More Cowbell!

PeteN

Silver Member
Hey guys....my band os doing a cover of Don't fear the reaper by BOC and was just wondering what your thoughts are on the best way to incorporate the cowbell since it was over dubbed on the original release.

Right now the only two things I can think of doing is.... handing a cowbell to my singer or using my new roland spd-sx to sequence a cowbell style metronome? I'm new to my Roland spd-sx and not really educated on the terminology yet.
 
Hire someone for the part.

cowbell11.jpg
 
You beat me to it, Dr. Watso. Of course, you're comment is much better than anything I can come up with. Lol.
 
Hey guys....my band os doing a cover of Don't fear the reaper by BOC and was just wondering what your thoughts are on the best way to incorporate the cowbell since it was over dubbed on the original release.

Right now the only two things I can think of doing is.... handing a cowbell to my singer or using my new roland spd-sx to sequence a cowbell style metronome? I'm new to my Roland spd-sx and not really educated on the terminology yet.

That part was dubbed? I thought Will Ferrel did it live? Am I wrong? Dang.....

;)
 
My serious response? Give the singer a cowbell. It'll get a response from the crowd, for sure.
 
It's risky, though, Al. It ain't pretty when a singer with a cowbell goes out of synch.

Singers with good time and who listen well can earn The Cowbell Privilege. If not, then you're better off playing it yourself and sacrificing some of the hat work.
 
It's risky, though, Al. It ain't pretty when a singer with a cowbell goes out of synch.
Absolutely! It's taken me a while to rebuff requests from our singer to use a tambourine. At least a tambourine has a degree of fudge factor built in, but a cowbell - you've got to be joking. Unless they nail it, it's going to be horrible.
 
How about playing the cowbell with your right hand, instead of (or in combination with) hats/ride?
 
I'd rather play along with a pre-recorded cowbell audio track or use the roland.
 
Left hand on cowbell quarter notes...

Right hand moves from HiHat to snare...with open/close to pick up the unison snare hi-hat strike via your left foot.

I dont believe that song has sixteenth note hi-hat work concurrent with the cowbell...but you can move your left hand back to the set for use betweeen the quarter notes for any flavoring you care to add.

I do kinda the same when covering "My Sacrifice" (CD version..not the blechy video/radio release version) from Creed in order to keep the snare quarter notes going in the section where they are pulsed...with my personal preference to place them out on a piccalo snare.

Take the time to work it up to being smooth and I bet you will find it a nifty tool.
 
Just to emphasize the earlier comments, keep the singer unarmed.

And not to state the obvious, but if going with Roland, make sure you can hear "him"! :eek:)

radman
 
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