Hello everyone,
as I am in the process of rehearsing with a singer for a gala date, I really have to vent some stuff, and I think I can do it in a way that some of you guys and gals might benefit from, be it singers in a duo, band or for studio dates.
I am a guitarist and thus sideman, accompaignist and have played in a frigging lot of different musical situations.
First things first:
Singers! You da BOSS!
There it is.
If it was not for you, I would have nothing to play.
Before you all go full diva now, everything comes at a price.
It is not necessarily expected of you to lead the rehearsal or recording session, but everything depends on some necessary information from you:
The band does need to know which song they should lay down for you (D'uh, I know.).
They also need to know which key is best for you!
Work that out in advance or you'll be wasting everyone's time come session.
(If I had a penny for every mid-session key change...)
Ask someone to help you out with that, guitar player buddy or budette, music teacher at school...
Or communicate beforehand that you need to suss this out during the session.
They also need an idea of the form of the tune, so write that down or be able to communicate that in a meaningful manner.
Complete Lead Sheets are a great idea, or at least links to identical files or videos of one performance.
(If I had a penny for every mid-session "oh, I meant that (sic!) live video on youtube with this dee-de-dee-de-lee thingfish in the middle..." You get it, right?)
It is a great showstopper if everyone has a different performance in mind, especially with relative key data, like, a half step below.
Below what? The record, the TV-Mix or the 76 Live at Leeds concert on youtube? This might end up piano Bass and guitar all starting in different keys!
Ugh!
Last but not least:
Try to communicate stuff in a constructive manner.
"I need this to be different!" followed by a pout is not helpful.
Sure, I can easily play you "Both sides now" different,
but which different do you mean?
Bossa? Punk? Baroque? New Age?
I am really there for you and trying hard to make you look and sound great.
But remember: You da BOSS!
So, I need and expect some guidance from you towards what you need and want!
And my crystal ball is broken, most of the time, at least.
There is a bunch of musical technical vocabulary, and it helps us communicating. Learn to speak it fluently!
I understand that you need a straight rhythm in the beginning of the chorus for your orientation.
I understand that you like to try this tune as a shuffle or as a Bossa.
I understand that you want the intro to be rubato, and that I should play a pickup into the first verse.
I understand that my ninth as the top note of that particular voicing clashes with your b3 and makes it difficult for you to get that note.
But mostly I don't understand "different". Or "not this way, but, ugh, I don't know..."
It is your job as a singer to have a vision of the song we're doing and to communicate this vision as clear as possible, regarding key, form, groove and feel.
Seriously! Get your Shit together!
as I am in the process of rehearsing with a singer for a gala date, I really have to vent some stuff, and I think I can do it in a way that some of you guys and gals might benefit from, be it singers in a duo, band or for studio dates.
I am a guitarist and thus sideman, accompaignist and have played in a frigging lot of different musical situations.
First things first:
Singers! You da BOSS!
There it is.
If it was not for you, I would have nothing to play.
Before you all go full diva now, everything comes at a price.
It is not necessarily expected of you to lead the rehearsal or recording session, but everything depends on some necessary information from you:
The band does need to know which song they should lay down for you (D'uh, I know.).
They also need to know which key is best for you!
Work that out in advance or you'll be wasting everyone's time come session.
(If I had a penny for every mid-session key change...)
Ask someone to help you out with that, guitar player buddy or budette, music teacher at school...
Or communicate beforehand that you need to suss this out during the session.
They also need an idea of the form of the tune, so write that down or be able to communicate that in a meaningful manner.
Complete Lead Sheets are a great idea, or at least links to identical files or videos of one performance.
(If I had a penny for every mid-session "oh, I meant that (sic!) live video on youtube with this dee-de-dee-de-lee thingfish in the middle..." You get it, right?)
It is a great showstopper if everyone has a different performance in mind, especially with relative key data, like, a half step below.
Below what? The record, the TV-Mix or the 76 Live at Leeds concert on youtube? This might end up piano Bass and guitar all starting in different keys!
Ugh!
Last but not least:
Try to communicate stuff in a constructive manner.
"I need this to be different!" followed by a pout is not helpful.
Sure, I can easily play you "Both sides now" different,
but which different do you mean?
Bossa? Punk? Baroque? New Age?
I am really there for you and trying hard to make you look and sound great.
But remember: You da BOSS!
So, I need and expect some guidance from you towards what you need and want!
And my crystal ball is broken, most of the time, at least.
There is a bunch of musical technical vocabulary, and it helps us communicating. Learn to speak it fluently!
I understand that you need a straight rhythm in the beginning of the chorus for your orientation.
I understand that you like to try this tune as a shuffle or as a Bossa.
I understand that you want the intro to be rubato, and that I should play a pickup into the first verse.
I understand that my ninth as the top note of that particular voicing clashes with your b3 and makes it difficult for you to get that note.
But mostly I don't understand "different". Or "not this way, but, ugh, I don't know..."
It is your job as a singer to have a vision of the song we're doing and to communicate this vision as clear as possible, regarding key, form, groove and feel.
Seriously! Get your Shit together!
