Are you a "cover" or an "original" kind of player?

[Daniel Grenier]

So what do you play when you're alone in your music room, man cave, studio?

I only play covers when in a band or duo context. When alone, all I do is make up my own stuff and let myself fly off in whatever direction the day calls for. Incredibly rewarding and liberating. And, as a bonus, some of the stuff I come up with is 1/2 decent. I just find playing covers very limiting. It has its rewards live, certainly, but can be so stifling too.

You?

[Paddy1951]

Originally Posted by Daniel Grenier

So what do you play when you're alone in your music room, man cave, studio?



I only play covers when in a band or duo context. When alone, all I do is make up my own stuff and let myself fly off in whatever direction the day calls for. Incredibly rewarding and liberating. And, as a bonus, some of the stuff I come up with is 1/2 decent. I just find playing covers very limiting. It has its rewards live, certainly, but can be so stifling too.



You?

I play both. Covers because there are songs that I just plain like.

I have tunes I have written too and I play them as well.

Now, if you are playing for others...

Most folks want to hear things they know. Unless you are willing to not eat for a while, doing only originals can be trying, IMO.

Perhaps, a good mix is the way to approach your song lists.

[RedJoker]

I play covers and originals, both in public and in private. But to Paddy's point, I have a day job that keeps me fed.

[raysachs]

I don't write music but I improvise a fair amount. On electric, I usually just come up with some chord progression / rhythm I like and record it into a looper or sometimes record it into something more than a looper if it has multiple different sections that won't work well on a looper. And then I play to that, occasionally recording the whole thing, but mostly just doing it in the moment and enjoying the process.

On acoustic, though, i'm mostly playing and singing songs or I'm fingerpicking blues. With songs, they're always someone else's songs - I don't write 'em and there are so many great ones out there already. And with fingerpicking, I'm still in early stages, so I'm playing pieces layed out for me in the lessons I'm working on. I'm hoping to someday get to the point with fingerpicking where I can improvise with that too, but I'm not there yet. I have stitched some different fingerpicking pieces together to create something a bit longer and more interesting. Usually I'll take a few licks or riffs I've learned and use them as intros or outros for longer pieces that I'm working on. That's as close to writing as I get.

-Ray

[srbell]

By myself I do both, and have shifted more towards my own stuff as time goes by.
I play in a praise band and we have played covers and hymns so far, but should be adding some original material to the mix soon.

[MikeBmusic]

Originally Posted by Daniel Grenier

So what do you play when you're alone in your music room, man cave, studio?

I only play covers when in a band or duo context. When alone, all I do is make up my own stuff and let myself fly off in whatever direction the day calls for. Incredibly rewarding and liberating. And, as a bonus, some of the stuff I come up with is 1/2 decent. I just find playing covers very limiting. It has its rewards live, certainly, but can be so stifling too.

You?

You're not doing originals, you're "noodling". Nothing wrong with that, that's how I start coming up with the music for my originals.
At home, I practice songs I will be playing at upcoming gigs or open mics.
If I'm in the writing mood, then I will noodle, or pick up my stack of 'working on' original lyrics, some of which might have chords scribbled in places.

[raysachs]

Originally Posted by MikeBmusic

You're not doing originals, you're "noodling". Nothing wrong with that, that's how I start coming up with the music for my originals.

You say "nothing wrong with that", but that's a heck of a judgmental statement, suggesting the only reason for noodling is to THEN move to writing your own stuff. Tell that to every symphony orchestra who spends a lifetime getting better at playing Mozart and Beethoven and Bach pieces.

I don't think writing your own stuff is the only worthy goal for a musician to have. I'm glad there are some who write their own stuff, I'm glad a few are even really really good at it - it gives "noodlers" like me new stuff to play. But a whole lot more people don't write music than do and a whole lot more of those who do don't write anything anyone else would ever want to play than those who do.

There's more than one way to enjoy a lifetime of making music.

[C-ville Brent]

Covers, although I used to play an original or two during a 3 set bar night. The folks who wrote the songs I try to cover had a certain amount of talent to get their songs recorded and enjoyed by so many people in the first place. I took a certain amount of satisfaction from being able to arrange and perform them as a one person act, especially when someone from a generation removed paid a compliment - like, that was great...my dad used to listen to that song all the time. I took that as a compliment.

[reeve21]

Originally Posted by C-ville Brent

Covers, although I used to play an original or two during a 3 set bar night. The folks who wrote the songs I try to cover had a certain amount of talent to get their songs recorded and enjoyed by so many people in the first place. I took a certain amount of satisfaction from being able to arrange and perform them as a one person act, especially when someone from a generation removed paid a compliment - like, that was great...my dad used to listen to that song all the time. I took that as a compliment.

That is a great compliment, Brent.

I recently heard a fellow not yet 30 years old play an amazing set of 60's and 70's covers on solo acoustic and tasteful use of a looper and some whistling! He included some tunes I really would have questioned for that format--"Scenes From and Italian Restaurant" and "LA Woman" stick in my mind. He took requests almost from the start of his set. Those songs were a nice diversion from the expected "sing along" ones, like "Take It Easy," "Wagon Wheel", etc. that the audience was clamoring for. Great arrangements, great vocals.

There is a reason why hit songs are so beloved by the masses, and pulling them off while making them sound fresh is a talent, just like writing your own tunes.

[Mandobart]

Strictly speaking I play covers, in that I mostly play songs someone else wrote. But....my performance angle is "obscure songs on obscure instruments." I play a lot of Hawai'ian Slack Key on octave mandolin or mandocello. I play songs by relatively unknown artists like Slaid Cleaves, Jeffrey Martin and Joe Pug. I play Celtic tunes on an oversized 10 string Norwegian Hardanger viola. I also play a lot of traditional bluegrass with a band.

I don't play the covers that everyone else is playing. My goal is to introduce my audience to something new. I'm no longer interested in a note-for-note human jukebox reproduction of a song we've all been hearing for the past 10, 20, 40 years.

[srbell]

Originally Posted by raysachs

You say "nothing wrong with that", but that's a heck of a judgmental statement, suggesting the only reason for noodling is to THEN move to writing your own stuff.

I'm not the one that wrote it, but I think the reference to "noodling" was more towards playing his own stuff, i.e., just coming up with chord progressions, licks, etc., without actually putting it all together into a song, not as reference to playing songs written by others. I didn't take it as judgemental, but I can understand how a quick read could be interpreted that way. My take on "noodling" is just coming up with progressions/licks/bits&pieces that seem to just come out and may actually be useful for a song in the future, but not spending the time to further develop it at that point.

[Mandobart]

Originally Posted by reeve21

..... There is a reason why hit songs are so beloved by the masses....

....and those reasons include media saturation, monopolization of US broadcast radio, record companies and TV, lack of discernment, attention span or imagination in the general public, and a desire to stick with the known and comfortable.

Why do more people (in America) eat MacDonald's vs a local diner? Why do more people drink Bud vs a local craft beer? Are we really giving the people what they want, or just what they know?

[rmp]

Originally Posted by RedJoker

I play covers and originals, both in public and in private. But to Paddy's point, I have a day job that keeps me fed.

My story as well!!

I play songs I like when I do solo gigs, do I slide a few originals in? Sometimes, sometimes I don't. I try to always play what I feel works for the gig I'm playing.

If it's a listeners crowd, they can ingest an original here or there.

if it's the kind of event where people are catching up, eating dinner, I'll keep it to the recognizable tunes. Sometimes, your wallpaper, it's just the way it is.

[jricc]

Originally Posted by Paddy1951

Now, if you are playing for others...

Most folks want to hear things they know. Unless you are willing to not eat for a while, doing only originals can be trying, IMO.

Perhaps, a good mix is the way to approach your song lists.

Agree with this.

[reeve21]

Originally Posted by Mandobart

....and those reasons include media saturation, monopolization of US broadcast radio, record companies and TV, lack of discernment, attention span or imagination in the general public, and a desire to stick with the known and comfortable.

Why do more people (in America) eat MacDonald's vs a local diner? Why do more people drink Bud vs a local craft beer? Are we really giving the people what they want, or just what they know?

Hi Mando,

I agree that all of that is a factor. But even accounting for those influences, many "hit" songs are exceptionally well written, played, sung and recorded (and many are not). The good ones resonate with musicians and non-musicians alike. Those are the "reasons" I was referring to in the part of my post that you quoted.

I'm actually in your camp on this. Most of the music I like to listen to and play is close to 100 years old (country blues). But we are the outliers--you have to be exceptionally talented to make a living playing obscure music these days. I don't think more exposure is going to change the mind of the general public. My non-musician wife has been listening to me play Mississippi John Hurt tunes for years. She still doesn't like it

What we think is better is undoubtedly more interesting (at least to our ears), but the general public doesn't hear music the same way we do, and most of them aren't likely to change. But I salute you for trying!