Hey all,
As some might remember I joined a 'jazz'band last christmas, and I felt like saying what happened after that. Might be fun to read, or maybe not. Anyway, the Jazzband wasn't meant to last long. Due to the age of the other members there were constantly things (work/wife/kids) interfering and it ended up going totally nowhere, to keep it short.
Just a bit earlier I started a 2nd band, with two fellow students, a drummer and pianist. For three months we played modern rock/pop covers and occasionally had a bassplayer or vocalist, none of them really fitted in well. Then somewhere in April we had another girl come to 'audition' (which sounds far more serious then it was) and she was just what we were after. And since she knows the basic chords on guitar and writes her own music we immediately dropped all covers and started writing our own songs. Right now we have four songs finished and a few under construction, and those that are finished will be played on our first 'gig' (once again used loosely, it's for about 50 friends and family members of the drummer's family).
Interesting little thing is that I only use a tiny bit of what little I know about playing guitar. Most of our songs involve little more then some minor and major chords strummed on an accoustic guitar, with occasional melody lines and all songs should be little problem for most people who have been playing for six months or so. Maybe soome 'proof' that you don't need to be a veteran to play in a band, and should try to play with others as soon as possble. As everyone here keeps on saying.
No idea what kind of response I expect, but who cares.
Interesting little thing is that I only use a tiny bit of what little I know about playing guitar. Most of our songs involve little more then some minor and major chords strummed on an accoustic guitar, with occasional melody lines and all songs should be little problem for most people who have been playing for six months or so. Maybe soome 'proof' that you don't need to be a veteran to play in a band, and should try to play with others as soon as possble. As everyone here keeps on saying..
Exactly, everyone in the band I am in has been playing for less than two years, we've only been playing for about 3 weeks together, and we just played live on Fox News with 45,000 people watching!!! We also have two gigs in August. One's a parade/festival kinda thing on Congress ( I dont know how many people are gonna be there) and at the Keep Austin Weird Festival with 5,000-10,000 people there! I think we just "clicked".... :)
Stairway to Freebird!
Exactly, everyone in the band I am in has been playing for less than two years, we've only been playing for about 3 weeks together, and we just played live on Fox News with 45,000 people watching!!! We also have two gigs in August. One's a parade/festival kinda thing on Congress ( I dont know how many people are gonna be there) and at the Keep Austin Weird Festival with 5,000-10,000 people there! I think we just "clicked".... Smile
YoYo reading stuff like that makes me sick! :wink:
Yeah dude, pretty darn awesome what you're pullin' off right now. Just keep rocking and who knows where you'll eventually end up. Our band has quite a few skilled people though, the pianist has been playing for ten years and has done a few band gigs and solo performances. Our vocalist has been strumming her own songs for the last 12 years and the drummer started three years or so ago besides having been a choir singer for the last five years. He can sightread and is among the most musical drummers I know. But since our instruments are really just there to support the vocals I'll be happily strumming instead of racing my pentatonic scales over and over again. 8)
Sounds cool Arjen. Sometimes I wonder when I'll need all the jazz chords I've learned, stuff like that, but it doesn't matter, eventually I might, and even if I don't, it helps with other areas on the guitar.
Enjoy the gig.
Arjen
That wasn't boring at all. :roll:
You are absolutely correct about music being simple. It really is. I have been playing 33 years now and have been in numerous bands, but know what? We are pretty much still playing the same way as when I started. Just strumming chords with simple melody lines.
So, you have discovered the secret. Music is really pretty simple. I mean, there ARE bands who play complicated music, but really that is the exception. Music doesn't need to be complicated. But it MUST sound good.
What does change with time is your execution. Your technique does improve. You make less mistakes. So with time you do strum those chords more professionally. But you are pretty much still strumming simple chords. :D
Sounds like you have gotten a pretty good music education in the last 7 months. This will continue. You will go through many, many different musicians and bands. Bands fall apart for all kinds of reasons. You just have to stay with it. Your post sounds a little depressing. I can relate. It is like that a lot. It is tough.
But if you are really meant to be a musician (and I think you are) you will stay at it through thick and thin. There will be many ups and downs. Sometimes you will be on the mountaintop of joy, at other times the pit of despair.
Sorry to sound melodramatic. Just letting you know that what you are going through is normal.
Keep rockin' Argen.
If you know something better than Rock and Roll, I'd like to hear it - Jerry Lee Lewis
way to go arjen! that was a good read. so what if the music is "simple"? the good thing is is that you guys are writing your own songs, finding a style and having fun. look at some of the most successful (or just plain good artisits) who have went anywhere...Bobby Dylan...lots of his stuff is simple, chord melody. The Beatles. Everyone knows how to strum Beatles song and play the melodies. Jim Croce. Bass and chord melody Finger picking. Neil Young. Some of his greatest songs, My My Hey Hey, or Hey Hey My My are both simple yet catchy. or even stuff like Sedan Delivery and Down by the River. Just strumming chords man. anywho, i think it's great that you guys are doin' stuff that is yours and moving away from covers. even if this band takes a dump, you will have more songwriting experience and feel more confident about playing your own stuff. Keep on Rockin'
"I got a woman, stay drunk all the time!"
-Led Zeppelin-
I think it's great you're writing your own songs...hell, if you get bored with them you can always jazz (sorry about the pun!) them up a little....or put those pentatonic runs to use in your solos....
In a nutshell, you're only just starting out...you have all the time in the world to develop your own style...your frustration comes from the fact you aren't maximising your potential, but you don't have to throw every trick/lick/riff you know into every song....sometimes simple is best!!!!
Keep at it Arjen....I've listened to your playing, all you need to decide is a musical direction....and hey, any solo stuff you write the band doesn't think is suitable, you can always record yourself....
:D :D :D
Vic
"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)
Thanks for the replies guys. The ironic bit is that I practically have all the freedom to play what I want as far as the other bandmembers are concerned. But I can't say with a straight face that our songs *really* need guitar solos or that we really should only play 7th and 9th chords or something like that. Ah well, we've only been together for three months so I'll just have to see where we'll head to in the future. I actually am having a lot of fun but it is sometimes hard to convince msyelf I am pulling my weight by just strumming an Em chord. But I know if I push the guitar too much to the front I'll be distrurbing the piano parts. Atleast I won't have to be scared of any tricky chord change or solo line now. :D
Right now all I need to do is play my part properly. I'll be playing three songs on my western and one on the electric, so I won't have much to worry about presets and effects. I've gone out of my way to make sure I can counter whatever bad luck comes our way (spare guitars, cables, strings, spare guitar amp etc) and I am nothing less then 100% sure I am able to play these four songs without a single error. Right after the gig I'll have to catch my plane to Barcalona so I'll post some pics and maybe soundclips the week after.
vic: definitely :D I'll be making music with a whole bunch of different people as it is both tons of fun and I'll learn a lot from it. The band remains top priority but that should be no reason not to explore other genres and styles of music.
Arjen, it sounds like your enjoying yourself and progessing and that's the important thing. I can only imagine how hard it must be to keep a band together. I can't even find people who want to play on a regular basis. I agree with Wess, the songs don't have to be complicated. Most of the songs I like on accoustic guitar are usually very simple songs with good lyrics. Keep pluggin.
The tiny gig is over, and I have some spare time to type this before I have to catch my plane. The piano player had to come from the other side of Holland and was too late to setup a proper soundcheck. During our wannabe-soundcheck I managed to snap the b-string on my Floyd-equiped Ibanez which was annoying. After putting on a new string I decided that the string probably wouldn't hold tuning so well for the first bits and since an unproperly tuned Floyd ain't too cool I chose the Dean instead of the technically superior Ibanez.
After that the gig went pretty much ok. Counting down for the second song didn't went properly but after the first quarter note everything was back on track which made us feel pretty comfortable after the flawless execution of the first song. The second song was also the hardest one for us since we had to change a few bits a few days before the gig so our vocalist could properly sing it. So we were pretty happy after that one went ok. Third song is my favourite, really cool vocal lines and some unexpected chord changes really make this a, IMHO, nice song. Technically it's pretty easy for all of us and if went perfect.
After this it was up to me to introduce the band which was a pretty unique event for me. I've never ever seen anyone be introduced in front of half his family without *anyone* applauding. They were polite enough to applaud after every song but I never got the feeling they actually gave a crap, even though they were very positive at the end. Bah. Anyway, after this it was time for out fourth and final song, which is also the only song that has me playing the electric. We decided right before starting that I'd play a small intro solo instead of the usual piano solo and it worked out ok.
Somehow it seems kinda sad to me that our 'reward' for practicing for months was to play four songs in fifteen minutes in front of a largely uninterested bunch of people. We did our best, all-in-all our performance was more then decent but in the end it just seems like a waste of fifteen potentially fun minutes. Pics might follow later. I'm about to leave now, so have a nice week all of you.
We did our best, all-in-all our performance was more then decent but in the end it just seems like a waste of fifteen potentially fun minutes.
I can't relate but, I guess it comes down to if YOU guys and gals had fun! If you all think everything went well, then you guys and gals put on a good show.
I can say that because I've seen some AWESOME shows and most of the people would have been happier picking thier noses. Interest is a large factor and it seems in your case your music didn't strike there fancy. It happens. You can't please everyone.
If the band thought it was a great show.......... then it was!
Sorry to hear about the guitar mishap. Good to hear though that you brought a back up. 8)
remember man, you may be playing with your theory and your hands, but people are listening with their ears and their toes and their butts and their beliefs and their desires and their pasts and...
hey Arjen, i was just in barcelona the other month and had a great time. i don't know if you've been there before but there are so many street musicians playing guitar...its really great. anyways you can also pick up a hand made guitar at the many guitar shops around town for fairly cheap and they are really good quality(mind you most are classical). anyways keep up with the band and making your own music. have a good one
hmmmm....don't want to knock your audience, but next time you might be better off playing to people who actually appreciate music, and who'd appreciate the hard work that you put it...
Main thing is, you got up on-stage....and as long as the band played well, it was a success...even if only the band enjoyed it!!!
Keep rockin' Arjen, and I hope you have a great time in Barcelona mate...
:D :D :D
Vic
"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)
