General Music Chat

To me, starting a band is like starting a business. Sometimes, you start a joint partnership where somebody takes over the connections end, while the other focuses on most of the song writing. Things vary in circumstances all the time though.

Joining a band is like being employed. You have to prove yourself until you get promoted to more freedom and say-so within the band. What you do from the start depends on your qualifications. You have to gain the band's trust...etc.

So how do you like to go about things as a musician?

With any of the cover bands the first order of business is to find out everyones capability and knowledge and form a parallel rank structure and work within the weakest link "the singer". With the origional band the sky is the limit, because everyones natural playin ability just falls into place.

Do you like a good level of control?

Control only comes about when crunch time is about to happen.

Prefer to join something already well established?

Both are equal

Or maybe it doesen't matter to you as long as you're playing, and the music is good.

Thats right, and it has to sound good or it gets scraped.

I've always started my bands the past 5 years... finally got sick of always being in charge of setting up rehearsals and gigs and all the bullsh¡t in between... I finally joined an already established band with a following... it's finally such a relief that all I have to do is learn the tunes, show up for rehearsals and gigs and have the vocalist hand me my $$!

In response to SirJam and Jimmy. Yes it is a monthly practice room. They have more than one name on the lease so the establishment can "extract" from any member is one fails to produce $$$. They know how musicians tend to forget the lease money sometimes haha

Jimmy doesn't like me so he's nit picking my posts

If my band folded up, I'd go solo and continue performing my own music.
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I don't want to be learning other people's music, when I have so much of my own music to learn . . .
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Maybe that attitude angers some folks, who prefer to play covers, as they say that's the only way to make money.
I just hope that more musicians - as they accrue more experience - begin writing their own songs. There IS a demand for new, original music, locally. And hardly anyone is doing it.
Just, if you write a song, make it different ; not a copy of someone else's song, w/ just 1 or 2 minor changes and a different set of lyrics.
Why be a 2nd rate version of someone else, when you can be a first-rate version of yourself?
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This nation needs a wider range of music than what the average cover band plays (around here, anyway): Sweet Home Alabama, Brown Eyed Girl, Mustang Sally, Stormy Monday . . .
And, if I go to 4 open mikes around here, I am guaranteed to hear "Folsome Prison Blues" at least 3 more times . . .
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A good song will get boring if it's repeated too often.
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. . . rambling . . .
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Anyway - I would start a new group, - not join someone else's show.
UNLESS - I didn't care so much about music, anymore.
Then I'd be like a lot of other musicians, and just follow the money.

Some interesting thoughts here.

I love writing my own stuff, and have no problem putting songs together with other people. In fact, I've been able to collaborate with almost everybody.

Cover songs aren't my forte'. I've never been big on playing someone else's music. When I have played a cover, it usually came out sounding more like me.

The most successful band I was in had me writing 90% of the tunes, while another guy got all the gigs. No strain, and plenty of structure.

Hell I BUILT a practice room of 1200sq/ft for < $500 a month.

Lack one more payment ... done!

I know many of y'all live in the city and have no room for such.

Screw that.

Boy ... I'm feeling kind of blessed right now.

Yeah, if you rent out a cheap spot you may have to leave. I did. Some crankster band ripped everybody off and almost broke our door in. Plus there were too many fights around the place.