Ok....Don't Laugh....Dumb Question

Mickster

Well-known member
Ok....before you all give me the obvious answer.........which is......LEARN THE STUFF BY MEMORY.......I have a problem. I've never been in this situation before.

I'm going to be standing in for a rhythm guitarist for a friends band soon......for a couple weeks while the original guitarist recovers from some surgery. Their song sets are all very popular tunes that I know in my head......but do not know 100% chord wise by memory. With a simple chord chart / sheet I can fake it with no real (obvious) issues........as I have been doing in practice with them..........but......I'll never remember all the tunes in time.

So.......I thought you guys might know some methods or tricks I can use so as to not be extremely obvious.

What....you mean a bright red music stand is not cool?????
 
Invest some money into a teleprompter
;-)
Seriously I see all the time people with an ipad on a stand. Maybe the audience will think you're recording the set. Go over to it periodically and they'll have no idea you're "cheating". You'll just look important.
:D
 
Ipad on the mic stand. If it is still available, download Setlist Maker. Otherwise, look for something similar to it.
 
I would suggest just rehearsing til you know the parts. Best tried and true way from my experience...
 
Learn some really cool stage moves...and just look the part, like you really known what you're doing...
...no one will notice if you're playing the wrong chords. :)

Otherwise...stay close to the bass player and watch his left hand when your memory starts to fail you.

I think most people underestimate their ability to remember.
If you rehearsed them enough, often your hands will remember for you....and at worst, you might miss a change here or there.

Other option, drop some cheat sheets on the floor....with just the basic chord chart...not the whole song.
That way, you don't need to have big cheat sheets per song, and you can easily glance down like you're looking at your playing, and no one will notice.
Stick your pedals in front of them...and there you go.
 
...drop some cheat sheets on the floor....with just the basic chord chart...not the whole song....and you can easily glance down like you're looking at your playing, and no one will notice.
Stick your pedals in front of them...and there you go.

This is what I was going to suggest. I'd usually throw a sheet with "VERSE: D, A, D, G CHORUS:" etc.. Fit a couple on a sheet, tape it to the floor, good to go.
 
Only thing...if you let the cheat sheets become a crutch, and you use them for each song to follow along...all it will take is one miss, and you're lost.
So it's best to play as much from memory, and only glance down when you really need to.
Like glance at the start of the song...and then try to focus on the song, and you're hands will probably know where to go for the most part.
 
This is what I was going to suggest. I'd usually throw a sheet with "VERSE: D, A, D, G CHORUS:" etc.. Fit a couple on a sheet, tape it to the floor, good to go.

+1 ^

Lots of groups (and solos) just hang a list right out there - even on sheet stands. It's kind of an Americana thing to do. IF you set your list on the floor, be sure not to set your beer on top of it ;)

_________________

When we did 50s-60s oldies, we had memorized over 100 tunes - words and music (on top of our original material). The only reason I used a list was to get the order of the night's song titles.
 
Lots of groups (and solos) just hang a list right out there - even on sheet stands. It's kind of an Americana thing to do

Yes, honestly nobody cares. I wouldn't hold it against someone for glancing at a sheet once in awhile. I wouldn't worry too much about it
 
As a teenager I went around with a Big Band for a few gigs. The bass player was using my bass guitar rig because he wanted to change from acoustic bass.

The band played from sheets (VERY bloody well!) but for a new arrangement the band leader would hand out new parts and sometimes if there were too many flats and accidentals Russ, the bass player would turn to me and say "This one's a busk Dave!"

They are right, nobody will notice the odd missing chord.

Dave.
 
Nobody will notice the odd missing chord.

How true.
In my hood there's this park wirh free concerts all summer long. Place is packed. Most bands are doing cover songs. Or should I say butchering cover songs. :D
No one cares, the audience is just dancing and clapping away.

The only peope that really notice that the songs aren't right are musicians. And unless you're in LA, Austin, Nashville, or places like that, your crowd is civilians just out to have a good time.
No one will notice, and no one will care.
:D

It's not like it's a classical recital or something. ;)
 
How true.
In my hood there's this park wirh free concerts all summer long. Place is packed. Most bands are doing cover songs. Or should I say butchering cover songs. :D
No one cares, the audience is just dancing and clapping away.

The only peope that really notice that the songs aren't right are musicians. And unless you're in LA, Austin, Nashville, or places like that, your crowd is civilians just out to have a good time.
No one will notice, and no one will care.
:D

It's not like it's a classical recital or something. ;)

"Hey! Paddy yer played a bum nort!" "Dornt yer tell me I play bumb norts!......" Anyone remember the record?

Dave.
 
I would suggest just rehearsing til you know the parts. Best tried and true way from my experience...

Without a doubt that’s the best way to go but I only have 2 days to learn 50 possible songs. I will be looking at the bass player a lot......assuming I’ll be able to see his hand clearly......depending on the stage situation. In any case.......thanks to all for the suggestions. I’ll let you know how it goes.
 
Besides the bass player, are you the only other guitarist? Got a keyboard player to help fill in the sound?
 
Didn't see it mentioned... did you record the rehearsal?
That's what my wife does when she fills in on a bass gig. Then.. she sets down and put in the time here at home.
 
An another thing! Has anyone here ever seen the piano copy of All My loving?

I am not sure ANY guitarist could keep up with all the changes? Easy on a Joe I guess? Just move two fingers!

I could never play (and sing) Makker's bass lines but nobody ever noticed the 50% I left out!

Dave.
 
An another thing! Has anyone here ever seen the piano copy of All My loving?

I am not sure ANY guitarist could keep up with all the changes? Easy on a Joe I guess? Just move two fingers!

I could never play (and sing) Makker's bass lines but nobody ever noticed the 50% I left out!

Dave.

Thankfully that’s not one of the songs on the list!
 
An another thing! Has anyone here ever seen the piano copy of All My loving?

I am not sure ANY guitarist could keep up with all the changes? Easy on a Joe I guess? Just move two fingers!

I could never play (and sing) Makker's bass lines but nobody ever noticed the 50% I left out!

Dave.

I played bass on that in my once-a-year Beatles tribute band. Only had to sing the 'oohs' during the chorus. Song was a bitch to play, let alone attempting to sing it at the same time. Same thing for the lead guitarist part- triple picking.
 
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