Is Your Band Struggling with Creative Differences and Money Problems?
Posted by in Band Tips | Guest Drum Posts - (0 Comments)Fairly recently here on the Interactive Music Teacher, one specific article discussed resolving or avoiding fights or “drama” with fellow band members. The article gave some excellent general advice about dealing with inevitable conflict among your band mates, but here I will delve a bit deeper into two common band problems—creative differences and financial struggles.
Dealing with personal or professional problems among band members is never easy. For one, if you are really close like family members, then you may make no bones about letting each other have it. But since you aren’t actually family, you have the option of breaking up and never speaking to each other again. On the other hand, if you aren’t particularly close on a personal level, you may feel uncomfortable expressing creative or financial issues, in which case resentments build up and eventually explode.
If your band is on the rocks, the most important thing to remember is that you are not alone. Every single band I’ve been in broke up, got back together, and broke up again, so it’s a very natural thing, and it happens to even the most iconic, talented of bands, as evidenced in Time Magazine’s “Top 10 Band Breakups.” Of course, the Beatles topped the list, and, contrary to popular opinion, it wasn’t Yoko. It was the result of the very same problems that plague all bands—bad financial decisions, creative differences, and competitive egos.
David Jackel, a professional singer, addresses the most common problem when talented minds get together—fighting over the music, also known popularly as “creative differences”—in a short but enlightening YouTube video. Perhaps the most salient point that Jackel makes in the video is that nothing is more important–no fight over which song should be played or how it should be played– than the ultimate harmony of the band. Of course, there will be some battles that you will want to pick, but always aim for compromise over “winning.” If you are fighting to keep a verse in a song, and another band member wants to get rid of it, ask for alternatives. Involve everyone in all creative decisions. After all, there is a reason you’re a band—you have enough in common creatively that you decided to come together and make music. Don’t let small arguments ruin everything.
Financial issues are another major cause for concern when your band is beginning to have problems. Of course, when you are just beginning, you probably don’t have enough resources to hire a separate manager. If you do, it makes things infinitely easier to have a financially-savvy person, preferably an accountant, who has no ax to grind in terms of money. In other words, it’s best to have someone separate who can look at your band money situation objectively without being colored by emotion or an agenda. On the other hand, if you do not have the resources for a dedicated person to handle your finances, it’s best to establish agreements beforehand, and write them down. Have one band member handle all the accounting, but meet often to discuss all financial decisions. The person who handles money should also keep meticulous records so that you know precisely how much money you are making and how it is being used. When it comes to finances, transparency is most important.
Perhaps the best way to think of a band is to think of it as a polygamous marriage of creative and equal minds. Studies have shown that the healthiest of marriages are the ones who put dedication above all else. In other words, the marriages that last longest are the ones in which the focus is on the continuation of the marriage, and not on other factors like “love” or “children.” In the same way, make up your mind from the beginning that you will stick together no matter what, that you are committed to each other. Work with band members who know how to compromise. Learn from past mistakes. And most importantly, remind yourself constantly why you got together in the first place.
This guest post is contributed by Katheryn Rivas, who writes on the topics of online university. She welcomes your comments at her email Id: katherynrivas87@gmail.com.
Don’t Stop Believin’ TUTORIAL – Solo Bass Party Trick
Posted by in Online Bass Lessons - (0 Comments)Josh got a lot of people requesting a tutorial on his original Don’t Stop Believin- Party trick Video so here it is.
Josh Fossgreen is our new Bass Teacher. Sign up to his free course for beginners http://www.interactivemusicteacher.com/freebasslessons Or Check him out for private lessons on his personal site http://joshfossgreen.com/onlinebasslessons/
If you have never played the drums before or you are a beginner, sign up to our free Intro To Rock Drumming Class by clicking the link (starts late March).
I’m sorry to tell you this but if this is what you usually see during your band’s shows, they are not texting their friends about how good your band is. The audience is bored and it’s not their fault. Some people don’t care about music, but usually people that are at shows will pay attention if the band is entertaining. I’ve seen this above scene more than I would like to admit and it never feels good. There are ways to get the audience off of their stupid smell phones and paying attention to your band.
Texting Songs, Non Texting Songs.
Start paying attention to the songs where the audience breaks out their phones and the songs that they put their phones away for. Remember if the majority of the crowd is texting that means they think your song or performance is boring. For non texting songs their are a couple different levels of indicated interest from the crowd. If the audience is not texting that’s a great start and you probably should keep that song in your set. If the audience moves up to the front of the stage than that’s a really good sign (yeah they are digging it!). If the girls start dancing or the long hairs are head banging, than you know that song’s a keeper.
Bring high energy to every song and get into the music!
Ever see those bands that look bored themselves at their own show? You and your band mates are the leader of the vibe and energy in the venue. Monkey see, Monkey Do. If you are super energetic and feeling the music, than the audience will follow suit in most cases. If you are not than they will uncomfortably whip out their….wait for it…..phones. When you are playing your songs you want all your focus and energy channeled into the music and nothing else. You have to care about your music or else nobody else will.
Call to Action.
Your singer or someone with a microphone needs to herd the sheep in the direction that they want them to go. If you want them to come to the front you should tell them to. If you want the audience to dance, tell them to. Whatever you want the audience to do, you have to tell them what you want with conviction. The more you commit to the statement, the more likely the crowd is going to follow your direction. When you have the microphone you have the power. Study how your favorite performers move and control the crowd. This paragraph reminds me of a scene in “The Office” where Jim tricks Dwight into speaking at a conference with the same mannerisms and passion as famous dictators. Long story short Dwight rocks the speech and the crowd goes wild….Where am I going with this?…Oh guess the point is that if dictators can convince the mass public to do something terrible with stage presence and energy, than bands can at least get people to get off of their phones and stop texting out of boredom.
If you want to learn the bass, guitar, or drums sign up to one of our free live streaming classes on our home page http://interactivemusicteacher.com
How To Sound Good At Slap Bass (without being that good)
Posted by in Online Bass Lessons - (0 Comments)Josh Fossgreen is our new Bass Teacher. Sign up to his free course for beginners http://www.interactivemusicteacher.com/freebasslessons Or Check him out for private lessons on his personal site http://joshfossgreen.com/onlinebasslessons/
Dueling Guitars: The Best Guitarist That No One Knows About
Posted by in Online Guitar Lessons - (0 Comments)I first saw Jimmy Patton Play at a small coffee shop in vista about 10 years ago. It was one of the best concerts I have ever seen in my life. He played 3 hours of dueling guitar songs; Half originals, half covers. Jimmy was the winner of Guitarmageddon 2001, and he’s played with, “Grammy award-winning Stanley Jordan, Laurence Juber of Paul McCartney’s “Wings,” Adrian Legg, Preston Reed, virtuoso rock guitarist Tony Macalpine, as well as keyboardist Derek Sherinian of “Dream Theater.” Below is the only video I could find of him playing dueling guitars. It’s an original 
.
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If you are an advanced player email us at info@interactivemusicteacher.com with the subject “Advanced Guitar Lessons”. We will start this class once we get enough demand for it. We will also give you the first month free for being on the email list.
Practice doesn’t always make perfect. If you’re practicing wrong you’ll
master imperfection. Practice perfection and perfection is guarenteed.
–Flood the Drummer®
www.techbookonline.com/floodthedrummer.html
Rudy the Rudiment, the name I give my paradiddle,
integrates into my groove, usually in the middle. In my pocket, over bars,
he jumps and plays, landing on “1” at the end of the day.
Playing drums is a lot harder than it looks; mastering drums is a lot
harder than you think; but greatness lies in deciding to learn. Lao Tzu, a
Chinese Taoist Philosopher and founder of Taoism, is famous for the quote
“The Journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step”; the same
can be said for a groove, a solo and your career as a drummer. Many times,
most when working as a Drum Manager at the Guitar Center Corporation®,
drummers of all ages, sizes and skill levels would watch a drummer perform
a #KICKEARS drum solo and say “Dude, that guy is so good… makes me want
to quit!”
How come the response isn’t “Dude, that guy is so good… makes me want to
PRACTICE!” Growing up I always heard the saying “There’s always somebody
out there bigger and badder than you!” Ignoring of course that “badder”
isn’t a word, the philosophy of the quote is what keeps me from feeling
defeated when seeing a drummer like Dennis Chambers perform a #KICKEARS
drum solo. Rather practicing alone or with friends, I strongly recommend
experimenting around the tempo/groove falling in and out of the “pocket”.
An idea made famous by Aaron Spears, the term “Playing over the Bar”
refers to the practice of ideally ignoring the “Bar line” or set time and
soloing over the groove. The challenge that most drummers face is landing
on the “1” afterwards.
To those drummers who are currently struggling with the idea of “Playing
over the Bar” or to those who want to start, here’s what I recommend:
1. Understand time: Play with a metronome and/or familiar track/song
(iPod®) and slowly begin playing off beat, ahead of time and completely
irrationally; remember at the end of the day WE ALL JUST WANT TO #KICKEARS
& HAVE FUN!
2. Practice keeping time with your Hi-Hat: Start with 4/4 time. Yeah it
will take some time to get used to, but so does heating up a Hot Pocket®;
trust me its worth it.
3. Play and practice with a group of friends: Make sure one of them has a
cowbell!
Sometimes, more often that not, an accompanying video with a lesson is
always helpful. Luckily I have one! I Feeling good about the New Year, I
turned on the camera during the first rehearsal of a new group that has
yet to be named. Note that 2:18-2:57 is an example of paradiddles being
integrated into a drum solo while playing “Over the Bar” #KICKEARS – Play
Loud, Play Fast, PLAY!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKEyapOGvVw&feature=related
Source: Flood the Drummer® / TBO Inc® — Follow on Twitter @floodthedrummer
Christopher “Flood” Norris
CEO/Founder
cnorris@techbookonline.com
TBO Inc
The Official Home of Sports-Edutainment
JOIN THE MOVEMENT!
©2012 All Rights Reserved. Flood the Drummer® is a trademark of TBO Inc®
I thought this was a very creative solo. The use of the melodic drum pad was unique and added to the layering of the solo. He had a very good handle on dynamics and I also enjoyed the “This drummer’s at the wrong gig” style points at the end. Haircut needs some work. -Noteman
Listening skills are important. If you go on a date with someone and you don’t pay attention to what they are saying the entire night, you probably won’t get another date with said person. If you don’t listen to your teachers in school, you’ll be stupid. If you don’t listen to your wife, you’ve probably been married for more than 5 years. Listening in music is equally important. Here’s a step by step process that you can use to help you transcribe the drums.
Listen to the whole song and determine the signature beats and fills you want to learn from it. You can learn the song hit for hit but I personally like to capture the style of the drummer rather than memorizing a song hit for hit. After you figure out what parts you want to learn listen to small 5 to 20 second sections of the song depending on the difficulty. Try singing the beat or fill back after your first listen. Listen to the recording and compare how close you got with your vocalization. Listen to the song again and write down the meat and potatoes (the basic rhythm) of what you just heard. The next listen should be used to see if what you just wrote is correct. Fix it if it’s not. Start adding the bells and whistles to the beat or fill; Determine what drums or crashes are being hit, what techniques are being used, or note any dynamic changes. This step may take a few listens. Use a pencil! Once you think you have the part down play it back with your hands or a practice pad to the recording. Since acoustic drums are so loud it’s really hard to hear the recording while your playing back to it unless you have an electric kit. If it sounds like what you have on paper is what you are hearing, than, “By George you have it”, or are at least really close. Your ear will get better and better at hearing the rhythms of a given part. Once you have that section you can move on to the next important section. Once you get all the parts down now listen to the song all the way through over and over so that you can memorize the form of the song. Note* If your audio device has an equalizer, tweak it to bring out bass drum, snare, and cymbals more.
If you are a beginner drummer you can sign up to our free beginner drum class by clicking this link http://www.interactivemusicteacher.com/freedrumlessons
