writing originals vs. playing covers

  • Thread starter Thread starter Mr. C
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Slowrider said:
Being a session player is one of the best ways to get great. You do not have a choice.
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I would argue that a session musician, unless the song has already been released or recorded by some band /another team, is playing on an original.
Ringo and George didn't write "Hey Jude" or "She loves you". But they weren't playing covers ! Yeah, yeah, yeah, na na na na na na naaaaaa ! :D
 
Lt. Bob said:
^^^^ these ^^^^^

that covers it IMO.
Music is a very personal thing and no one other than you can tell you what the right way to go about it is.
Sure ..... we can suggest that always having your gain on 11 with all the mids scooped out might not be the best sound but as far as the music someone chooses to play or not play ...... how can anyone other than the person involved have any valid viewpoint on that?

So in a perfect world I think we should all respect anyone's choices in music even if we don't like those choices. That doesn't mean you can't say what your own likes and dislikes are ..... but you liking or not liking something doesn't make it right or wrong. It only applies to you.
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Hmmm, gain on 11, mids scooped out...sounds metal!
 
I searched this thread for the word brand and got no hits. So here I go. The title of this thread is a bit confusing because it compares writing with playing. So I want to focus on writing. The big name writers who also play; like the Beatles, wrote originals because they knew they had to, in order to make it. They were panned like many but the rest is history. They had good advice and a lot of talent and what they did was create a brand. I like brand better than genre or niche. Their brand of music has been copied by lots of others and you hear their influence in music to this day. But nobody else has that brand name so there is no point in going there. Bands like the Doobie Bros, to me, sound like a cover band because they play the same stuff from decades ago. Their music has become a part of the music mainstay and even though they may sound to me like covers, it’s their brand. And to me that is why writing has to be unique and that is what makes it so damn hard. I think anyone with half a brain can write a song. If I can, anyone can. But creating a unique brand that people want to buy is another story. You may say so-and-so sounds just like so-and-so and it may be true. But some producer has found a way to make that so-and-so just a bit more marketable – it’s called monopolistic competition and it explains why Burger King and McDonalds still exist. It’s the special sauce. Find that and you be golden.
 
Manslick said:
It’s the special sauce. Find that and you be golden.
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OK, I know this needs to go in another thread like, "mixing tips" or if you know where it is, point me there. I have to learn how to mic in the "secret sauce", that's what's missing in my songs. (Somebody was going to post a smart A$$ remark like that.)
 
DM60 said:
OK, I know this needs to go in another thread like, "mixing tips" or if you know where it is, point me there. I have to learn how to mic in the "secret sauce", that's what's missing in my songs. (Somebody was going to post a smart A$$ remark like that.)
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Settle down there big boy. And don't quote me out of context.
 
grimtraveller said:
I would argue that a session musician, unless the song has already been released or recorded by some band /another team, is playing on an original.
Ringo and George didn't write "Hey Jude" or "She loves you". But they weren't playing covers ! Yeah, yeah, yeah, na na na na na na naaaaaa ! :D
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and I would argue that, if you go down that path, then everyone is playing originals. As a session player I can tell you flat out that we rarely know about what we're playing on ..... it could easily be a redo of an old song ..... or a new original ... who knows? Or cares? We want the paycheck.
Wanting the paycheck does not preclude playing well though.
Personally, as a player, I don't feel there's that much difference. But I'm a player so the whole point for me is playing.
What I play is less important to me.

But many here aren't really players as much as they are writers/recordists.
And that's fine ..... I hope I've been clear that I'm not judgemental about music ..... it's all good.
But being a player ..... pursuing high skill levels on your axe(s) ..... that a specific path with it's own needs and viewpoints.
 
I'm a player, but strictly in the ladies man sense. But I'm not good at that kind of playing either.
 
Greg_L said:
I'm a player, but strictly in the ladies man sense. But I'm not good at that kind of playing either.
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well, your wifey probably has rules about that!
:laughings:

When greg walks into a room the girls go, "Here come da' playa'!"
 
Lt. Bob said:
well, your wifey probably has rules about that!
:laughings:

When greg walks into a room the girls go, "Here come da' playa'!"
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My wife is totally awesome. She's beautiful, and fun, and easy going, and she let's me do whatever I want without grief. There's no way I'd ever act in any way to jeopardize this good thing I got going. But yes, chicks dig me. :D
 
Being a good musician has nothing to do with playing covers or originals, being a good songwriter does. Two different but related tasks.

Bob Dylan is commonly regarded as a genius but I don't think anybody would want him to do session work other than to get his name on their album.
 
Just to further muck things up....I'm putting together a whole album of covers done in Gregpunk style. :laughings:

It will be free to anyone that wants it.


See? I don't hate covers. I just hate playing them live.
 
Lt. Bob said:
well now I don't know what to think. This modern world is confusing!

:laughings:
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I've always liked recording covers for my own amusement. I especially like butchering stuff that maybe no one else would want to touch. I have no respect for anything. :D
 
Greg_L said:
Just to further muck things up....I'm putting together a whole album of covers done in Gregpunk style. :laughings:

It will be free to anyone that wants it.


See? I don't hate covers. I just hate playing them live.
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I remember you did a great cover of a Bruce Springsteen song. I still have that one buried on my hard drive somewhere.
 
Hehehehe I love the contraversy here :D

Thinking about it more, I think the issue here is that there's two hats, a musician hat and a songwriter hat. I think many people here blur the two together, when I have seperated it. Everything I have said in this thread is purely from the musician hat. As a songwriter, I enjoy writing originals. If I combine them, then all of a sudden my enjoyment of playing is limited to things that I write. And to me, I think that's a highly limiting issue. Obviously people are happy with that, but I think it only harms your enjoyment of playing in general.

(and note that in both my bands, we play a grand total of 3 covers, and like 40 originals, even if I didn't really write most of them)
 
Seafroggys said:
Thinking about it more, I think the issue here is that there's two hats, a musician hat and a songwriter hat. I think many people here blur the two together
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Yeah, one of the good things in this thread is that there's been discussions at cross purposes which has been a bit confusing at times but it's raised some really good points on all sides of the spectrum.
Personally, I was coming at it more from a 'home recording' angle, which isn't really where the OP was coming from and to that extent, I suppose I've contributed to throwing things off course, somewhat. That's where I'm at in saying I don't want to do covers. I can't better the songs I love, I don't want to add different spins to them because I like them just the way they are. It was as they are that caused me to dig them in the first place. I'm also aware that others feel differently as I did many years ago. It's all part of the great pot of diversity.
Loads of bands/artists I like have done tons of covers. Funny thing is, if I already know the song from someone else, it takes a herculean effort to impress me. But if I've not heard the song before, it's like an original to me. One of the few instances where ignorance really is bliss.
Greg_L said:
I especially like butchering stuff that maybe no one else would want to touch
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While I can't say I like it, I do that enough with my own stuff ! :thumbs up:
 
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