING!

I wonder sometimes why they even bothered to get so good.

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[quote name='Vinny' timestamp='1493039877' post='3285067']
I've had (and have) the good fortune to work with many incredible musicians, some classically trained - the type of people so talented that, as someone who has yet managed to commit the names of the notes to memory, can reduce me to tears.

And to a man jack of 'em they will [i]not [/i]learn ANYTHING!

I wonder sometimes why they even bothered to get so good.
[/quote]
+1 - a large contributor to why I left the functions band I was with. It had become overcome with apparently super talented deps (most of whom only interested in jazz and money), who were so good that it was not in their 'economic interest' to ever actually learn the parts and to just wing it at the gig. The best was a sax player who refused to do 'One Step Beyond', because the dots looked too complicated...still got paid above and beyond.

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[quote name='Kevin Dean' timestamp='1493059623' post='3285307']
Playing the bass intro to "No More Heroes" & then no drum intro & the drummer is just looking at you ..He had 6 weeks notice & didn't even listen to the song lol & no one helps me set the PA up & break it down ...I'm off .
[/quote]
Don't blame you at all there !

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[quote name='dmccombe7' timestamp='1492953133' post='3284317']
Depends on the YES song. Owner of a Horse and Cart would be OK with them.

And you will now be singing those lyrics next time you hear that song :laugh1: :laugh1: :laugh1:
Dave
[/quote]
Bugger, that's 2 songs with lyric changes committed to brain.
Whils watching the 2 Funk programs on BBC4, I hadn't realised that Sly and the Family Stone's "Thank You, (for letting me be myself again)", is actually "[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin". [/font]

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[quote name='Kevin Dean' timestamp='1493059623' post='3285307']
Playing the bass intro to "No More Heroes" & then no drum intro & the drummer is just looking at you ..He had 6 weeks notice & didn't even listen to the song lol & no one helps me set the PA up & break it down ...I'm off .
[/quote]

That's not the same as winging it. Winging it is at least knowing the structure in your head, and filling in the gaps yourself.

You have described just being an a55h01e. Well out of it!

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[quote name='Raslee' timestamp='1493049904' post='3285193']
+1 - a large contributor to why I left the functions band I was with. It had become overcome with apparently super talented deps (most of whom only interested in jazz and money), who were so good that it was not in their 'economic interest' to ever actually learn the parts and to just wing it at the gig. The best was a sax player who refused to do 'One Step Beyond', because the dots looked too complicated...still got paid above and beyond.
[/quote] This makes me laugh when these types turn up. I was told about this local mystical great guitar hero who had been around the world playing with this and that ect. Guy turns up. Gets all this flash gear out. Plugs in and indeed a great clean guitar tone. No interest in checking out over driven sounds as a priority and just sounds brilliant. Really nice guy to talk to. Blah blah blah. Has got all the tunes in chart form plus various "notes" he has made. This is gonna be great. What a treat.
Ok lets get on with the gig then. Guy doesn't know his arse from his elbow start to finish. Tries to cover it up with a few "amazing" solos but this is not an "amazing" solo guitar band. This is funk disco soul covers with arrangements that have stops and starts with featured brass lines we all play ect.
" Oh sorry man. I only had like this afternoon to go over it". "But you agreed you wanted to do the gig 4 weeks ago?"..........huh!

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A slight tangent to the main subject, but I was briefly in a band with a Conga player (who was also the band 'leader'). He was quite a good player and because it was Congas he could wing it and play along to anything. The problem was that he couldn't understand that other members of the band actually had to take the time to learn and practice stuff.

I didn't stay for long.

PS " A wing and a prayer" seems a very appropriate phrase for this thread.

Edited by Count Bassy
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A drummer really has to know 'Mr. Brightside' to avoid making an arse of it because it's such a well known tune. Everyone screams when the guitar plays the opening bars but it's driven by the drummer really working the hi-hat and snare. It needs to be played fast and clean. The drummer doesn't need to be Simon Phillips but he will need to know the parts well to keep the rest of the band in check. For a relatively simple song, it's not really one I'd want to wing.

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