I dig this

Smithers, there are lots of reasons... I know one fellow who does a couple of tribute bands similar to what the Pretzel Logic does. He's an excellent guitarist, but his "day job" is a music professor at a major university and chairman of the music department. He can play regional shows for fun and extra cash, without the pressure of having to create something that may or may not make money. He does work with a prog rock band that does original material.

When doing the tribute band, their goal is to reproduce the sound as acurately as possible, even to the point that he'll use the same guitar and amp as the original.
 
This is another band who was started to make videos of popular songs many years ago. They pick a band, a few songs from the catalog, and do videos of the recording. I think they only do one live show a year. It's a collection of regional musicians who just do this for fun, but they are all pros.
Lexington Lab Band

 
TalismanRich said:
Smithers, there are lots of reasons... I know one fellow who does a couple of tribute bands similar to what the Pretzel Logic does. He's an excellent guitarist, but his "day job" is a music professor at a major university and chairman of the music department. He can play regional shows for fun and extra cash, without the pressure of having to create something that may or may not make money. He does work with a prog rock band that does original material.

When doing the tribute band, their goal is to reproduce the sound as acurately as possible, even to the point that he'll use the same guitar and amp as the original.
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I do have a problem with tribute bands Rich if I am honest. The obsessive accuracy of them and I find it a little pointless. A bit like the classic car genre where everything has to be so perfect and intricate and accurate and original. The Illegal Eagles are better than Eagles... what is the point of that? Nah the imperfections is what makes a band. Sod the copy bands, not interested, sorry. Do your own thing. Dont copy, innovate
 
TalismanRich said:
This is another band who was started to make videos of popular songs many years ago. They pick a band, a few songs from the catalog, and do videos of the recording. I think they only do one live show a year. It's a collection of regional musicians who just do this for fun, but they are all pros.
Lexington Lab Band

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I am not doubting the brilliant musicianship of these people but there is no inovation there.... its just copying.
 
Do you have the same problem with the London Symphony Orchestra "copying" Dvorak's 8th Symphony, Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet , or Beethoven's 9th? They've been done 100 times before.
 
TalismanRich said:
Do you have the same problem with the London Symphony Orchestra "copying" Dvorak's 8th Symphony, Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet , or Beethoven's 9th? They've been done 100 times before.
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I do not, but that is unfair Rich. That was 200 years ago. I try to play Beethoven 14th sonata on piano in C minor. The Moonlight Sonata... I can play the first passage. Ok we will not argue,
 
John Williams is still alive , and writing and the LSO recorded them, yet other conductors play his music. Star Wars, Raiders, Superman. You can listen to the original CDs, see the movie with the original recording. Why should the Nashville Symphony bother playing the Music of Star Wars program last week?
 
I'm living proof that not everyone who can play an instrument is a prolific, or even competent songwriter.

BTW, many years ago, my exwife and I went to see one of the Beatles tribute bands. They did an excellent job and she really enjoyed it. Neither of us ever had the opportunity to see the Beatles, she liked the music (at least up until Sgt Peppers) and knew the songs. I enjoyed hearing the band reproduce the tougher parts of Abbey Road and Pepper, and the costuming was great. It was like going to see a play or musical. Which is the reason that these things are popular.
 
TalismanRich said:
I'm living proof that not everyone who can play an instrument is a prolific, or even competent songwriter.

BTW, many years ago, my exwife and I went to see one of the Beatles tribute bands. They did an excellent job and she really enjoyed it. Neither of us ever had the opportunity to see the Beatles, she liked the music (at least up until Sgt Peppers) and knew the songs. I enjoyed hearing the band reproduce the tougher parts of Abbey Road and Pepper, and the costuming was great. It was like going to see a play or musical. Which is the reason that these things are popular.
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I am sure you play well xx

I play good guitar and I wish to learn piano better... thats all

I hope to get my mental health problens sorted and get better.
Take care mate xxxx
 
TalismanRich said:
Hang in there... You can do anything if you put your mind to it.
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Thanks mate, these current meds are shit. I am going to try the new ones and if they dont work then I will just get off the lot and try to tough it out. Its crap, I am better off and happier on the beer if I am honest. Thank you. I am despondant with my recording gear, I have a load of good stuff, I just havent got a clue. I am thinking about paying a consultant to teach me.
 
I know many great players that just don't have the muse in them. Some can technically play their asses off but couldn't write a great lyric or melody line if their life depended on it. You set a canvas, some paint and brushes in front of 100 people and tell them all to create the coolest picture they can come up with on their own. A small percentage will come up with a cool idea and crank out an awesome creation ...many other not so much.

Just because you can master an instrument does not mean you can write songs.

When I was young I wanted absolutely NOTHING to do with being in a "Top 40" cover band. I wanted to be original or nothing and was lucky enough to be one of those that get mused. Melodies, Lyric lines just show up or accidentally happen. Early on I discovered many just don't get this gift. How do you do that? Hell if I know, I don't do anything they just come.

Truth is I did learn by ear how to somewhat myna bird my favorite song writers. That was the crawling part of the process of developing my songwriting craft. For certain their styles and methods helped me grow my own style.

So though we did "cover" a few songs when I was rocking back in the day 90% was original.

Went at it hard in my 20's and never "made it". Put the rock star dreams to bed and went on with life raising my family. Always kept playing the piano but rarely playing out with a band. Was invited into a church band in my 50's and all of a sudden there I was playing top 40 church music.... HUH? Man it was tough learning all those complicated songs by ear.... Did that for a few years then that band disbanded. Back to my old ways but with a better ear for figuring out tough tunes. Then some old buds from high school hit me up to Join "Back In The Daze". Oh shit do I really wanna playing in a cover band? Well the kids were out of the house by then and all I was doing was playing in my back room, I'll give it a try. Turns out they were all really good players and the leader had some rockin originals...TBH I had a blast..That lasted about 5 years and then just kind of fizzled out... flash forward to today...I"m playing in a country band WTF? Kick ass players, I replaced a prodigy keyboardist that I just do my best to kind of emulate and we play some cool gigs.

Over the last 45 years every once in a while my brother Dave Macias and I get together and jam... The video below is a jam where the guy that put Macias and I together was dying of cancer and asked if we would do a jam for he and his friends...The Drummer and Bass player had played with dave in a...cover band. I had never played this song in my life, no practice, no rehearsal just show up and jam.... He starts this one up tells me what key and off we go...this is about 11 years ago... I am biased because I have been there when the magic happens but getting to work and play with this 6 string gun slinger in my life has been a treat...boy can make some crazy good noise with that stratoblaster at @ 2:50 get an idea of who this crazy cool cat is.......Holy Moses....He just makes this shit up on the fly...

 
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For covers - I like these guys. I love the skills and cleverness of recreating well known songs. Creativity is not for me a be all and end all at all. Cover bands put their skill set into recreating as close as they can. Best of all - people listen. When the band you are watching tell you the next one is an original, I usually sigh. Bad covers are dire, but good ones I like.
 
I'm generally don't like playing covers but I was lured into a cover band 6 months ago after a long time not being in one. My attitude has always been "it's already been done" and I much prefer writing and recording original music. BUT, when I am doing covers I generally play it like the record because IME that's what people want to hear. Drift off very much and they don't dig it. I'll save the creativity for my own stuff. One other reason to play like the record is when you have to learn 60 songs it's just way easier for the band to practice to the original recordings.
 
I'm of two minds about covers. Yeah, sometimes you just want to make it your own, or spin it off in a new direction. Sometimes, it's actually tough to do things as faithfully as possible to the original. I've done songs in a completely different style from the artist. We talked about this in another thread about covers that were better than the original. Interpreting a work can sometimes be a positive thing.

I always wonder how people would feel if they went to hear an orchestra and featured pianist playing Chopin's Piano Concerto #1, and during the second movement, the piano player just took off on a tangent and winged it to make it "their own". I bet the concert reviewers would be aghast! SACRILEGE!
 
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