Two kinds of Music?

Mark van Allen · From: Watkinsville, Ga. USA

Winnie's "tab" post got me thinking about this... Although there are infinite variations, it seems to me we could divide the kinds of gigs and career paths we take into two basic categories:
1.) My very first band played almost entirely covers. I tried my best to cop the licks and solos from the records, and had to scrape by on the stuff that was too fast or just over my head. (We even played several of the instrumentals that Winnie had tabbed in his book, and I used the tab as a starting point). Many of the club gigs around the country are mostly or entirely cover tunes, and most Nashville road gigs require rote performance of the studio steel tracks. Although I've always thought that copying other players was, at the least, good for one's chops, I can visualize the possibility of someone coming up on cover gigs, landing a road Artist gig, and rarely or never having to create or improvise parts. The #1 players seem to take great pleasure in being able to accurately re-create the parts their heroes have laid down, and stature depends on factors such as classic tone and execution, and a good catalog of past intros, turnarounds, etc.
2.) My second band played almost entirely original music- I found it fascinating and empowering to be left to my own devices for all the steel parts, (and I think my development really accelerated thereby). These days 90% of my gigs involve that kind of creative input, playing behind singer/songwriters and in all original bands, where even covers are expected to be given a different twist. It goes without saying that all Studio work involves the same process. It's funny, but all of the touring bands I know of originating outside of Nashville place emphasis on creating rather than re-creating parts. In fact most of the original acts display some disdain toward the idea of copying anything too closely! Even the mostly cover bands I play with seem thrilled when I add parts to songs that "didn't have steel on them" or originals that of course I've never heard before. The #2 players seem more varied in tone and approach, more likely to experiment with effects and equipment, and stature seems to depend more upon "ear" and creativity, and uniqueness or originallity of sound.
My question is about how much this dichotomy between basic approaches to music affects our pathways and careers. For example, the traditional Nashville division between "road" and "studio" players seems to be rooted in this very concept- that someone who's a good copy player "can't create"- and every road player wishes to prove that stereotype wrong. I know many succesful "original band" players who couldn't hold down a copy gig, and many pro road players who are very uncomfortable in the studio. It also seems very apparent from many forum posts that much of our family here makes comparative value judgements about ability, equipment, "tone", if Garcia should be lauded or vilified, whether tab is useful or debilitating, if distortion is a tool or an evil, who the best players are, if Robert Randolph is a threat or a blessing, etc. based on the perspective of being a #1 or #2 type player. What's your take?

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Stop by the Steel Store at: www.markvanallen.com

Bill McCloskey · From: Nanuet, NY

I think this dicotomy is the same that exists between musicians who are classically trained and those who learn more by ear. Many classical musicians that I know only know how to play written music and couldn't improvise to save their life. I've also noticed that outside of practice and work, I rarely if ever hear these musicians play for fun.

The second group are those that play mostly improvisational music. Some can read obviously, but their grounding is in responding to their surroundings. I've also found that these musicians seem to enjoy playing outside of their jobs and practice sessions. Of course, all of these are generalizations and their are exceptions to every rule, but that has been my experience.

[This message was edited by Bill McCloskey on 08 February 2005 at 11:59 AM.]

Larry Robbins · From: Fort Edward, New York

Yes, there IS two kinds of music.
Country AND Western !

Ben Slaughter · From: Madera, California

Personally, I think the #2 types are the lucky ones. I'd love to be in that situation, all original material, total creativity. Unfortunately, I find myself in #1 position, 9 times out of 10. Only when I'm writing and recording my own material do I really get to be creative, verses being a tape recorder.

Bobby Lee · From: Cloverdale, California, USA

Even when I was in cover bands, I made up my own parts. I've copped a few solos off of records but not many. In Open Hearts, I write my own parts or harmonize with the lead guitarist's parts.

I do try to play classical music note-perfect, though, out of respect for the composer.

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Bobby Lee - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs, Open Hearts
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Bill Hatcher · From: Atlanta Ga. USA

I view the Nashville road vs. studio player scenario as a situation where indeed the studio players are markedly better and thus are called upon by producers (who by the way are usually the least creative people at the session) to lend their talents to what they do best--creating the backing for new songs.
They know how to work together and bounce new ideas off each other and most importantly how to shift gears and go in a whole new direction at the drop of a hat without withering away because some idea they had got shot down. The top hits up there have a consistancy (some hate it) in sound and such because most of the recordings have traditionaly been done by the same small pool of A team players. With the advent of all this chainsaw guitar stuff, there are probably newer faces that came out of the harder edge rock world that are getting a chance to do some of the things that the 80s/90s A team guys maybe don't do as well. That is the life and death cycle of studio players anyway. Styles change and if you can't or better WON"T change then you slowly grind down to a slow burn.

The road players are good players no doubt, but when your a producer and you got a record company breathing down your neck for a hit record and if it does not happen, it's your butt then why would you want to get some road guys in who are mostly in the frame of mind of playing the same stuff over and over every night and are easily damaged and clam up when something is not going right while the pressure is on in the studio.

I think the bottom line might be that the studio A team ringers have just been such a tight group to crack that maybe the only other thing left for the hoards of good Nashville players is to go on the road and relegate their studio stuff to demos. You always seem to cut some slack to songwriters who wait tables at night and hustle songs during the day, but musicians don't seem to be able to pull that off.

In regards to Marks # assigment of musicians, either you can create or you copy. Not much middle ground and certainly a place for both. Some situations only require you to play the cover, that's cool. Fewer situations allow you to be totally creative and most of those gigs are not the better paying jobs, taking a hint from Jazz gigs I do. You go play a wedding and make $275 for three hours playing covers and not creating much and then you go do a jazz gig playing millions of "gnat notes" and your lucky if you make $50.

The better situation for me has always been a balance of creative gigs and "salt mine" gigs. One pays you a lot so that you can be able to take some of the musically stimulating gigs that might further your musicality, but does not pay your light bill.The most important thing is that your playing, right?!

Just my ramblings.

Donald Dunlavey · From: Jonesboro, Georgia, USA

I must say I agree with what Hatcher said. Play on.

Leslie Ehrlich · From: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

I'm lazy. Copying licks or solos or parts takes a lot of time and effort, which is something I'm not willing to do. I prefer to fumble around on the steel and compose something that sounds like music and put it into a song.

Elizabeth West · From: Surrey, B.C., Canada

Ok guys.
Here gos,
A few years back I had this same conversation with Mr E. I was always having other steelers tell me your suppose to play the steel parts the way Mr so and so plays it. Will,have the time I never heard of these Mr so and so's. Of course I was not able to play the licks or leads parts note for note and, I never want to anyways.
Then I got to thinking if your only to play the steel the way Mr E dos, then we won't have the styles of the Jimmys John the Pauls .
So I asked Mr E do I need to play the steel the way you do.He's answer to me was ,You play the way you want to play and you don't need to listen to anyone eles. Just let it rip.

Winnie Winston · From: Tawa, Wellington, NZ * R.I.P.

I am thankful that in the three "bar-bands" I played with, none asked me to learn anything from a record. I always made up my own. As long as there was an intro, a solo, and an end, they were all happy.
The first time I saw Twitty he had Hughey with him. Twitty sang a bunch of stuff that were on the records I had. Hughey did NOT play any of the stuff like the record had it. Three cheers for Conway for recognizing that he has a great steeler and should just let him stretch out.
If anyone would ever want me to play someonme else's licks, I'd give the job to someone else.
Creativity is the most important aspect to me.

JW

Michael Whitley · From: Oxford, Mississippi, USA

This subject has fascinated me because I am an improviser to a fault, finding it difficult to learn and repeat music. My mother is the opposite - she couldn't rip loose with a solo if you put a gun to her head. Nonetheless, both of us love our music and play every day. I guess if it makes people happy (even if it's just me or Mom), it must be O.K.

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