Musicians check in here. If you play, tell us about it!

[James Hart]

Interesting trend... vaping musicians without children. I'm 44 and the wife is 37... we skipped the whole offspring thing ourselves. We kind of half tried for a couple years a decade ago, but didn't want it enough to seek medical professional's assistance.

Between my sister and hers... we have a few neices. No apparent musicians yet... I need to find someone to leave my treasures to

Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2

 

[WCSR]

Interesting trend... vaping musicians without children. I'm 44 and the wife is 37... we skipped the whole offspring thing ourselves. We kind of half tried for a couple years a decade ago, but didn't want it enough to seek medical professional's assistance.

Between my sister and hers... we have a few neices. No apparent musicians yet... I need to find someone to leave my treasures to

Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2

Same here. When I turned 30, my wife and I had several long talks, and just decided that kids aren't for us. We enjoy traveling around the country for my work.


I'll pm you my address...that way you have a place to send those musical treasures. I do accept deliveries on weekends and holidays, as well.

 

[WCSR]

As for being a musician... I've been playing guitar since I was 21. Though I've had a few small bands, I never desired to make it big. I'd rather play to a packed ice house of 20 people, instead of a packed arena of 20,000. My guitars were the one thing that kept me out of trouble through my 20's, and I don't know what I'd have ever done without them.


The PRS in my avatar is my goal. When I have been off the cigarettes for 3 years, I'm buying a hollowbody PRS.

 

[DaveP]

OK. I envy that then.

Putting it that way, there's really no excuse for us not finding that for ourselves, is there?
Anybody need some grandparents? I'm sure there are.
You're a good man, Dave.

I gripe from time to time! I've said several times that I pictured early retirement a little differently than it turned out. Our duties vary from week to week. One is now 6 and the other one just turned 3. The 6 year old is in school and the 3 year old is in Mother's Morning Out at a local church two days a week until noon. We pick him up on the MMO days and the other two days his Dad delivers him about 9:00 in the morning and Mom picks him up before she picks up the 6 year old at school. She's a surgery pre-op nurse that works from 5am til 2:30pm.

Summers are a little more trying. We have them 4 days a week unless there's a program going on for them to participate in. It doesn't leave much time for running errands and piddling around the house! I probably ought to work in my shop and do things anyway, but they always want to help! Woodshop is too dangerous and most of the things I do involve power tools. Better I stay in and play Mario with the 6 year old and build Leggo creations with the 3 year old...

It's fun sometimes and aggravating others. I look forward to them both being in all day school!

 

[DaveP]

I passed up a chance to play in a new band with the drummer from my old one. He did all the booking from the two other bands we were in and kept us busy every Friday and Saturday night. I was in Tech School for a year when he called and didn't want to deal with it. He's an oldies fan who wants to do everything from Carolina beach music to disco. I can deal with the 70s and 80s music, but I get bored doing the Tams. It would all depend on the pay and the travel before I would consider it. He has been through several musician changes. One drops out and another comes in, but that's the way it works in the band business sometimes.

Granted, the crowds we played mostly for ranged from about 30 something to retiree age. They were the ones with the money and we were the ones who knew how to play the music they grew up with! It was a good fit. At that time, we could play everything from the 50s to the 80s and enjoy it and they did, too. I still think that corporate parties, civic events, and hotel ballroom parties are the better paying events for weekend warriors to play. You move equipment most every night, but the pay was better than most one or two night gigs that were available back then. We averaged $500 - $700 a night split between 5 members with a few special gigs paying $1000 -$3000 (Christmas parties and New Years Eve). It was a good part time job for the 70s and the 80s. Bar bands played 6 nights a week for the most part. We all had day jobs to be at in the morning.

 

[Pipeous]

we had rehearsals with just the 3 of us last night. we are talking again about maybe just staying a 3 pce. we've tried a couple lead guitarists so far. I'll have to play the mandobird more if I am to do solos.. we'll see. I have another lead player coming out when he's back from hawaii. the first guitar player came back and is willing to learn the songs we are playing, is fairly talented but getting him to rehearsals and learning songs on his own time is an issue

 

[DaveP]

The fewer players the better the money split goes. If you can get tight with a trio, the money will be much better. Three musicians can really create some great music if everyone is in the groove and communicating.

 

[Pipeous]

the money isn't honestly the issue.. we just want to sound good and be on the same page.

Rick the drummer, picked up a cool new toy. a projector. plugs into the laptop. now for learning songs we can just put music and lyrics on the wall. also will be cool for scenes behind the drums when we play... we are older and it's comical sometimes... here's the new song on paper. I can't read this, hey can I borrow your reading glasses... we started using painter's easel size paper pads to write stuff out with black felts lol

 

[bassnut]

As a bass player I love playing in a trio. It's my preferred situation.
I abhor playing with keyboardist with overactive left hands.
However we had an absolute master keyboard player sit in with us in Las Vegas a couple of months ago. I don't recall his name but he's a local headliner on The Strip as well as musical director for various shows.
He knew exactly what to play. He made us sound like a 6 piece band without cluttering it up. He complimented our sound. He didn't bury it. It was beautiful.

 

[Pipeous]

That's what I'm talking about. Why we decided against the one guitar player. He was overplaying everything... come on, you don't need to solo when someone's singing do you?

I do the keys on my roland guitar setup. it's very finicky so I try to keep it simple, generally just play some organ (get your minds out of the gutter now) maybe a little piano or strings. strings with guitar does great pink floyd and such. I have a looper but just can't bring myself to use it. I feel kinda dirty using it ya know?

 

[bassnut]

This is sorta cool. Michael Anthony came in to the club about a year ago with his wife, underage daughter and a PA, completely drunk.
He sat in playing my bass on a few tunes and totally kicked ....! He's a great player.
I didn't get a mention here being the "new guy" and we had just met that night.

"There's a couple of buddies of mine that play at a place in Arcadia called First Cabin-- Pat O'Brien (and the Priests of Love). Pat (O'Brien) and Jim Volpe, who plays drums. Jim played alongside me growing up and I've been known to go in there and have a couple of drinks and get up and jam with those guys. They do it because they love doing it not because they have to do it.


"That's the other sad side, I've grown up playing with a lot of great musicians in bands that early on they get married and have a kid and that straps them down and all of a sudden they need to do that, to know that money's coming in and they can't take a chance to try to make it." Anthony continues, "That's kinda sad, but guys like Jim and Pat, they're great musicians and they're great guys. They love playing music.

Michael Anthony of Chickenfoot in DaBelly Magazine

 

[bassnut]

That's what I'm talking about. Why we decided against the one guitar player. He was overplaying everything... come on, you don't need to solo when someone's singing do you?

I do the keys on my roland guitar setup. it's very finicky so I try to keep it simple, generally just play some organ (get your minds out of the gutter now) maybe a little piano or strings. strings with guitar does great pink floyd and such. I have a looper but just can't bring myself to use it. I feel kinda dirty using it ya know?

I think this is the reason I rarely lack for a gig. Most young players these days make me look like I'm standing still but what I lack in chops I make up for in musicianship and professionalism - if I may speak for myself. I'm not bragging. It's just my mind-set or philosophy - whatever. I think that counts more than anything and it's my best advice to younger players.

 

[DaveP]

There are guitar players and there are showoffs. I do fill licks constantly but I don't step on the singer. I play harmony in perfect time to their vocal, throw in short accent licks, and play dyads and triads that reinforce what they are singing.

There's one song we do where I'm using an overdriven slow decay echo, playing ethereal lead lines all through the entire song. The lead vocalist commented the other day that she couldn't sing that song correctly without the cues I provide doing lead ins to parts of the verse. Lots of what I do in those songs parallels the base line a couple of octaves higher. We play off each other frequently.

I'm all over doing root-5 licks, inside chords, slide harmonies, and little lead in - lead out transitional licks through the set. It's just me. I'm very aware of where I am and what the singer is doing so that I don't detract from or step on their vocal. If I can't enhance it, I lay back.

I grew up listening to Jimmy Page, Carlos Santana, Eric Clapton,and Jimi Hendrix for influences in my playing.

 

[bassnut]

I think this is the reason I rarely lack for a gig. Most young players these days make me look like I'm standing still but what I lack in chops I make up for in musicianship and professionalism - if I may speak for myself. I'm not bragging. It's just my mind-set or philosophy - whatever. I think that counts more than anything and it's my best advice to younger players.

I'm going to disagree with myself here. GONZO playing might work for you. Go OVER THE EDGE if that's your thing and good luck doing that consistently ...understanding that, generally speaking, it may shorten your life and usefulness as a musician if you can't adapt.
It's for sure best to have that ability when called for. Not everybody has that and when they do will it be appropriate?
"Screw all that! I'm about now!"
"Now" becomes the past as soon as yesterday. As soon as your last performance. As soon as your last thought even.
Loving music in general and wanting to participate regardless of venue will carry you through.
I think I've said it before but the best musicians I've ever worked with or ever heard for that matter, were music/art fanatics. Jimi Hendrix was a Dylan fan. They love/crave everything and give props. They find validity in all aspects and styles of music and art and express it through their original compositions as a whole...except polka of course.

Did I ever tell you the story about Myron Florin opening up for us? Yes I did.

 

[DaveP]

If you listen to pop music carefully, you hear all kinds of tasteful background licks that complement the vocal. Being a showoff is a no-no, but adding melodious, tasteful licks can augment what the singer is doing and make the difference between three chord turnovers and unique creations that people like to listen to.

A good guitar player can emulate strings, horns, and provide stacatto punch to the song. Knowing when not to play is an art in itself.

ETA: Greetings from Cape San Blas, FL. The wind and the surf is brutal this week with the storms that have made their way South. I've been knocked down, dragged by the undertow, and generally tossed about by the surf. If it wasn't for a mask and a snorkel, I probably wouldn't even try to swim! At least I can dive under the waves and avoid the crush. The worst part is trying to get back to the beach. The undertow is at right angles to the incoming waves and it will knock you down in knee deep water! I have knee skins to prove it.

Today, the wind is whistling through the condos like the North Pole.

 

[Pipeous]

Have to say things are progressing nicely. It's so nice hearing multiple harmonies going. We had a second drummer show up this sunday. was interesting with 2 kits... he had a killer voice for doing the high harmonies. I started jamming an eagles tune and it was like a new thing having someone else that can hit the high notes besides me... turns out he plays stand up bass in an old time group as well, so I met someone to jam that type of music with, because truly mandolin is made for that stuff...

steve, the original guitarist, has been out the last couple rehearsals and is really stepping up. I like his playing and he's sure a lot of fun to be around. we can make it work... and as soon as we have 2 full sets tight (quite close) we are going to fill the rest with original music. we don't play the cover songs like the originals, we make them our sound, so it takes a little work changing things... green river on an electric mandolin with some minor chords tossed in is very haunting hehe

 

[DaveP]

Have to say things are progressing nicely. It's so nice hearing multiple harmonies going. We had a second drummer show up this sunday. was interesting with 2 kits... he had a killer voice for doing the high harmonies. I started jamming an eagles tune and it was like a new thing having someone else that can hit the high notes besides me... turns out he plays stand up bass in an old time group as well, so I met someone to jam that type of music with, because truly mandolin is made for that stuff...

steve, the original guitarist, has been out the last couple rehearsals and is really stepping up. I like his playing and he's sure a lot of fun to be around. we can make it work... and as soon as we have 2 full sets tight (quite close) we are going to fill the rest with original music. we don't play the cover songs like the originals, we make them our sound, so it takes a little work changing things... green river on an electric mandolin with some minor chords tossed in is very haunting hehe

Good harmony in a group can sell you faster than just about anything. Of course, you have to have reasonably tight musicality in your playing, but people tend to dismiss a little looseness in the playing when the harmony is precise. Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young (the original full group) sold themselves that way and made a name for themselves with beautiful harmony.

 

[Pipeous]

funny we don't do any CSNY yet. 3 America tunes though. That little lick in Ventura Highway is fun when 2 guitars hit

we have rehearsals tomorrow. I have to learn my songs today. Started a new job this week and so glad we got rained out today. Landscaping. I'm too old for this crap. I ran a big gas hedge trimmer and pole trimmer doing cedar trees for about 7 hrs of my day.. 20-25 footers, 15 footers... up and down ladders... I had advil for dinner last night, dessert as well..

as much as I need money I cheered for the rain today. hope i can even lift my guitar haha

 

[James Hart]

Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young (the original full group)

HUGE Stills and Young fan (Young more so) ... the first album was just CSN. Young was brought in later (with others) to reproduce Stills' handling of a majority of the track work himself on the record. I agree that harmonies are an often overlooked and under developed part of a lot of cover bands (and original ones too).

I think I need to go listen to some Buffalo Springfield now

Pipeous: congrats on the new job... I'm needing to get my head checked, I'm 44, VERY out of shape, and thinking about leaving the telecom field (unemployed currently unfortunately) to work on a farm again.

America fan too... one of my first concerts was America (and Tom Chapin) opening for Steven Stills solo. It was shortly after CSN released "Southern Cross". In a quick google search, I assume is was in support of "Right by You", but I don't recall more than America OWNED the night until Stills encored with the song "Southern Cross" and totally stole it back (at least to my 15 year oldish mind ).

 

[Pipeous]

I turned 48 this year and the body went to hell. I've never been overweight in my life. always skinny. I can barely eat this year without gaining weight. mind you I lost 10 lbs yesterday alone.

did some tech work on band stuff and learned one song. I'm truly dying today.. lakota rub on my arms and chest, glucosamine tabs, advils. I drank a ton of water too. I have worked outside in the sun a lot and know about dehydration (roller hockey goalie too ) .. midnight rider will be fun. that was easy to learn. ok got 2nd song down. fighting through the pain