When you’re in a band, there are certain things that should be self-evident. However, I recently witnessed a situation in which a member of a professional band broke so many of the unwritten rules of performing, that I began to think: perhaps these rules aren’t so self-evident after all.
Rule 1
No instrument trumps any other in the band with regards to importance. The band is a unit, and every instrument has its own unique piece of the soundscape that it provides. It is that instrument’s contribution to the unified whole that is important.
Rule 2
When told that you’re playing too loud, turn down. When told again—at least 6 or 7 more times that I could see—either change the batteries on your hearing aid, or book an appointment to see a therapist for your oppositional defiance disorder.
Rule 3
Fills are only to be played when appropriate, and not over top of vocals, horn lines, or solos.
Rule 4 A
Watch what your band mates are doing, so that when they are trying to signal you, you can take the cue.
Rule 4 B
When you do see a band mate cue you for something, take the cue.
Rule 5
Play to each other as a band, and the audience will be impressed by your band’s tightness and camaraderie. If you as an individual consistently play to the crowd, and ignore your band mates, you miss cues, you miss what they’re trying to tell you on stage, and bottom line: you cease to be a member of the team. If you want to play to the crowd, be a solo act.
Rule 6
Respect the other musicians you work with. Nothing says “I don’t respect you”, like ignoring the above-noted rules.
If anyone wants to aspire to be a professional musician—and by that I mean take money for the act of playing music—following these rather self-evident rules is paramount. Ignoring them will lead to frustration, anger, and resentment on the part of your band mates.
At the beginning of this post I said that perhaps these rules weren’t so self-evident after all. But you know what, this band I saw was comprised of players in their 40s and 50s who had been performing all their lives. Nah, these rules should be self evident to them. The player who broke them was just a dumb-ass.
