# Observation: You have to be a good multitasker to play in a band



## 1SweetRide (Oct 25, 2016)

It's a skill that can be developed but isn't easy to learn. Our brains don't want to deal with many competing inputs at once. I've come to realize, that at least for me, being able to multitask is an absolute must in a band context. 

I was thinking about why songs that are so easy to play at home become much more of a challenge to play with the band. Here's my thoughts about everything you have to be thinking about when doing this.


You need to pay attention to your levels
You need to remember which pickup to use
You need to be thinking about how to play the song in case muscle memory takes a short vacation
You need to pay attention to the singer who in our case doesn't always get the lyrics correct and can come in too soon, skip a part or forget words
The timing is always different from the original song, need to adjust quickly
Need to pay attention to the drummer for cues on more complex parts
Need to sing backup, need to get ready to sing a short lead vocal in case the singer forgets to come in.
Need to keep an eye on the other guitarist who can change the length of his solo parts
Need to keep an ear for the overall mix as I'm also the sound guy
Need to fix issues that the band has with their gear (no sound, EQ on the mixer, Monitor Mixes, etc)
Lending peeps tuners and cables 'cause they always forget shit
How do you guys do it? Get the singer to do sound? Stop being the spare gear guy? Easy for me abdicate responsibility and let people fail but it's different when we are gigging. Everyone depends on me to setup the stage run all the cables, do the soundcheck, make adjustments between songs, etc. No wonder it's hard sometimes to just enjoy being in the moment when I feel such a need to be on top of everything.

Granted, I'm the only one without kids so my life isn't as chaotic as theirs when they're trying to wrap up dinner with the kids and get to rehearsal or a gig so I have some sympathy for them. @Chito and I have chatted about this too. The obvious answer is that other peeps need to learn their parts better but that's an on-going battle.

Advice?


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## bw66 (Dec 17, 2009)

1SweetRide said:


> The obvious answer is that other peeps need to learn their parts better but that's an on-going battle.


This.

The human brain sucks at multi-tasking, but it believes that it is amazing at multi-tasking. First, we have to recognize that we suck at multi-tasking, then we have to learn our parts to the point where they are as automatic as breathing, then we aren't really multitasking anymore. Simple, but not easy.

For the record, I understand the theory of this, but in practice... 🤷‍♂️

With regards to also being the sound tech, my advice is to make sure that everyone is hyper aware of their levels and relative importance at all times, giving space where space is needed and essentially mixing themselves. Then when you actually have a real sound tech, their job will be super easy and they'll tell all their friends what a great band you are.


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## Dru Edwards (9 mo ago)

I think once you know your guitar parts you can focus on everything else without too much difficulty, at least I could. Playing needs to be second nature though.


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## 1SweetRide (Oct 25, 2016)

bw66 said:


> This.
> 
> The human brain sucks at multi-tasking, but it believes that it is amazing at multi-tasking. First, we have to recognize that we suck at multi-tasking, then we have to learn our parts to the point where they are as automatic as breathing, then we aren't really multitasking anymore. Simple, but not easy.
> 
> ...


My niece sometimes does sound which is super helpful. As for everyone learning their parts, that's a tougher one. We're not bad by any means but as the least experienced member in the band (rhythm guitarist), I shouldn't be the one that has to stop the rehearsal and tell the lead guitarist he's a semi-tone out on one part of his solo and then play the song for him while he learns the correct note to play in real-time.


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## 1SweetRide (Oct 25, 2016)

Dru Edwards said:


> I think once you know your guitar parts you can focus on everything else without too much difficulty, at least I could. Playing needs to be second nature though.


I'm not perfect but I know my parts quite well. I feel I'm the music director for the band and it's not a role I want.


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## Mark Brown (Jan 4, 2022)

1SweetRide said:


> I'm not perfect but I know my parts quite well. I feel I'm the music director for the band and it's not a role I want.


You know man, I think you just found the problem.

By making yourself "available" you opened the door to others silently electing you to "care" for them.

I find this happening to me all the time, not in bands because I am not in any but out there in the wide world.

I was always so "mad" that I was getting leaned on all the time.... then I realized that i am allowing it. Poof, problem solved.

Maybe just have an honest discussion about how you feel perhaps you are being relied on a little too much in the band for the various roles you seem to be in and see what feedback you get. Honesty doesn't always get the results we want but at least it opens the door to a discussion.


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

I like to learn our song selections so well that I could easily deviate from things a little with out giving it a thought. As for things like which pick up to use, these could change with mood or slight experimentation.
The band I'm in does 50 to 60% originals so I like to keep those songs very consistent and very close to the record.
I get a little annoyed with some songs I've worked so hard on and the decision is made to dumb it down or change it to something a little easier. Certain parts of the song are just improved so much by keeping the original written part.
Nothing drives me crazy more than to do this to an original.
There is an original ballad that we do that has a break in the middle and a very tasteful tom roll brings the vocals back in. Its a very impactful, emotional part of the song that really makes it. The last practice the female lead singer, who wrote the song couldn't get the timing to come back in (she was on the recording) It really was something that we could have fixed in 5 minutes. I get it, we've all been off for quite a while and we're just getting back in to the swing of things. But this was an 11 hour rehearsal and we had a lot of material to get through so they dumbed it down. 
We have an outdoor gig tomorrow and I have my doubts as to whether they'll remember it.
I sit in my music room almost every night playing along with all our songs and getting them completely ingrained in my head so I can roll with the unexpected but know how it should be played.


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## Derek_T (10 mo ago)

1SweetRide said:


> The obvious answer is that other peeps need to learn their parts better but that's an on-going battle


In my experience, this is very hard to find people that share the same level of commitment and expectation (practice, rehearsal, gig frequency...). So someone, usually the one the most involved end up taking the lead to make things work.

If you don't have fun, you could either lower your expectations to take some weight off your shoulder or find people that share the same commitment. But with amateur (ie: not making a living out of it) there're a lot of competing priorities.


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## 1SweetRide (Oct 25, 2016)

guitarman2 said:


> I like to learn our song selections so well that I could easily deviate from things a little with out giving it a thought. As for things like which pick up to use, these could change with mood or slight experimentation.
> The band I'm in does 50 to 60% originals so I like to keep those songs very consistent and very close to the record.
> I get a little annoyed with some songs I've worked so hard on and the decision is made to dumb it down or change it to something a little easier. Certain parts of the song are just improved so much by keeping the original written part.
> Nothing drives me crazy more than to do this to an original.
> ...


I experience exactly the same problem with one song. The bridge in Blue on Black that comes in after the longer guitar solo. The lead guitarist can never remember to go the bridge (F-G-F-G) and goes right back to the chorus from the solo. We tried about 5 times last week and finally gave up. He's got 20 years of experience to my 5.

I think I know why he struggles sometimes though. He hardly ever practices and when he does, he just goes from memory and never puts the original song on. I told him when he does that, he's always going to be in tune with the song in his head and won't ever realize he's out of tune/timing with the original.


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## mawmow (Nov 14, 2017)

According to the flaws you describe, your last sentence says it all : Your partners are not ready/devoted to seriously play in a band. Why not just have fun playin´ and boozin´ in the garage ?


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## 1SweetRide (Oct 25, 2016)

mawmow said:


> According to the flaws you describe, your last sentence says it all : Your partners are not ready/devoted to seriously play in a band. Why not just have fun playin´ and boozin´ in the garage ?


I've been thinking along these lines. It's because a couple of us really like to share our passion with others and enjoy the experience that comes with playing in front of an audience. I think it helps drive us to be better musicians. What I may do is try to start up another band more focussed on being serious about the music.


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## Chito (Feb 17, 2006)

Being a band leader is hard work. And since I don't have anyone now to roadie for me, my son who used to do it has been busy lately. I try to hire a sound guy specially if we are playing as a full band. For a trio in a small bar, we just keep our stage volume down and that usually solves a lot of issues right there. 
We should chat the next time I see you. I'll be there in your show on July 14.


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## 1SweetRide (Oct 25, 2016)

Chito said:


> Being a band leader is hard work. And since I don't have anyone now to roadie for me, my son who used to do it has been busy lately. I try to hire a sound guy specially if we are playing as a full band. For a trio in a small bar, we just keep our stage volume down and that usually solves a lot of issues right there.
> We should chat the next time I see you. I'll be there in your show on July 14.


If you show up on the 14th, you'll be one day too early . Want to do sound for us? Will supply food and drink.


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## player99 (Sep 5, 2019)

Situational awareness is way heightened when playing live than by yourself in your living room. When I play live my brain starts monitoring the room, the crowd, how I am appearing on stage, the rest of the band etc. It's almost like a part of my brain tries to float out of body and look and listen from the audience's perspective. This really puts a strain on my guitar playing and concentration.


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## Chito (Feb 17, 2006)

1SweetRide said:


> If you show up on the 14th, you'll be one day too early . Want to do sound for us? Will supply food and drink.


Oh yeah, it's us who are playing on the 14th. LOL


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## 1SweetRide (Oct 25, 2016)

player99 said:


> Situational awareness is way heightened when playing live than by yourself in your living room. When I play live my brain starts monitoring the room, the crowd, how I am appearing on stage, the rest of the band etc. It's almost like a part of my brain tries to float out of body and look and listen from the audience's perspective. This really puts a strain on my guitar playing and concentration.


Right on. It's like everything becomes a potential source of distraction. I fell into the groove though during a couple of our songs at the festival. Everything sounded good, muscle memory was working and I was just enjoying playing and watching the sailboats going up and down the St. Lawrence.


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## Mikev7305 (Jan 6, 2020)

guitarman2 said:


> But this was an 11 hour rehearsal


I think that's the problem there. In my one band we have members that span 2.5 hours of driving, and we meet in the middle, so jams only happen maybe once every 4-6 weeks. We tend to think we need to make up for lost time by jamming for 8-10 hours but in all honesty, after 3-4 hours productivity is essentially nil. We try to work songs out but anything after that initial time frame gets forgotten next jam. We've basically set them up lately where we focus for a few hours on material to learn or tighten up, then just hang out and improv jam the remainder


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

Mikev7305 said:


> I think that's the problem there. In my one band we have members that span 2.5 hours of driving, and we meet in the middle, so jams only happen maybe once every 4-6 weeks. We tend to think we need to make up for lost time by jamming for 8-10 hours but in all honesty, after 3-4 hours productivity is essentially nil. We try to work songs out but anything after that initial time frame gets forgotten next jam. We've basically set them up lately where we focus for a few hours on material to learn or tighten up, then just hang out and improv jam the remainder


The long rehearsals work for me. I do have a bit of a photographic memory though.


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## Powdered Toast Man (Apr 6, 2006)

I don't mean this as a dig, but it sounds like you need a better band. The way you describe the situation, it seems as though you're the crutch for a group of musicians that either don't have the knowledge, talent, or simply don't give enough of a shit. Flubs happen, sure. But some of these things sound like pretty regular and predictable screw ups. Lead singer forgets lyrics or cues? Get your shit together. I've worked with singers that have basically cue cards on the floor that they use as tools to remember words. Whatever works, but the performance has to be there.

Guitarist keeps making same mistake and train wrecks the song every time? Call him out. We had one song that my bassist missed a change every single time. I got tired of it so finally in one rehearsal when he missed the change I stopped the song. I looked right at him and said, "we have to get that change" and then took it from the top. He didn't do it again.

And forgetting to bring critical gear like tuners and cables on a regular basis? C'mon.

A band is like a platoon. You need to know they have your back as much as you have theirs. If you're constantly mentally monitoring the situation trying to anticipate their problems, then your performance is suffering.


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## Grab n Go (May 1, 2013)

When I was playing in a band, we were all-in, so there was no multi-tasking involved. Everyone did their part as needed. I could just focus on playing.

But I also direct a small choir on a weekly basis. That's where I'm expected to multi-task. (E.g., setup/teardown, do sound, lead rehearsals, organize music, play supporting instruments, conduct, sing my own part etc.)

I figure unless you're officially recognized as the band leader, it's not fair to have to support everyone else at the cost of your enjoyment.


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## Guitar101 (Jan 19, 2011)

1SweetRide said:


> It's a skill that can be developed but isn't easy to learn. Our brains don't want to deal with many competing inputs at once. I've come to realize, that at least for me, being able to multitask is an absolute must in a band context.
> 
> I was thinking about why songs that are so easy to play at home become much more of a challenge to play with the band. Here's my thoughts about everything you have to be thinking about when doing this.
> 
> ...


Years ago when I was playing out with a 3 piece using jam tracks, our guitar player (my son) added his guitar effects changes to the jam track. I think he had an HD500 but that's just a guess. That took a few tasks out of the equation.


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## Permanent Waves (Jun 2, 2020)

For our band, things are pretty complex from a multi-tasking point of view that all the basics like owning reliable gear/transportation, knowing your parts and showing up on time are table stakes. The bigger challenge is in the performance and the time commitment, which makes it so hard to find members.

1 - I'm juggling guitar parts and changes, bass pedals, sequencer and sampler triggers as well as program changes during songs.
2 - Bass player is juggling bass, vocals, occasional rhythm guitar, keyboards, bass pedals and vocals, along with program changes.
3 - Drummer handling rhythm and percussion (acoustic and electronic), triggers and switching to click on some songs.
4 - Rehearsals before every show with pre-determined set list so we can work out the program and instrument changes with the same gear used on-stage to work out the bugs.
5 - Three guys lugging over 700 pounds of gear in 2 vans to each show, including up to 8 guitars, 2 keyboards, bass pedals, amps/cabs, and an 11-piece kit with full percussion.
6 - Full setup and soundcheck takes close to 2 hours, even though we have our own monitor mix and in-ear setup for the whole band.
7 - Add to that the usual overhead of individual practice, gig booking and management, social media presence, posters, advertising, etc like everyone does.

In the end, it's half labor of love, half compulsive obsession. Finding musicians to do this is nearly impossible. I've been with the same bass player for 12 years and if he ever goes, I'm done. We've been through 5 drummers in that same time due to various reasons - lack of time, moving away, health issues - it's just a constant struggle. But it's fun .


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## 1SweetRide (Oct 25, 2016)

Guitar101 said:


> Years ago when I was playing out with a 3 piece using jam tracks, our guitar player (my son) added his guitar effects changes to the jam track. I think he had an HD500 but that's just a guess. That took a few tasks out of the equation.


Many will use MIDI driven tracks to automatically make effect changes. Not sure I want something that automated.


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## Grab n Go (May 1, 2013)

Permanent Waves said:


> For our band, things are pretty complex from a multi-tasking point of view that all the basics like owning reliable gear/transportation, knowing your parts and showing up on time are table stakes. The bigger challenge is in the performance and the time commitment, which makes it so hard to find members.
> 
> 1 - I'm juggling guitar parts and changes, bass pedals, sequencer and sampler triggers as well as program changes during songs.
> 2 - Bass player is juggling bass, vocals, occasional rhythm guitar, keyboards, bass pedals and vocals, along with program changes.
> ...


Because basically, you guys are doing the Rush thing without the Rush crew.


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## Dru Edwards (9 mo ago)

1SweetRide said:


> I'm not perfect but I know my parts quite well. I feel I'm the music director for the band and it's not a role I want.


I know what you mean. It can be tough to lead everyone in a song, especially when you're playing it. Some people like it, others don't but it's great to have someone to help everyone else through the transitions. I've done that many times.


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