Would you play a style thats not to your taste ?

[RhysP]

[quote name='Mog' post='792478' date='Mar 31 2010, 09:07 PM']Unless, as Delberthot was implying, its a function band. Once money comes into the equation and it becomes a job morals can take the back seat.[/quote]

Oh, I completely agree.
If you want to earn a living from playing an instrument & you choose to play stuff you don't particularly like just to be out playing then fair enough.

I love playing, which is why I backed away from turning pro in the late 80's.
I just didn't want it to become something I HAD to do to pay the bills & end up hating it.

I'm glad I did this; I know some excellent professional musicians who hate most of what they do, to the extent that they never play for enjoyment anymore as they can't stand the sight of their instruments after earning their living with them all day.

I think that's really sad.

[Delberthot]

I would like to clear one thing up - I enjoy playing what I play and enjoy playing with the people that I play music with. I don't play anything I don't want to play.

If I didn't want to play then I wouldn't, simple as that.

Its nothing to do with me being in a function band, brass band or a f***ing spoons playing trio. I simply enjoy doing what i do and if you dont then I don't give a f***. If you don't want to do it then don't f***ing do it.

I simply stated what I do, I enjoy doing what I do and I do it f***ing well.

If you want to play for yourself and to f*** with the punters then do it as long as they like you cos if they don't then you won't be back.

I'm not pro and wouldn;t do it cos it ceases to be a hobby and becomes you job.

[skampino]

Although my band do get paid, I play because I enjoy it. If I hated the type of material, I'd find a band that was doing stuff I like.
Having said that I don't think I've been in one band where there isn't at least one song I particularly dislike or find a bit boring. But I suppose there was the odd song I chose that another bandmate didn't care much for.
I notice a few people have a distaste for blues. Me too but I agree that you do learn from playing different genres so have been willing to do the occasional number with bands I've been in.

[4-string-thing]

I'm in a band that plays a mix of 70's glam, punk and metal. None of which I would ever listen to (unless it was to learn a song) I'm a folkie at heart, but I have to say, I love playing Alice Cooper followed by AC/DC and the Sex Pistols!

[JTUK]

If the band can really play then you can get quite a bit of mileage out of a lot of songs and have lots of fun doing it.
Any so-so music is going to get lame after while unless you are oblivious to it..
but then that can be useful for your own enjoyment ...can't speak for the punters though...!!!

[purpleblob]

[quote name='bigd1' post='791763' date='Mar 31 2010, 12:21 PM']Why wouldn't you, get to play with others, maybe a pint afterwards, whats to think about ? As a musician don't you just like to play. I don't understand the "I'll do it for money" way of thinking.
I'm a musician, I play because I enjoy making music, this is best done with other musicians .
I am a bass player, a musician.
I am not a breadhead [/quote]

You make a fair point but from my personal perspective, why would I not simply find like minded musicians and play with them instead of wasting time doing something I didn't really enjoy playing. Anyway, that's just my view - if you gain something from playing stuff you don't enjoy then go for it.

[theosd]

I do every week and have never ever regretted it. Being in a covers band with such a diverse range of styles has made me a better musician. Having the chance to play reggae along with blues and rock has meant I am a more rounded player IMHO than if I'd limited myself.

I think it's dangerous to limit yourself musically, take every opportunity going. However if it's an originals band with one distinct style of play that didn't tickle my pickle I don't think I'd bother. I like the diversity and, more importantly, at gigs the musical dynamics possible being in an eclectic covers band. We can cut and change as and when depending on crowd reaction. Little stolid? Try 'Dreadlock Holiday' by 10cc. Little more morose? Play 'Stir It Up'. Up for a laugh? 'Parklife' with crowd interaction is called upon! Playing at a reknowned 'musicians' venue? Whack out the Gary Moore and Cream.

We always try and introduce new tracks every so often (for our sake more than the punters'!) and one which has gone down particularly well in recent weeks is Paolo Nutini's pencil full of lead - again, not a song I would personally choose to listen to but played in our own style it's a GREAT pub track, fun and bouncy!

By my reckoning putting yourself out of your comfort zone is the only way to truly advance yourself as a musician.

[chris_b]

[quote]....Would you play a style thats not to your taste ?....[/quote]
This question comes up regularly and the same answers get trotted out.

There are quite a few numbers I'd like never to play again but there isn't a style that I don't like. What's not to like about playing an instrument to the best of your ability, with other musicians, in front of an audience and getting an encore because they liked what you did?

And you get paid to do it? Great because in the first place the petrol to get to the gig cost me £10, I walk on to a stage with £4000 of gear and I have to go to Tesco later to buy tea.

I stopped being a "bedroom" player by the time I was 16. I was pro at 19 and was playing gigs in arenas in front of 35,000 by the time I was 21. I'm currently working on a project with a guy who has made enough money out of song writing alone to own houses in Scotland, London and the South of France. I'll play anything he writes. He doesn’t expect me to play for nothing and I wouldn’t.

If you don't have a grown up attitude to playing you very quickly end right back in the bedroom!

[niceguyhomer]

I joined an 'ambient folk rock band' last September - wasn't into folk rock at all but I was attracted by the standard of musicianship and professionalism of the band and the fact that they only do theatre gigs (I'm heartily sick of playing in empty / unappreciative pubs). I've been with them for 6 months now and have to say I've really got into the music.

It ain't Steely Dan but I love it.

[the_skezz]

Not really. I was in a thrash metal band until a few days ago, but quit because we were playing a lot of stuff that I really didn't like playing (ok, so it was really because I got drunk and angry, but still).

Though to be fair, that wasn't really a case of not liking the music, it was more that it was the sort of thing that I don't find particularly enjoyable to play on bass. Most of it was pretty bland lines that would just follow the guitar, which I really didn't enjoy playing. It wasn't so bad if we were covering songs, but when the guitarist was telling me to play similar lines in our own material then I got really irritated with it.

[farmer61]

Have done so (acoustic stylie) but found myself gravitating back towards my personal taste in music.

IMV playing any type of music has to be better than not playing at all. Bon Jovi and "Jump" by Van Halen being the absolute exceptions of course

[Gust0o]

I'm sure your average pro could turn his/her hand to anything, with some delightful results. After all, isn't this a requirement for most, especially in a session capacity?

Could I do it? Yes and no. I do think you put a lot of yourself into your playing. I could make the notes, but I think you could tell I wasn't in it. I don't think it's necessarily style for me, mind, but more the music and the song.

For example, there are very few occasions where I think I can slap and sound like I'm actually enjoying it.

[OutToPlayJazz]

I'll play anything people pay me to play, simple as that. There are no depths I won't go to (musically speaking) if there's a paycheque at the end of it.

[Gust0o]

If you'd pulled out the stuff in brackets from your last sentence, OTPJ, you'd have nailed my career

[oldslapper]

[quote name='Gust0o' post='793421' date='Apr 1 2010, 03:50 PM']If you'd pulled out the stuff in brackets from your last sentence, OTPJ, you'd have nailed my career [/quote]


I'm not that bothered about the style/type/genre of music these days. It's more about the musicians I'm playing with.
If they are convinced about what they are playing (i.e. enthusiastic, or know & love the genre) then I'll really enjoy it too.
I hate playing music that I love with people who are less than enthusiastic about it, .....................................but then again not many people like "acid country"
J

[the_skezz]

[quote name='oldslapper' post='793430' date='Apr 1 2010, 03:59 PM']

I'm not that bothered about the style/type/genre of music these days. It's more about the musicians I'm playing with.
If they are convinced about what they are playing (i.e. enthusiastic, or know & love the genre) then I'll really enjoy it too.
I hate playing music that I love with people who are less than enthusiastic about it, .....................................but then again not many people like "acid country"
J[/quote]


'Acid country'?!?!?

I haven't heard of this before, but it's aroused my curiousity...

[RhysP]

The other side of the coin in this debate is that you can, and often do, end up with people playing styles of music they should leave well alone.
I'm sure we've all seen pub bands that mainly play one style of music to an acceptable degree but then insist on throwing in the obligatory funk or reggae number with very often disastrous results.

Part of being a decent player to my way of thinking is knowing your limitations (and we ALL have them, as much as some of you don't like to think so ).
I dick about with slapping or whatever when I'm playing for my own amusement, but I know there are people out there that are much better at it than me.
I'm not really interested in being a jack of all trades - I'm a pretty good player in the genres of music that most interest me and that's enough for me.

There are plenty of highly regarded pro players out there who pretty much stick to one genre - I'm fairly certain that Larry Graham or Bootsy would be pretty sh*te Thrash Metal players, but that's not going to bother them at all.

I once read a great quote from Billy Sheehan who said that "The things you choose to reject are just as much an influence on your playing as the things you accept" and I think that this is correct.

[oldslapper]

[quote name='RhysP' post='793555' date='Apr 1 2010, 06:01 PM']The other side of the coin in this debate is that you can, and often do, end up with people playing styles of music they should leave well alone.
I'm sure we've all seen pub bands that mainly play one style of music to an acceptable degree but then insist on throwing in the obligatory funk or reggae number with very often disastrous results.

Part of being a decent player to my way of thinking is knowing your limitations (and we ALL have them, as much as some of you don't like to think so ).
I dick about with slapping or whatever when I'm playing for my own amusement, but I know there are people out there that are much better at it than me.
I'm not really interested in being a jack of all trades - I'm a pretty good player in the genres of music that most interest me and that's enough for me.

There are plenty of highly regarded pro players out there who pretty much stick to one genre - I'm fairly certain that Larry Graham or Bootsy would be pretty sh*te Thrash Metal players, but that's not going to bother them at all.

I once read a great quote from Billy Sheehan who said that "The things you choose to reject are just as much an influence on your playing as the things you accept" and I think that this is correct.[/quote]

I largely agree with Mr Sheehan on this one. I know my limitations (and I am VERY limited ), but I guess it doesn't mean you can't have a go at something if you play it with people who know what they're doing???, but leave it alone if you ain't ever gonna nail it live.
I don't like Muse particularly, but had to learn a couple of their tunes for one band because the rest were really enthusiastic Muse fans.....,I've nailed the bass lines, but I'd be crap in a Muse triute band coz there not my kind of "band", but I had a bit more respect for them after.

Acid Country..............made that up, but it sounds like it could be a challenge?? "Achey Breaky Heart.......Aciiiiiid, Aciiiiiiid".............no?.......I'll get my coat