Bandmate Refusing to Play Like the Record?

Browsing guitar forums recently, I came across a post about a bass player in a cover band who “free-styled” rather than playing the songs like the record. The original poster was upset by this and complained that this bass player thought his bass lines were better than the original song. There is so much to digest here. For the sake of this post, I’m going to name this free-spirited bass player Todd. Let’s dive in.

You’re At The Crossroads

This is a pivotal moment for your cover band. Todd has finally gained the confidence to experiment with the music and go off-script. This is completely normal. Lots of musicians want to express themselves through music.

I can hear what you’re saying, “But we’re playing a cover! Todd’s not playing like the record! That’s not how the song goes! The record is better than Todd’s version! Todd’s part sucks!” Most songs are recorded by some of the best studio musicians, so generally, I would agree that the original version of the song is better than Todd’s version.

On the other hand, some of the greatest songs in rock n roll history were covers! Where would music be without Jimi Hendrix’s All Along The Watchtower? Janis Joplin’s Bobby McGee? Joe Cocker’s With a Little Help From My Friends? Cream’s Crossroads? What I’m getting at is Todd might be a musical genius in the making, and your rules are hindering Todd’s creative growth.

So now what? You want Todd to play the songs like the record. Should you hold Told back, or let him do his thing?

You Have a Communication Breakdown

Communication Breakdown! It’s always the same! Having another breakdown? Drives you insane? Believe me, I’ve been here and it drove me insane too. If I could go back in time and talk to myself 15 years ago, I would do a lot of things differently with my first band. Here’s what I would do today.

First, you need to figure out what direction your band is heading in. Do all members of the band want to play covers note for note? You might find out your band doesn’t want to sound like the record, and you’re the odd duck. The group may decide it’s more fun to play the songs their way.

The band could also decide, yes, we all want to play covers note for note. If this is the case, it’s time to talk to Todd. DO NOT have this conversation in the middle of rehearsal. Everyone brought their gear to the garage or the studio, and the last thing you want to do is waste your rehearsal time criticizing each other.

Time For A Band Meeting!

Call a band meeting. Go out to a restaurant and treat the band to a good dinner. Tell the group you want to talk about the band’s direction. The goal is to talk with Todd about the direction the band wants to go in. Tell him you’ve noticed that he isn’t playing songs like the record. Ask Todd why? Get him talking about what he wants out of this band. It’s extremely important to listen to Todd first before you jump on his back about his playing.

Then you need to tell Todd what you want out of the band. You need to make it clear that you want to play songs note for note. If you’ve talked to the other band members, they will be saying similar things about the direction they would like the band to go in. If Todd agrees with you and says, “Yeah sorry about that, I want to keep playing with you guys,” problem solved. Todd could say something different like, “Well, I actually do want to play it note for note, but these songs are really hard. Believe me, I’m practicing a lot, and I can play it when I’m at home. But I have trouble when I try to rehearse with the group, so I start doing whatever I can to keep up.”

What If Todd Says, “I’m Outta Here!”

Todd may also say, “You know what, copying the record note for sounds really terrible. This is starting to sound like a job.” If Todd says something like this, then you’ve reached the hard part. You need to tell Todd the band wants to play songs note for note. Todd will probably be angry, defensive, and upset. He will think you guys don’t like his playing (and let’s be honest, you wouldn’t be having this conversation if you liked Todd’s playing). Todd could even lash out and tell you that you’re not playing it like the record either. If it starts getting nasty, be humble. You’re probably not perfect either. If I’m being honest and humble, no matter how much I’ve rehearsed or practiced, I’ve never played anything like the record.

Getting clarity is extremely important. This will likely result in you and Todd deciding that Todd should move on and find a new group. In the end, this is probably what’s best for Todd, and Todd will be happier in a jam band with other like-minded musicians who will encourage him. You on the other hand will need to find a replacement for Todd, which is a lot easier said than done.

This is a People Problem

Musical direction and musical preference is a people problem. It is not a music problem. I think a lot of folks join a band and assume playing songs like the record is what everyone wants to do. This is rarely the case, and you need to understand this. The biggest misunderstandings come when people do not communicate with each other.

I’m guessing you started this band with friends because you all wanted to sound like your favorite rock stars! This makes this conversation even harder. If you have this conversation with your friends you need to be very careful, make this about the band’s direction, and not about whether your friends playing is good or bad. Telling Todd that his playing sucks might make him so upset that he quits the band and never wants to play with or talk to you again.

A better approach might be, “Hey man, I really want to play songs like the record, and I feel like it’s not happening with this band. We were never going to be rock stars anyway, and I don’t want to ruin our friendship over the band. Maybe we go back to jamming around a campfire and take things a little less seriously.”

Music is extremely personal. Think about all the hours you’ve poured into learning how to play your instrument. Think of all the hours you spent learning songs for the band. Todd spent the same amount of time learning the music. Todd will be easily offended if you tell him, “Todd, you’ve wasted your time.” Remember to let go of your ego and look at this from Todd’s perspective too. Keep and foster your friendships.

It’s OK to Play Covers Your Way (Not Like the Record)

My personal take on playing covers is that the song should be easily recognizable. If your audience is there to hear covers they’ll forgive you if you take liberties with the song. But if the song has a signature melody you should probably learn that part note for note or get it pretty darn close. If you sing the song well and you play 70-80% of the chords right, most audiences will think you’re great. I’ll make a separate post on the importance of vocals in the future and link it here.

I’ve played in and listened to all sorts of different cover bands. They don’t all try to stick to the formula you hear on the radio. Once I saw a jazz group that played covers of Beatles songs, U2 songs, etc, and it was a blast! I started to play, “name that song, name that band” with my friends and we had a great time. If this band played the covers like the record, that would have been another average Friday night.

Take It Easy. It’s Just Music

Here’s the thing, if someone wanted to hear people playing songs like the record, and this someone would be offended if the song wasn’t played like the record, they would have stayed at home and listened to the record! If they’re going to see live music, they know that it’s live music. And just like live TV, people make mistakes! People go off-script! There’s something exciting about going to see live music because you honestly don’t know what you’re going to get.

Even more to the point, some of the biggest bands ever didn’t play their own music like the recordings. Led Zeppelin! Jimi Hendrix! The Rolling Stones! They play the songs a little bit differently in each of their live performances. Do you think Jimmy Page wanted to play the same solo, note for note, night in and night out? Heck no! He’s Jimmy Page!

The Wrap Up

Most people who go to live shows want to dance, listen quietly, or have a drink with friends. Relax. It’s only music. How do you handle Todd? Talk to Todd about what you want. Listen to what Todd wants.

How do you handle people? Talk to people. Listen to people.

Like what you’re reading? Subscribe to my email list! And if you’re still sold on playing songs like the record check out my review of Six String Country. These are great online lessons from accomplished musicians. You’ll learn licks note for note. Who knows, maybe you’ll steal a few licks and write your own solo!

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