At the risk of being philosophical I'd like to hear your views on staying solo vs. joining the group.
I am a solo guitar/vocalist not necessarily by choice but it just happened this way. Whenever I meet up with other musicians and 'jam' it's a wonderful experience to be in unison or harmony or 'in sync' but no one ever says "hey, lets get together as a band!"
Often my listening audience will ask me " do you ever play with others?"
I've been reflecting on this question and what it means. I go to auditions whenever I can where I get a chance to see and hear what other talent is out there. I chat with other musicians mostly about music and the dynamics of performing or recording.
Doesn't 'a group' have to happen naturally from 'chemistry'?
The newspaper ads seem to request specific types i.e. tribute bands and particular genres. I've called a few ads just to see what they want and I get people who sound very aggressive and egoistic about what they are looking for. Not the types I want to spend time with.
I'm not in the league of a session player. My vocals share an equal stage with my guitar playing. I will never be known as a good 'technical player'. I keep learning at my own pace. I've tried playing rhythm to a lead player and it was fun but I ran off when he got too bossy with me.
Most of the renown solo performers aren't really 'alone'. They have an entourage backing them up ie. promotional agents, etc.
Is making music such a purely 'social' skill? If so, then why does it take hours and hours of practice alone to perfect this 'social' skill?
So, what does it take to 'go it alone' and feel confident about it? why does the public always want to put you into a group?
Portamento - The ability to move from a wrong note to the right one without anyone noticing the original mistake.
Harmonics - The buzzing sound that string instruments make.
Impromptu - A carefully worked out composition.
I have answered a few of those ads. And I have ran an ad or two, mostly looking for a band to play with.
I answer ads for bands looking for guitar players if I think I can play the style they need. Most of the time I get the egocentric types or folks who really don't have much performing experience. They want to practice alot and yet never really gig. Though on occasion I have answered an ad and the result was profitable.
I have ran ads a few times, either offering my services as a guitar player or to look for other musicians who might want to play the sort of music I want to play at the time. Once or twice I have actually gotten gigs from it. But I also get alot of weirdos too.
But most of the gigs I play are with my friends. Most of the musicians I meet are folks I meet through my friends or people I get along well with at jam sessions.
I generally like to be the guitar player in a band. Though lately I have been teaching myself chord melody jazz and am really enjoying just playing at home for now.
I wouldn't say the public wants to put anyone in a group. Lots of artists have made it big on their own. Some solo artists, when they added other players to their music have been called heretics. Bob Dylan started as a solo act in coffee houses. When he added a band, some people felt betrayed and when he picked up an electric guitar, some shouted blasphemy. As for what it takes to make it alone, I'd say confidence, talent and determination.
About your experience with other musicians, I'd say you just haven't meet the right folks yet.
Tim Madsen
Nobody cares how much you know,
until they know how much you care.
"What you keep to yourself you lose, what you give away you keep forever." -Axel Munthe
Well, staying solo means you don't have to share the money (or expenses), and you'll never have to wait for the others to show up. It also means that you'll probably never leave the coffee-house, or get a Friday or Saturday gig. It's really hard to get people to get up and dance without a drummer.
As a bass player, I don't have much choice. I play with others whenever I can, and I really enjoy the interaction. I am now old enough to realize that these sessions are mostly about the music, not about being friends. But I remember when the "social" aspects were also important. Of course, good music with good friends is the best combination.
I would suggest that you form your own band, with yourself as the band leader. That doesn't mean that you can't recruit better musicians (I do it all the time 8) ), it just means that you make the decisions - and they can't be bossy. You'd be surprised how many musicians would prefer to just play, and let someone else worry about the other stuff.
Just a thought...
-Laz
To be the 'band leader' is similar to being the 'conductor', right? I'd need to have top technical skills to call all the shots for a group of musicians, wouldn't I? To command their respect I'd need to be a better player than them. The django rheinhardt jam I tried to be a part of recently was discouraging for a solo folk singer like me due to the intense personalities of the leader (an excellent skilled player of several stringed instruments) and a 'junk-yard dog' type of vocalist who just 'blew me out of the water' with his swearing and shouting. It was obvious that he was directing hostility towards me - the newcomer. So that put an end to that group for me. What's the point in an environment like that?
The open-stages in town often have similar personality types. One self-appointed leader (often well-smoked-up) usually yells alot going around giving orders to 'go on stage and play your 3 songs.' This person really has alot of power over us. We can't afford to offend for fear of not being invited back to play in a well-located venue to an audience that is completely unaware of the hierarchy between musicians.
By establishing my own venue I can avoid these brusque types and the resulting hard feelings they inevitably create. A good venue is discovered quickly by other musicians so there's always competition for a good 'pitch'. The innocent ears of the listening audience is the only thing that makes performing worthwhile.
Portamento - The ability to move from a wrong note to the right one without anyone noticing the original mistake.
Harmonics - The buzzing sound that string instruments make.
Impromptu - A carefully worked out composition.
Many conductors can't play worth a darn on any instrument. They're in charge because they were hired to be so. The musicians were hired to play in that group, so that's what they do.
You don't need to outplay them to be the leader, you need to out-lead them. The leaders you mention are leading through sheer force of will, and they may need chops to back up all that shouting. Those people aren't exactly band leaders anyway. They're event organizers who may also be playing.
Laz is right, many people just want to play and let someone else do the worrying about where and when. If you bring a group together and they start contesting what you say, you're probably not making the right decisions, or you're acting like you have some right to be in charge. You've got to listen to the group and base your decisions on what they want as well. It's the leader's job to worry about when and where the group will play; whether there's a venue open, and whether all the band members can make it. A leader is more of a designated worrier, or coordinator, if you prefer.
You may not want to take it upon yourself to coordinate a group like that, in which case you'll have to find a group to join, or play solo, if that's what you want to do.
Joining or forming a band isn't like playing at an open mic. A band leader will choose practice times based on when the other band members can be there, and to choose performance spots and times in the same way. The person doing that may not even be the musical director in the group, although they probably will be if they form the band around themselves.
