Sitting in

Charles Davidson · Post by **Charles Davidson** » 22 Oct 2007 1:03 pm

Have any of you ever had some one say [how about letting my girlfriend [or wife]sing a song she is REAL good,Nine times out of ten she will want to do CRAZY,she gets up,you ask what key,she says what do you mean?,The guitar player spends five minutes strumming chords trying to find a key for her,and she still sounds like a dying calf in a thunder strom ,that why I hate sit ins,This past Sat night got a suprise,some one saked if the little lady could sing a song,went over to ask what she wanted to do,she ASK if we knew Farewell Party,I said yes,she said I do it in G,after the steel ride,modulate to A,when she said that I knew we had a winner,and she sang the h--- out of it,very unusual,don't you know.

Don Walters · Post by **Don Walters** » 22 Oct 2007 1:49 pm

Sounds like a pleasant experience Charles. Did you use the new bar?

chris ivey · Post by **chris ivey** » 22 Oct 2007 2:21 pm

two of the hottest guitar players in my town were donn weeks and mike scaggs, playing at a fair one time, brad paisley asked to sit in with them....great stuff!

another time, the fat guitarist from alabama sat in at a club in sac where i worked...he borrowed my tele and never thanked me....

Barry Blackwood · Post by **Barry Blackwood** » 22 Oct 2007 3:42 pm

Chris, a friend of mine (and an excellent guitarist) had a similar experience with Jeff (The Chef) Cook from Alabama. No ingratitude in his family - he had it all!

Charles Davidson · Post by **Charles Davidson** » 22 Oct 2007 9:00 pm

Hi Don,yes I'm using the bar It's what I have been looking for,for over a year,works great,thanks.don't you know.

Dale Bessant · Post by **Dale Bessant** » 22 Oct 2007 9:06 pm

Well sounds like you found a pro because any time that has happened to me, and I ask what Key is it in, they usually just HUMM!! until I find the key they are HUMMMING in. Lucky you!!!

Charles Davidson · Post by **Charles Davidson** » 22 Oct 2007 9:09 pm

Dale,Let's just say the lady was NO rookie,don't you know.

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 22 Oct 2007 9:11 pm

I've had the opposite experience, where at one of my best friend's daughter's weddings I've asked to play with the band, and they've treated me llke a moron and pushed me away.

Charles Davidson · Post by **Charles Davidson** » 22 Oct 2007 10:24 pm

Alan,are you SURE that was your best friend,don't you know.

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 23 Oct 2007 2:28 am

yes, every now and then a ringer arrives.

A little bragging here..

My wife Bonnie has been singing since the wee years with her Dad, sometimes she had to stand on a crate as she was so short.

generally we do NOT approach a bandstand with the request to sing, We find it to be pretentious. But there have been a few times where the band leader has asked if someone knew a song that has been requested..

Enter Bonnie...

Last time out was at Tootsie with Jimmy Snyder on the stage, he asked if someone knew ..ok are you ready..
CRAZY !

Bonnie said yeh I do..

after Crazy she stayed on the stage with the band for probably 3 or 4 more tunes...closed with Someday Soon...

The Steel player was Marty Chambers, great player, Bonnie looked over and said "Play it Like Buddy"..Marty laughed , kicked it off, and played it like Buddy !

After Bonnie left the stage she walked the room with Jimmy's tip jar and got it filled for the guys ....

So yes, every now and then a ringer arrives and it is really great fun when they do...

Cal Sharp · Post by **Cal Sharp** » 23 Oct 2007 7:34 am

Tanya Tucker came into a club I was working and did a whole set of nothin' but Haggard with us. At one point she walked over and stood in front of me, facing me, smiling, and put her hands on mine as I was playing. That was one of the more pleasant "sit in experiences " I've had.

And, oh yeah, she didn't do "Crazy".

Les Anderson · Post by **Les Anderson** » 23 Oct 2007 8:23 am

We play at a bar every second week that allows people from the audience to come up on stage and sit in with us. A few are naturals at it while some of them could be very good vocalists with a little work on timing, pitch and tempo. Of course there are those who just plain do not have it and will never have it.

It's also easy to pick out those who are Karaoke preformers.

Bob Grado · Post by **Bob Grado** » 23 Oct 2007 2:34 pm

We were playing a Xmas party when the the "Boss" walked up to the stage and asked to sit in for a couple.. Only in New Jersey!

Paul Wade · Post by **Paul Wade** » 23 Oct 2007 3:35 pm

had a girl sitin with us up in arkdale wisconsin one night could not sing a lick!!!

worst experince
i have ever had in the 28 years i have been playing
oh,yea she could'nt do crazy

i turn
to the band and said never again!!!

let someone sit in

chris ivey · Post by **chris ivey** » 23 Oct 2007 3:36 pm

tony...aha..so that's where snyder is still..jimmy used to work in sac when country was hot here!
cal...opened for tanya once and loved every minute...had some good joking going on backstage with her!

Dave Grothusen · Post by **Dave Grothusen** » 24 Oct 2007 5:22 am

Playing in a club many years ago in Dodge City, Ks. This guy from Oklahoma came up and wanted to sing and he did.. That was that till several years later I was listening to an interview with some star on the radio. He said he had been hunting pheasants around Dodge City, KS. Was in this country bar with his hunting gear on and could not get any women to dance with him. So...........he went out in the parking lot and wrote, "Should Have Been A Cowboy". Yep Tobby Keith.

Joe Miraglia · Post by **Joe Miraglia** » 24 Oct 2007 5:47 am

My band will not let me sing

. Joe

Tim Stanton · Post by **Tim Stanton** » 24 Oct 2007 6:13 am

Occasionally we'll get a singer who wants to sit in, but we seem to be plagued by harmonica players. We generally let 'em, and they're usually out of licks by the second verse. Oh yeah, they tend to use my mic, and I get a soggy Shure back!

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 24 Oct 2007 8:26 am

My take on asking to sit in is this: At best, asking to sit in is presumptuous, and at worst, rude and egotistical.

The rule of thumb I've always adhered to is that the BAND ASKS YOU to sit in, NOT the other way around. Personally, I rarely if ever sit in, even when asked by the band. But if I ever wanted to, I would go up on break, tell the player or players that I'm really enjoying their music, and bring up my credentials. Then, if they WANTED me to play with them, they'd ask or not.

Bands have a responsibility to their employer and their listeners to perform to the best of their ability, which means having their stuff together. This is rarely the case when someone, especially an amateur, sits in. And if someone who's never heard the band walks in at that moment, his first opinion of the band, based on the performance coming off the bandstand, is less than it should be.

If the clubowner asks if someone can play a song or two with the band, that's a different ball of wax, of course.

No one goes up to a carpenter at a construction site and asks if he can tape and float a few sheets of drywall, or lay a few floor tiles. No one asks an auto body repair man if he could just hammer out a few dents. The reputation of the craftsman depends upon the delivery of a quality job. These examples might not be completely analagous, but the basic premise is the same.

Ray Harrison · Post by **Ray Harrison** » 24 Oct 2007 10:16 am

Herb, great summation. I believe all of us that have lived on a bandstand have endured these novelties of entertainment.
Your comparisons are as accurate as could be stated. However, I really wouldn't think helping a carpenter is as glamorous as sitting in with Herb Steiner.(-:

Roger Light · Post by **Roger Light** » 24 Oct 2007 10:20 am

I would venture to guess, that if some of you never "sat in", you wouldn't be playing music today. That's what really gives you the music bug. Just another take.

We usually let people get up and "have fun" with us. But, music is not our living either!

Charles Davidson · Post by **Charles Davidson** » 24 Oct 2007 11:55 am

Herb made some good points,I VERY seldom sit in .[in fact it's rare for me to go to a club,if I'm not working,I don't DRINK,don't DANCE,my wife won't let me chase WOMEN,so whats the point]Anyway the point Herb made about someone that sucks sitting CAN hurt the band,You can have a great band and someone that is awful is on the bandstand,you never know when a new group may walk in,and that's the FIRST impression they get of the band and may turn around and go somewhere else,don't you know.Talking about harmonica players,the bandleader let one sit in one night,I swear I don't know how he made through the night without fainting,That harmonia did'nt leave his lips from the time he got on stage till he got off,played OVER EVERYTHING from start to finish.That did'nt happen again,don't you know.

Larry Strawn · Post by **Larry Strawn** » 24 Oct 2007 12:14 pm

I will sit in occassionally with friends of mine who are doing a gig at one of the local 'critter' clubs, wouldn't even think of asking if they are doing a casino gig, or some special event!

I usually call them the night before and let them know I'm interested, and ask, never been turned down yet. Sometimes I just need a break from the normal, and a change of scenery.

Larry

John Steele (deceased) · Post by **John Steele (deceased)** » 24 Oct 2007 12:16 pm

harmonica players. We generally let 'em, and they're usually out of licks by the second verse.

As if that'd stop them...

-John

Steve Norman · Post by **Steve Norman** » 24 Oct 2007 1:32 pm

I usually am on stage longest before the shows setting up and tuning, and almost always someone wants to know if they borrow one of the guitars and wants to talk ad nauseum about his accoustic he used to own,,yada yada. I am pretty good at getting rid of em without being offensive. The singer let a guy play once, he drove off several people and broke a string. Book your own damn show if you want to play! Mr Steiners analogies are hilarious but right on the mark.

The Steel Guitar Forum

Sitting in

Sitting in

Tanya Tucker

sitting in

sit in

finally I can tell my story

Your girlfriend sings? Yeah,,, right.

Sitting in