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Topic: Has the excitement of playing escaped you? |
Ray Montee
From:
Portland, Oregon (deceased)
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Posted 13 Jul 2014 8:50 am |
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One of the challenges of playing in a tight knit band was not knowing what tune was going to be played next until it was announced.
Sometimes the 'key' was given other times you had to figure it out for yourself. Either way, this provided a measure of excitement and great satisfaction if you managed to do it well.
I miss those days. One group I played with for a short times had mandatory practice sessions each week. After a year of this, I came to realize that they really only knew about 20-25 songs. They provided each player with a song list for each segment of the evening, HOWEVER, all they did was
rearrange the order in which the songs were played for each of those segments.
They'd invite the audience to come up to the band stand with their requests and if it wasn't "PROUD MARRY" or "Pretty Woman".........they simply couldn't play nor would they attempt to.
Is the excitement really gone? |
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Jack Aldrich
From:
Washington, USA
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Posted 13 Jul 2014 10:26 am
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Never, Ray. I am so in love with playing music that it's always exciting for me.
_________________
Jack Aldrich
Carter & ShoBud D10's
D8 & T8 Stringmaster
Rickenbacher B6
3 Resonator guitars
Asher Alan Akaka Special SN 6
Canopus D8 |
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Dave Hopping
From:
Aurora, Colorado
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Posted 13 Jul 2014 10:33 am
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Ray,I think that depends on who you ask...For players with decades of intensive gigging experience,the scenario of a band that only knows a couple dozen tunes(and has to rehearse them weekly) sounds lame to the point of needing a Hover-Round.
For players who have never experienced gigging as a job you have to get right the first time if you want to go on earning,getting it only half wrong in the weekly basement rehearsal is a momentous occasion indeed.  |
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Barry Blackwood
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Posted 13 Jul 2014 10:46 am
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Well said, Dave.  |
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b0b
From:
Cloverdale, CA, USA
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Posted 13 Jul 2014 10:54 am
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I like having a set list. That way, I can get my brain ready for the intro to the next tune while body is playing the ending of the last one. Most of the bands I play with use a set list.
In Wine Country Swing, we just have a pick list. We take more time between songs as a result. We're a very relaxed, wallpaper kind of band. If we had a concert gig, we'd make a set list.
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-πππ- (admin) - Robert P. Lee - Recordings - Breathe - D6th - Video |
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Jerome Hawkes
From:
Fayetteville, North Carolina, USA
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Posted 13 Jul 2014 12:09 pm
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it does depend on how skilled you are on your instrument.
when i play steel, it not being my main gig, i like to know and at least go over the tunes.
on pretty much any other instrument i play (much better) i HATE rehearsals. they are always for the weakest link in the band IMO. that doesn't mean i couldn't use them, but in general i think a few times thru should be sufficient for most experienced musicians. not every dang week
_________________
'65 Sho-Bud D-10 Permanent β’ '54 Fender Dual-8 β’ Clinesmith T-8 β’ '38 Ric Bakelite β’ '92 Emmons D-10 Legrande II |
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Bill L. Wilson
From:
Oklahoma, USA
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Posted 13 Jul 2014 12:38 pm What's a Set List?
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| I've been in this band for 4yrs. and we've never used a set list, and never will. We take requests, and if we don't know the song, we'll try to play it anyway. We stay busy, all over the state of Okla. pickin' every weekend. We play '50's, '60's, Classic Rock, New & Old Country, and can play several sets without repeating a song. Ain't the best band you ever heard, but ain't the worst either. Our band leader used to carry two big ring binder note books full of songs that he can sing and play. He has now switched to a tablet, that has 100's of songs in it. Our practice is on the band stand, and that's using 3 different drummers, and 3 different Bass players. Makes it fun, but you gotta know your stuff, it'll keep you on your toes. |
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Earnest Bovine
From:
Los Angeles CA USA
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Posted 13 Jul 2014 3:48 pm
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| Much of the excitement of practicing has left me. In the words of Gary Graffman, I really should be practicing instead of trolling around b0b's Forum. |
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Rick E. Jackson
From:
New Jersey, USA
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Posted 14 Jul 2014 2:07 am
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| Try playing or rehearsing with a different band a few times to see if that brings the enjoyment back. With the right people in the mix, even a rehearsal can be a lot of fun. |
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Tony Prior
From:
Charlotte NC
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Posted 14 Jul 2014 3:17 am
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no, it's returned ...
_________________
Emmons L-II , Fender Telecasters, B-Benders , Eastman Mandolin ,
Pro Tools 12 on WIN 7 !
jobless- but not homeless- now retired 9 years
CURRENT MUSIC TRACKS AT > https://tprior2241.wixsite.com/website |
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Bill Ladd
From:
Wilmington, NC, USA
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Posted 14 Jul 2014 6:07 am
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Ray - Not sure if I'm at the same place you're talking about, but it's gone gone gone for me right now. It's so bad I've sold off my two playable steel guitars.
Last time I played anything was with this new band here in town - two really creative and talented cats have put together a really tight band and wanted me on steel.
They bugged me for months to join them so I finally met them for a rehearsal. I'm sitting there playing along with their songs as I learn them, and I'm thinking, "these songs are great and these guys are great players...and I really couldn't care less. I just want to pack up my guitar and go home."
I guess 25 plus years as a struggling pro trying to make a name for myself and winding up, at age 52, with nothing but memories and a whole lotta debt can do that to a guy. |
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Bob Hoffnar
From:
Austin, Tx
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Posted 14 Jul 2014 6:29 am
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I don't have enough time in my life to get to all the music I want to learn so I tend to remain excited about playing and studying. I have gotten to do all sorts of things that I don't nessissarily feel the need to do again though.
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Bob |
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Mike Neer
From:
NJ
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Posted 14 Jul 2014 6:35 am
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I have a great thirst to become a better musician. I guess what I am most interested in is creating the best music I can according to my own parameters. A never-ending quest it is and it keeps me very happy..
_________________
Links to streaming music, websites, YouTube: Links |
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Tim Whitlock
From:
Colorado, USA
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Posted 14 Jul 2014 7:13 am
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30 years later, the thrill of playing 10 PM - 2 AM bar gigs is long gone and I begin to dread them. I no longer have the energy or desire to be loading equipment at 2:30 AM in a snow storm.
I still enjoy the bigger stage showcases and concerts, but sadly my band gets only a handful every year. Could be time to turn the page. |
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Joachim Kettner
From:
Germany
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Posted 14 Jul 2014 7:18 am
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| Bill Ladd wrote: |
| I guess 25 plus years as a struggling pro trying to make a name for myself and winding up, at age 52, with nothing but memories and a whole lotta debt can do that to a guy. |
Bill I can very much relate to that. I think it was Steve Morse who said that good musicians often put in more time learning their craft than doctors. It's a shame! I'm not a professional, but I'm serious about making music and I'm frustrated too. All the best to you.
_________________
Fender Kingman, Sierra Crown D-10, Evans Amplifier, Soup Cube. |
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Jerome Hawkes
From:
Fayetteville, North Carolina, USA
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Posted 14 Jul 2014 7:37 am
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my take on this is i still love to play...but
once you reach 40+, like Tim says, the 2am bar thing isn't worth it. add to that even if you can get it - $75 seems to be the going rate. then that is your entire weekend shot - sat to load/drive/play + getting in at 3 on sunday am. the 'to-do's' pile up, cost of travel, wear and tear, nothing gets done...just not worth it.
thats what sucks the life out of you - gone are the days you think you will 'make it big' - you're wise enough to know thats all a crock by now.
_________________
'65 Sho-Bud D-10 Permanent β’ '54 Fender Dual-8 β’ Clinesmith T-8 β’ '38 Ric Bakelite β’ '92 Emmons D-10 Legrande II |
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Les Cargill
From:
Oklahoma City, Ok, USA
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Posted 14 Jul 2014 9:38 am
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| Jerome Hawkes wrote: |
my take on this is i still love to play...but
once you reach 40+, like Tim says, the 2am bar thing isn't worth it. add to that even if you can get it - $75 seems to be the going rate. then that is your entire weekend shot - sat to load/drive/play + getting in at 3 on sunday am. the 'to-do's' pile up, cost of travel, wear and tear, nothing gets done...just not worth it.
thats what sucks the life out of you - gone are the days you think you will 'make it big' - you're wise enough to know thats all a crock by now. |
If it weren't for gigs, me and the missus wouldn't leave the house much. I've had it with restaurants unless they cost way too much ( too much business travel ), movie theaters ( and theater movies ) are for young 'uns and I have never been a consumer of live music. Retail is no fun any more, golf is... well, no golf here...
When I start looking a boats on Craigslist, it's time to gig again. I'm just now gigging on steel; it's ... a real challenge. That's good. Dunno how long that'll last , but I'll take it for now. |
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Bill Ladd
From:
Wilmington, NC, USA
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Posted 14 Jul 2014 12:03 pm
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| Tim Whitlock wrote: |
30 years later, the thrill of playing 10 PM - 2 AM bar gigs is long gone and I begin to dread them. I no longer have the energy or desire to be loading equipment at 2:30 AM in a snow storm.
I still enjoy the bigger stage showcases and concerts, but sadly my band gets only a handful every year. Could be time to turn the page. |
I hear ya Tim. |
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Barry Blackwood
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Posted 14 Jul 2014 2:04 pm
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| Bill & Tim, I hear ya both - loud and clear.. |
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Mike Neer
From:
NJ
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Posted 14 Jul 2014 3:38 pm
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| Barry Blackwood wrote: |
| Bill & Tim, I hear ya both - loud and clear.. |
I agree with this, too. I don't enjoy the hassles, either, but every once in a while I have to get out there and do it. It isn't even about the money....
_________________
Links to streaming music, websites, YouTube: Links |
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Robert Harper
From:
Alabama, USA
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Posted 16 Jul 2014 2:08 pm Believe Me I understand
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After 40 odd years of working on computers I am in the same frame of mind. However. Do multi-instruments players have the same feelings?
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"Oh what a tangled web we weave when we first begin to deceive" Someone Famous |
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Zeke Cory
From:
Hinsdale, New York USA
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Posted 16 Jul 2014 2:54 pm still excited tp play ...
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| Even after 51 years. Kind of like a kid at christmas I would say. Thank God for at least this one great gift. |
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Rick Schacter
From:
Portland, Or.
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Posted 16 Jul 2014 4:03 pm Re: Believe Me I understand
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| Robert Harper wrote: |
| Do multi-instruments players have the same feelings? |
Playing in crummy bar rooms for crummy pay doesn't sound like fun to me anymore.
However, I still enjoy recording and learning something new on the instruments that I play.
There's always something new to learn. That's part of what makes music so cool.
Rick |
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Jerry Hedge
From:
Norwood Ohio U.S.A.
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Posted 16 Jul 2014 4:45 pm Re: still excited tp play ...
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| Zeke Cory wrote: |
| Even after 51 years. Kind of like a kid at christmas I would say. Thank God for at least this one great gift. |
+1,000,000!!!
After years of playing with mediocre musicians,and playing dives I'm playing with some of the FINEST musicians in Cincinnati, the kind of players I used to dream of playing with, playing venues that I really love, and doing the types of gigs I've ALWAYS wanted to do. For an example last night one the bands I play with opened for Chuck Mead and the Grassy Knoll Boys. After reading about Carco Clave on the Forum, I got to meet him and talk steel guitar. This Sunday we are playing the Buckle Up Festival with people like Willie Nelson headlining. I play a weekly Sunday night gig In a local multi-room concert venue. A lot of the local Americana, Alt-Country, Roots Rockers and Rockabilly bands and musicians come by and we get them up to play with us. If there's a show in one of the other rooms, a lot of times they'll come in after their shows and sometimes sit in. I've been able to play with people like the Drive By Truckers. I feel like I'm 62 going on 25!!! |
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Bo Legg
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Posted 16 Jul 2014 10:26 pm
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The only thing you need to practice is beating on your amp until you can make it look convincing that it crapped out on you just before your solo while the band is playing a request you donΓ’β¬β’t know.
I wrote tab for it if you are interested! |
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