mte Posted March 17, 2001 Share Posted March 17, 2001 Hello, I know, this is off-topic, but probably some of you have some experience about this? Me and some of my friends started a rock band. I've had 10 years of piano playing experience (and i'm not so bad at it), so I quite understand music. (BTW Sorry for my terrible English...) But the problem is because I don't know how to start with all the stuff (i've never played in a band before), how to start writing arrangements, how to write music for other instruments as well (bass, guitar, drums). I'm sure if I would get some initial advices or examples I could do it on my own next time... Does anyone know for a web site to help me or if you could help me right here...? Thank you so much, Matej Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tedster Posted March 17, 2001 Share Posted March 17, 2001 First off, if you hadn't told me in your post you weren't a native English speaker, I wouldn't have known. Your English is a hell of a lot better than my Slavic, and a good deal better than many native English speakers'. Now, starting a rock band...broad category. Keep goals in mind. What sort of rock? Who are your heroes? I'm assuming that you would like to emulate the rockers you look up to. Fine to a point, but don't lose sight of originality. The most important thing is having people you can work with. People who have the same commitment level as you, because it's a lot of work. A lot of fun, but a lot of work. Don't get trapped into "My favorite band has this lineup, so that's what we have to have". Find a lineup that works for YOU. Competent musicians, but don't waste time trying to find a bunch of dazzling players, because the egos will tear you up. The best bands to me are ones whose members may each have some limitations, but the band has emphasized their strengths rather than dwelling on their limitations, and they work well as a team. Think of your favorite sports team. What would happen if they were all "stars"? They'd end up fighting themselves rather than making the team work. Once you've got your tentative lineup...(keep in mind that lineups may be a constantly fluctuating thing), set up times for rehearsal. If anyone is consistently coming up with excuses to miss rehearsal, it may be time to replace them, as their commitment to the band is low. But, keep rehearsal realistic. Six days a week for five hours a shot is going to burn everyone out fast! Have everyone toss in a few tunes and come up with an order to learn them. Here's where it gets tricky. You throw in a tune you've always wanted to do, only to find the singer can't sing it, or the bass player hates it. Don't worry...and don't be so stringent with your list. Your chance will come. Keep in mind that having someone who is able to sing the song is the most important factor. If you've got an Eddie Vedder baritone, Boston covers are out (I'm assuming some familiarity with American bands). Try and get about ten songs down (you'll need a lot more, but this is for starters). I, myself, would start with 95-100% covers, since as a new band, you're going to have to sell yourself to the public. It's a lot easier with familiar material. You can work originals in later, as you get more established. Keep building your song list. Don't forget, you'll need equipment and a place to rehearse. When you're rehearsing, keep the outsiders outside. Having girlfriends and buddies partying all over the place isn't conducive to working out material. It's art, but it's also a business, so treat it like one (this goes for mood enhancers, too). Keep your rehearsal volume to a manageable level. If you plan to explore the cool world of vocal harmonies, have the drummer bang a tambourine and the guitar players play acoustic to get the harmonies tight. You can blow your face out on them once you have them down. Oh yeah, while I'm rambling on, rehearsal is the time for the band to come together, but not time for the individual musicians work out parts. That should be done on their own time, so everyone comes into rehearsal with at least a rough sketch of the song the band is going to learn. Once in awhile for clarification, but if people are coming in cold, you're wasting a lot of time. Well, I've babbled on enough. Let someone else babble for awhile. Good luck and keep us posted! Ted "Cisco Kid, was a friend of mine" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tedster Posted March 17, 2001 Share Posted March 17, 2001 Oh yeah, the idea of writing arrangements isn't all bad, but...you're thinking like a classically-trained pianist. Too cerebral. If you're playing in a rock band, most people are going to learn their parts by listening to the tunes. You're probably going to have to learn to play by ear a bit. Trust me, it doesn't hurt. "Cisco Kid, was a friend of mine" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mte Posted March 17, 2001 Author Share Posted March 17, 2001 Ted, thank you for your post! Well it isn't problem for me to learn songs by ear, but for others, especially guitarist. Although he's been playing guitar (classical) for 5 years in music scool I still had to tab him the whole solo of a song and show him how to play it, although I've been playing guitar (well, not really playing, it was less than half an hour every day) only for a month. So I don't know what to do. Should I force him to listen to as much songs as he can and force him to learn to play by ear or should I keep on writing him solos and other stuff? Thanks again, Matej Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tedster Posted March 17, 2001 Share Posted March 17, 2001 Dude! You're spoon-feeding him (American idiomatic slang for letting him be a, well, for lack of a better word, baby). Sorry, but, he's going to have to start playing without the crutch of having a sheet in front of him! Have him start strumming chords to popular songs on a steel string acoustic. He can still practice his classical chops, some great bands have been born that way, like Yes, but, for most rock and roll...he's going to have to learn to fly on his own. Same thing for all your other orchestrally trained buddies. Tell 'em to listen to the music, and quit reading the dots. "Cisco Kid, was a friend of mine" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stratman_dup1 Posted March 18, 2001 Share Posted March 18, 2001 You got it Tedster, if your boy can't play without reading from sheet music note for note you're going to have problems, especially in a rock band. Maybe he could use a little time with a good instructor that could help him be able to just PLAY the thing. It just amazes me when someone can play like a madman with some sheet music in front of em, but if you just hand em a guitar and say play, they can't do it. How the HELL does that happen??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tedster Posted March 18, 2001 Share Posted March 18, 2001 Bugs me, too, Strat. My mother in law is like that (she's really a cool person), but, she's like a church organist and plays piano for a lot of local functions, but, she can't make it happen if the dots aren't there. Sigh...my problem is just the opposite. "Cisco Kid, was a friend of mine" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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