General Music Chat

So tomorrow afternoon, the 'Scrambled Eggs' have a "dress" rehearsal for next weekend's show. We'll set up like we will be on stage, with full PA, etc. One of the important things we need to address is timing - we have, basically, a 45 minute set to do - plus the grand finale/encore/sing-along song. We think our practiced songs will be at least 10 minutes longer than that, so we'll probably need to cut 2 or more songs from the list.
The show we do 2 weeks later will be a 30-35 minute set, so we'll probably cut out our 'unplugged' songs for that one.
I'll be 'practicing' my harmony parts tonight.

Incidentally, the 'new song' I mentioned previously with the female singer - we had just enough time to practice half of it last night - but it was enough. The arrangement was kind of loose, but no fu*ckups.

I attended an audition last night. Decent players but frankly I am looking for a little better. Another guitar player showed up for audition as I was leaving. He was a lot younger and better looking than yours truly. Hopefully they give him the spot.

Have you guys only played in bands with outstanding players?

I had a string of bands for over a year where I had to nursemaid their asses. They were moderately decent players and substandard smarts and discipline. My brother and I held the music together at gigs.

But it gave us a drummer who could count to four, and a singer who could kind of play guitar. We were in central FL and we'd fire one and hire another just like him. Pickings were sparse, gigs were too. With sub par players it requires way too much rehearsal.

It sucked mostly but had it's moments. I really didn't want a square gig at that time and silly child that I was, considered it selling out.

Talbot

Have you guys only played in bands with outstanding players?

I wish!
On acoustic guitar I can quickly judge the other person's skill by how they play an F major chord. If they leave the A and E strings open and unmuted ...

[C'mon, Mike. Don't ya know that's a F/A5? (pulling your leg, here)
Me? Barre w/ thumb.

Yep, my preferred method.

:lol: "Laziness"? "Discipline" ?



Sorry, you don't get to the point where you can play Coltrane's "Giant Steps" at 180 BPM on a variety of instruments by being a "lazy" musician. Or one who lacks "discipline".

You guys miss the point entirely. Actually several. I have nothing against band practice...when it is NECESSARY.

In both THE 121's and PLANET JAZZ...it is not. And for the umpteenth time...these are not "jam bands"...we don't "jam out".

We play songs....we begin together. We end together. When they have hooks/signature parts that make the song "the song"...we play them.

We simply do not need to rehearse "Black Magic Woman" or the latest Keith Urban song weekly to be able to pull them off w/o gaffes.

If YOU can't...and need band rehearsal, well, that's YOUR deal. Viva la difference.

Someone requested "Black Magic Woman" at the truckstop last wk. The band had never played it before, but three out of four us had in previous bands. Drummer....never. We nailed it, had people dancing, and the person who requested it bought us a round.

Now, as for playing it exactly like the record and Mike's notion that only bands who play 90% originals can/should play THEIR version of a tune...We played it damn close to the record on Fri night (w/o congas and timbales or organ) but the next night I insisted we play it as a straight up old time sh*t kicking country two-step.

As usual, the guys in the band thought i was nuts, but they indulged me and it came off as if we'd been playing it that way all our lives. People were up dancing...probably more so than when we played it straight! And it was funny....entertaining for both the band and the crowd. People were grinning, laughing (with us), and later on break the bartender told us she preferred our goofball country version.

And that's the difference between musicians who can comfortably play off the top of their heads and make it work and those who might need three rehearsals before they felt comfortable enough to try that.

PLANET JAZZ play standards and originals. Any jazzer worth his/her salt does not need "band practice" to sound "rehearsed" when playing these tunes. As for sounding "rehearsed" on originals....i'll either just show the other musicians the changes and they'll create PARTS (not what you guys dismissively poo poo as "jamming out") or i might give them a recording, or a written part or chord chart. They might do some work on their own at home....or not. But these are solid pro musicians who have played thousands of jazz gigs, put in immeasurable hrs to get to their skill level, and who not only are able to think on their feet ...but rightly take pride in the level of skill they have to pull that off w/o sounding like they're "jamming out".

They didn't get to that level of proficiency by being "lazy" or from any lack of "discipline". They got to that level because they worked their asses off to get to that level.



There's a misunderstanding you guys have here....i have nothing against "band practice" WHEN that's necessary. And hey, if someone needs to get together weekly or whatever to nail their parts on Loverboy and 38 Special tunes....fine.

But that's just not necessary for either of the two gigs i gig most w. Finding better uses of our time isn't laziness...it's simply part of being a pro. You put your practice time in where it's needed.

I've played in bands where we rehearsed plenty and that WAS necessary for those bands. It's not for THE 121's. It's not for PLANET JAZZ.

I never claimed that i could show up on a pickup gig w no rehearsal and nail 20 Beatles tunes just like the record.

And as for anyone not feeling comfy before you had me at three rehearsals....sure, if that's what YOU need to feel comfy....i'm there. IF you're paying me for my rehearsal time. Cos' if i have my parts together after one rehearsal...don't expect me to come back more so YOU can be in YOUR comfort zone w/o compensating me for my time.


Back to "laziness". I've spent (and continue to do so) zillions of hrs working on my chops, learning theory, acquiring new tunes, and keeping up on several instruments. I'd venture to say that I've put in as much or more time getting (and keeping) my $hit together as anyone else here.

No, as I see it laziness is making over the top generalities that fail to recognize and acknowledge that no two situations or two musicians are alike. And I have heard one goofy generality after another here.


Look, there ARE situations that require rehearsals...and there are those that simply don't for musicians who can play and communicate at the level that affords them that luxury.

If YOU can't....don't assume others are in that same boat.

Now you're just making excuses for being lazy.

OK, you're saying that in your current situation there is no need for rehearsals. I'm not disagreeing with you or impugning your ability. But rehearsal isn't about ability or talent (that should be determined before rehearsal) as much as communication between members over who is doing which part when.

I formed a Texas superstar band for high profile concert a few years ago. My drummer was from the 80s Texas band "Point Blank", my percussionist from Weather Report (Not Acuna, Jose Rossy) the bassist and guitarist were just as stellar. Everyone was going to make $700 for two 45min sets.

But I insisted on getting 3 rehearsals. We (technically) did that, but didn't get a single rehearsal with every member present. Alas, everyone appeared to have their individual parts so I rolled with it.

When we got on the big stage, the monitors weren't right and the lack of rehearsal showed up. Had they known the songs, we'd get through it...but being unable to hear every person clearly they didn't know where they were or what to do. I fired them after the first set (paid them ½) and put a "jam band" together with members of the audience whom I knew were familiar with my simplest songs to finish the gig.

This kind of adverse situation is possible at any gig, among many other unforeseen situations. An unrehearsed band is NOT professional when you're doing a concert. Maybe you can get away with it at the local bar, but it's just lazy not to be prepared as a team.

Once a band has rehearsals there is no need to go over the same things again. Too much rehearsal can become stale.

It's about the songs actually. Some songs you can feel the changes coming and the chords land where you think they should. But none of you could follow my songs without a rehearsal, and every band member has different spots in different songs that are exposed, so we rehearse until everyone is tight with each other.

I've got a "simple set" that can be played by anyone with little rehearsal. However, most of my songs feel familiar but are not standard in chord structure. You'd miss every 5/4 bar during the night, and I'd have to fire you for being lazy.

If it was my band, I'd be disciplining! 'Noon start' our new drummer had called for, as he wanted to get done sooner.
I was there before noon (about an hour from where I live). Drummer showed up at 12:30. The erstwhile 'leader' of the band showed up at 1 (and he lives the closest of all). Goofing off, "let's go over the extra song requested 'Birthday' song a few times"... we didn't get rolling until 1:30. I had suggested we go over the full set of songs we had worked on - knowing it was too long for our time slot - so we could figure out how many songs to cut out, then go over the cut down set list again.
Start, Stop, (stop timer)... "What's the arrangement on this?" Mess up arrangement. Our main singer (who also plays guitar had a 'good excuse' - mother-in-law had stroke night before, wife had to rush to the hospital that morning, but the fact that he hadn't practiced any songs himself all week was obvious. He was making notes on his lyric/chord sheets that we had covered several rehearsals before. Leader/lead guitarist counting out the tempo too quick almost every time, and messing up arrangements. When he started 'Here Comes the Sun' (he plays 12-string on this, me 6-string, part of our 'unplugged' set), he was playing it so fast that I couldn't play the accompanying lead part (flute sound on the original)! I yelled out SLOW DOWN, but my timing was all messed up on it after that.
By the time we got through the whole list it was after 2:45. the length came out as 1 hour 10 minutes, and our set length is supposed to be 45 minutes! We cut out 3 songs (with a 4th possible, will make that call during the show) but had only enough time to go over the harmonies on a couple of songs before the singer/guitarist had to leave.
I'm guessing I was the only one who actually went over all the songs at home in the days prior. Frustrating. The singer/guitarist said, at one point, 'this is nothing, wait til you hear all the mistakes we make on Saturday' - I felt like saying 'what do you mean "WE"'?

Anyone consider the fact that they get what you they for?

If they do not want to pay good money for good musicians that spend a lot of time rehearsing they won't get them.

Consider all the tearing down packing it into a vehicle and driving to the gig to unpack set up and play X hours.

Then tear down and pack up again to haul your gear home to unload and set up again at home so you can "practice.

How many times do you really want to do that in between gigs so you can sound good for piss poor wages?

All for a bunch of drunks in many cases?

with the egos as large as they are on many contributors to this forum are, do you think for a minute their overtly large egos will let them keep from performing for peanuts? if they are even getting to the "peanuts" level?.. many think they are god's gift to an audience here.

Anyone consider the fact that they get what you they for?

If they do not want to pay good money for good musicians that spend a lot of time rehearsing they won't get them.

Consider all the tearing down packing it into a vehicle and driving to the gig to unpack set up and play X hours.

Then tear down and pack up again to haul your gear home to unload and set up again at home so you can "practice.

How many times do you really want to do that in between gigs so you can sound good for piss poor wages?

All for a bunch of drunks in many cases?

The rehearsals should have been mostly over before you started gigging. Then you get paid to rehearse onstage.

Even in that scenario there should be some rehearsals periodically to learn/write new songs.

many think they are god's gift to an audience here.

as a matter of technicality, I literally am.

Anyone consider the fact that they get what you they for?

If they do not want to pay good money for good musicians that spend a lot of time rehearsing they won't get them.

Consider all the tearing down packing it into a vehicle and driving to the gig to unpack set up and play X hours.

Then tear down and pack up again to haul your gear home to unload and set up again at home so you can "practice.

How many times do you really want to do that in between gigs so you can sound good for piss poor wages?

All for a bunch of drunks in many cases?

This is our 7th year doing this benefit show. Previous years, we've done, at the most, 5 songs, plus leading the finale. Money raised (tickets are $20) went to the church that hosts the event and the 'music in our schools' program run by the event organizer. This year, the door is being split between the (fewer this year) performers, I'm hopeful our band payout will be near $1000 (split 5 ways), which is a darn sight better than usual pay around here for bands for a less-than-1-hour set.