We play it our own way...

[Telenator]

I am learning 40 songs for a band/gig that I have never played before on bass and had 4 weeks to do it. And the new drummer as of Monday, has 2 weeks to learn the material.
Everything was going fine until I went to rehearsal only to discover that they play many of the songs "their own way."
So many of the arrangements I've spent hours charting and learning are in need of a serious edit. That's a lot of time wasted.
What makes it worse, is that the group has no recordings of the way they play it, and we have a gig at a very nice, very popular place coming up in 2 weeks. They act as if I should already know their version and grudgingly want to work out the arrangements at rehearsal to play it their way. What a waste of time! If they had a recording I, and the drummer, would just show up prepared and there would be no stress.
I find this very challenging, stupid, wasteful, counter-productive, amateur, and lazy on their part. They don't even have some of the chord progressions right and bark that they've been doing it this way for 20 years. That doesn't make it right! Then we have to debate whether the chords and melodies are right instead of just listening to the original recording where ALL THE ANSWERS are! Oh no. Can't do that.
How do you get a potentially good band to see the light and stop wasting time? It's so frustrating to show up after working really hard on the material only to be told that I'm doing it wrong. They forgot to tell me they do it their own way.

If a band is going to pull this kind of crap, they need to provide either a recording or a chart showing their stupid arrangement which is always worse than the original.
And if they're tired of playing the material as recorded, then maybe they need to be playing a different type of music.

In my 50 years playing experience, "we play it our own way" means, "we're too lazy to learn it the right way first and just settle for whatever gets us through the next few bars."

Losers.

 

[notmyusualuserid]

I'd walk. No-one, unless they're starving, needs a gig that much.

 

[uriah1]

Sheesh..too bad they didnt prep you

I would just hit starting root note on bass. and return as needed.
Turn up their kick drum
lol

 

[Trenchant63]

I’d conceal my identity onstage and endeavor to play this “chance” music exploring the outer ranges of my improvisational abilities. As long as this public performance can’t be traced back to me. Seriously - you’re in a no win situation - hand the gig to someone else. This band is not professional and should be limited to garage jam sessions.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

I'd walk. No-one, unless they're starving, needs a gig that much.

Yup. Nothing wrong with changing a song. Artists do it all the time. But they're not giving you a chance to get your feet wet — and then blaming you for not catching the wave.

Bag these losers.

And now that you've learned all those songs, maybe you and the drummer can go start something.

 

[Vibroluxer]

Completely unprofessional and foolish. If you and the drummer aren't ready, and playing in a popular venue, the bands brand could take hit.

 

[elihu]

Sounds like a lot of poor communication. But since you can’t go back in time Telenator, here’s what I would do. The two guys you and the drummer are joining-it’s their gig, right? And you did refer to the four of you together as a potentially good band? As a bass player I already have time invested so I’d move forward like this- I’d try to play the songs their way. I’m proficient enough to where I think I could make it work (as long as it’s not Steely Dan etc.) and try to get enough playing time in with them before the gig. Then depending of how that went I’d reassess then.

 

[sammy1974]

All of your words show you already harbour massive resentments and disrespect for these guys even before your first gig.

You know the right answer

 

[Mr. St. Paul]

Run. Do not walk.

 

[Mjark]

There is no right or wrong way but they did you a disservice by not informing you of their arrangements.

 

[Jakedog]

There’s playing it your own way (which is all I do) and then there’s playing it wrong. For me, the record is always a point of reference. If people want to hear the record, they can stay home and listen to it. The booze is cheaper and there’s never a line for the bathroom. Even when I’m on a 100% covers gig, there’s a lot of creativity.

Part of this is out of necessity. I gig a ton in three piece bands. One of them is a rock thing (guitar), the other is a country thing (bass) and I’m the primary vocalist for both. No second guitar, no keys, no horns, no steel, no fiddle. And DEFINITELY no tracks.

No nothing but a live trio, and nothing is off limits to cover. No material is considered “can’t be done” because we only have three pieces.

This often requires a lot of imagination, and a lot of re-working of the source material. That said, even when we do something as crazy as turn “Creep” by Radiohead into a west Texas style 6/8 country waltz, we still play the correct chord progressions. There’s a difference between taking a little creative license, and just being lazy.

We do often change from the original key. Because I have to sing everything whether it’s old school country or 80’s new wave or whatever, and I don’t have the world’s biggest range.

I do always give a sub plenty of warning, a complete list of the songs and the keys we play them in, and let them know that the record is a solid foundation, but they need to be prepared to be flexible. Some nights Funk 49 is a four minute song. Some nights it’s fifteen. And goes through multiple movements and such. Folks gotta use their ears and pay attention. This is not a recital. Sheet music won’t help you. There is no net below the trapeze.

Some nights I play a standard I-V-IV three chord banger, some nights I string together a medley of three of them with extended jam sections because more songs with the same progression keep popping into my head while I’m singing.

The other night “Helpless” by Neil Young morphed into “Shelter From The Storm” by Dylan, which morphed into “Sweet Jane” by VU, which morphed into “Three Marlenas” by The Wallflowers. The whole thing was over 30 minutes. It started because someone yelled for a Neil Young song, then it just took on a life of its own. With the rock band that’s just how we operate.

With the country band the arrangements are totally static with the exception of doubling or adding extra solo sections. If people are dancing and having a good time during a tune, I’ll let it stretch.

I don’t mind playing covers at all, and even find it loads of fun. If there’s room to breathe. I don’t think I could ever play in a dead-nuts copy band. I understand and respect the dedication and discipline it requires, but I can’t imagine ever enjoying performing with no creative element. Even people who recite poetry word for word get to use their own voice. I approach playing covers kinda like the Dead did. It’s someone else’s song, but the audience is gonna get it my way.

 

[Thebluesman]

I am learning 40 songs for a band/gig that I have never played before on bass and had 4 weeks to do it. And the new drummer as of Monday, has 2 weeks to learn the material.
Everything was going fine until I went to rehearsal only to discover that they play many of the songs "their own way."
So many of the arrangements I've spent hours charting and learning are in need of a serious edit. That's a lot of time wasted.
What makes it worse, is that the group has no recordings of the way they play it, and we have a gig at a very nice, very popular place coming up in 2 weeks. They act as if I should already know their version and grudgingly want to work out the arrangements at rehearsal to play it their way. What a waste of time! If they had a recording I, and the drummer, would just show up prepared and there would be no stress.
I find this very challenging, stupid, wasteful, counter-productive, amateur, and lazy on their part. They don't even have some of the chord progressions right and bark that they've been doing it this way for 20 years. That doesn't make it right! Then we have to debate whether the chords and melodies are right instead of just listening to the original recording where ALL THE ANSWERS are! Oh no. Can't do that.
How do you get a potentially good band to see the light and stop wasting time? It's so frustrating to show up after working really hard on the material only to be told that I'm doing it wrong. They forgot to tell me they do it their own way.

If a band is going to pull this kind of crap, they need to provide either a recording or a chart showing their stupid arrangement which is always worse than the original.
And if they're tired of playing the material as recorded, then maybe they need to be playing a different type of music.

In my 50 years playing experience, "we play it our own way" means, "we're too lazy to learn it the right way first and just settle for whatever gets us through the next few bars."

Losers.

put on your walking shoes and GO!-Seek out a band that does ''musically ''suit you etc.or face the obvious consequences.

 

[scrapyardblue]

I'm with Jakedog . I play half originals and I'm not covering anybody to a T. Put your own stamp on it and it'll be appreciated, unless it's just flat out wrong. The arrangement can be flexible, but the chords can not.

Would it be worth it to record the next practice and learn from there?

 

[Dr Improbable]

Amazing. I just bailed on a project like yours. For your own mental health I'd advise you to do the same.

The big difference was the project I walked from was planning on pulling a gig of Outlaw Country with no rehearsals. "Just follow the guitar player." No thanks. Train wrecks give me anxiety.

 

[loudboy]

Sheesh..too bad they didnt prep you

I would just hit starting root note on bass. and return as needed.
Turn up their kick drum
lol

This. And be thankful you're playing bass.

I got into a situation like this a few months ago, learned about 25 or 30 tunes, show up and they either nixed them, or the arrangements weren't close. Got thru it, but not the best gig.

In general, the devolution to "jobber" gigs has really lowered the bar for live music, and its sad to see.

 

[stxrus]

Too bad there was no heads up. I’d be tempted to say, “thanks, not no thanks”. How does the new drummer feel about this?

From Shay I know, this just screams that they aren’t serious about learning the original song. Making it you own is one thing but a total rearrangement is another. At least a little documentation would be nice if you’ve got to cover their cover.

 

[memorex]

I think it would be fun to do a band where we take the most complicated material, like Steely Dan or Yes, and do all the songs badly. Maybe even throw in Sinatra's My Way, and do it our way.

 

[getbent]

I have backed people who I have never heard anything by them nor any of the songs... I only took the gigs because the bandleader I knew really well. He played steel with me for a couple of years and in the bands where he is bandleader, he plays bass.

The other players he recruited were really good.. but I took the gig because just before the kick of each song, he signaled what the progressions were.... this was country and/or folk or folk rock, so, not so crazy complex that he couldn't tell us with a few bars to spare that he was going to modulate......

Those gigs are tight rope walks but still fun and if you do them, you usually get other gigs...

I say go for it! You are a really good musician, you can pull it off. If they have been playing around for 20 years and still get good gigs it is likely they can pull it off too.

 

[schmee]

Pretty much everything we play is 'our own way', but that doesn't mean the chords we use are 'wrong', unless we change one on purpose. It's part of emulating all the many parts of the recording with no organ and only one guitar etc etc. Sometimes I play horn parts or keyboard parts instead of the guitar part. Or play a hybrid guitar part combining the best parts of two guitars. It just depends on what the song needs.
Then there are starts and endings which some recorded songs dont have well, especially endings.
Then for club gigging there's wanting to extend a song, maybe add a sax solo and extra verse and chorus etc.
If the song is basically the song, you should have no problem on bass, just need enough rehearsal to understand the changes.

 

[schmee]

I have backed people who I have never heard anything by them nor any of the songs... I only took the gigs because the bandleader I knew really well. He played steel with me for a couple of years and in the bands where he is bandleader, he plays bass.

The other players he recruited were really good.. but I took the gig because just before the kick of each song, he signaled what the progressions were.... this was country and/or folk or folk rock, so, not so crazy complex that he couldn't tell us with a few bars to spare that he was going to modulate......

Those gigs are tight rope walks but still fun and if you do them, you usually get other gigs...

I say go for it! You are a really good musician, you can pull it off. If they have been playing around for 20 years and still get good gigs it is likely they can

Chuck Berry was known to show up at a gig, local musicians were hired by the venue to back him up. He would start a song, might not even give the key it was in and expect them to just go for it!