solo4652 Posted October 4, 2013 Share Posted October 4, 2013 First meeting/jam/rehearsal of the new band yesterday. It's being set up by the guitarist who's fed up with his 9 - 5 job and wants a full-time pro wedding band. "I want 200 songs on the songlist", he said, "and no notes on stage". I'm now contemplating the huge task of learning 200 songs - gulp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pinball Posted October 4, 2013 Share Posted October 4, 2013 Are you going to run through them all at rehearsals? There is no harm in asking, or maybe there is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobVbass Posted October 4, 2013 Share Posted October 4, 2013 learning 200 songs is OK been in a few bands including my current one that has about this - difficulty is learning 200 songs so they're all tight and sound great - getting to that level takes months of constant practice for that amount of songs and keeping them there takes loads more constant effort as well. You're better off sticking to about 75 you can do really well and rotate, 30-40 each gig... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted October 4, 2013 Share Posted October 4, 2013 It's not a problem so long as you're a punk functions band, and they all sound the same. [size=5][i][b]ONE TWO THREE FOUR ...[/b][/i][/size] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyquipment Posted October 4, 2013 Share Posted October 4, 2013 ONE TWO FREE FAW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JellyKnees Posted October 4, 2013 Share Posted October 4, 2013 Sound like he has delusions of grandeur to me - who does he think he is, Frank Zappa or something? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ras52 Posted October 4, 2013 Share Posted October 4, 2013 This should get you going: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jezzaboy Posted October 4, 2013 Share Posted October 4, 2013 200 songs? I don`t think I would have taken my bass out from the gig bag! To learn that many songs and have them down so you don`t need any chords sheets on stage, you would need to be this guy.. [attachment=145339:250px-ObiWanHS-SWE.jpg] Using the old Jedi mind trick of course.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougal Posted October 4, 2013 Share Posted October 4, 2013 Provided you don't have to learn them all at once for the first rehearsal... I think we've got a back catalogue of about 200 songs, over the 4 years we've played together. Some we've only done once (e.g. View to a kill, the Bond theme tune, 'wish I was James Bond' for a 'Bond' themed night), some we've played almost every gig (Disco Inferno and Le Freak). Having said that, you're going to be able to play what, 35 ish per gig...? And about 50% of those are going to be your wedding standards. (Celebrate good times, etc ad nauseum) so maybe he's being a bit demanding. Is he expecting to have the set list decided on the night by the punters asking for requests? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted October 4, 2013 Share Posted October 4, 2013 [quote name='BobVbass' timestamp='1380895873' post='2232092'] learning 200 songs is OK been in a few bands including my current one that has about this - difficulty is learning 200 songs so they're all tight and sound great - getting to that level takes months of constant practice for that amount of songs and keeping them there takes loads more constant effort as well. You're better off sticking to about 75 you can do really well and rotate, 30-40 each gig... [/quote] Spot-on. Then if you get asked to do a longer gig you still have enough well rehearsed material. Any band that doesn`t rehearse their songs regularly will have issues when dragging unrehearsed ones out. The only exception I can see to that is if you`re all doing it full-time, and diligently rehearsing them at home individually but even then I wouldn`t expect them to be as good as if rehearsed with the band. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevB Posted October 4, 2013 Share Posted October 4, 2013 Yep, get enough learned initially to a good enough standard to get you through the gig then at least you can start working whilst expanding the set list. Doing 200 from scratch and *then* moving onto gigging is a non starter. It'll take so long to get them all up to standard that you will probably start losing band members and then you are chasing your tail bedding in replacements whilst still trying to get this theoretical 200 song list up and running, it'll be like painting the Forth bridge. Band I'm in sometimes does wedding too though we don't really promote ourselves as a wedding band at all. They sent me 33 songs to learn and that's more than we'll ever play at a gig. We've then started learning new stuff whilst gigging with a set list culled from the original 33 so our total is now more like 40 or so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted October 4, 2013 Share Posted October 4, 2013 This might suit him if he treats it as his day job but if this is him on day one of the decision to push this band, what happens when things don't work out as planned... and he decrees something else.. and you other guys have day jobs..?? He will be taking any gig he can lay his hands on as he needs to crunch the money in as much as poss and you have agreed all this..? As long as you are all aboard, but you'll need about 40 weddings a year at £300 per person per week..plus teaching and other gigs to make a regular living..?? So...40 weddings is some going, as is getting £1500 for them.. Tough work... best of luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyfisher Posted October 4, 2013 Share Posted October 4, 2013 [quote name='tonyquipment' timestamp='1380896309' post='2232105'] ONE TWO FREE FAW [/quote] Shouldn't that be 'one two FREE FAW' - or is that too obscure? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonestar Posted October 4, 2013 Share Posted October 4, 2013 A working setlist of 200 songs ? He's either nuts or has very low standards of quality control or is a musical genius. Suspect the first two but not the latter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ras52 Posted October 4, 2013 Share Posted October 4, 2013 [quote name='flyfisher' timestamp='1380904675' post='2232303'] Shouldn't that be 'one two FREE FAW' - or is that too obscure? [/quote] Stop clouding the issue... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyfisher Posted October 4, 2013 Share Posted October 4, 2013 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arthurhenry Posted October 4, 2013 Share Posted October 4, 2013 Things said/decided at first (or any) meetings/rehearsals, rarely come to fruition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_5 Posted October 4, 2013 Share Posted October 4, 2013 You're better off trying to learn '200 motels'. http://youtu.be/SfZrNLipVmk I once depped for a band for a couple of months, and their 'pad' consisted of about 40 songs that I had to learn from 2 CDs. One rehearsal and we were off. I would imagine that 200 songs is a [i]bit[/i] of a tall order... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lojo Posted October 4, 2013 Share Posted October 4, 2013 200 as a future goal or starting out ? I only speak for myself, and as a non reader, but you can learn and remember the lines and fills to most pop songs in minutes, but the structure for a song thats not already deeply routed already in your brain takes time to be so. 200 would be an epic fail on all levels Would it not be better to start with 30, and if the band can get these down, and play with complete confidence, with no sheets, then you can slowly add and add ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE Posted October 4, 2013 Share Posted October 4, 2013 [quote name='solo4652' timestamp='1380891999' post='2232006'] First meeting/jam/rehearsal of the new band yesterday. It's being set up by the guitarist who's fed up with his 9 - 5 job and wants a full-time pro wedding band. "I want 200 songs on the songlist", he said, "and no notes on stage". I'm now contemplating the huge task of learning 200 songs - gulp. [/quote] This Guitard of yours; is it Malmsteen, Blackmore?? Why are you still there? Think Pantera..walk! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solo4652 Posted October 4, 2013 Author Share Posted October 4, 2013 I was a bit dumbstruck when guitar said 200 songs. I've managed 40 in the past, but that took months of effort and practice. Since this is a brand new band (and I'm the oldest, most experienced, most grumpy and most world-weary), I'm trying to go with the flow for now and let the others realise for themselves that there is an[i] awful[/i] lot of work ahead. I'm trying not to come across as negative or obstructive. It's hard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE Posted October 4, 2013 Share Posted October 4, 2013 Sounds like mr. Guitard is better off playing with a jukebox than a band. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tauzero Posted October 5, 2013 Share Posted October 5, 2013 [quote name='solo4652' timestamp='1380891999' post='2232006'] First meeting/jam/rehearsal of the new band yesterday. It's being set up by the guitarist who's fed up with his 9 - 5 job and wants a full-time pro wedding band. "I want 200 songs on the songlist", he said, "and no notes on stage". I'm now contemplating the huge task of learning 200 songs - gulp. [/quote] How many songs are based on Pachelbel's Canon? Just alternate those with 12-bars and you can get your 200 pretty quickly. This is where being a ZZ Top or Motorhead tribute band plays off, there's only the one song to learn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted October 5, 2013 Share Posted October 5, 2013 (edited) [size=4][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]This is crazy. The band will never keep 200 numbers and arrangements up to spec. 50 numbers maybe, but 200 is silly and unnecessary. This guy is demonstrating that he doesn't really have a handle on what is needed to run a good quality band. It's a given that you need to pick the right numbers but the priority should be to start with quality rather than quantity.[/font][/size] Edited October 5, 2013 by chris_b Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jus Lukin Posted October 5, 2013 Share Posted October 5, 2013 (edited) - Edited February 19, 2022 by Jus Lukin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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