The Impermanence Of Being
It’s possible to become so absorbed by being in a band that it takes over your entire life, both creative and personal. Yeah, you need to focus your energy, to create and hopefully live the dream–but not at the risk of losing what is often an already tenuous grasp on reality. In other words, don’t quit yer day job, at least not yet.
Here’s the thing–bands come and go, sometimes faster than you would like. While you may have put all your sweat and talent into building a rockin’ little combo, many of the situations I’ve discussed in earlier columns set up the self-destruct scenario that causes bands to fail. When the lead singer and rhythm guitarist mention that they’re starting “a little side project,” it’s time to start looking at Craigslist all over again.
The longer a band is together, the harder it is to deal with a breakup. All the emotional upheaval that comes with the end of any intense relationship applies here. So, what do you do? Give up playing? Crawl into a baggie of Chronic and watchTV? The key to a successful career (in any field) is to commit to what you’re doing while you’re doing it–give it your best shot, but also remember that things change. If all you can play is your band’s music, what will you play when the band goes away–nothing?
That is why I’ve been harping on the importance of expanding your musical horizons. If you have a broad range of musical abilities and interests, you’re going to find lots of opportunities to play. While life without your band might seem unimaginable right now, it would be a good idea to try to imagine it, as well as what you’ll do afterwards. I don’t mean to burst your bubble, but the reality is: if you’re a musician, and intent on staying a musician, you’re going to be in a lot of bands before they ship you off to the glue factory. (Someone please tell Paul McCartney to confirm his seat assignment…).
So, love like there’s no tomorrow, dance like no one is watching, play like every note will be your last–but also know that bands die, life goes on, and there are always opportunities for skilled players. Your insurance policy is to get your musical shit together so you have mobility. The higher your skill level, the better prepared you’ll be to seize an opportunity.
Along those lines, I’m sad to say this will be the final installment of this column. Just as in the world of bands, writing gigs come and go. I’m disappointed, but not surprised. As they say here in Texas–this ain’t my first rodeo. I’m confident that other opportunities are out there for me because I’ve developed my skills. So, like a bass player whose band just broke up, I’m on the hunt, ready to apply myself to the next situation. My final words of advice: Enjoy your band, but keep preparing for the inevitable moment when you’ll be looking for a new one by improving yourself as a musician.
Tighten Up Yourself
While band rehearsals are typically a collective effort, too often individual members skimp on their personal responsibility to the music. What do you do in between practices to improve your performance? If you think simply being in a band is enough, think again. You need to practice your instrument, improve your skills, and work on the music so you can show up to rehearsal ready to go.
Lots of great musicians are self-taught–maybe you’re one of them, maybe not. But, it’s never too late (or too early) to learn something new about your instrument, or about music. Case in point: in the early ’90s, one of my students was Tom Hamilton, bassist for Aerosmith. Even after 20 years with the band, and having achieved a level of success most of us can only dream about, he felt it was time to learn some new skills, get a fresh perspective on things. We worked on techniques that directly related to his playing, and some things that were seemingly inapplicable, like jazz. He could have easily coasted at that point in his career, but his desire to improve himself as a musician was strong. My point? If you think you’re beyond taking lessons, you’re wrong. It’s just a matter of getting past your ego trip/insecurities and finding the right teacher. Get a recommendation from someone you know, or search out your local music guru. Just keep in mind that not every teacher is truly qualified. Stay away from TAB pushers or lick meisters–you can do that by yourself. Find someone that has a real musical education and teaching experience. If there’s no one smarter than you in your town, there are plenty of books and videos out there, or consider some online education from a reputable source.
While it’s helpful to focus on skills and information that relate directly to your preferred style of playing, it is equally important to broaden your musical horizons. Having a wide range of influences makes your music more interesting, and learning how to play different styles (or even other instruments) makes you a better musician. For example: I’m a bass player, but learning to play drums (I suck) has made my bass playing more grounded and in the groove. If you’re a hard-core rocker, consider learning jazz; if you’re a stone bebopper, learn how to play country. You’ll be amazed at how much seemingly disparate styles of music intersect with each other.
Enriching your musical life is an important pursuit, but you also have to practice your band material. Record your practices and listen to how you really sound–don’t hide in Fantasyland, face the truth. If there are rough spots, isolate them, and practice them slowly. You can invent exercises that work problem areas specific to your parts. In addition to your own parts, you should also know everyone’s parts–not just to understand how it all fits together, but because one day you might need to cover them if the other guitarist’s amp blows up on a gig, or someone doesn’t show up.
The big message is: Learn something about music. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking all you need to do is feel it. Sure, you need to feel it, but you have to understand what you feel to make the most of it.
Part 4: Storage and Care
OK so you’ve built up a record collection (Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3). What were you gonna do, leave it stacked up on your floor? Not if you want it to retain its value, and in the long run, its functionality. No, this is an investment of time and resources, and you need to treat it right if you want it to last. Otherwise you’re going to end up like one of these scrubs on Craigslist wasting everyone’s time with “RARE VINYLS FOR SALE” that all look like they’ve been played with steel wool and barely survived an apartment fire. Don’t be that person. You’re better than that.
Storage
Always store records upright and in their jackets and dust sleeves. Do not store records flat, and definitely do not stack them on top of one another for long periods of time. Conditions like weight, heat, and exposure to direct sunlight can warp vinyl.
If you’ve only got a few records, they’ll likely end up on your bookshelf. No big deal. But many traditional bookshelves are not designed to handle the weight of a lot of records, and the last thing you want is to come home from work one day to find your shelf collapsed and your records messed up on your floor. Back in the ’60s and ‘70s, shelving units and home furnishings were more sympathetic towards record storage, because LPs were the dominant medium in recorded music, and every home had a number of them on hand. Nowadays, not so much, and a lot of the things we collect on shelves, like CDs and DVDs, don’t put the same kind of pressure on their environment.
To that end, there are still a number of standbys to get your records out of your floor space. The standard for lots of folks with decently-sized collections is an IKEA unit called the Expedit, which nests a set number of shelves, arranged cubically in rows and columns, within a reinforced frame of finished particle board. They’re boxy, sleek options for modern living spaces, but once you run out of space, it’s time to get a new one. My choice for shelving, also from IKEA, is their traditional Ivar system. It’s modular shelving made from solid, lightweight but sturdy unfinished pine, held into place with adjustable pegs and wiry metal cross braces. Use two of the cross pieces for each free-standing unit you’re going to use, one at the top of the unit and the other on the bottom. It’s important to reinforce these shelves in such a way. I’ve got these set up in my office, a full three columns of shelving for records, each one seven shelves high, and I store my boxes of 7” singles on the top. I’ve got to use a stepladder to get up there, but that sort of goes along with the college radio record library motif the room has taken on.
Whatever option you choose, make sure that the shelves you put your collection on are sturdy and do not buckle in the middle when full.
Sleeving Records
Cardboard record jackets, and the records within them, are susceptible to the elements to which they are exposed. These elements can negatively affect the condition and playability of your records, as well as any potential resale value they might hold. You’ve no doubt noticed the condition known as “ringwear” on record covers–a circular discoloration on all or part of the jacket that touches the outer edge of the record inside. This happens when bare record sleeves are pressed against each other. Plastic sleeving is an option that will allow you to retain the condition of your records.
Plastic sleeves are available from Bags Unlimited (a mail order retailer of collection protection equipment) and at many record stores that cater to vinyl. Place each record in its own sleeve, with the mouth facing upwards. You’d be surprised, but I’ve heard from people who had to deal with floods in the spaces where they keep their records, and one who had the sleeves open to the jacket’s mouth found that his entire bottom row of albums got destroyed by the rising waters. Keeping the open end of the sleeve in the opposite direction from the floor is the most foolproof solution. Lately, thinner mylar bags with resealable flaps have been introduced as a comparable solution, but I don’t think these are as sturdy, and can’t really recommend them.
Cleaning
Records should remain clean in order for the best results. Factors such as dust, dirt and liquids with a slow evaporation point can impact playback and damage your stylus. There are plenty of options, from a velour brush doused with cleaning fluid to a high-end wet-dry record vacuum with standalone turntable. Find the one that best fits your budget. If you’re a crate digger in particularly dusty venues, you might find that a professional cleaning vacuum will turn filthy records into ones that look and play like new, by removing dirt stuck into the grooves without merely pushing it around the surface.
I also found this reference guide online that was originally published in the ‘60s, but its information still holds true with respect to record care. Check it out here.
Communication Breakdown Part II
Being in a band, playing music, writing tunes–it’s fun, right? Most of the time. Being involved with a group of people in a creative pursuit can also be a pressure cooker for emotions, insecurities, stress, and other draining shit. As a result of spending years locked away in their bedrooms learning how to play, many musicians have, shall we say, “underdeveloped” interpersonal skills. Hell, half of us would probably be locked away in a room involuntarily if we didn’t have the “I’m a musician” excuse. Cool, creative types can get away with being moody, temperamental, and eccentric–but take a room the size of a storage locker, shove in four or five of these nut jobs, add some high powered amplification, maybe some beer, some spliff, and you’ve either got the best time you can have without fluids being exchanged–or the worst.
Bands inevitably develop their own hierarchy–sometimes there is a clear leader, other times there is a power struggle, and sometimes democracy rules. Regardless of how a band evolves, effective communication is the key to getting the work accomplished without ending up hating each other. Here’s a tip: Separate the problem from the people. Musicians are very self-absorbed by nature (“No I’m not!”), and they tend to blur the line between what they play and who they are (jazz musicians are the worst offenders). So, if you tell the drummer, “Dude, that drum part totally sucks,” he hears it as–“Dude, you totally suck–and I slept with your girlfriend.” A more effective approach might be–“Dude, can you try something else there? Your part gets in the way of the vocals.” You’re not saying that it sucks (even if you think it does), but you’re clearly expressing a desire for a change, and giving him your reason. There are of course no guarantees as to how the drummer will respond to this approach (especially if he knows you slept with his girlfriend…), but it’s bound to create a lot less tension.
A lot of problems arise from people bringing their day-to-day baggage into the rehearsal. Getting a lot of grief from your asshole boss? Parents, spouse, significant other giving you shit? Yeah, it sucks, but leave it outside the door of your practice space. Bringing it in to the rehearsal almost guarantees that you’re going to download on somebody, and the cycle of crap begins. Make a group pact that your rehearsal time is exempt from the pressures of the outside world. You may find that leaving them alone for a few hours will make your problems seem more manageable.
If you are the band leader, whether by virtue of being the frontperson, primary business person, songwriter, or just the biggest ego, keep in mind that the other members are not your slaves, children, or employees (unless of course you pay them a salary, in which case this warning is still applicable). You know how you hate it when your manager at Burger King treats you like a peon? Remember how that feels and make damn sure you don’t treat your bandmates that way. They might just spit on your burger.
Miss Part I? Read it here.
Part Three: Some Friendly Advice
As stated in the first two editions of this series (see part one here and part two here), you really shouldn’t need rules to collect records. But if you are new to this undertaking, there’s some ethical advice I’d recommend that you follow. Even if you’ve been going at this your whole life, even if you’ve made this pastime into a career–and there’s no shame in that–these words of wisdom, collected by me in the field, are as good as gold to help you through the decisions and interactions you’re going to face while digging.
Know your place and accept your luck
Realize that you are just one of many people out there looking for records, and that nothing you can do will change that. You might be the first to get to a bin of new arrivals, but in all likelihood, you won’t. Some days you might scoop everybody else, and some days everybody else will scoop you. Deal. If you are impatient, and need security in the hunt, or simply wish to remove all elements of surprise from the pastime, please have fun sniping records off of eBay. You won’t learn much, but the people who would go about things in this fashion often feel they don’t need to. If you get there first, that’s cool. If you didn’t, no big deal. Breathe deeply and walk it off.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions
Sure, the record store clerks and the people talking to them can be surly and unapproachable. Some might even mock you for your purchases. This is not your concern, and never will be. Collecting and dealing records does strange things to people, but your good nature will be a deterrent to any snarky comeback these folks will have to say. Part of the real-life record shopping experience carries with it a vital counterpart of social interaction. These people should be excited about some music for sale in their stores. Ask them about it, about other places where they like to shop, and other small talk. Be nice! Engage them in a positive and non-antagonistic manner and you will sow the seeds of learning and trust. There are sometimes benefits–percentage discounts, hook-ups, inside information–that come with the experience. But, as in life, people know when they’re being taken advantage of. Don’t be the person who does that.
Budget your time wisely
Some days you will have hours to yourself to go through a store’s contents. Other days you will have people waiting patiently for you to finish. It’s been my experience that companions who have no interest in record shopping really resent having to wait around for you to finish up. Don’t force your companions into this situation. Shop when you can, and use the time allotted in advantageous ways. You’ll never cover a large store in 30 minutes, for example, so hit up the sections you know will interest you–new arrivals are always interesting–then whatever genres and/or formats float your boat.
Etiquette means A to Z, and waiting your turn
Pretty simple. If someone is digging in a section you wish you were in, you gotta wait your turn. If someone else is waiting before you, no cuts. Don’t pull that sort of crap where you start digging through the back of a bin currently being combed by someone from the other end. You need to be patient. As an addendum, there’s more to it than knowing what you want. You need to become familiar with the way certain records look so you will know in which areas you are wasting your time and can dig faster. It is therefore best if you do a complete scan of everything you’re interested in. This may take a while if you’re a beginner, as just about everything in a store may appear foreign to you. Your digging speed and competency will slowly increase over time. As another addendum, be as stern as you need to with others who are approaching the bins you’re going through. Don’t let people get away with the things that you wouldn’t do yourself. You have the right to call out people for breaking the rules of proper conduct. Exercise it judiciously.
If you want it, grab it
Provided you aren’t doing anything untoward, like digging through somebody’s hold pile, or going through stuff that hasn’t been priced yet, you need to come to grips that a record you want that is in your hands is a temporal object. It may not be there the next time you visit the store. It may be a steal. It also may be grossly overpriced, and at the next spot you hit, you may find it for substantially cheaper. Until you get your game up regarding prices and condition as they relate to regional record shopping (which will take years and years of research), be advised to keep it in the here and now. It’s just a record, and you don’t need it. But if you want it, have the money to cover it, have weighed the opportunity costs with what buying it will have on your budget and can live with it, then by all means, go for it. Sometimes I don’t follow my own logic in this regard and am still kicking myself for passing on what seemed like expensive items at the time, even at a store where I receive a pretty favorable employee discount. I let them slip by, and when regret sparked a return visit, the records I wanted were long gone. I knew better, and still this went down. I’m bummed, but I’ll deal with it, just by hoping such offers come across again. Point is, you really can’t think about desirable objects in terms of the money. Money comes and goes, and you wouldn’t be wasting it on records if you cared about such things.
It’s OK to not know about everything in the store
Chances are, nobody does. Trends in what’s popular and what’s rare come and go, and fluctuate with the market. Bear in mind that this market is very small and very diverse, but also very fluid. eBay and Internet sales, coupled with decreases in pressing quantities for newer product, have thrown two significant spikes in sales. To this end, it’s cool to make lists and follow them when you go to the store. Even easier, just do research online beforehand, if you feel up to it. But don’t act like you are some sort of inexhaustible font of knowledge on such topics if you’re not.
Get ready to be disappointed
We’re in an era where store clerks would just as soon take way more from some random person on eBay than sell it to you for the listed price. This sucks, and is a root cause of why record stores are failing: a lack of good terms with customers, and a subsequent drop in new collections coming in. Times are tough right now for anyone selling physical media. Tools like Popsike and Goldmine lists have wildly inflated what certain titles will sell for, and are used as the rule in far too many cases, as opposed to the prices for which they should sell. Chalk it up to greed. This operator will die off, and maybe you can swoop down in the hard-luck going out of business sale that will go down in the near future. In short, this is an unfair game played by a sampling of all types of people; within that sampling are people you and I might consider to be obsessives, nerds, and losers. If someone is going to try to take advantage of you, you don’t have to deal with them…but all the same, that’s one record you might have wanted that you’re not buying on principal, and if you don’t, somebody else will. Trust your gut. It’s always best to feel better than to give in.
Don’t gloat
You will have days where you are wildly successful. One time during college, I visited my local used record store and asked the owner if any Sun Ra records were coming in, as well as any copies of the rare and awesome John Cale/Terry Riley collaboration, Church of Anthrax. Knowing this was a wild pitch, I nearly shat myself when I walked in a couple of months later, right after Christmas, and was told “Doug, where you been? I’ve been holding onto these records for you!” Placed into my hands was a mint import of the latter, and six Sun Ra records, including a title called Beyond the Purple Star Zone, a1980 title on Saturn that had yet to be reissued, for $7 apiece. Coupled with finding an OG Agent Orange Living in Darkness for $5, this was clearly among the best days of record digging I’d ever had, and I told everyone I could. Soon after, I got dumped by the girl I was seeing (on New Year’s Eve, in my own goddamn house), I was fired from my student job, and the family dog I’d known since I was five years old had to be put to sleep. I don’t really believe in karma, or luck, but I had a sneaking suspicion that these events were somehow related. I’d go on to dig, and score, and my life has been filled with ups and downs since then, but I never forgot this incident. In the words of William DeVaughn, “be thankful for whatcha got.”
Make sure you check condition while you have the chance
Don’t overpay for hammered copies of records, water-damaged sleeves, warped vinyl, and other flaws in your finds. Know how to take care of records at home, including cleaning procedures, and learn the difference between dirty vinyl and actual scratches and flaws in a pressing. If you can feel the effects of a scratch or gouge on the vinyl, you will sure as hell hear it when you get it home. Chances are the store is not going to be so kind to you when you try to return it.
Listening stations are nice, but don’t hog them
Sometimes records are pressed wildly off-center, and in this regard will provide you with a flawed listening experience. Check out the things you’re interested in buying in the store if you can, but be respectful of other customers who are trying to do the same.
Don’t get greedy
There’s a difference between finding a deal and exploiting it. Do not turn into the type of person whose ridiculous demands and antagonistic shopping patterns earn you the enmity of store staff. There are a handful of these losers out there and they are universally hated. You don’t want to join their ranks.
Dig in unexpected places
I’d have never known that the video store near my apartment sold records unless I looked myself. Flea markets, garage sales, estate sales, storage unit auctions, and libraries are great, non-traditional places to dig for vinyl. Craigslist features a high number of crazies who think that they’re sitting on a goldmine with some worn out Sinatra LPs. It’s up to you to know the difference, but you won’t unless you look for yourself.
HAVE FUN!
When it all comes down to it, very few people rely on flipping vinyl at a profit to supplement their income. It’s a time, money, and space-consuming enterprise, but you probably know that already if you want to be part of it. So get out there and have a good time.
This article in the Chicago Tribune qualified some thoughts I’ve been having over the past few weeks regarding the state of bands being able to tour the United States in traditional, gas-burning fashion. Touring is one of the few ways that bands of a certain size can earn a living these days, but almost all artists have to start by hitting the road so they can gain a large enough fan base to make it all worthwhile later. During those first few outings–the ones that are self-booked and don’t really offer much in the way of guarantees–it’s devastating for most artists, who will have to pay rent and will likely be looking new jobs upon returning home. Now they have to deal with $100+ fill-ups for their vans to each show on top of the miniscule returns at each night’s gig. Combine that with the mergers of several independent booking agencies (Billions and Aveo, Ground Control and the Free Agency, the Agency Group and Kork), and the writing is up on the wall: the little guys are getting squeezed out.
With this in mind, here are three ways that more successful bands are finding a way through it all.
1. Confine yourself to regional touring. Stick to your corner of the country or your coast (or lack thereof). Consider weekend jaunts and 7-10 day stretches with a destination show or two in mind. This could effectively shorten your time out on the road, and allow you to hit the areas around you with less cash up front. Especially for newer bands, this is a great way to get your “road legs” before you embark on anything bigger, and build up a following in areas near to you.
2. Do what you can off the road. It’s entirely likely that you’re not the only musicians facing this problem. This is where your ability to market yourself comes into play. You’ve got your hometown, you’ve got the Internet. Figure out how to be effective without overdoing it. If you’re so inclined (and your sound and scene allows), press up a limited run of seven-inch vinyl singles and pass them around to interested parties.
3. Go greasel! If you have a diesel-powered vehicle, you’re in luck. Look into a conversion to run it off of biodiesel or used vegetable oil. Of course this changes the way you’ll be able to find fuel out on the road, but if you’ve got the time, or if you plan to be out for long–especially in warmer seasons–this is how you’ve got to roll: with respect for the environment, and best of all, on free fuel wherever you can find a restaurant with a grease dumpster.
Do the Tighten Up - Communication Breakdown
Rehearsals are about learning or writing new tunes, tightening up your existing repertoire, and working out the specifics of how your band plays together. Naturally, this takes time, but you can eliminate many hours of frustration if everyone speaks the same language, or at the very least, if one person can interpret for the rest of you. If you’ve ever witnessed or been a part of a rehearsal of trained professional players, you know how quickly things can happen–an entire show’s worth of material can be perfected in a matter of 3 hours. Yeah, the skill level may be higher than your average garage band, but it’s also a result of having a shared frame of reference. When the band leader says: “Take it 4 bars before the modulation, and this time catch the kick on the “e” of 3–and let’s try it with a 12/8 feel,” everyone knows what the hell he means, and jumps to it.
Okay, so it’s unlikely that your band will enroll at Berklee College Of Music, but it’s a good idea to sit down together and develop a standardized glossary of musical terms. First, make sure everyone relates to the form of a tune the same way; terms like intro, verse, chorus, bridge, solo, interlude, tag, and ending are all standard. Make sure everyone is clear about what each section of a tune is called, this way you can go right to it to fix things without having to play through the entire tune every time.
Remember the major scale–“Do, Re, Mi,” etc? Every note in the scale gets a number–1-8, with the in-between notes being called “sharp 4” or “flat 7” etc. Use these numbers to communicate chord progressions, chord structures, harmony parts, lead lines–any pitch-related information can be described this way. If your song is in E, the first step is to number the E major scale: E = 1, F# = 2, G# = 3, A = 4, B = 5, C# = 6, D# = 7. If the song goes from E to G then A, you’d describe the progression this way: “1 to flat 3 to 4” (G is flat 3 because it is one half-step below the natural 3 of the E major scale). You’ll be amazed at how quickly information can be exchanged using this system.
It’s important to understand the chords in a song–more than just the letters. If you call something an “A chord”, do you mean A major, A minor, A7, Amin7, A “power chord”? Be specific. If you don’t know what all those different chords are–learn them!
Learn about rhythms. Understand the difference between quarter notes, eighths, triplets, sixteenths; know what different feels are called: a shuffle, a half-time feel, double-time feel, straight eighths, swing eighths, etc.
So you decided not to back out, and you want to start a record collection of your own, or you have a small one and you want to make it bigger–like, you-have-to-hire-movers-next-time bigger. No way do you need this; it’s something you have to want.
To to that extent I can offer up the following advice:
- You have to love music to make this work. You will become obsessive about it in due time, should you choose to follow this course of action, so at least be obsessed with something that you love.
- If you are unlucky enough to be afflicted with OCD, this is a Grand Canyon-esque expanse for you to throw your anxieties into. A man, a plan, a canal; Panama. People built that canal. This is your canal.
- If for some lame reason you are jumping in to become a record dealer because you see recent singles going for three bills on eBay, you really are going to have to love the music you’re flipping enough to know what you’re trying to get into and get rid of. This is not some “get rich quick” scheme by any measure. No one person could impart you with that much information in a way you could understand it, either, so don’t try hopping on somebody else’s coattails to know what you need to know. Nobody’s that lonely, and record collectors are generally more suspicious than the average person.
Listening to music has always been a big concern in my own life. As a little boy I had a Fisher-Price turntable and a rack full of records I could ruin all on my own, scored from garage sales and the cut-out bin at the local Peaches. I moved onto cassette tapes and then CDs in a trajectory that led from Duran Duran and Thriller to the Beastie Boys and Ozzy solo. This in turn put me right in the frame for “YO! MTV Raps” in the butter years, then down that evergreen path that many an early ’90s pre-teen followed: Violent Femmes into Dead Milkmen, then the Chili Peppers and Nirvana, then Ministry, then Sonic Youth and Dinosaur Jr. and Mudhoney. Pretty soon I discovered college radio and filled in a lot of the gaps; a few years later I was at a college radio station, doing a radio show and listening to everything that came out that looked interesting, and going to see bands several night a week. Every time I turned around, there was something new to check out. That’d be enough for most people, but I got involved with running a label and promoting shows on my own on top of that. I guess somewhere inside I have this driving need to program the air around me with music, to show how I’m feeling at that particular moment, and to get the people around me to understand and celebrate (or commiserate, as it were).
It’s with that life experience that the last important thing you need to take in before starting a record collection is to share. Be pleasant, be enthusiastic, and share (I don’t mean give away your records–though if and when the time comes to do that, you’ll know. You do have to share, however–information, stories, advice, scores, goodwill. I’m not suggesting that you offer it when it’s not asked for; I’m merely saying that this is going to be a pretty lonely and unfulfilling time if you can’t reach out to other people and talk about it. Nobody wants to hang out with the guy from the cover of the Warrant album, greedily hoarding four bins of new arrivals. Don’t be that person. There’s enough of 98% of the records out there for everybody who wants one to own it. Share, and be cool with sharing. Unless you’re confronted with a manipulative sociopath, you will find that sharing represents one of the only ways to get by.
OK. So you like a particular kind of music? Go out and buy records. Repeat as often as necessary.
HA!
Next installment I will provide you with some more wisdom about etiquette, digging, and a handful of other chestnuts.
(Missed somthing? Read Part 1)
Do the Tighten Up – Rehearsal Etiquette
Etiquette–for some, the word evokes images of sipping tea, pinky in the air, making polite conversation with a visiting clergyman in the parlor while listening to Mozart; but when you get into rehearsal mode, a little etiquette can make the difference between keeping everything running smoothly, and having to find a new drummer every other week.
Typically, bands spend hours and hours rehearsing, and much of that time is wasted. Not the “hang time”, I’m talking about the accumulated hours spent waiting for the lead singer to show up, listening to the guitar player wank through his latest Dimmu Borgir riff, watching the drummer unpack his kit from the last show, sitting around while the bass player searches for a 9-volt battery. Imagine how much better your music would sound if you put all that time into playing.
This is not a rule book, just plain old common sense. If everyone gets with the program, you’ll accomplish a lot more, and avoid a lot of negativity.
1. Be on time – Yeah, I know, you’re a busy person, it’s tough to stay on schedule. You know how bent you get waiting for the drummer? Now you know what they’re thinking about you when you’re late. Be ready to go at the scheduled rehearsal time–which means get there early.
2. Have your shit together – If you have to bring in gear, make sure you’ve got what you need. Would you show up to a gig without a cable or extra strings? If your gear is already there, make sure it’s set up, and working properly–sound check to get your tone and levels, and tune up.
3. Be prepared – Don’t you hate sitting around waiting for someone to get their part together? Don’t let that be you–practice at home and show up with your parts ready to go.
4. No noodling – So, you’re trying to talk to the bass player about a transition from the verse to the chorus, and the guitar player takes that as an opportunity to work on “Eruption.” WTF? Sure, you get pissed off, but how many times have you used a break in the action to work out your licks? When someone is trying to talk about the music, quit fucking noodling and let them talk!
5. Cell phones off – These days, people think it’s perfectly okay to take a call anywhere–at work, school, on a date, at your therapy appointment—at least try to make your band practice a priority. Put it on vibrate, if it’s really an emergency (which doesn’t include your girlfriend reminding you to pick up Micky D’s on the way home) deal with it, pick up your calls on a break. And, no texting!
While most of these suggestions seem ridiculously obvious, it’s surprising how many people never consider them. A little rehearsal etiquette will keep band attitudes on the good foot, help you accomplish more and develop a pro mindset.
Next Time: Communication Breakdown
Do the Tighten Up: Rehearsing Your Band
Okay, after months of scouring Craigslist, music store bulletin boards, and the musician’s classified section in the local weekly alternative rag, you’ve finally assembled the personnel for your band. The pieces are in place; all that’s left is to start rehearsing so you can forge a concept into actual music. It’s an exciting place to be–filled with great expectations, the electric rush of sensing you’re on the verge of making a dream come to life, and the promise of sold out shows, adoring fans, and a whole messa dollahs. Now, if your band can only survive the rehearsal process…
It’s sad but true; many bands never make it through the hell-fire of rehearsing. Egos, attitudes, personality conflicts, irresponsibility, incompetence, poor communication, schedules, day jobs, drugs, booze, significant others–the challenges seem endless. Getting a band through the early rehearsal stage is like raising a child–you know how most of us got fucked up before the age of 5? Our folks didn’t want to screw us up for life, they just didn’t know how not to. With a band, the initial rehearsal phase can set up a group dynamic that either kick-starts the creative process, or builds up resentments and bad vibes that never go away. The continued success of any band lies in their ability to maintain an effective rehearsal process. How do you want your rehearsal to run–like an inspirational gathering of friends with a shared purpose; or the outtakes from Some Kind Of Monster?
I’m not suggesting there is a single “right” way to rehearse; every band has it’s own structure and unique composition of people, each with their individual capabilities and personality traits. There are also different goals: are you rehearsing for your first showcase, a recording session, an audition for the Disney channel, or a reunion tour? While circumstances will vary, here are a few general ideas to start you thinking about more effective rehearsing:
1. Stay focused - Time is precious. You can bullshit about your day job afterwards.
2. Have a goal - What are you trying to accomplish? Think long-term, but also today.
3. Be prepared - What are you going to play? Sure, jamming is an important part of getting it together, but unless your band is strictly improvisational, it helps to have some tunes ready to work on.
4. Play nice–Yeah, lead guitarists are egotistical dicks, rhythm guitarists are frustrated lead guitarists, singers are prancing, uptight assholes, keyboard players are anal retentive theory geeks that can’t keep themselves from correcting everyone, bass players are brain-dead, drooling stoners that need to be reminded to breathe, and drummers are Neanderthal bone-heads that might have become hockey players if they could only skate backwards. Now that we’ve cleared that up, let’s all find a way to get along shall we? Otherwise, consider this band another failed attempt at stardom.
Next week: Rehearsal Etiquette