Playing songs in a covers band you dont always like.?

[Len_derby]

1 hour ago, ubit said:

 

 

You used to hear massive cheers when we played Wagon Wheel. I detest that song and it's beyond boring to play but drunken punters loved it.

I’ll raise you a ‘straight to hell’. 😂

[paul_5]

My experience of ‘wagon wheel’ prior to it being called at my only rehearsal before a few dep gigs was of a slightly disappointing chocolate-esque biscuit.

[chris_b]

Hey, it's a good Country song. I love the sound of the original recording.

 

There's  also a great version on Daryl's House.

[TimR]

21 minutes ago, fretmeister said:

That still isn't the same sport as listening to the track on a CD and knowing it. Unless that definition is now expanding to listening once but being allowed to pause it every 3 seconds to take notes.

 

 

 

I think you may be taking what I wrote a little bit too literally and specifically.

 

Most cover songs can be learned in one listen through. We aren't talking about film scores, neither are we talking about 20minute prog rock songs. We are taking about songs with 3 or 4 very predictable chords in them. 

 

I'd listen to the verse and chorus and then pick up my bass and put the notes in. By the end of the second chorus for 'most songs' I'd have the chords sorted.

 

Not all songs, but that's exactly how I learned the majority of our current set list. 

 

I'd then work on any sections that are particularly difficult (if there were any) and look at harder songs on the set list.

 

Remember we were talking about joining a covers band. Most of the hard work would have been already done by the guitars, drums and vocals. 

 

Once in the rehearsal, you can guarantee they will have already made changes to their arrangement to suit band instrumentation and ability. 

 

 

[fretmeister]

1 hour ago, TimR said:

 

 

I think you may be taking what I wrote a little bit too literally and specifically.

 

Most cover songs can be learned in one listen through. We aren't talking about film scores, neither are we talking about 20minute prog rock songs. We are taking about songs with 3 or 4 very predictable chords in them. 

 

I'd listen to the verse and chorus and then pick up my bass and put the notes in. By the end of the second chorus for 'most songs' I'd have the chords sorted.

 

Not all songs, but that's exactly how I learned the majority of our current set list. 

 

I'd then work on any sections that are particularly difficult (if there were any) and look at harder songs on the set list.

 

Remember we were talking about joining a covers band. Most of the hard work would have been already done by the guitars, drums and vocals. 

 

Once in the rehearsal, you can guarantee they will have already made changes to their arrangement to suit band instrumentation and ability. 

 

 

 

 

We are definitely using different definition of "learned."

[ubit]

2 hours ago, Geek99 said:

given a choice between Rush and Mustang Sally / S3x on fire most punters will vote for the former option with their feet 

 

 

See this is where I'm different. If I found a band doing Rush covers in a bar I would be over the moon and I would enjoy my evening with both my fellow local Rush fans. Everyone else would be somewhere else!

[ubit]

1 hour ago, TimR said:

 

 

I think you may be taking what I wrote a little bit too literally and specifically.

 

Most cover songs can be learned in one listen through. We aren't talking about film scores, neither are we talking about 20minute prog rock songs. We are taking about songs with 3 or 4 very predictable chords in them. 

 

I'd listen to the verse and chorus and then pick up my bass and put the notes in. By the end of the second chorus for 'most songs' I'd have the chords sorted.

 

Not all songs, but that's exactly how I learned the majority of our current set list. 

 

I'd then work on any sections that are particularly difficult (if there were any) and look at harder songs on the set list.

 

Remember we were talking about joining a covers band. Most of the hard work would have been already done by the guitars, drums and vocals. 

 

Once in the rehearsal, you can guarantee they will have already made changes to their arrangement to suit band instrumentation and ability. 

 

 

 

 

You are either a child prodigy or you are playing very simplified versions of songs in your cover band.

 

 

One listen and you know them?

[ubit]

1 hour ago, chris_b said:

Hey, it's a good Country song. I love the sound of the original recording.

 

There's  also a great version on Daryl's House.

 

 

Don't get me wrong, when I first heard it by Old Crow Medicine Show I thought it was great but it got so over played that I grew to hate it. We learned it way back before it was so well known and I was dismayed when I heard lots of other bands doing it. The punters loved it!

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

7 minutes ago, ubit said:

See this is where I'm different. If I found a band doing Rush covers in a bar I would be over the moon and I would enjoy my evening with both my fellow local Rush fans. Everyone else would be somewhere else!

 One of my bands does Tom Sawyer. It went down very well the one and only time we’ve had a chance to play it.

[redbandit599]

6 hours ago, ubit said:

 

 

You should have done it, its a great song when done right!

 

 

We do this as a mash up combining it with Smells Like Teen Spirit.  It's very entertaining to watch the looks of confusion on drunken punters faces. Gets the dancers and the moshers mingling 😂

Edited October 19, 2021 by redbandit599

[TimR]

25 minutes ago, ubit said:

 

 

You are either a child prodigy or you are playing very simplified versions of songs in your cover band.

 

 

One listen and you know them?

 

Yep.

 

One listen through to learn most covers.

 

It'll hardly be the first time you've ever heard the tunes. I'd suggest if it is then being in a covers band isn't really for you as you're expecting the audience to already know them.

[ezbass]

2 hours ago, TimR said:

 

You only have to learn the song. You don't have to perform it or write a critique essay on its form and place in modern music. 

 

The idea is you learn it, come to rehearsal and everyone else has learned something approachably passable, and you can get a good idea whether to spend any more time on it.

 

Try playing some dep gigs, or jam nights, where you get told the key of a song you've never heard before and have to pick the song up on the fly. 

Right, I said your mileage may vary and my post was just from my POV, yet here you go making your POV the only one that counts again. You say learn it and then say you spend more time on it if it works, not quite the spirit of your previous, ‘knock out something passable’ posts. Also, when did playing and performing become 2 different things? As to your facetious ’essay’ comment; really?

 

I don’t have to try deps and jams thank you, I’ve done plenty of short notice deps and jam nights, both on bass and guitar and I never find them fulfilling. That’s I don’t find them fulfilling, others may love that scenario, it’s not my preferred outlet, but I’ll do them and, in the case of deps, get asked back.

[neepheid]

15 minutes ago, TimR said:

 

Yep.

 

One listen through to learn most covers.

 

It'll hardly be the first time you've ever heard the tunes. I'd suggest if it is then being in a covers band isn't really for you as you're expecting the audience to already know them.

 

What is this nonsense?  I have had to learn songs I've never listened to before, songs I've heard once or twice and ones I'm intimately famiilar with.  All three take more intense study than you suggest to get them to a standard I'd be happy exhibiting in public.  I frankly don't care if you think being in a covers band "isn't really for" me on this basis.

 

You just sound condescending here.

Edited October 19, 2021 by neepheid

[lozkerr]

23 minutes ago, neepheid said:

All three take more intense study than you suggest to get them to a standard I'd be happy exhibiting in public.

Indeed.

 

I think most of us have rather higher standards than one listen being good enough. No way would I perform something in public on bass unless I'd nailed it, just like I wouldn't do it on keys, violin, trumpet, voice or any of the other instruments I've played over the years.

[dmccombe7]

1 hour ago, ubit said:

 

 

See this is where I'm different. If I found a band doing Rush covers in a bar I would be over the moon and I would enjoy my evening with both my fellow local Rush fans. Everyone else would be somewhere else!

Me tae. 😂

[fretmeister]

31 minutes ago, neepheid said:

 

What is this nonsense?  I have had to learn songs I've never listened to before, songs I've heard once or twice and ones I'm intimately famiilar with.  All three take more intense study than you suggest to get them to a standard I'd be happy exhibiting in public.  I frankly don't care if you think being in a covers band "isn't really for" me on this basis.

 

You just sound condescending here.

 

This.

 

His definition of "learned" is what I would call "be able to recognise it on the radio again and play along to it badly" - nowhere near actually being able to duplicate it let alone perform it to an acceptable standard.

 

[Bridgehouse]

7 minutes ago, fretmeister said:

 

This.

 

His definition of "learned" is what I would call "be able to recognise it on the radio again and play along to it badly" - nowhere near actually being able to duplicate it let alone perform it to an acceptable standard.

 

The attitude expressed would explain why I’ve heard some utterly shocking performances in pubs and clubs over the years though…..

[dmccombe7]

When we put the 70's Glam covers band together 3 yrs ago we hadn't met before (4 of us) We agreed to each making up their own preferred set lists and see what the common ones were.

We agreed on max 30 songs at that point.

When we first met for a coffee and get to know each other we went thru the sets and they were almost identical and we have stuck with those songs only adding occasional newbies.

To be fair 70's Glam era was only 3-4 yrs so it was a limited list.

 

I did pick up majority of the songs fairly quick because i was a big fan of Glam rock in 70's as a teenager. Think i was learning 3-5 songs a day. When i say learned that was me learning exactly what was on the hit single version. Some like Elton John were a bit longer but i see @TimR's point that if you already know pop songs they are very easy to pick up. I definitely couldn't do them with one listen tho. Took me a good few listens to get a feel for the song then write down the notes. I'd say each song was written out in about 1-2 hours average. Then i would play until i could remember without my notes. I do write songs out note for note so that can take a bit longer. 

 

Dave 

Edited October 19, 2021 by dmccombe7

[Skinnyman]

6 minutes ago, fretmeister said:

 

This.

 

His definition of "learned" is what I would call "be able to recognise it on the radio again and play along to it badly" - nowhere near actually being able to duplicate it let alone perform it to an acceptable standard.

 

In fairness, if you have the chord sheet and you’re happy to stick to root notes, you can cobble something together pretty quickly.

 

If you want to emulate the original (and if the original is anything more than quarter-beat root notes) then it’s likely to take most of us mortals a little longer to nail.

 

All hail though to those who can learn anything half decent on one listen through.

[Reggaebass]

2 minutes ago, Bridgehouse said:

I’ve heard some utterly shocking performances in pubs and clubs over the years

You’ve obviously heard me play then bridgy 😁

[ubit]

9 minutes ago, Bridgehouse said:

The attitude expressed would explain why I’ve heard some utterly shocking performances in pubs and clubs over the years though…..

 

 

Listening to a song once and being told by the guitarist that it's A-E and G, then the verse is A-E-B and F isn't learning a song. You would only be playing root notes with your own connecting runs. If you want to learn a song properly you need to spend more time than that. Boys and Girls by Blur, Rio by Duran Duran. No one could play them purely on one listen. Same with Cake By The ocean. All do-able pop covers.

Edited October 19, 2021 by ubit

[ezbass]

2 minutes ago, Skinnyman said:

All hail though to those who can learn anything half decent on one listen through.

[dmccombe7]

Over the many years i've been playing i've come across some guitarists that can play a song after a once thru. It always amazed me but these were guys that were always playing regulary in pubs and clubs and maybe it was just a refresher for them. Maybe the solos were ad-libbed and i just couldn't tell LOL

Dave

[upside downer]

It can be done. I've listened to 4' 33" by John Cage just the once.

 

Nailed it.

[Bridgehouse]

59 minutes ago, neepheid said:

 

What is this nonsense?  I have had to learn songs I've never listened to before, songs I've heard once or twice and ones I'm intimately famiilar with.  All three take more intense study than you suggest to get them to a standard I'd be happy exhibiting in public.  I frankly don't care if you think being in a covers band "isn't really for" me on this basis.

 

You just sound condescending here.

Actually, on a serious note, a flippant “one listen through is enough” is disrespectful to the other musicians in the band, and to the audience.

 

In any band I’ve been in this would be a reason for sacking.

 

I make a point of not joining bands where a level of mutual respect isn’t shown.