Question:
Still, knowing those songs helps you pick up on the patterns within other songs. I know jillions of songs that I know I’ll never play with anyone even if I owned the band, but they make me a better player, and it is a lot harder for people to pull shit over on me regarding songs and structure, precisely because I am functional with so many different songs. If it were only about playing what is salable, I might not have gotten much far past ‘Brown-Eyed Girl.’ What a terrible thought that is. Ya gotta make yourself happy at least half the time, y’know? I’m nowhere near finished learning all the obscure, off-the-wall songs I want to know. A song can have great merit and still be relatively unknown. Edward G. — "You don’t always get what you pay for, but you always pay for what you get." –Don King —
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->Just follow your interest in songs, wherever it leads you. No knowledge is >ever wasted, particularly in music. >Edward G. > I don’t know about that Edward. > Through the years I have played in several bands. > I learned literally hundreds of songs especially in my younger years. > I would love to play the songs, that I worked so hard to learn, with > my group or any group but nobody knows them or they just don’t want to > play them. > But that is the perils of getting old. > My groups oldest guy is 39 except for me. > Finding a bunch of old farts to play Cast your fate to the wind, > Exodus in jazz, or Gordon Lightfoot songs seems to be a lost cause. > But I still have fun playing grunge and hip hop….NOT! > Actually we play mostly 70’s rock and metal. > I can get by with that. > Pt
Response:
I play in a heavy rock covers band and we have introduced new members over the past two years. On all occassions even if they knew the songs in question, there was, and is, the learning curve to learn the way WE play them. Modified starts or finishes, different key etc. A basic knowledge of the songs of the genre you enjoy will never go amiss, but be prepared to re-learn. — AlunP www.jurassica.org
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> I want to join a rock cover band and start playing out for $. Should I > learn a bunch of songs first, or just wait for each band to say what they > play? If I should learn covers first, what songs are pretty standard?
Response:
I hate to say this but, the crowd you intend on playing to will likely dictate your set list. I play with a group that works 5 sets of 12 songs and we rotate them to accomplish 3 sets of 12 when playing out. Each set has a slightly different theme and we can shift on the fly if need be. You would be surprised what older songs people really get into. It makes me laugh everytime the dance floor fills up for Mustang Sally and the sort. I also have learned to never underestimate the power of the slow dance as well. Good Luck Surfdog
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> I want to join a rock cover band and start playing out for $. Should I > learn a bunch of songs first, or just wait for each band to say what they > play? If I should learn covers first, what songs are pretty standard?
Response:
Just follow your interest in songs, wherever it leads you. No knowledge is ever wasted, particularly in music. Edward G. — "You don’t always get what you pay for, but you always pay for what you get." –Don King —
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> I want to join a rock cover band and start playing out for $. Should I > learn a bunch of songs first, or just wait for each band to say what they > play? If I should learn covers first, what songs are pretty standard?
Response:
>Just follow your interest in songs, wherever it leads you. No knowledge is >ever wasted, particularly in music. >Edward G.
I don’t know about that Edward. Through the years I have played in several bands. I learned literally hundreds of songs especially in my younger years. I would love to play the songs, that I worked so hard to learn, with my group or any group but nobody knows them or they just don’t want to play them. But that is the perils of getting old. My groups oldest guy is 39 except for me. Finding a bunch of old farts to play Cast your fate to the wind, Exodus in jazz, or Gordon Lightfoot songs seems to be a lost cause. But I still have fun playing grunge and hip hop….NOT! Actually we play mostly 70’s rock and metal. I can get by with that. Pt
Response:
> I want to join a rock cover band and start playing out for $.
Good idea.Getting paid is the icing on the cake. > Should I learn a bunch of songs first, or just wait for each band to say what they > play?
You’ll earn more money if you already know what your prospective band wants to play so learn everything.Impossible I know but it will go down really well if you can play what they have in mind.If you like rock it should’nt be too hard to research stuff. > If I should learn covers first, what songs are pretty standard?
I know I’m sounding boring by this point but learning specific songs is unlikely to earn you much $ in the long term – bands earning money rarely have time for someone who has to learn a tune so you need to try and practice picking things up on the fly…basic chord progressions and such. SR
Response:
I want to join a rock cover band and start playing out for $. Should I learn a bunch of songs first, or just wait for each band to say what they play? If I should learn covers first, what songs are pretty standard?
Response:
>I want to join a rock cover band and start playing out for $. Should I >learn a bunch of songs first, or just wait for each band to say what they >play? If I should learn covers first, what songs are pretty standard?
That is rough to answer. Cover songs cover a large territory. You can play Blues covers, 50’s rock a billy covers, 60’s psychedelic covers, 70’s southern rock covers, bubble gum pop covers, country rock covers, jazz rock covers. This can go on and on. I know hundreds of rock songs ranging from the 50’s to the present and usually when forming a new group I have to learn almost all new songs. I would wait till you get together with others and decide as a group what songs you want to do. That has been my biggest problem in forming a new group. Everyone likes different styles and songs. Pt
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If I should learn covers first, what songs? Learn the songs you like, and select the cover band that plays the songs (or style) you like…:-) You are the bass player – you rule.. Per
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Actually if you play bass I would suggest that you learn several different walks to fit I, IV, V progressions. With that you will know hundreds of songs. Pt
Response:
I’d wait for them to give you a tape of the tunes and go from there. Having said that, every genre of music has certain standard tunes that are guaranteed to be played from band to band and gig to gig. As you get experience, you will learn what these tunes are. Often, the only difference between a newbie and a vet is the ability to play these "standards" at the drop of a hat. — Learning funk bass? visit www.js3jazz.com/store.htm
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> I want to join a rock cover band and start playing out for $. Should I > learn a bunch of songs first, or just wait for each band to say what they > play? If I should learn covers first, what songs are pretty standard?