by harlowmedia | Oct 15, 2019 | Pro Tips
Written by Jason Boyd – Professional Drummer
When Jason Harlow invited me to write an
article, I knew exactly what I wanted to write about first… Groove. Groove is
such an important element of music that I find is too often overlooked. In my
opinion it is what makes music truly enjoyable. I really look forward to
hearing everyone’s input on this topic. As musicians we should always try to
learn from one another, so your input is valuable to all of us!
A bit of history… I have always considered
myself a mediocre drummer. When we look at people who are “experts” on our
particular instrument, we normally tend to gravitate towards the ones who are
extremely technically proficient. This always left me feeling a bit “less than”
as a musician. However, I started noticing a pattern, especially moving to
Houston, TX. What I noticed was that I could be on the call list with drummers
who were without a doubt more technically proficient than I, yet I would still
get the call. The only thing I can contribute this phenomenon to is that I tend
to get the same compliments. These compliments are “You have a great feel” and
“I love what you don’t play”. That last one felt kind of offensive the first
time I heard it, but it is probably the best compliment I’ve ever received.
Is groove something learned or is it something
you either have or you don’t? This is the question that I’ve wrestled with more
than any other. I think for the most part it can be learned, but not in the
same sense a learning a new riff. To me, groove is a feeling and a state of
mind. As a kid, I remember when my dad
would say “find the groove god”. It sounded ridiculous back then, but makes
complete sense now. Groove is kind of like a dance. It has multiple layers that
I’ll expand upon below.
Tempo: In order to have great groove you need great tempo. Tempo is the
foundation that a good groove is built upon. Without this solid foundation,
everything else WILL crumble. Most of us have heard those dreaded words, “can
you play with a click?”. Those words used to throw me into an immediate panic
attack until I was forced to do it. After a little experience with a click
track, I began to love it! Now I welcome a click track and realize that it
relieves a lot of pressure off of me. Try to look at the click as another band
member in your mix and embrace it.
Listen: It’s impossible to find the groove if you don’t know where all of the
pieces are! Listen to your bandmates and compliment them! It’s not all about
you!
Beat
Placement: Now this is the hardest element for me to
explain, yet it’s critically important. In a 4/4 measure there are 4 beats, yet
where you choose to place them is critical! You can play ahead, on or behind
the beat. This is the element of feel that’s so elusive, yet it’s what gives a
song life. This is the “dance” part.
Relax: It’s next to impossible to find the groove if you’re stiff. Relax and
play with confidence! We’re human beings and will never be perfect. Those
imperfections are the subtle life of the song. This is why a “perfect” computer
will never replace an imperfect human musician.
Again, this is a tough subject to teach, but I
hope this has given you a few things to think about. If you are constantly
working on new riffs, I urge you to stop and analyze your feel first. There are
so many bands out there that are technically talented, yet I could care less
about listening to them. I appreciate the technical abilities of Neil Peart,
but I enjoy listening to Steve Jordan more any day of the week! My dad was a
brilliant musician and could groove like no one I’ve ever met. Something he
said about my old band The Mutt Brothers that always stuck in my mind was this…
“Y’all are like a locomotive that’s getting ready to derail, yet you’re right
on track”. Be a beautiful trainwreck and embrace your human imperfections.
You’ll be a better musician and probably get more jobs if you do.
by harlowmedia | Oct 15, 2019 | Pro Tips
Have you ever stepped back and considered all the moving parts of a band? It’s a miracle things actual happen at all given how humans interact.Ever thought about your role in a band?
- Am I a support or lead musician?
- Am I a volunteer or getting paid?
- Will I be allowed and/or expected to contribute creative ideas?
- Do I have even have a role?
Maybe you’re in a situation where you feel like you are pulling all the weight or feel like you are not being used to your full capacity. Look no further as roles may solve your woes.
Why are roles important?
Roles and Responsibilities provides clarity, alignment, and expectations to members in the band and those executing the work to make a successful performance, record, or any other musical venture. Roles & Responsibilities enables effective communications between the various members, preventing folks stepping on each other’s toes and building trust… not to mention making things much more efficient.
As you can imagine, there are many roles doing music. To prevent this note from being a book, I’ll touch on the more common roles and be leaving out roles such as manager, engineer, publicist, publisher, social media strategist, music supervisor, video tech, promoter, a&r, radio promoter, tour manager, website designer, stage crew…etc.
Leader: The life blood of the band. The role is to guide the band, mission, and to be an effective communicator on goals, schedule, and all band affairs. If you are the leader, you have the greatest responsibility. The bands health, morale, momentum, and success rely on your ability to communicate effectively, to serve, set goals, to inspire, and to be honest and transparent with your members. It’s a role which requires patience and the ability to understand others perspectives while holding members accountable as well as yourself. As a leader, you need to be the solid rock who exemplifies the standards that you expect from others. The disposition a leader has in the room drives everybody else’s behavior to a large extent. A positive and confident leader not only stands like a rock for the team, but helps promote and dissipate the same reaction among the team.Band
Members: Without you, the band doesn’t exist. You and your input are critical to making the ship move. Make sure you exercise diligence, flexibility, support, and participation in transforming the band. You must be transparent and honest with the leader and let them know when they could use extra perspective. Learn others strength and weaknesses and always respect the capabilities of others and encourage. Continue exercising your commitment to the band through learning material, lending a hand to others, and ensuring the standards are also met.
Sound guy / light guy: Well, maybe you are the most important after all. I include the sound / light techs in with the band because after all, they are your ears and eyes to a successful performance. They know more than you do in terms of what the crowd is seeing and hearing so respect them and be kind and let them do their role. When there are literally hundreds of variables going on and there is a small feedback, realize it’s a bit more complicated than you think and many times this could be caused by changes in stage volume. Pro tip: loud stage volume leads to less control on the mix, louder isn’t always better because you end up competing with each other in smaller clubs.
Booking / Promotion: If you don’t have an agent, most likely you or someone on the band is doing this role. It’s not the most fun role and it comes with a lot of pressure. It’s not just making calls, it’s doing flyers, promotion, managing schedules and people. The trick I’ve found is to define what the bands requirements / goals are up front and allow the person booking to negotiate on the band’s behalf. If you play in a band because you want to have fun, rock on! Do that and enjoy having the best time of your life. If you play in a band to make money, rock on, Do that! However, when booking, please respect the venue / bar or establishment and look at it not from what they provide you but how you can partner with them to equally benefit. I’ll write an article on this by itself as I see folks who do not completely understand where money comes from to pay bands, the death of live music, or understanding actual value versus perceived..etc. Hint: Remember why you got into music in the first place. ?
The everything role: Unfortunately, the role many people find themselves in. Although it can feel rewarding at times, I’ve seen it personally take a toll on the individual and the band leading up to eventual problems. We’re human and we all want to give everything we got but running everything can ultimately lead to error and burnout.
Example: If you find yourself doing the promotion, booking, setting up PA, running sound, creating the song lists, doing the website, social media..etc. You will inevitably start the human instinct of feeling overwhelmed and underappreciated (it happens, it’s normal). You may even start to feel like others just don’t care when in reality, it could be because:
- Roles were not defined
- Roles were not equally distributed and accountability not in place
- You failed to rely on others
- You have members that are in fact included but not committed (uh oh!)
If for some reason you can handle the load of everybody and everything, rock on, you are better than most! However, in my experience, that’s not a band.. that’s a boss that just tries to tells others what to do.
I realize this was a bit less exciting of a read, however, please take time to evaluate your roles and place people in the roles where they have strengths.
Everyone cannot be the leader and there are no leaders without followers.
Hopefully this rambling can help in your band and personal development. I continue to make mistakes and learn from them. These notes / articles are meant to establish thought and if you have other experiences, please share your insight! Rock on.
by harlowmedia | Oct 15, 2019 | Pro Tips
“Dude, we should totally be a Slayer tribute band” / “no man, I think we should only do country music!”.
Yeah, that’s real. It exists. Two musicians discussing their goals and desires to form the ultimate band. Houston, we have a problem.
Most of the bands I’ve seen that are short lived happen for a number of reasons but at the heart of it is because members of the band simply don’t have the same goals in mind. Worse, the members are not flexible or they’re actually prideful.
I’ve actually been in projects where folks would not play a type of music because they apparently where “too cool for school” – Jason Harlow 1987. Yep, I remember telling myself I would never play a “poison” song. Fast forward 2019, I play them freely as some of the most fun songs ever to play. What was I thinking??? It’s interesting to see how perspectives change when you learn what is actually important.
If you don’t get anything out of this article, get this… music is about having fun. Period. We’re not curing cancer or doing anything that is that serious. I mean really, we’re getting the opportunity to get in front of folks and have a great time doing what we’ve practiced our whole lives. If I had a time machine, I would go back and punch myself in the face for even considering that one genre of music was superior over another. Turns out that most of that music I considered inferior (jazz, country, pop) is much more complex than anything I’d ever played. Good news is that I learned quickly and realized just how ignorant I was fortunately. If this is you, learn from me! I’m so glad with age comes wisdom and experience.
Back to goals! Inevitably, if bands and members don’t align their goals, they simply fail because everyone is pushing in different directions and there is no satisfaction.
So, what happens when you have 2 or 3 different people with opposing goals? How do you fix it?
If you have mature members, divergent thoughts and mixed goals can work to build a chemistry that makes something very special. If members respect each other and have those love languages I spoke about intact, there can actually be some goodness out of it.
Unfortunately though, if you have members who are at the opposite polar ends of the musical spectrum with song choices, attitude, likes, values that are unwilling to change…etc. You must remove them and place them in a project of like people. Sorry, it’s the truth because otherwise you are wasting your 86,400 seconds a day.
That being said, preventing these problems can be solved with a well laid out set of goals prior to taking on members or setting goals with your current members will greatly attribute to the growth and stability of your band.So, what do band goals look like?
- Let’s play Harlow’s in the next 90 days. We can lock in 12 songs to play a 1 hour set. We’ll rock peoples faces and having fun while increasing our social presence through fans and followers (ok, shameless plug).
- Let’s learn the songs: brown eyed girl, honky tonk woman, and mustang sally by next week and incorporate them into our wedding gig next Saturday.
- Let’s save up $500 in the next 2 weeks to record our original “Rock your momma” at Sunland Studios. We’ll take $250 off the top from the Harlow’s gig to help fund and another $250 off t-shirt sales to fund it.
What do many band goals actually look like:
- Let’s get signed
- Let’s become famous
- Let’s make money
Notice the difference?
In the business world we use “SMART” goals. Which stand for:
Specific / Measurable / Attainable / Relevant / Time-Based
When planning your band goals, be specific. Without knowing where you want to be specifically in your music journey, it’s likely you’ll take some dirt roads and find yourself lost and broke down.. mostly broke. Consider this when planning your song choices, venue choices, marketing choices. What specifically is needed.
If you can’t measure it, you can’t tell if you are making progress. To many times I see bands set a goal but fail to measure whether or not they hit the target. After a while of not measuring (whether performance, sound, or connecting with people), they seem to wonder why folks quit coming to their shows. Always measure!
Make the goals attainable! Example: If the singer can’t sing it, don’t do it. Sorry guitar shredder dudes (I’m one of them), people in the crowd aren’t really talking about your string skipping and legato, they are too busy saying the whole band sucks because you thought a dream theater song would impress people but the singer can’t sing it. Make the goals attainable for your band and put any song choices in the sweet spot and strike zone of your singer. Know your limits and play to your strengths not your weaknesses. Before setting the goal to write an album, set the goal to write one song.. then three..etc.
If the goal is not relevant to your band and it achieving something meaningful, it’s practically useless. I also like to use the word “realistic” here as well. You can have the most specific, measurable, and attainable goals but if it’s not really relevant or realistic, you’re wasting your precious 86400 secs.
Time based is key! It’s not only key to be able to measure but it creates the urgency needed and baseline needed for other members to achieve success. If no timeframe exists, you have no real management of expectations. BTW, it’s ok if you don’t make a timeline… this becomes knowledge. It’s likely you may not hit all the goals but if you set a timeline for a week to learn 4 songs and the band only learns 2, you’ve gained extremely valuable knowledge on your band’s velocity (2 songs a week). You can then adjust your timeline based on your new knowledge and continue to refine your capabilities for a well tuned face rocking machine.
Hopefully this rambling may give you some ideas. I recommend you start with small goals and grow. It’s really fun to look back as well to see the accomplishments. You quickly realize without goals; you would have been in the same place, doing the same thing, and expecting different results (insanity). You don’t even want to calculate how much time (your most critical asset) was lost. Rock on.
by harlowmedia | Oct 15, 2019 | Pro Tips
“Great Job Man”… for some, the most important thing you could ever say. More powerful than money, gifts, or acts. Why? Because these folks respond to “words of affirmation”.
Admittedly, this is what drives me and I think it probably drives most musicians. At the end of the night, I’m not thinking about money, what’s for breakfast..etc. I’m wondering if I made an impact with the music I played and if folks had a good time. The measure of success for me is someone coming up and saying “harlow, that was awesome” (or something similar).
So, let’s dive in.Hey, we’re all humans and we have feelings (most of us). Did you know your attitude and response towards other members will greatly impact your bands health and ability? Yeah, I know this because I’m the worst at times and have seen the impacts.
If you’ve not heard of the 5 love languages, let’s discuss for just a moment. I read this book many years ago and it’s written by Dr. Gary Chapman. Yes, it’s meant for marriages or relationships but isn’t that kinda like a band?Even if you don’t apply it to a band, this is real deal stuff that homeboy wrote about and can apply to your life, your relationships, family..etc. so get the book or read more about it online.
So, here are the 5 love languages:
1. Words of affirmation
2. Gifts
3. Acts of Service
4. Quality time
5. Physical touch
ok, i realize most of you are already saying, hell no, I don’t want #5 with my bandmates LOL… so let’s talk 1, 2, 3, and 4.
1. Words of affirmation. Again, to me, I believe this is a primary language for musicians. Why? Because doing music is not easy, it’s a lifelong commitment with years and years of practice, hard work, failure, struggle, and ups and downs. When those beautiful “words of affirmation” happen, it seems to make the effort worth it. Point is, take time to recognize the efforts of your band members and the hard work they’ve have put in. They are likely going to work even harder because after all “people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care”. #BOOM. That’s some Teddy Roosevelt / John Maxwell in your face.
2. Gifts. The book talks about marriage aspects such as giving tangible property (flowers, necklace..etc). However, let’s consider “gifts” being money in the band lane. Some of your members are driven more by the dollar or items than anything else. Hey, that’s understandable and if that’s the language they speak, find ways to encourage them so all of you can have the rewards of gifts from your ultimate performance. Maybe buy them a drink at the next gig because they rocked someone’s face.
3. Acts of service. “Hey man, thanks for helping me with my air conditioner” as said by me on multiple occasions to our drummer who is an AC guy. Some folks respond to receiving acts of kindness or service. In doing so, you are building a trust outside the band environment and a long-lasting friendship. If your member is one who responds to acts of service, it doesn’t take much to build a bond. Simple things like helping members setup their gear is a great start.
4. Quality Time. A band that plays together stays together… or something like that. I’ve been in many bands and 1000% of the time, bands who can spend time together last longer, have more fun, and usually even sound better. Some of your members may just want to hang out once in a while, outside of rocking peoples faces. How simple is that? and the reward is great.
5. Physical Touch. Ok, I’ll address it. Some drummers like to stroke and touch other members. Just tell them no. Setup your “no zones” and spray them with vinegar. LOL
Bottom line, each of us are different. It’s what magically makes a band great, the yin and yang, push and pull..etc. All that said, we all want respect and to be loved and feel a part of something bigger than ourselves. Knowing others love languages and your own can greatly reduce problems and build a stronger and more effective band. Rock on.
by harlowmedia | Oct 15, 2019 | Pro Tips
Note: These are some perspectives, opinions, and truths I’ve found from my travels and dealing with humans for many years in music and business. These are no brainers for many but I hope these thoughts may assist you in building a great band and make you a better band member or artist. If you disagree with these, no worries.. these are just my thoughts and what I’ve found to make a difference in the development of great bands and people. There will be more of this rambling as time goes on. Enjoy
Have the same commitment:
Commitment (noun): the state or quality of being dedicated to a cause, activity, etc.
Whether it’s with a band, business, job, or life, finding folks with the same commitment is crucial to success and happiness.
What I’ve learned in my years of experience (surviving mistake) is that productivity, success, and achieving goals requires great commitment and sacrifice. Achieving those goals requires those around you (your band) to have the same commitment, values, and work ethic as well.
As a software developer and project manager, there is a corny story about a Chicken and a Pig that relates to commitment.
The story goes like this: One day a chicken approaches a pig and suggests they should start a restaurant. The pig is intrigued by the idea and says, “That sounds great. I’m an entrepreneurial type of hog. What are we going to call the restaurant?” The chicken suggests, “Ham and Eggs!” To which the pig replies, “No thanks, I’d be committed. You’d only be involved.”
It’s a goofy story but can relate if you’ve been in bands where some are just involved and not committed to the success of the band.
Commitment to the band means you personally hold yourself responsible for the success and failures of the band. It means you’re serious about taking time to learn your parts, be active in promotion, and also respect others time in their efforts to never be the weak link. It really means you have personal accountability and the band is a reflection of yourself.
Then there is the involved folks. Not bad people. Matter of fact, they are contributing to the sound and the band with their talent. However, maybe they just aren’t as serious or don’t have the same goals, work ethic, or even time. To those who are just involved, become committed!
Here’s why: if you’re unable to consistently put the same commitment as others in the band, you’re unfortunately doing the band a disservice. Even worse, you are most likely putting your very friends in a bad position and your actions can ultimately be seen as disrespect for those who have committed their time and energy into the band.
However, there is good news! The difference in being involved and committed can be solved with managing expectations and communicating what level of commitment you actually can offer. This requires the courage to actually look at your schedule and abilities and telling the band what you can accomplish (and acting upon it). By simply communicating what level you can commit will help others with their expectations and will help set the bands velocity (how much can actually be accomplished). By being real, transparent, and honest, it should lead to a better band and relationship among members.
BTW, commitment doesn’t mean you drop everything and focus only on a band… that’s silly. Being in a band is about having fun at the heart of it. It doesn’t have to be all that serious, but you do owe it to your friends and band members to give the best you have to offer and have integrity (do what you say you are going to do) in what you commit to. Doing so will always keep things fun and productive! Rock on.
