General Music Chat

Question...Why are most musicians obsessed with recreating other peoples songs instead of creating thier own music..Why do cover bands never seem to make thier own sound? Would leonardo cover a michael angelo painting

When I read a question like this, it makes me wonder how long the person has been involved with music. Because when you ask something like this, my first thought is: this person hasn't been doing this very long.

Music is an evolutionary process. I've seen a similar path for most musicians...

In the beginning, we all try and mimic the compositions that inspired us to pickup an instrument in the first place. Typically, our first goals as musicians are to be able to play some song we already know. Someone else's music. Cover a tune. Impress our friends. Impress ourselves...

From there, once we've whet our appetite with our chosen instrument, we begin desire mastery over it. Perhaps it's an innate desire, or perhaps driven by the difficulty of a passage in someone else's music that we're trying to learn. But at some point in time we realize just how far we are from being "good" with our instrument, and the obsession with it begins in earnest, and we start practicing like mad men to hone our skills.

And somewhere along the way, most musicians I've known start to want to use their instrument to express themselves. They start writing their own stuff. In fact, I don't know a single musician who has ever exclusively played covers their entire musical life...

Why do cover bands never seem to make thier own sound?

Because they are - surprise! - a COVER BAND.

Don't mistake the musicians in the band and their music hearts for the vehicle itself. A cover band serves a purpose. Individual members join for various reasons. Myself, for instance - I play in a cover band because it is FUN. I enjoy performing in front of an audience and playing my instrument. Can there be anything more pure than that?

Does that mean that the guys in my band have no desire to compose original music? Are you f*cking kidding me?

I know of so few musicians who are *just* in a cover band doing nothing but the cover band. The guys in my band - all have separate projects. And I find that to be pretty common.

I think the mistake here is that so few people see what musicians are doing all the time in their musical lives. You see a cover band and think, "Why are they doing that? Why not write your own stuff?" But what you're not seeing is that perhaps those musicians are doing that, just not as that band.

Covers serve a purpose. And a good one. They bring people entertainment, for starters.

but they also give us, as musicians, so much to learn from. Everything I know about the guitar I've learned from playing covers. Every technique, every lick - someone else has already done. And being in a cover band forces me to learn those techniques and work on my own skills. There is a challenge to being able to play something correctly. Being in a cover band forces you to practice.

Don't diss covers man. They have a place in every musician's life...

Great answer! Now, having drawn out an intelligent response. Let me say that I can play many covers, but I prefer to concentrate on my own creations. I have been creating music in one way or another for twenty yrs or so...Thank you for your passionate answer...WILLNTHEWAY

What makes people who do originals think they are Leonardo's in the 1st place ?



I play 100% Grateful Dead for my own satisfaction now because its fun. I get to mess with 50's blues / 50's country / 60's modal ' jazz ' - .... from Miles davis to Merle haggard ...lots of good playing to be had ...
I am also helping out my buds mainly original band but when they get to the Fleetwood mac cover they get their biggest reaction ..
My buddy writes all these cool tunes but it comes down to a Fleetwood Mac tune ....
I want him to be successful .... doing what he wants ...
Seems like peps at the bars dont care as much ....

another great answer...Good passion,,,WILLNTHEWAY

Why play covers?

One reason is because, although I disagree, most people would rather hear THEIR favorite compositions as opposed to something they have not heard before. Even if it is good. They are as lemmings following the DJ's, the Pied pipers of music. The other thing is that in order to play covers you have to learn them. And while learning to play covers you also begin to understand music composition. Then you can write your own material and play it for people who would rather hear their favorite covers.

Last but not least. Many covers are fun to play. Nuff said?

Some musicians truly cannot write, or just aren't very good at it, have recognized this and just play covers. I give these people props for not subjecting us to their inability to create original music.

Some musicians cannot play other people's music very well; they either can't figure out the correct chords or leads or rhythms or whatever. I give these people props for not subjecting us to their horrible renditions.

Some people can't do either and shouldn't be musicians lol.

We have always played a nice balance of music, mostly original with a few covers thrown in.

I don't do covers other than for fun. Covers are a great way to test someones ability to play. The excitement of live music has been a part of my life since I was a 8yo. The ability of sound systems to reproduce live music is an art form, but DJ's can use it now too. Oldies are all there is left to cover today it seems. It's a mad mad world.

I suppose Im the biggest cover hack on this board.

Thru the years I have played in both original and cover situations.

My problem with originals is that I like being in a band and getting a group of people on the same page is harder than a marraige. So at some point I just f**k the original thing, but that doesnt mean I dont write and put together my own originals, I constantly work on that, just havent gotten around to recording them lately. But whenever I practice alone I run thru all sorts of ideas. But i have no illusions at this point in life with being an original hitting the road, I have two kids, a wife, a job, and have to have a pay check, music never provided me with enough money.

Covers, I catch hell on here over this, but for me its just easy, I play with 3 guys that I have known and played with off and on for 20 years, we dont have to practice, we play about once every 4-6 weeks, which suits all of us, its a very low maintenance gig. We get paid reasonably, and we all understand that the reason we get paid is because we entertain an audience, do I like playing Sweet Home Alabama, or Tush, or Play that Funky Music White Boy as songs, not really, but my group is so comfortable with each other that we take some major libertys with the songs, if I want to stretch a solo or change the rythym on the fly we do, in fact I think that a lot of our f**k live are better than most bands in my area's rehearsed songs.

Thats my take on it, Personally I dont care if someone does covers or originals, as long as they play it as well as they are capable of, and are happy doing it, thats all that matters, the pure enjoyment you get from playing your instrument.

Just my 2 cents, if you havent been to my player I have both covers and originals, as far as my originals in the last few years, they are just a moment in time for me, what i was going thru or thinking at that point in time, they are my personal statements, and Im proud of them. But likewise Im very proud of my cover group, I feel like I have the best of both worlds.

excellent answers..I thank you for your input..Sometimes it is good to ask a stupid question to get smart answers

Definitely not a stupid question...I focus on original material, and have done so since I started in music. I have played in a few cover bands, but have enjoyed it much less than doing the originals. Music for me is much more about the creative process. When I do covers, for the most part, I tend to be a tyrant-I want to hear them as close to the original song as possible. That may sound like some kind of oxymoron (or maybe I am an oxy-moron), but to me performing covers is much more of an entertainment device, while original works are more directed towards self expression.

JW, you may be a cover man, but you are no hack-not by a long shot!

Tennessee, I don't think I'm a Leonardo, I know I'm a Joe, for whatever that's worth. Do I produce masterpieces? Probably not. Do I have something valuable to put out into the world? I'd like to think so.

Christopher Holmes, I agree with most of what you said, with exception to your evolutionary theory. From a personal stance, my music beginnings had little or nothing to do with emulating influences. From day one, I have attempted to "do my own thing". And while I have certainly learned things from playing covers, most of my "education" has come from sitting with my instrument and plucking away.

Just my $2...

My output is 99% original music . . . I'm all about Creation and Projecting My Will instead of projecting someone else's

I started out playing violin in middle school and was classically trained on that instrument and learned enough about theory to start writting my own songs when I switched over to guitar. I enjoy playing covers and playing them as close to the original as possible. However I do have my own style of playing. The bottom line is at this stage of my life I like to go out and play covers with the cover band aside from that I'll write my own songs and record them here at home.

Tennessee, I don't think I'm a Leonardo, I know I'm a Joe, for whatever that's worth. Do I produce masterpieces? Probably not. Do I have something valuable to put out into the world? I'd like to think so.



Just my $2...

Just a bit of rhetorical nonsense on my part .... covers vs originals is just a tired argument at this point ...
People should play what they have a passion for .
Good luck !

To me whatever you passion is original or covers should be respected by fellow musicians.

Theres no right or wrong answer, as TN says follow your passion!

I sat in a few years ago at this Octoberfest thing with some guys I know, and we played the Hookie Pookie over and over again, hell they loved it. When I agreed to it, the guy I know, I asked what do I need to work on, he said dont worry at the end of the night you will know it all, and he was right we must have played that song 20 times, LOL!