Play it like The Record?

[Marc Friedland]

As mentioned by many others, if you’re playing in a “cover” band to a live audience that expects to hear songs similar to the original, I believe the “signature” licks of ALL the instruments should be close enough to be recognizable. If the parts on the original recording were done on a instrument in a strange tuning or too complex for the player in the band to duplicate, then a different or simplified version is totally acceptable, but should try to be played with the similar attitude and in the same vain as the original. IMO opinion the only time a “close” version of the signature lick wouldn’t be acceptable if it was a “Tribute Band” claiming to be a duplicate of the original band they’re imitating.

Not the only, but one of the reasons I enjoy music is expressing myself on whatever instrument I happen to be on. I believe I have the right to manipulate the signature lick or fill or solo I’m “copying” so that it’s my own musical expression, as long as it doesn’t get in the way of people recognizing what song it is and what “flavor” of music is being played.

Do I play it similar to the record – I think I do, but do I play it exactly like the record – probably not! The average listener might say, gee that sounds just like the record, but a seasoned pedal steel guitarist who took the time to figure out exactly what was played on the original recording may be correct in saying I was playing it wrong, or if they were trying to be “sensitive” they might say something like I’m playing it my own way which is different than the record.
It may be a very simple part and I still don’t know if I truly could or would play it EXACTLY, because even if I’m playing the same notes, I have a tendency to apply my own phrasing, vibrato or lack of, harmony notes or lack of, etc, and I don’t necessarily try to figure out what string grips, pedal & knee lever changes or what position on the neck the “original” player may have used on the recording. (Though I admit for learning purposes I do listen to some of that)
My basic approach for most songs I perform on stage is to play it the way I like, my band-mates like, audiences recognize and like, staying true to the integrity and attitude of the song and sounding similar to the record.

Marc

[Mark Lind-Hanson]

If I wanted to hear it played like the record, I would go to see the band that made the record. Since all audiences are usually hostages anyway, if I am in a hostage situation, I would rather hear people with something of Their Own To Say rather than people who are playing what they heard on the record, like they just learned it off the record, and have no Imagination Of Their Own.

[Mark Lind-Hanson]

(con't)
Bad enough they don't have enough of their own material. I suppose that's where professionalism meets up with mediocrity.

[Tony Prior]

(con't)
Bad enough they don't have enough of their own material. I suppose that's where professionalism meets up with mediocrity.

Uhmm, interesting take. I see it a bit differently.

a few more thoughts...

lets consider the pro players that first worked Broadway in Nville, where all they played was covers.

At this point in my life, I've been there done that, I get great enjoyment out of playing covers and something close to what maybe PF or Hal Rugg played. I also jam at the right time, cut loose , even play too loud now and then.

Maybe some people don't play the signature lines to songs because they can't figure them out.

The clubs we play nobody is held hostage, they are having a great time and come to see us. They can leave anytime they like , and uhh,sometimes they do !

I would love to go see the bands that made the songs famous, but I'm here and they are somewhere else and certainly not playing any local clubs on Fri or Sat night for a $5 entry fee.

Like I stated above, I think twice, just because you take the time to learn the sig. phrases doesn't mean you have to play them, but if you decide to play them you can, that is if you know them.

There is another thing about learning sig. lines,you may just stumble onto a new approach and understanding of how the session player approaches phrases.

Ever been asked if you know the into to xxx ? I have and I'm still asked today !

It's not about not being yourself or not being creative, it's about playing what you choose to play.

just my take...

tp

ps, a few weeks back the band I generally play with on Thursdays got a request for Momma Tried, I was not there, they couldn't play it, the lead player did not know the sig. intro and it would have been certain death to play the song without it. The intro and the little Nichols lick "IS" the song.

[Mark Lind-Hanson]

Ok maybe I am cheating. I don't play out with my steel. 6 years with it and I've never got past the rehearsal stage with different people, but, never necc because I can't play it, I just personally put most of my performing energy into my 6-string trip. I just want to spend more time getting what I do right before I DO take it outside, and theres a bunch of factors that I won't go into here.
And I too (often!) play a few songs by other songwriters- though I go out of my way to personalize them in the manner I present them. I have enough material for my own full set, I just find it a good mix, as probably do most of the folks here who Are going out weekly on the steel, if their band has a good number of originals & mix it up with things they know are crowd pleasers. I see what folks are saying, about signature licks. But you can put the signature lick in where it belongs and STILL pull your own take on a song, that lick isn't there through the Entire song... What I was referring to mainly were the people that present their whole act as nothing BUT a string of oldies, tribute bands do this especially, and everything played like they are still struggling to learn to play- I have seen that happen enough. Obviously most people that post here on the forum have years of experience in front of crowds, and everyone has their own philosophy as to how to deal with the people who get up and say "that ain't the right way"... there's never really any "right" way, there's just playing it well and playing worse, and people come in at all levels. I'm just saying for me personally, I prefer it when people that ARE playing someone else's song do so in a way that gives credit to the source but also shows off their own creative spark... c'est fin.

[Rick Schmidt]

I know of a highly respected session player who really doesn't particularly like to have to play his own signature licks, even when playing a showcase gig with the original artist. He's on to the next thing.

[Tony Prior]

I certainly would agree that when we go out and play if we can't be creative as part of the rule, there isn't much point in going out to play.

and, regarding the session player playing out and not playing it like the record, don't loose sight that he can play it like the record if he so chooses, which is my entire premise, be able to if you want to.

tp

[John De Maille]

In over 30 yrs of playing steel guitar and 15 yrs of playing lead guitar in a R&R band, I can tell you that, signature licks, correct vocals and correct chord progressions ARE what make the chosen tunes we play. Without them, the song is not the song we're trying to emulate.It's only half baked if only a part of it is done. The musicians have the latitude of expanding the tune with improvisation and that's a good thing, but, it won't comepletely sound right if the signature licks aren't played as close as possible. There are many tunes, that, have become classics because of the signature licks, "Look at Us" is a prime example, "Night Life" is another and so on and so forth. I've heard many bands with steel players, who, have destoyed a certain tune. Is it because they lack the expertise or is it because they're just too lazy to figure it out? After listening to them for a while, a seasoned musician can usually figure out why. If you don't perform the tune correctly, it becomes a mutated version of itself and maybe unrecognizable.
I've said too much already. My bias is beginning to show, sorry.

[Joseph Barcus]

I try to learn it like the record then later on like someone else said try some different ways in the middle of the song, take apartment number nine it was done in the key of F and has that special thing toward the end of the intro that you can not get in any other key then F. I can play working man blues like the record on E9th and also beef it up on the C6th neck as well. how many different ways have you heard I never go around mirrors, I ask the singer Gene Watson style or George Jones. also take Waylons T for Texas now theres a nice song to learn moons way. I just got the part down thats in he stopped loving her todays first verse that was dont with a low tuned guitar. in order to get close that you have to play it on the C6th neck E9th is just to bright. I enjoy trying to play it like the record it opens doors for your playing as well.

[David Mason]

Hey, other than the Hendrix and Winter examples, what are people's favorite examples of totally rethinking a song (i.e. NOT like the record?

Keeping with Bob Dylan, both Eric Johnson and Dave Easley totally smoke "My Back Pages".... Easley's is instrumental, which maybe doesn't count as there are innumerable steel instrumental remakes.

[Chuck Cusimano]

I guess time has a way of erasing "pattented" licks.
I attempted to play the first part of the "Like the Record" lick on "stay here and drink", and got close.
I learned those licks at one time and could play them in my sleep, but I've been playing it different every time for the last twenty years, and my 'forgetter' works better now than ever.
Kind of fun to try to play it like the record after a couple of decades. Hard to realize that song is 28 years old!! I never could play it like the record past the first two rides anyway.

[Tony Prior]

If you play a well known song and sing it like the known song, are you singing it like the record ?

tp

[Chuck Cusimano]

Even the guys that recorded it usually don't SING it like the record. They change the phrasing, and slough off the attitude of the song, I'm sure , "out of boredom". I'm guilty of inserting my own (funny/or not) lyrics, just because I've sung the song for 40 years. One night while singing "Kiss an Angel Good Morning" I taged the song with "Cuz, you're gonna catch the devil when you get back home".
and some elder... O.K. old lady came up and chewed me out. I still do it that way sometimes, just for grins.

[Larry Edwards]

i used to try copy songs lick for lick. but then you hear somebody else play the same song with a few different licks and it sounds good too. i am 65 i started playing back elvis and carl perkins days where the old thumb on them bass strings sounded good to me. then there were chet and merle travis scotty moore. i loved all that stuff and still do. then comes roy nichols and james burton with the string bending licks and i love that too. i remember when the ventures came out with walk dont run i must have ruined half a doezen 45 records before i figured that out but afterwards i was a happy kid. it:s allways fun to learn some new licks but i try to figure out a few of my own. over all i can say if it sounds good play it the way you feel.

[Gene Jones]

Even the guys that recorded it usually don't SING it like the record.

Chuck is correct in his assessment.

For example, "Conway Twitty", with whom I played steel with early in his career and during his transition from "rock&roll" to "country", was a long-time friend of mine, so I say the following with nothing but admiration for his accomplishments.

During our many personal appearances, we performed "It's Only Make Believe" numerous times and I can remember Conway failing to reach the high notes of that song more often than not, which makes me wonder....how many retakes it took in the studio?

But, did his fans care....no. It was his song and he could do it any way he wanted.

[Cal Sharp]

Live bar band situation? A steel player needs to know the intro's to "Night Life", "A Way To Survive", "Once A Day", "Waltz Across Texas", "15 Beers Ago" and a few others and also be able to fake it on the spot for every other country song that's even been recorded if someone will just give him the numbers and a count. Same deal for guitar players on "Mama Tried", "Workin' Man", "You Ain't Woman Enough".

If you can get the band into the song without a train wreck you done good. Then feel free to improvise amongst yourselves.