TimR

I’m sure there are a few old timers who still enjoy a bit of The Beatles.

It used to frustrate me in previous bands. Often it was double standards. The drummer would tell everyone else they were playing it wrong and then stamp all over vocal lines with unnessacary fills. Now we just pick a tune, bare bones the chords at home and then busk through it in practice. If a tune works, then we spend a bit longer working on details and add extra if it’s sounding empty and sometimes simplifying whole sections to make them sound fuller. Often a bass lick only works when sitting on top of brass, keys, strings and multiple layers of vocals. When there’s just a guitar and bass, you sometimes have to sacrifice quite a bit. Learning a tune exactly as the original very rarely works and in the end as has been said before it’ll suffer from mission creep the more you play it.

On the contrary. It’s the perfect opportunity to demonstrate how awesome we bass players are. One hand, one finger, one string and still we are the powerhouse behind the band. No other musician, other than the cowbell player, has so much awesomeness. Look smug? You bet.

So did a lot of people at the time. The album was critically slated and yet went Gold.

@musicbassman Yes. It seems to drift in and out and I think the guitar is out in places. The whole album came in for a bit of stick at the time from what I can find online. Seems a lot of the music was recorded ensemble and just pick the best take. I initially thought it might be done deliberately as some kind of clever musical device. I quite like it to a point.

What is happening musically on that track? Does anybody know the history?

And the closer to a gig you have to learn that song, the more impossible it is to learn.

I have no idea whatsoever what your point is. Where have I said that semi pro bands rehearse only to pander to someone’s ego? Endless rehearsals and preparation when the band is already tight and have learned all the tunes is completely pointless musically.

It’s when any two musicians try to operate in the same region when they aren’t listening to each other. I once played in a band with two guitarists, it was horrendous. Neither of them could agree on who was going to play what and it was just a sonic mush.

Well, copying songs note for note and playing songs exactly as you have rehearsed hundreds of times is simply playing your instrument using muscle memory. It’s the musical equivalent of riding your bike to work. It’s like the difference between a carpenter and someone who can fit a kitchen. ‘Real’ probably isn’t the right word but certainly there’s a big difference. This thread is evidence of that from replies.

I think you maybe have completely missed the point of my post. It’s the point where you are playing with other musicians to a high standard with very little preparation (sometimes no prep). And you think how the hell did I get here, you question your ability, and you are expecting to be exposed at any minute. Which is total nonsense, because you have prepared, you’ve been playing for years and been in the same situation more times than you can remember and you’re not a fraud at all. It’s certainly not ‘busking’ through the set. You need good musical skills and experience of playing with lots of different musicians to be able to dep competently. The point of Imposter Syndrome is it’s baseless, you’re not an imposter, you deserve to be there and you should be there, it’s just your own psychology undermining yourself. It could just as easily happen to you after months of rehearsals getting tight and playing many gigs and finding yourself on stage in front of tens of thousands of people at a festival.

How many sound engineers does it take to change a light bulb? one, two, one, two, two, two. I’ve never heard a keys player who isn’t far too busy with the left hand. There’s a balance to be had.

@Paul S Good luck. They won’t be expecting too much. Have fun.

@ianrendall that’s a bit of a downer. You probably don’t want to work with musicians like that. If the band don’t smile when you walk in the room that’s not a good start. For a start you’re covering their derrières.

I think that’s the point. It’s a syndrome. People at the top of their game forget all those hours of work that have got them where they are and are suddenly left with that feeling of “How the hell did I end up here? Someone is bound to find me out.” With no reason whatsoever to feel like that. Although I suspect no singer ever felt like that.