Ending songs

I'm just curious about how you get your bands to end songs in sync.
Do you have any tips or tricks to get your band mates attention when playing live??

I'm asking because the current band I'm in is having some trouble with consistency.
They are good musicians with experience but we like to have a loose feel and sound when we play.
We also want to work the crowd so sometimes an agreed on ending doesn't work.

I hope this is understandable.

Cheers

mikeybdaman said:

I'm just curious about how you get your bands to end songs in sync.
Do you have any tips or tricks to get your band mates attention when playing live??

I'm asking because the current band I'm in is having some trouble with consistency.
They are good musicians with experience but we like to have a loose feel and sound when we play.
We also want to work the crowd so sometimes an agreed on ending doesn't work.

I hope this is understandable.

Cheers

Click to expand...

completely understandable. age-old question.

communication is always key - having everybody on board before hand, when you know that song forms are like going out the window - everyone in the band has to be aware of what's happening around them. subtle hand signals or head gestures usually do the trick, howeve sometimes you have to hit the nail with a hammer and yell to get everybody's attention. I know I've done that plenty of times, cause there always seems to be somebody 'lost in space' or just vibing out.

Sometimes one member of a band will cue the ending beforehand by slightly emphasizing the final riff or shots, one or two sections prior to the actual ending. Sometimes we will "sing and pass along" the ending through the group, which is more dicey. Sometimes we will just be verbal onstage; there's nothing wrong with talking to your band mates while your playing.

Learning how to cue and read cues I think is as important as attending to our technical abilities by practicing. Personally, I found it very difficult to learn how to talk normally while playing.

mikeybdaman said:

I'm just curious about how you get your bands to end songs in sync.
Do you have any tips or tricks to get your band mates attention when playing live??

I'm asking because the current band I'm in is having some trouble with consistency.
They are good musicians with experience but we like to have a loose feel and sound when we play.
We also want to work the crowd so sometimes an agreed on ending doesn't work.

I hope this is understandable.

Cheers

Click to expand...

There's one foolproof way, follow the drummer, and I'm being serious. The extreme motion of a drummer is FAR easier to follow than the minute movements of a guitar or bass player.

Unless the other players have their shite together, follow the drummer, even if the ending STINKS, at least you'll end together and you can tweak it for perfection later.

Whenever I play with my brother (a guitarist), he will lift his guitar up while he's holding the last note of a section, and when he pulls it down to hit the last note, I know it's the end. Maybe you could have one person in your band that is responsible for the ending gesture, and everyone could watch him toward the end of the song to make certain a good ending.

It might be a good idea to dedicate a practice session to practicing endings. I've done this with bands before and it's time well spent. Being tight on the ending makes your band sound polished. Make sure you guys keep good eye contact during the last few notes. After a while it will just happen automatically.

mikeybdaman said:

I'm just curious about how you get your bands to end songs in sync.
Do you have any tips or tricks to get your band mates attention when playing live??

I'm asking because the current band I'm in is having some trouble with consistency.
They are good musicians with experience but we like to have a loose feel and sound when we play.
We also want to work the crowd so sometimes an agreed on ending doesn't work.

I hope this is understandable.

Cheers

Click to expand...

Most of the better musicians I've gigged with keep some level of occasional eye contact happening throughout the entire song.

In my band, we'll work on the ending of a song in rehearsal. When we play out and want to extend a song, our singer or guitar player will give a quick hand signal and we add another chorus or the guitar player will extend his lead, etc.. The ending of the song stays the same, and there are subtle ques leading up to the ending, but a polished yet loose feel depends on all of us paying attention and not zoning out.

I assume you're talking about extended endings, going past what's written in the song. For those big finishes where everyone goes crazy and then goes to end with a big bang, everyone in the band follows my lead. As was mentioned above, the big motion of preparing a big cymbal hit is easy for the rest of the band to follow. We never really even talked about it, we just naturally fell into doing it this way from the first rehearsal.

Hi
I have to agree with Vipercussionist..the band must follow the drummer. I count off(start) all the songs(use a metronome at my sound board to my left if needed)) and I end most songs.I not perfect but more consistent than other band members. Give that we as drummers are sitting and have an overview of the whole band it's easier for us to gain that control. the rest of the band is out front dealing with other issues. Denis

Also it depends on the interpersonal dynamics of the band. Usually the dominant member of the band dictates the style of the ending, it's better to have one guy sort of lead the pack then a free for all. You could play a song great, and not nail the ending and you get a lukewarm clap.

Some great ideas thanks!

What we did this time around was to make a note on our set lists as to who would start and end each song (never used set lists before). Now we just watch that person and they do the hand signal or whatnot.
I'm sure I don't have to tell you all but as long as the bass player and I connect, things seem to go much better.

However I'm going to use a few of your ideas tonight at rehearsal.

Thanks a lot and keep the ideas coming. This thread isn't dead yet.

Cheers from Japan!!
mikeybdaman