What a satisfying first rehearsal

Bo Eder

Platinum Member
I am basking after a first rehearsal of a new project. We were scheduled for a four-hour go-around, with 15 songs on a list we all picked out last week. Got through 11 songs and had a pizza for lunch.

I think I am now officially spoiled. Both the guys (guitarist and bassist) are not only experts on their axes, they both sing really well and we were also figuring who should sing what in a harmony. I'm being forced to take all the high parts. Gear-wise, these guys know how to get the right sounds too.

But this is a new thing for me: to be in a band of humans, playing Steely Dan tunes, and actually hearing the CORRECT CHORDS! I called a couple of Squeeze songs to find out those chord progressions are pretty difficult in the voicing department, but having the horsepower to play them right. I'm not sure I can join another fun-time garage band now. I'll be seething the whole time I don't hear what's supposed to be there. We're doing The Police' Murder By Numbers and to hear the guitar go from chugga-funk stuff, to super clean chorusey Andy Summers with the right voicings was just fun.

We're getting together every Wednesday this month with a gig lined up for October already, and I plan to do some recording on the next rehearsal for proof. If anything I have a week to get my stuff together - I used to skate in cover bands - not anymore.
 
Welcome to the "doing it right" club. You may never go back =)
 
Welcome to the "doing it right" club. You may never go back =)

I've been in good bands before, but we never played this kind of stuff before - to hear this done right is just inspiring. I had read something Donald Fagen said about going to a club and hearing Steely Dan music being played wrong....I don't think I'd be afraid of that with these guys. Whether or not I can pull off a good Donald Fagen is another matter, though ;)
 
Playing Steely Dan material (correctly) is whole new level. There is a band up here in NorCal that is a Steely Dan tribute and they are really good, so I know it can be done. :) Should be a lot of fun for you. Is the band the full tilt with all the players? Keep us posted on the progress.
 
Great news !

(I'm envious)

.
 
Great news !

(I'm envious)

.

Thanks but don't be envious. As good as it is and how happy I am about it, the fear is that with good musicians, they'll get pulled into something else, slowing down this little side project. The guitarist already plays for Ambrosia and they probably do maybe 50-60 concerts a year and he's super-busy making ends meet like all of us. I guess those are really first-world issues, eh? Nevermind ;)
 
Nice one. I have just joined a Jazz Funk band and my comfort zone was instantly crushed by the realisation I have tons and tons of work to do to keep up with the level these guys set. Scary, but great fun, and a world away from the rock and blues stuff I am used to.

Good luck Bo, enjoy.
 
I'm glad it went so well, and I'm very much looking forward to hearing you play.
 
Wow Bo playing Steel Dan correctly. Please post some results some time. I have said for a while now if I was only able to listen to one song the rest of my life it would be Home at Last!
 
Sounds interesting. Now...how to do Steely Dan tunes as a 3-piece bass, guitar, drums?
Just about every Dan tune is big on keyboards, and many with key horn parts.
 
Bravo... That is awesome news.

I discovered long ago, surround yourself with good skills. It will inspire and rub off on you. It can only make you play better and progress as a musician.
 
This is really great to hear Bo. You deserve this.

These guys must be all that if you are scrambling to make sure your parts are to them what their parts are to you. And you get to sing too.

No mice around either lol.

Way to go Bo.
 
Sounds interesting. Now...how to do Steely Dan tunes as a 3-piece bass, guitar, drums?
Just about every Dan tune is big on keyboards, and many with key horn parts.

I was surprised once I heard the guitar player playing the CORRECT CHORDS, along with the bass player playing the correct bass notes, how much of the songs sound like they're supposed to. This is why I'm so stoked about it. Yes, it's not as thick as having background singers, keyboards, and horns, but when you think about it, Fagen and Becker probably were sitting around the piano playing with ideas before they orchestrated how they wanted them to sound, so maybe that's where we are, bravely taking that approach live!

Sadly, I noticed that I will have to break out my 15" New Beats for this band, and even use two crashes along with my ride, so I will look somewhat normal behind the kit. But I do feel like I'm returning to this comfortable place where my limbs just naturally fall into place and music can be made. My big debate now is to either use my head-worn microphone, or use a SM58 on a boom stand. I'm leaning to the SM58 just because it allows me to back off, or eat the mic if I have to.
 
Sounds nice!!


I never played with a band that would even touch Steely Dan style music.

If they are doing it right, that pushes you to do it right also. Which is good....and bad :)
 
That's special right there :)

Can the band cope with revolving drum kits? Have you prepared them for this? Or have you simply pacified them with "don't worry, it still sounds like me"? ;0 ;0

Haha! I think they'll be fine - these two guys don't even talk about gear - it feels like a different level from where I'm sitting ;)
 
I was surprised once I heard the guitar player playing the CORRECT CHORDS, along with the bass player playing the correct bass notes, how much of the songs sound like they're supposed to. This is why I'm so stoked about it. Yes, it's not as thick as having background singers, keyboards, and horns, but when you think about it, Fagen and Becker probably were sitting around the piano playing with ideas before they orchestrated how they wanted them to sound, so maybe that's where we are, bravely taking that approach live!

Sadly, I noticed that I will have to break out my 15" New Beats for this band, and even use two crashes along with my ride, so I will look somewhat normal behind the kit. But I do feel like I'm returning to this comfortable place where my limbs just naturally fall into place and music can be made. My big debate now is to either use my head-worn microphone, or use a SM58 on a boom stand. I'm leaning to the SM58 just because it allows me to back off, or eat the mic if I have to.


I tried using a headset once. What a joke. I tend to sing all the songs to myself, well its the biggest part of most pieces, It helps me with the groove and also means I know exactly where I am, all the time. The downside being, with a headset mic it picks up all of this, and more alarmingly also the many strange and interesting noises I make when playing. So its always a mic and boom for me.
 
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I tried using a headset once. What a joke. I tend to sing all the songs to myself, well its the biggest part of most pieces, It helps me with the groove and also means I know exactly where I am, all the time. The downside being, with a headset mic it picks up all of this, and more alarmingly also the many strange and interesting noises I make when playing. So its always a mic and boom for me.

I suppose that's not as bad as having Tourette's syndrome, eh?

Anyway, I think I will return to the mic and stand deal as well. It is easier for me to balance myself that way.
 
FWIW, I don't like the look of microphone headsets. And you can't back off the mic for the loud parts when you have to really belt it out. I just don't like the "telephone operator" look, but mainly it's not ideal to have the mic in a fixed position in relation to your mouth.

I don't like seeing the drummer wear headphones either, but sometimes that's unavoidable.

Boom stands allow the drummer to use the mic in ways that's not easily done if it's strapped to your head.
 
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