Please take the time to read through this small compilation of thoughts, feelings, and advice. This article is dedicated to lending the best of my knowledge to those who are looking for something more out of their music.
I’ve recently started studying the anatomy of a good band. Sure, songwriting and practice play a big role in the success of your band, but what about the fundamental things like musicianship and chemistry? I was having a conversation with a good friend of mine about bands we’ve seen recently and I started pondering how two bands can play the same song, but one sound so much better than the other? It basically boils down to quality, ability, and most importantly, Chemistry.
Chemistry Class 101
Everyone talks about having band chemistry, but what is it? It goes much further than finding a bass player who can stay out of jail, or just finding some guys you get along with. In my eyes, there are two types of bands. One type is where you have 4 guys on stage who play as one musician. I generally know when my bass player is feeling a part in a song where he’s going to throw in a little something extra. He’s done it a million times. Knowing that, I can replicate his patterns and syncopated movement right along with him. It’s as if we’re playing as one mind in two bodies. Even after a year of not playing together, we still know what each other is thinking. The same goes for each member of the band. That’s the chemistry you always hear about. The second I hear a band play in sync like that, I know they’ve got it. General musicianship is always a key factor in this, but we’ll get to that later.
The other type of band is where you’ve got 4 guys on stage who are playing the same song at the same time and that’s just about it. Technically, that’s all we ever do but when you look at the deeper meaning of it and visualize this being YOUR band, put it into a serious perspective. Let’s take a look at some of things you might be guilty of and see what it’s going to take to get your band in the pocket. Even if you have a solid foundation and a high opinion of your band, it’s ultimately going to be the opinions of the people listening to you who decide that for you. Whether you’re an original artist, or a local cover-band, your audience decides how awesome you are. This is easily judged by the people who follow your band around, not to be confused with family members and co-workers. Do people line up to hear your band? Gladly pay a cover charge? Do you start seeing familiar faces at different venues? Here are some tips to improve your band chemistry, along with some more in-depth ideas to make your group even better.
There is no TEAM in I.
Anyone can play the part, but most musicians play for themselves in an effort to impress the audience. Part of coming together as a band is taking your other members into consideration. Think about “Does this double bass fill really need to be there?” “Does my guitar really need to be louder than anything else in the bar?” “Do I really need to blow that high C”…Basically you should ask yourself this… “Is what I’m playing complimenting what the other guys are playing?” The goal is for everyone to ask this question together. Also, know your surroundings and the musical ability of your fellow musicians. If I’m doing a session with some guys and I know the lead guitar player mostly plays power chords and doesn’t really have the ability to do much more than power rhythm, I can use this to our advantage. This gives me the chance to alter my playing style to fit the needs and the sound of the band or song, rather than playing my way regardless of what actually fits. This doesn’t mean if your lead guitar player is Van Halen on steroids that you should start playing “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” Victor Wooten style. Everyone has a time to show their stuff, and that may be a section of every song, but one thing I can’t stand is people who over play. It’s arrogant and shows you have mad skills, but little class. When you start to include your band members into your own playing, you will come together and people will notice.
DyNaMiCs
“Mister can you make folks cry when you play and sing…” Dynamics are basically the expression of music in volume. It gives a musician the ability to put soul into their playing. Nothing stimulates an audience more than making them “feel what you feel what you feel inside”. You do this by creating subtle and climactic musical movements. Most bands are formed by musicians of equal skill level. High end musicians know their place and you’ll typically hear the song’s sweet spots come dynamically out of no where. This is often expressed in music with accents, crescendos, and decrescendos. Unfortunately, most bands don’t have set guidelines on a piece of paper telling them HOW to play with feeling. As a musician, this doesn’t do you much good if you’re playing with people who know nothing about it. Take the time to sit down with your band and talk about dynamics. The goal is to get your band to move together; to feel together. Even songs like “Enter Sandman” are full of dynamics that most bands just emulate because that’s the way the song goes, but don’t really feel it. Even if you’re playing someone else’s music, play it like you wrote it. When your band moves together, you play as one. These are the things that make you look at each other and grin. These are the things that build chemistry.
Good Guy/Bad Guy
It takes one kind of attitude to be a good front man. It takes another kind of attitude to run your fellow musicians off and leave you playing solo. You and your band mates should have a good relationship on and off stage. You may be the leader of your band, but never make the other guys feel like their opinions don't matter. The first thing I do when I start a project is make it clear that everything goes. If someone has an idea, I want to hear it and try it. If it doesn't work, it's okay to express that, but instead of saying “No, I don't like that”, say something more along the lines of “That's cool, but how about we try this”. If and when you don't get your way, just bite the bullet and accept the way it is. At that point it's everyone against you. It's not worth the argument and will probably grow on you anyway.
Every band has arguments about one thing or another. It's generally over things like someone not practicing their part, showing up late, or missing practice all together. When I was in college, I was told that 60% of success was just showing up. Nothing breaks a commitment faster than disloyalty. “Things” happen, but dedication is a priority as well. If your band is a throw together, play on the weekends, make a little cash, and drink a little beer, then your band is naturally on the “Not a priority” list. However, if you make arrangements to do something, keep your word. Find time to practice your part. If you schedule a practice, be there or reschedule it. Never leave your band members high and dry. Remember the old saying, “A chain is only as strong as the weakest link”? How about “One strand of rope is easily torn, but four strands cannot be broken”? Unless you're a regular studio musician, You're going to be playing with the same guys quite a bit. When you start to form a personal bond/friendship with your band mates, the chemistry only gets better.
Musicianship
This section may sound a little quote heavy, but there is value in its text. First off, not everyone can play like the guys from Dream Theater, but at one time you wanted to right? Just because you've come to the realization that you'll never be a great musician, that doesn't mean you should settle for it. When I was teaching music, one thing I always expressed to people who were doubting their abilities was that everything has to be work before it's play, but there are selfish rewards. The more you practice, the better you get. The better you get, the more you love to practice. It's a vicious cycle that only makes you grow as a musician. I've always said that experience is knowledge, but knowledge isn't necessarily experience. It's obviously my opinion that you'll naturally be better at something if you DO it rather than study it. However, a little bit of music theory will carry you a very long way. It's nice to know what you're doing, and I love being able to sit behind a drum set and tell the keyboard player he should be playing an A major 7 on the IV chord instead of C# minor (Which is essentially the same chord with a different note in the bass) . Plus, people seem to get stuck in their ways. Have you ever tried writing a song, but it sounds just like every other thing you've ever written (Cough C.C.R.) or something someone else has already done? That's because all you know is all you've ever heard. I'm not one to really admire mathematical music, but when you can't hear it in your head, it's nice to have the ability to see it on paper and look at other options. What does this have to do with band chemistry? The more you have to bring to the table, the more musical options your band has. Most bands are dying to have someone on board that understands technical details and can explain things to them when they get confused. Having the musical knowledge will make you admirable and the other guys will look up to you for it. However, depending on your band, lack of musical knowledge can be your downfall. Also be aware that just because you may know more about music than the other guys, doesn't mean you can tell them how to play or their ideas aren't valid.
A band of good musicians is always more enjoyable for me to watch because I'm a musician. Most of the people who are reading this probably play at local venues such as night clubs, bars, and so forth. You may live in an area where the good musician population isn't very high. That's quite okay. You don't have to be a killer musician to go out and have fun, make people dance, and have a good time. That's all that mattered when I was growing up. I'd always ask my dad, “Why can't we play this song?” and he'd reply, “Because people can't dance to it”. Depending on your style of music, this may hold no validity, but the meaning behind it is, if your crowd doesn't like it, don't do it. If they (lord forbid) Want to hear “Sweet Home Alabama” 3 times in a night, either do it or start booking somewhere else! Basically what I'm saying is that you don't have to be a good musician to please your crowd, but if you really want to move forward with your music and your band, do your homework, practice your homework, then perform your homework. I've always said “I'm not the greatest guitar player, but what I do know, I know really really well.” If all you can do is play 3 songs, buddy, play them better than anyone else.
Practice
You know it was coming didn't you? How can I stress having a great band without practicing? I understand it can be hard to get 4-5 guys on the same schedule, getting everyone to practice their parts when you're not together or this that and the other. The truth of the matter is, even bad practice is progress. When you get on stage, don't have a doubt in your mind that you haven't perfected that song you guys have been working on. I know that often times you don't see the point in practicing songs you already know , but you never know when you may come up with a new idea for that song. Also, here's a bit of advice. I had a club owner tell me once that he booked bands on a 6 week rotation. He told me “If you could learn one new song a week, you guys would have half a new set every time you played here.” That immediately opened a window for me. Part of the enjoyment of playing is not doing the same stuff over and over like which I'll get into next. That also adds diversity to your crowd. You can practice all day long in your bedroom but you have to come together as a band and make it tight. No one likes loose band members...
Same ol' Same ol'
I'm going to break away from the band chemistry and talk about some other issues now. If you're reading this to hopefully improve your current situation, you may want to think about something. If you're playing the same songs at the same places for the same people every weekend, you start to get comfortable and lose professionalism. It becomes easier to just show up and do a gig. It becomes easier to feel like getting drunk on stage and it's ultimately going to cause tension in your band and probably burn you out on playing. This may easily be challenged by folks who live in small communities with only so many places to play. This may be true, but everyone has thought “Man I wish we could get in that place”, “Yeah Jimmy, but they'd never book us. We're just a local bar party band”... I grew up in a town of 250 people. I know ALL about it. So, the question is, HOW DO WE GET OUT OF HERE??? First off, ask yourself how many people know about your band. Congratulations, the whole town (All 250 of them). I've seen some of the most ridiculous things sold on TV. I saw a guy sell his virginity on Ebay and he was UGLY! The way I see it this. That ridiculous product on TV is something that you would never in a million years buy, BUT some idiot had to invent that stupid thing. Another idiot thought it was good enough to put on TV. There HAS to be a third one out there somewhere. What it comes down to is this. Your band is a product. Regardless of how good you are, if you market the heck out of it, people will buy it. These days, promoting your band for free is easier than ever. Thanks to social networking sites such as Myspace and Facebook, millions upon millions of people have the potential to see your band and your music every day. Unfortunately, it doesn't matter how many fans you have if they don't show up at your show, so unlike the item on TV, you have to produce results. Like I said before, give the people what they want, you'll have a better crowd, you'll have a better time, you'll only want to get better. There's that vicious cycle again.
Quality
One thing I can absolutely say is this. It doesn't matter how talented, or polished you are if your. If you sound sucks, you're going to suck too. I've heard some of the worst bands ever sound amazing because the drums sounded like cannons and the vocals were just crisp as could be. With that said, I've also heard some of the best bands out there sound horrible due to lousy sound. Now, I'm not exactly sure on the statistics of this, but I'd say the majority of musicians out there are aren't exactly well off. With that said, it can be difficult to afford good sound equipment. Then again, who says you have to spend a fortune to get a good sound? The art of sound engineering can be more beneficial than music itself. If your band is already playing, chances are you have your own sound equipment and you've already spent the money just to get what you've got right? Understood. So let's take what you've got and make it great. Whether you have a SoundCraft or a Behringer mixing board, you can still get a good sound from it. Naturally, a high end board will give you more overhead, better preamps, less noise, and better durability, but that doesn't have to affect the sound itself. There are a few component devices that I'd like to talk about and why you should invest in these affordable units.
The Essentials
To have a good sound, you should at least have a decent playing equipment, such as your guitar and your amp. Same goes for the bass player, keyboard player, drummer and so on. We're going to be focusing on live sound equipment so just because you're playing live doesn't mean you have to have the biggest Marshall in the store. That's what mics are for. Just get a decent sound and we'll make it bigger later. That brings me to my next point. Microphones. Please don't buy a cheap $40 microphone for your lead vocalist. Take the dive and buy a nice heavy duty wide frequency dynamic microphone. Shure, AKG, and Audio-Technica make some of the best and affordable microphones out there. A decent vocal mic will cost anywhere from $99-$150 and can go way beyond that.
Compressors
We've all noticed that it's impossible to capture good vocals when you don't have someone there to ride the fader all night. Nothing sounds worse than a singer who distorts his microphone, yet you can't hear him in the next song. Solution? The compressor. In plain English, a compressor acts as an automated volume control. Once a signal reaches a certain decibel level, the compressor will restrict output gain of the input device. With that said, a nice compression ratio will allow you to scream and whisper all at the same volume. Compressors are also commonly used on drums, acoustic guitars, bass guitars, and horned instruments and ensure you have a nice even mix the whole night. Most compressors are two channel, which means you can run two separate inputs to them, or one input in stereo. The band I play in now uses 6 compressors for drums, vocals and bass, but I've seen guys use one compressor on their main mixer outputs which does help. They start out at about $99 and are a terrific investment.
Equalizers
Every live mixing board has parametric EQ on each channel and some have a graphic EQ for the main outputs. Basically, a parametric EQ are the knobs that say LOW, MID, HIGH and a Graphic EQ is the horizontal EQ with the faders. While these EQ's may be suitable for most, they can wreak havoc on your sound system. Lets say you have a frequency spectrum of 80hz to 12kz. The frequency of the drummer's snare drum is just the right frequency to cause chaos throughout the entire building because it's bleeding into the vocal mics. In order to kill that frequency, you have to kill about 5000hz which destroys your vocals. The solution? A Post 20-30 graphic band EQ. These Equalizers are designed to give control over a wide variety of frequencies without affecting other frequencies. A nice EQ can save you from battling one horrific band of frequencies all night and can mark the difference between people staying to see your show, and walking right out the door. 20 band EQ's start out at around $99.
Bi-Amp & Tri-Amp
You may have heard the terminology before, but never really understood what it meant. Essentially, when you buy a speaker cabinet, it's in full range. This means that every frequency coming out of your mixing board whether it's a kick drum or a piccolo, it's broadcasting every frequency out of that basket and horn. Imagine your distorted guitars, the bass, keyboards, drums, 2 vocals, and background noise all coming through one speaker. Just by thinking about it you get the idea of how cluttered it must sound right? What bi-amping or tri-amping does it separates certain frequency ranges and allocates them to a particular speaker. Lets say you buy a 15” cabinet with a mid-range speaker and a tweeter or horn. Using Bi-amping techniques with a crossover, you can split the high frequencies to only come out of the high frequency tweeter/horn and likewise with the mid-rang and bass. That sounds like a pretty brilliant idea right? The best part is that modern speakers are equipped with Speakon connections. Old 1/4” speaker connections only carried two wires. Speakon wire carries four wires which gives much easier access to crossover frequencies with ease. In fact, most modern speakers have a built in crossover which makes it easier. Essentially what I'm saying is that this may be a free advantage for you. Take a look at your current setup and maybe even visit your local music store to see how you can bi-amp or tri-amp your current sound system.
Using these devices and techniques, along with generally band chemistry advice, you will definitely give you that concert sound and have a much higher satisfaction rate with your band and your music. It's always been a given for me. The better I sound, the better I play. The Better I play, the more I want to, and the cycle continues.
-Shawn Holderfield
Contact@ShawnHolderfield.net
