tango martin Posted March 5, 2008 Share Posted March 5, 2008 right, not trying to rattle any cages here but a recent conversation between a few friends of mine brought up the question of covers, namely bands who cover others songs as opposed to writing their own. Now im kinda of a mixed opinion of this as i can fully understand the benefits of playing/learning other peoples songs and the personal enjoyment/achievement that comes from that, and up until a few months ago would have seen no problem with standing up in a pub and playing in a covers band for the enjoyment and fun of it, not to mention the experience but for the last 6mnths or so the little collective i been jammin with seem to be on a weird creative spree which has resulted in some pretty weird stuff for us and at least is keeping us happy which is all we're really bothered about, we dont do covers at all, never have, but all my experience comes from learning other peoples stuff and ive never really wanted to write conventional music in any particular style due to liking lots of very different kinds of music, and we aint kids so all dreams of "making it" are too lost within reality sadly but.......the feeling of stumbling on a riff or something that just drags us all along with it till we've wrangled some kinda song outta it has been more fun, more experience and far more enjoying within that the idea of being in a covers band now just feels kinda like painting by numbers, if ya know what i mean Harry, i mean this aint our first band not by any means and ive been on self imposed bedroom hiatus playing other peoples stuff for at least 9yrs cos i got fed up with ego's and lame-*** wannabe rockstars always spoiling the fun lol so going back to my original point (which im poorly trying to explain) i find it kind of weird that someone would solely base all their guitar playing on just copying other peoples songs an trying to take or in some cases expect credit and money for doing so when basically anyone can learn to play other peoples songs? And yes i do understand the many reasons for being in a covers band, like i said i been there when i was younger and i apologize for the extremely cynical viewpoint i do sometimes offer but its more for the "what do you really get out of" or enjoy most about playing the guitar? is it the learning? the mechanical side of guitar? the feeling of doing the songs justice? paying tribute? or just to have people say you play that song really good whilst you nod and shove out ya greasy paw asking nay demanding your share of the dirty money!!!??? HA! god i do waffle on about crap! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tango martin Posted March 5, 2008 Author Share Posted March 5, 2008 i dont even understand what a paragraph is, a spiragraph maybe but paragraph...... a no Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3uroboy Posted March 5, 2008 Share Posted March 5, 2008 Look, the best way of teaching is covering other people's songs. That is how you evolve. You can't write music without any inspiration! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oyster Posted March 5, 2008 Share Posted March 5, 2008 Look' date=' the best way of teaching is covering other people's songs. That is how you evolve. You can't write music without any inspiration![/quote']Â If that were true, there wouldn't be any music at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tango martin Posted March 5, 2008 Author Share Posted March 5, 2008 i know that, like i said it what i did/do/have done as well as pretty much everyone else i know who plays, i mean what do you really get or want to feel from the guitar, maybe im not getting across that part, its more of a what do you get from it once you can play? and yes...i also am aware that you can never stop learning, just trying to jump in there before a common sense forum user tries to point out the painfully obvious facts that i will often omit cos i believe i you people, your smarter than that right? lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tango martin Posted March 5, 2008 Author Share Posted March 5, 2008 despite my riddly english and pesky sense of humour an temperament! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveinspain Posted March 5, 2008 Share Posted March 5, 2008 Some people are creators, some people are interpreteres.... If you are a creator thats great, you may have a lot to contribute to the arts... If you are an interpreture thats great too. You can bring many people joy in hearing their favorite songs... both are good, both are needed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silverbursted Posted March 5, 2008 Share Posted March 5, 2008 It's all about enjoying yourself. Hey I am 46 yrs old and am just now picking up a guitar for the first time since I was 7, it's because it's fun. No tours or 20 year olds throwing me their bras and panties in my future. Where did I go wrong??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLiveSoundGuy Posted March 5, 2008 Share Posted March 5, 2008 It's all about enjoying yourself. Hey I am 46 yrs old and am just now picking up a guitar for the first time since I was 7' date=' it's because it's fun. No tours or 20 year olds throwing me their bras and panties in my future. Where did I go wrong???[/quote']Â I'm not sure where you went wrong, but here in Texas there are plenty of 46 year old gals who will gladly throw you their 27 year old bras and panties. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveinspain Posted March 5, 2008 Share Posted March 5, 2008 Exactly me too... I'm just learning guitar... not to be a great guitar player but just for my own enjoyment... I will love to learn some of my favorite songs and be able to pick up the guitar and play them. For myself and for friends (if they can stand it) I think cover bands do it to have some fun and make some money at the same time... and why not? On the other hand I can't play other peoples songs yet or at least not very well so I am writing some of my own... Its fun! I love it!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matiac Posted March 5, 2008 Share Posted March 5, 2008 See, I'm the opposite, I get more of a kick out of doing my own thing, and sitting back and listening to it, I'm all for covers, but would rather put my own twist on them as opposed to playing them note for note...mainly because I can't, and every time I've ever been in a thing with other people, they're like," we gotta sound just like the Scorpions, or it aint gonna fly!" kind of thing, and as far as I'm concerned, that aint never gonna happen. Maybe that's why I'm not in a band, and doing my own thing, I dunno. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saturn Posted March 5, 2008 Share Posted March 5, 2008 I think I know what your saying about doing original material. But the truth is, very few people or bands are really "good" at writing thier own songs. Yeah, they might have a unique sound or appeal but it only goes so far. Some start to draw the young people out for a while, but this is basically people just wanting to be part of a scene and they latch onto some hip new local band for a while. How many local bands that do originals have you seen come and go? Only a very few stick around more than 3-5 years and even less ever make it beyond local. For those few lucky bands that do, that's great. But not everyone can be that good or lucky. Â Cover bands have the luxuray of choosing and playing tried and true songs. If you're good you can stick around the local scene for 10 years or more. Plus, most good cover bands don't play everything note-for-note, but put thier own interpretation into the songs. That's what our band tries to do. That's what makes playing covers interesting. We hardly ever play a song the exact same way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matiac Posted March 5, 2008 Share Posted March 5, 2008 That's exactly what I'm saying Saturn, all the people I've ever tried to do anything with wanted to do everything note for note, and I would explain to them that it's never going to happen, I've been kicked out 3 bands for having that attitude, so I just make up my own stuff, and post it to the web, and I'm happy just doing that, I mean, I got a world audience, and people dig most of the stuff I do, and I get a pretty big kick outta that, it's a blast for me, and I would spend what I did on a guitar because it's certainly going to get used. Will I get a return on my investment? Probably not, at least monetarily, it'd be great if I did, but I'm not gonna hold my breath waiting for that to happen. I have fun getting together with friends and jamming once in a while, if something ever came of it fantastic, I'll play out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saturn Posted March 5, 2008 Share Posted March 5, 2008 That's exactly what I'm saying Saturn' date=' all the people I've ever tried to do anything with wanted to do everything note for note, and I would explain to them that it's never going to happen, I've been kicked out 3 bands for having that attitude, so I just make up my own stuff, and post it to the web, and I'm happy just doing that, I mean, I got a world audience, and people dig most of the stuff I do, and I get a pretty big kick outta that, it's a blast for me, and I would spend what I did on a guitar because it's certainly going to get used. Will I get a return on my investment? Probably not, at least monetarily, it'd be great if I did, but I'm not gonna hold my breath waiting for that to happen. I have fun getting together with friends and jamming once in a while, if something ever came of it fantastic, I'll play out.[/quote']Â See that's cool. Writing and recording your own stuff is great. The internet has definately provided options that weren't available even 5 years ago for that. If you have some people that like to get together and jam, that's even better! To me that's the best part. Getting together with other musicians and creating something. Whether it's totally original material, covers or a little of both. It's the interaction with other musicians that makes all the fun. I was never real creative with writing material from scratch, but if someone else comes up with the main song, I'm pretty good at coming up with a complimentary parts or a lead solo or something. Another cool thing I like to do is find ways to combine two totally different songs or play the lead from one song over another song and make it fit. Â Back in the 90's, my buddy had a drum set up in his basement. I started going over his house and we would just jam whatever we felt. We played covers or made stuff up. He had some roomates and they would come down and hang out, maybe even sing with us. Pretty soon we had a basement band going. Word got around and more people started dropping in and it became a weekly ritual. We never knew what we would play or how many people would drop in. We probably sounded like crap, but it was some of the best times I ever had. That's why I love playing guitar! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raptor Posted March 5, 2008 Share Posted March 5, 2008 See' date=' I'm the opposite, I get more of a kick out of doing my own thing, and sitting back and listening to it, I'm all for covers, but would rather put my own twist on them as opposed to playing them note for note...mainly because I can't, and every time I've ever been in a thing with other people, they're like," we gotta sound just like the Scorpions, or it aint gonna fly!" kind of thing, and as far as I'm concerned, that aint never gonna happen. Maybe that's why I'm not in a band, and doing my own thing, I dunno.[/quote']Â This is a big part of getting enjoyment out of covering a song. Changing the arrangement and putting your spin on it. I said it in another post, we had a guitarist join us, and almost go mad trying to learn 'Down on the Corner' by CCR. He had to play every stroke with the exact timing as the original and he could hold it together for a couple of bars then he would lose it and quit. Song writing can be a very tough thing to do. Some people have a knack for it, others never get it. If you want to play out, you need to be able to get an audience involved. A lot depends on the area you live in, and the local bar/live entertainment scene. It is unbelievably difficult to start out with 100% original material playing live and make it. I mean get more than 1 or 2 gigs. Most bands start out as cover bands and slowly introduce original material as they gain confidence and experience. Also as they build a following, they find the audience more open to original materials. Some bands play nothing but covers, that is fine. That is all I played 'out' in. Tribute bands can be great too, but also can be very tough because you are expected to be nearly perfect and true to the originals. Covering a song, can be done for several reasons, to ride on someone's coattails i.e. benefit from a song's popularity, to pay homage to the artist. A lot of songs I played because I liked the original artists and imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Lastly, bands cover songs to please the audience. If you play out, the audience is what helps you get more gigs, so you have to play songs that they will like. We never played anything original 'out' mainly because none of us were good enough song writers. We played, and I still play original material in jams and at home. When you are learning to play, covering songs can be a huge help because there is usually sheet music and tablature to help you learn, so that improves your playing and music skills overall. So playing in a cover or tribute band is not all beer and skittles. It can take a lot of hard work and dedication (especially as a tribute band). There is nothing wrong with doing it the way you are, trying to learn and create original music. But there is also nothing wrong with covering either. IMO there are a lot more advantages to covering than just trying to learn original music. If you stick to creating your own music, a lot of times you will peak and just keep varying what you know. Covering different songs, and especially different styles of music can make you more versatile more quickly. I play everything from Metallica, to Dylan and Gordon Lightfoot. Pop to classical music. Remember that these are just my opinions. There are no rules to learnign to play guitar or enjoying playing guitar. Tango, the only feather you ruffled with me was your last comment about grubby hands out demanding money. I played for the fun of it a lot of the time, but to gig out in public bars we had to belong to the musicians guild/union. They often set the rates that bands get paid, and in some places bars will only hire union musicians, so even if we wanted to play for free or a few beer, we couldn't. When we played for military functions (we were all in the Navy) or when we played in foreign countries we would often play for a few beer or for free. That aside, as a musician I dedicated a lot of my own time learning songs and practicing, so we could be reasonably successful in our gigs. We lugged our gear in and out, set it all up usually too. So yes, we worked for the money we made. In the end our biggest reward was seeing an audience up dancing and singing along, smiling and enjoying themselves. So that was a minor feather and no harm done and none meant in return. So kudos to you Tango for embarking on an ambitious journey. Good luck, but most of all enjoy yourself, because without the fun, it is all work, paid or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manimal Posted March 5, 2008 Share Posted March 5, 2008 I was in a 95% original metal band in the 90's, and am in the comedy band i'm in with the lead singer from that metal band. We have a lot of the same musical ideas and views so it works out very well. I guess you're bound to have steadier gigs and steadier money playing the same ole' overplayed songs gig after gig, not really my thing. I exist in spite of myself sometimes, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I guess we can look at it this way, as much as we may like to sit down look at some tab or whatever and learn a song and be aggrivated that it doesn't sound the same or be note for note, no one is going to nail the songs that I write note for note either. Thats the beauty of it!!!! Learning songs is great because you learn new things, technique, etc., and hopefully you pick up your own things from it and grow. Inspiration, ideas, progress, and your own inovation is key. Its when guitarists carbon copy others in their style and songs that I just can't listen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjay777 Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 I believe everyone goes through musical phases in life, and sometimes we need different types of music to inspire us. I've been in a few bands over the years, and jamming with different people taught me a lot about who I am as a guitarist, and what styles suit me the most. In a gigging band, originals are fun, but the safest bet is to win over a crowd first with covers and slowly mix em in the set lists. I'm just getting back into the part-time band thing again, and it's been a few years for me. LOL. Just me, a bassist and a drummer. We're gonna start out with a small set of simple rock/ pop songs and see how far we can go to mutilate them. hehe, should be fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deftone Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 I left my last and only band way back when I was 21, because our singer decided we were going to play top 40 covers only. I've always hated the attitude that says we have to do what everyone wants to make it. Music has always been about having fun, not pleasing others. Â I did get my 1st taste of playing live though, and got the opportunity to understand chemistry within a band. Our band had none. Â I've never been very good at picking up other people's songs. I'd rather just write my own riffs and jam. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3uroboy Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 Â If that were true' date=' there wouldn't be any music at all.[/quote'] Â Well, what i mean is that nowadays, genres like rock, rap and funk is all put together, and all modern music will almost always be similiar, or close, to another band, or style of music. Before, the inspiration could be a beautiful garden, or just to have something to do. Now, people who makes music listens to a lot of music. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3uroboy Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 Oh, and btw, i like to think that making a cover of a song, is just to hear your version of the song. Just listen to punk covers, or Metallica's Garage Inc. They've made they're own versions of various songs, and people enjoy it, and i am sure they do it too. Â But hey, i am not saying that we should stop making our own songs, i am saying that it is an easy way to evolve. If you are just learning guitar, covering songs is the best way to develop skills, and it may not be the best, but it is a good way to develop band chemistry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakatone Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 this is a very subjective....it depends.for example,if you want to play rock,and your band plays covers of Sade or whatever,it´s not very fun.i play in the same band for the last 10 years or so,and we played everything you can imagine.we have and album coming out soon and we will probably never stop playing cover songs,because it´s just great when you play 4 or 5 of your own songs and just blast out some zeppelin or allman brothers....covers are great for just about everything,but your own material is what it comes down to in the end.  i´m so full of ****:-({|= Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zaphod B Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 Every professional symphony orchestra out there plays nothing but covers. Â That said, when I was doing a lot of gigging (in my life before my current "workin' for the man" phase) all the club owners who were hiring live music wanted nothing but cover bands. A little original music or some creatively interpreted stuff was fine as long as it was entertaining, and the clientele kept drinking and didn't head for the door. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimeJ Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 Like everyone else here, I cut my teeth on cover songs. Otherwise, I wouldn't have learned anything. Played in "cover" bands for 15 years or so and made a good living. From that, I was able to write a multitude of songs in many different styles of music. It's all good. To each his own etc. I have a friend whose been playing in a cover band for over 20 years, making a very substantial paycheck and is one of the most dedicated people I've ever known. Ever hear of Rain - The Beatles Experience? Great group and all are extremely dedicated to "cover" another groups music. Interesting topic............J Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zaphod B Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 I can imagine that artists through the ages have had the same basic dilemma. Â Think about the Renaissance, when european artists were scraping to find sponsors for their work and Florence was the epicenter of the art world. You had it made when the Medici family was paying your rent, buying your food, and paying for your paintings or sculptures. Â Any piece of art that is done for a sponsor or on commission has strings attached. (Portraits and realism - need I say more?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tango martin Posted March 6, 2008 Author Share Posted March 6, 2008 thanks for posting everybody, nice to hear that everybody all seems to be doing it for the right reason (enjoyment, laughs etc) i appreciate all your views and its really good to know the guys an gals on this forum appear to be very far removed from all the bull and reverance thats often placed on musicians, guitarists especially. I like the fact that everybody here just wants to have fun and arent overly serious or really big-headed over their abilities, something which you see less and less off especially amongst folk who consider themselves "professional" Trust me im nowhere near being pro/a real musician/ completing anything which im REALLY proud of, just happy that we're doing stuff we enjoy that goes well with our weird humour and silly cartoons an stuff, im fully aware that nothing will ever surface from our little thing, at least nothing that anyone else would like/buy/ensure i can live a life of a lord and be safe in the knowledge that even though my soul is dead and dried up like a cheap animal in a shite pet shop, my pr people will always find a target group that needs a temporary shepherd! Ya see where im from in the asshole of the uk, inspiration or individuality or genuine ability be it music, art etc is almost treated like a negative against you cos it doesnt concern supporting a football team where youve never been to in your life or going down the pub and talking shite about how many butt ugly skanks i managed to lure back to my cave this week! SO thankyou for reassuring me a little everybody! And just to add in agreement with jimej there, i will never get to see thin lizzy, the beatles, pink floyd, led zeppelin, faith no more, blind melon, soundgarden or half of the bands that made me want to strangle notes from my poor guitars in the first place, but thanks to tribute bands like the australian pink floyd show and others, i may at least get to see someone playing their stuff live with a similar level of passion an care to authenticity that made the original bands so engaging, actually saw the bootleg beatles at Glastonbury once, man they were one of the highlights of a very good weekend back in me leave the house days! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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