Howdy, Stranger!

It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!

Sign In with Google

Become a Subscriber!

Subscribe to our Patreon, and get image uploads with no ads on the site!

Read more...

Band members playing the wrong chords..

What's Hot
245

Comments

  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71953
    Emp_Fab said:

    e.g. in one song one of the passing chords (i.e. it's two words of the chorus lasting perhaps 1 second), it should be a C major and he's playing G, and a bit after that he's still on G and it should be G7.
    So all you need to do is play a passing low C note under his G, and a highish F along with his G, and (at least the G7) will sound right.

    Quite a lot of classic songs have stuff like this in them - the best example is the Hard Day's Night chord, which wasn't played how it sounds on a guitar at all, it's a guitar chord with a different bass note and a piano chord under it.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • bbill335bbill335 Frets: 1368
    Ooh, it's like Dave the ska Nazi - we had to play his chords because, well, we were frightened.

    I also wondered what the bassist was doing. 
    I dep'd for a ska band that did a ska version of Caravan - Skaravan. Their regular guitar/keys played the main part as a Cmin and Fmaj, while the horns and bass did it more or less correctly.  I got the dep keys player to join me in playing the right chords underneath (C7b9 and Fmin6 I think), rest of the band didn't notice but it sounded much jazzier. 
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • Jimbro66Jimbro66 Frets: 2418
    According to one functions band that my excellent bassist pal briefly played with, Sinatra's 'My Way' only has three chords. Being a player who always gets things right he never quite recovered from that experience.
    2reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • equalsqlequalsql Frets: 6084
    You're the one in the wrong here mate.  He's playing the right notes, just not necessarily in the right order.

    Edit: @blobb beat me to it.  Apologies.  I'll be more WISE in future and read all comments.
    Bastard.. choked on my cuppa tea when I read that :lol: 
    (pronounced: equal-sequel)   "I suffered for my art.. now it's your turn"
    1reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • GrunfeldGrunfeld Frets: 4027
    @Emp_Fab ; -- Call it out.
    We've all done it:  played a song for donkey's years and you never listen to the original any more.  It's only when you have to listen to it again for some reason -- like a new member or a dep's coming and you want to check the arrangement -- that you suddenly notice that you've been playing it "wrong" for ages.
    I.e. if they're cool then you just sort out what arrangement you want:  do they change back to the original?  Or do you change to their arrangement?

    If you're going to call them on it as the noob then FFS make sure 100% that you are actually correct. 

    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • Emp_FabEmp_Fab Frets: 24208
    Oh I am 1000% correct!  I can't push the issue any more though.  I get the feeling I've already pushed my luck.  Basically, the keyboard player used to be in a previous band I was in, where I was the self-appointed 'musical director', trying to herd cats, transposing all the songs myself, handing out the resulting song sheets etc.  I suspect there may be a slight element of "fuck you, I'M in charge this time, biiatch".

    So, I'll yield to his format departures and nonstandard arrangements but he'll neverrrr tek mah Fdim !!!

    Yeah, shit Braveheart reference  =)
    Lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine.
    Also chips are "Plant-based" no matter how you cook them.
    1reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • RolandRoland Frets: 8590
    Danny1969 said:

    @Roland ;  ..... I don't think anyone plays Superstition correctly, least of all me but generally the arrangement guitar  bands do is in E rather than Eb and simplified for the chorus as we don't have all the brass. Out of interest what chords would you use:
    We play in Eb, and the bass player plays Bb B Bb Bb Ab. The keys follow him using major chords. My ear really wants that last Bb to be an A, and it limits what inversions I can play over the top. Introducing #5 or b5 would just produce a mess. I keep it simple, and use Bb7 B7 Bb7 Bb7 Ab7, followed by another Bb7. 
    Tree recycler, and guitarist with  https://www.undercoversband.com/.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • vizviz Frets: 10644
    Jimbro66 said:
    According to one functions band that my excellent bassist pal briefly played with, Sinatra's 'My Way' only has three chords. Being a player who always gets things right he never quite recovered from that experience.
    :D
    Roland said: Scales are primarily a tool for categorising knowledge, not a rule for what can or cannot be played.
    Supportact said: [my style is] probably more an accumulation of limitations and bad habits than a 'style'.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • AlexCAlexC Frets: 2396
    And if the band you're in starts playing different tunes
    I'll see you on the dark side of the moon
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • richardhomerrichardhomer Frets: 24793
    edited September 2017
    I used to play in a band where the other guitarist used various open tunings - which were almost always slightly ‘out’. The bass player - who had a great ear and was very assertive - would just stop the band (in rehearsals) say ‘Dave, your 4th string’s flat’.

    We used to cover Ry Cooder’s ‘The Very Thing That Made You Rich’. Dave used to play the opening guitar - which sounds ‘loose’ on the recording - but which can be counted through perfectly. His version was simply not in time. The drummer demonstrated this by playing the original and counting it through in front of everyone.

    These kind of behaviours ruthlessly expose someone's musical short-comings - and aren’t particularly ‘nice’. But what they do, is highlight the issue in a way that requires change.

    I don’t think ‘most of the audience’ not noticing is a reason to condone doing it wrong. I know being in a band is a ‘team’ thing - but with that camaraderie comes personal responsibility. I’d expect everyone to want it to be right. I’d rather not be in a band than compromise on stuff like this....
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 3reaction image Wisdom
  • Emp_FabEmp_Fab Frets: 24208
    Well, I want to be in this band and so I'm doing the honourable thing and passive-aggressively drowning him out with the correct chord.
    Lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine.
    Also chips are "Plant-based" no matter how you cook them.
    10reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • FretwiredFretwired Frets: 24601
    He's obviously a repressed jazzer ..

    Remember, it's easier to criticise than create!
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • Emp_Fab said:
    Well, I want to be in this band and so I'm doing the honourable thing and passive-aggressively drowning him out with the correct chord.
    But that is hardly a ‘band’ thing - sounds like you’re too loud - and he’s tone deaf.

    Any punter who ‘gets’ music is likely think ‘Christ - that egotistical guitarist’s fucking loud!’ - rather than ‘that keyboard player’s playing the wrong chords!’ An own goal, potentially....
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 2reaction image Wisdom
  • blobbblobb Frets: 2914
    equalsql said:
    You're the one in the wrong here mate.  He's playing the right notes, just not necessarily in the right order.

    Edit: @blobb beat me to it.  Apologies.  I'll be more WISE in future and read all comments.
    Bastard.. choked on my cuppa tea when I read that :lol: 

    Tea - Ern?
    Feelin' Reelin' & Squeelin'
    2reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • @Danny1969 the chords I play in my three piece under the "If you believe..." section are:
    |-----------
    |--7-7-7-5-5
    |--8-9-8-7-6
    |--7-8-7-6-5
    |-----------
    |-----------
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • stratman3142stratman3142 Frets: 2177
    edited September 2017
    @Danny1969 the chords I play in my three piece under the "If you believe..." section are:
    |-----------
    |--7-7-7-5-5
    |--8-9-8-7-6
    |--7-8-7-6-5
    |-----------
    |-----------
    I used the chord voicings shown below for the key of E. The b5's avoided a clash with the high trumpet, which was basically just playing F# and E in the arrangement of the bands I played in.

    I suppose it's a moot point as to whether they really are b5's or #11's at that point in the chord.

    It's not a competition.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • Danny1969Danny1969 Frets: 10356
    @vasselmeyer ; & @stratman3142 ;

    Thanks, I've always found that section of the song harmonically interesting in it's movement and it's something I see played different all the time across the different bands I play with

    What I play is very similar but mines got the lower 5th in it but having seen your two examples without I think I prefer it  without 

    Every days a school day 
    www.2020studios.co.uk 
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • I've always done the "I think I'm playing the chords wrong" passive aggressive approach. We then go through what they should be doing exposing the perpetrator for what he is - the last time this happened he agreed he was playing it wrong but didn't ever remember to fix it. Which annoyed me more. Phrases like "that note doesn't appear in that key mate" were met with "I'm just playing what sounds right mate". You can't talk to some people.
    "A city star won’t shine too far"


    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • CirrusCirrus Frets: 8481
    If someone wants to be wrong that badly, and you've already tried a reasonable approach, there's only one option left.

    Cut his car's brake cable. glue a massive picture of your own hand flipping him off onto the driver's airbag, compromising its effectiveness and making sure the last thing he sees before fiery death is you giving him the bird. Bonus points if you can hide a harmonica in G and a Harmonica in C in the air vents so in the crash, the rush of air through the system makes them sound. 
    3reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 1reaction image Wisdom
  • It should be a pinch harmonic....or maybe a pick scrape.
    ဈǝᴉʇsɐoʇǝsǝǝɥɔဪቌ
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
Sign In or Register to comment.