General Music Chat

Aargghh...after another band rehearsal, I realize how much I prefer recording by myself to the band thing. I love loose jamming with other musicians, but trying to put together material for live shows is just deadly for a control freak like myself. I try to bite my tongue most times, so as not to be a knob, but half the time I'm thinking "why are you playing it THAT way"?

You're too good of a player to settle if these guys aren't playing it like you hear. If they're decent players and they respect you then go ahead and correct them when necessary. If it's not a big deal let it slide; pick your battles.

SCREW the studio LETS ROCK !!

I used to be in a band where EVERYTHING was about control. I was a control freak for YEARS. I grew out of it. There's a time and place to be a control freak like in the studio. You have a vision for a piece of music and you want it to sound a certain way. That's fine IN THE STUDIO. When playing live in a band situation IT IS CONFINING to everybody. There's nothing more boring to me than to hear a band play the same song the same way all the time. No spontaneity. I enjoy a little jamming live. Structure is good to a point, really good musicians will make a tune great by being spontaneous and inventive. Besides if you're too controlling all the time your sh*t will turn into a diamond. Not good for your digestion....

I like playing with a band just fine.
I prefer creating music and recording over playing live.

I'm with you Zip, I love the whole recording process. But even though playing live can be a pain I still get off on it. So I'll call it a 65/35 split.

Sometimes it's tough to play well with others.

I think they are two different elements and I approach them differently.

Im fortunate that my band situation gives me freedom to get out on a limb and add whatever it is that I do. I try to be simple live and not go to over the top cause I feel there has to be a structure at times. I mean if Im playing a cover song like say Tush for instance I cant change the intro guitar riff, but when it comes solo time I take lots of libertys. I may pull a slide out and play it by the book or I may just wail on it. Plus live I think I have to keep the audience in mind and what they expect.

When I record I try to build guitar parts. Double my rythyms or spread them and give one side a slight 10 ms delay to thicken parts. For chorus's I may lay down various guitar parts with different amps, guitars, effects to make the recording interesting. I know live Im the only guitarist and cant make the parts as dramatic as I can when I record. Some solos I double track. Take Save the Last Dance on my player here. Its a simple song, but there is acoustic guitar throughout the song and we kinda brought it in and out of the mix. I layered quite a few guitars on there for the chorus's, and the ending chorus there is a wah wah guitar riff going on.

So in short I just approach live and recording different. Ive shared before how years ago I was big about just recording what I could reproduce live, but these days I go all out on my recordings as far as guitar parts. I sometimes lay down various vocal tracks. I think the song Funky Bee is one that I used 5 tracks for vocals in order to build it thicker.

I understand your frustration, because like others on here I have been there done that.

Good Luck and just try to have fun no matter what you are doing.

I'm a live playing whore. It's that simple.

I absolutely love being in front of a crowd, hearing the applause after each song. I love it when a band comes together and we can put out a tight performance. I love the camaraderie; I love setting up and tearing down the gear; I love sound check... I just dig the whole thing.

To me, there's almost nothing that can compare to glancing out at the crowd and seeing people watching what I'm doing, and getting a reaction from them.

Recording, to me, is a necessary evil.

Both are creative processes.

I like recording because I can do it the way I want it done. Having control of everything means I can do it the way I imagined it, for the most part. Unfortunately, after I record a song, it is less fun to play live because I miss the counterpoint and harmony guitars tracks that I always add.

On the other hand, I am a jammer.

After I have discarded the bad chops, and replaced them with good ones, I learned to play a song the same way every time. ( For my own benefit.)
But I can change styles to fit the grove on the fly so it is just as fun playing with other musicians even if it doesn't go the way I had worked it out.
I imagine that everyone gets to that point after playing in clubs for years.

Both are equally fun for me.

I'm a live playing whore. It's that simple.

I absolutely love being in front of a crowd, hearing the applause after each song. I love it when a band comes together and we can put out a tight performance. I love the camaraderie; I love setting up and tearing down the gear; I love sound check... I just dig the whole thing.

To me, there's almost nothing that can compare to glancing out at the crowd and seeing people watching what I'm doing, and getting a reaction from them.

Recording, to me, is a necessary evil.

That's the best dissertation I have read on the subject yet.


I want to ROCK

I like both.
But I don't really feel any need for the ego boost; so when I'm performing live the applause just rolls off me like water off a duck. It's nice, and I thank everyone, but that's not why I'm in music.
I love creating new songs which no one's ever heard before . . .
I love the varying rhythms, and unusal chords, and unusual song constructions, which all elicit unusual emotions . . .
I just love music.
And then I share it.

Being on my own doing stuff I find it sterile in all honesty but that's my task at the moment. Always I'd prefer to be live but more importantly around nice good people with the same interests and goals.

Sterile? Yes, that's a good description I guess.

Believe me I need no ego boost LOL I have plenty.

I tend to really relate to and feed off of energy in my atmosphere.
I feel the most alive standing in the middle of a field in a ferocious thunderstorm. ( origin of the NKF song RAIN ).
Another reason I have been so enamored with Gung Fu. Not so much the training as in the fight. Those magical moments where the internal dialog is absent and I truly can live in the NOW.
WOW ... there is such power in that.
Same with playing live ... those moments of mushin no mushin.
HELL YEA !! Freakin A man

I like both



But maybe, just maybe I like live better for some reason!