# Covers- Make them yours or copy?



## Kerry Brown (Mar 31, 2014)

When I do covers I try to make them mine. I try to keep them recognizable but with my own interpretation. I listen to as many different versions as I can find then come up with my own version. This may be because I'm not a good enough player to copy exactly but for the most part I find it boring to play someone else's version. I like to find what the song means to me and try and get that across. What do you do?


----------



## Budda (May 29, 2007)

They become mine because i usually dont stick to original versions of anything.


----------



## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

Make them mine. Even when I played in a Neil Young Tribute band we did our own thing.


----------



## SWLABR (Nov 7, 2017)

Depends on the song. 

_Norwegian Wood_ is straight up, cause it's already perfect in it's simplicity. But, I cover _People Are People_ as a solo acoustic act, so it really has to change. 

For the most part though, I'd say they are fairly true to the originals. I guess I'm not very creative.


----------



## KapnKrunch (Jul 13, 2016)

I admire good copycats, because I can't do it.

My fave, *XTC covering Captain Beefheart*. Perfect. (But can anyone cover XTC!)


----------



## Budda (May 29, 2007)

For the record, I change things because I don't put in the time to learn things verbatim - not because I think I can do it better... :/


----------



## Kerry Brown (Mar 31, 2014)

KapnKrunch said:


> I admire good copycats, because I can't do it.


There is this. I am hopeless at doing really good copies so I have convinced my self that my version, my way, is better.


----------



## Scottone (Feb 10, 2006)

We tend take liberties with most covers. That being said, we don't gig, so are just entertaining ourselves. If I was in a gigging cover band, would try to keep them closer to the originals since that is what the audiences like.


----------



## keto (May 23, 2006)

Auditioned last night for a band that it looks like I’m gonna join, very hard rock to some metal. They’re doing heavier versions of some great songs, I dig it. 

I was in a band for 5-6 years where the leader, who was my good buddy, insisted covers be as close to original in all aspects as we could do. It was one subject we disagreed heavily on, though I stopped pushing after a while. I really feel it held us back as a band in the post mortem. Left them this spring, they’ve done very little since, but my buddy is still my friend.


----------



## sambonee (Dec 20, 2007)

Here is my piece de restance. Zeppelin with a few many changes. 


__
https://soundcloud.com/https%3A%2F%2Fsoundcloud.com%2Fthe-hurley-jam%2Fgtc


----------



## High/Deaf (Aug 19, 2009)

Both.

Sometimes it's nice to really nail a cover. I like to think it honors the original artists, somehow. But sometimes it's fun to just totally bend it to your will. That's the fun of live music. Much like throwing together some weird medley that you'd probably never hear anywhere else. It's crazy the way some very different songs kinda fit together.


----------



## KapnKrunch (Jul 13, 2016)

Check out the whole album _Fast and Bulbous _which is a compilation of UK bands paying tribute to Capt. Beefheart. Interesting to see in one album, the full range of cover options as being discussed here.

Only XTC nails it 100%. Lots of fair-to-good guitar copying, but nobody gets the voice except XTC. Some of the groups just do their own thing (again fair-to-good, but never better than the original).


----------



## Lincoln (Jun 2, 2008)

Kerry Brown said:


> When I do covers I try to make them mine. I try to keep them recognizable but with my own interpretation. I listen to as many different versions as I can find then come up with my own version. This may be because I'm not a good enough player to copy exactly but for the most part I find it boring to play someone else's version. I like to find what the song means to me and try and get that across. What do you do?


I agree with all of the above. I too only do songs that I have some sort of connection with, and those songs become "mine" over time. Not that I set out to alter them, it just happens. Playing to a group of people, most will know the song, a few will think it was an original or something. And like you, when I'm interested in a new song, I will listen to every cover of that song I can find before I give it a go myself. I don't think people mind songs altered (as much) in an acoustic 1 or 2 performer setting. In a group though, they seem to expect/want something much closer to the original. And the closer, the better. In a group, if you do a different version of a popular song, you better knock their socks off, or you'll be getting a lot of funny looks.


----------



## KapnKrunch (Jul 13, 2016)

XTC cover!!


----------



## Wardo (Feb 5, 2010)

I only play songs that mean something to me. My only hope is that it comes across like I believe it. So I don’t worry too much about getting it exactly right like the original - I’m more concerned about whether I can do a decent version that fits my range and style etc. 

I was learning an old Stanley Brothers song from a Scaggs and Scruggs version and Earl was kickin out a guitar riff between verses and I realized I wasn’t going to live long enough to learn what he was doing so I made up my own version that had one or two of his riffs. It was easier to learn and remember my own stuff with a bit from the original here and there. People seem to like my version of that song and probably never heard the version that I got it from anyway. 

Looking at the list taped to my D18 right now it’s all songs that people wouldn’t fuckin well know anyway so I can do what I want with them ... lol


----------



## Guest (Dec 9, 2018)

Sometimes I sing the lyrics to the song on the left of my open songbook while playing the song on the right hand side. An example is the lyrics to Needle and the Damage Done to the guitar and melody of Pride and Joy.


----------



## Guitar101 (Jan 19, 2011)

Player99 said:


> Sometimes I sing the lyrics to the song on the left of my open songbook while playing the song on the right hand side. An example is the lyrics to Needle and the Damage Done to the guitar and melody of Pride and Joy.


That's different, and you could also play the song on the left of your open songbook while singing the lyrics to the song on the right hand side to mix things up. Me, the more the cover I'm playing sounds like the original, the better I like it. I even try to copy the singer if I can. (eg Elvis and Glenn Frey) I avoid songs sung by guys like Don Henley and Neil Young. Way out of my vocal range.


----------



## nbs2005 (Mar 21, 2018)

It's struggle in one of the jam bands I'm in. I have no interest in doing exact covers; I want to play a version of the song I hear in my head. One of my band members wants to do exact covers. We discuss that a fair amount.


----------



## 1SweetRide (Oct 25, 2016)

Kerry Brown said:


> When I do covers I try to make them mine. I try to keep them recognizable but with my own interpretation. I listen to as many different versions as I can find then come up with my own version. This may be because I'm not a good enough player to copy exactly but for the most part I find it boring to play someone else's version. I like to find what the song means to me and try and get that across. What do you do?


I was going to say the same thing. It’s hard to replicate the style, complexities, etc. It becomes my own style whether I want it to or not.


----------



## bw66 (Dec 17, 2009)

Always make it mine. For starters, it's rare that I can sing a tune in the original key. But, not being a songwriter, working up creative arrangements of other people's songs is my primary creative outlet.


----------



## Guncho (Jun 16, 2015)

They become mine as I'm too lazy to figure out how to play them correctly.

lol


----------



## Granny Gremlin (Jun 3, 2016)

To me it depends. 

Tribute band. Then you apin it and thats thebonly choice. I mean if youre already dressIng up as the guys you need to nail it. 

Otherwise make it tour own. 

There is a grey area where tou are like a hits of the era when my ausience was yo Ng and cool sorta band where you wanna be pretty close but theres wiggle room. 


Personally i never wanna be in a band of the first or third categories there and prefer some sort of interpretation/ rework. Its always recognisable enough ( assuming not too obscure).


----------



## Guest (Dec 9, 2018)

Guitar101 said:


> That's different, and you could also play the song on the left of your open songbook while singing the lyrics to the song on the right hand side to mix things up. Me, the more the cover I'm playing sounds like the original, the better I like it. I even try to copy the singer if I can. (eg Elvis and Glenn Frey) I avoid songs sung by guys like Don Henley and Neil Young. Way out of my vocal range.


Actually I have the potential of 4 songs from 2. Easy way to fill in the set if someone has only 20 songs.


----------



## High/Deaf (Aug 19, 2009)

Lincoln said:


> I agree with all of the above. I too only do songs that I have some sort of connection with, and those songs become "mine" over time. Not that I set out to alter them, it just happens. Playing to a group of people, most will know the song, a few will think it was an original or something.


When I did the rockabilly set, many people thought we were doing all originals, with the exception of 'Stray Cat Strut' and 'Hot Dog'. We weren't doing obscure rockabilly stuff (RHH, Hillbilly Hellcats, Imelda May, etc) but only those into 'billy had heard any of them. To be fair, most of them were new to me when I started learning them as well.




> And like you, when I'm interested in a new song, I will listen to every cover of that song I can find before I give it a go myself. I don't think people mind songs altered (as much) in an acoustic 1 or 2 performer setting. In a group though, they seem to expect/want something much closer to the original. And the closer, the better. In a group, if you do a different version of a popular song, you better knock their socks off, or you'll be getting a lot of funny looks.


I like to listen to the different versions but there's always some discussion with the rest of the band as to which version we'll learn, just to make sure we're all on the same page. 

I've done a version of 'Walkin' The Dog' for decades now and I can't even remember who my version is by. I can't find it on Youtube, so when I play it with a new band, they have to learn 'my' version. 

The current band had me learn Michel Pagliaro's 'Lovin' You Ain't Easy'. I learned the studio version and at the first practice, the other guitar player was looking at me funny at the end of the song. When we finished, he asked me where the outro solo was. Turns out there's a live version they do that I didn't know about and they didn't tell me which version. So I learned that one for the next week's practice. Glad I did, it's a cool solo to play.

In some cases, it seems like a no-brainer to play the cover, like 'Hard To Handle'. While the Otis Redding original is great, The Black Crowes cover was such a big hit and so much more current that's what the audience tends to respond to. I like to take that into consideration as well.


----------



## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

I don't even play songs I wrote the same way all the time--why would I do that with covers?

I know some people love to do them as close as possible--and that's fine if it's their thing.
But even if it's similar I still like to have a twist on it.

Last thing I recorded (But haven't quite finished) was an acoustic version of Led Zeppelin's Communication Breakdown
different feel to it--I may incorporate free form poetry instead of a guitar solo and/or outro.


----------



## Budda (May 29, 2007)

I have covered covers, that's a good time.

The children of bodom version of "white wedding" iirc, and a half n half MJ/fall out boy version of "beat it".

I would be a better player if I actually learned solos


----------



## Chito (Feb 17, 2006)

When I played in a couple of rock cover bands, the intention is to play as close to the original as possible. Since then, I've been too lazy to try to learn the solos so what I do is do my own. I've been doing it for the last 10 years now I think. And now with the band I'm playing in, we always end up playing the songs different, and that is also because everyone in the band is doing their own interpretation of the song. Last gig we had, the drummer started a song with the beat in a different tempo than we usually play it but we continued on coz the singer started singing. LOL So we ended up playing it that way. At the end, we all looked at each other with that WTF was that all about look. hahaha


----------



## SWLABR (Nov 7, 2017)

Not to jump the thread, I suppose this should be over in the "Cool Covers" part of town, but talk about nailing a song note-for-note!!






First time I heard this I was driving and wondered why the station I was listening to was playing Toto. Then I realized a very subtle difference, and really started paying attention. When the band name displayed on the LCD said Weezer, I almost pinned the brakes!

Then I thought... why bother? To see if you can I guess.

A good friend (and better musician) once told me it is always best to try learn something as close as possible for your personal growth, then change it. He can say that, the guy can lift solos with little to no effort.


----------



## Guest (Dec 10, 2018)

I always try to get as close to the song as possible.
Same with the members in the bands that I play in.
As for solos .. I find that you can get away with doing your own spin on it.
But, it's comes off better if you can nail the signature licks though.
Me, as long as you recognize what I'm trying to play, I'm happy. lol.


----------



## allthumbs56 (Jul 24, 2006)

You can make something your own with a very different interpretation than the original. Blinded by the Light comes to mind. If you're in a tribute band you need to be as close as possible to the original or what's the point? 

When I play acoustic shows I tend to make it my own - I mean it's you and a guitar capturing the soul of a 32 track song - and that's especially how I approach things with my cover bands - you need the signature components of the song but the rest is up to you. The only solo I do note-for-note is Another Brick in the wall - all the rest will be 50 - 80% of the original probably.


----------



## Dorian2 (Jun 9, 2015)

For me it depends on the song. There are a couple of classics on electric and acoustic that I won't change except for some very minor nuances. Others I'l completely change the feel or vibe of the tune, but not necessarily the song structure or chord changes. Most of the time it's the small things you add along the way that make it your own anyways. I've never played a lead note for note though. I like to do my own thing there, sans a couple of key phrases that need to be there for the glue.


----------



## High/Deaf (Aug 19, 2009)

Acoustic covers of electrics have to be interpretations by nature. My neighbor does a tres cool raggae version of Hotel California because, well, the electric version is impossible on 1 or 2 acoustics. If there were 4 of us singing, maybe we could pull off the Hell Freezes Over version, but the Caribbean version is fun to play.

I think it's important that, if you deviate from the original, it is obvious that that was your intention. Otherwise, this ....................


----------



## Dorian2 (Jun 9, 2015)

Not sure if the out of key and tune playing and singing helped that one out much neither. They need guidance for sure.


----------



## Guest (Dec 11, 2018)




----------



## marcos (Jan 13, 2009)

I will copy within my limits.Some stuff, especially solos are way out of my reach so will tend to make it my own.


----------



## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

I’ve always felt that I should learn the rules before I take matters into my own hands and break them.

By that I mean that I prefer to learn the songs as closely to the original as possible and THEN make them mine.

Truthfully I think many of those who roll their eyes at bands who cover songs accurately do so because they don’t have the ear or chops to play the songs correctly.

A cover will almost always take on your style or spin once you play it for awhile.

And if I hear another new country starlet try to improve Big Yellow Taxi I’m going to tear that grocery store (or elevator)apart.


----------



## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Back in my band days we realized that just about every single Buddy Holly song could be done reggae-style. We would also do Dylan's _Ballad of a Thin Man_ the way that Procol Harum might do it.

Speaking of Dylan, a friend recently caught Dylan at the Beacon Theatre in NYC. Dylan does not talk between songs, and the rearrangements are such that you need to hear the title of the song to be able to recognize it.






Todd Rundgren's more recent shows have been about 40% covers of some really diverse tunes. This morning, I heard him cover Arthur Brown's "Fire", followed immediately by Captain & Tenille's "Muskrat Love".  But both were really authentic and flawlessly done.


----------



## allthumbs56 (Jul 24, 2006)

mhammer said:


> followed immediately by Captain & Tenille's "Muskrat Love".  But both we really authentic and flawlessly done.


 It's a sad day when I can't remember breakfast but instantly recall that Muskrat Love was originally done by America.


----------



## ga20t (Jul 22, 2010)

My vote, as a listener and performer: the art is in the interpretation—keep everything musically interesting. If I wanted to hear a facsimile of something already recorded (no doubt by someone better), I'd do myself a favour: stay home and listen to the record.

Those people who walk out of Dylan shows early because "He isn't playing any of the songs we paid to see." would also be welcome to not bother with my music. But a lot of professional giggers would go broke if they allowed themselves to think like I do.

Learning all parts of a recorded song note-for-note, beat-for-beat is an excellent method of learning. I've always just felt that the point where one is ready to perform done material in front of others is also the point where they are able to go beyond and break those rules, blend it with other influences; play what one hears when they hear the song in their head rather than... the song.


----------



## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

We're 50/50 in my band. 

Some songs we do dead-on covers of the original tune, some we play with. We do a lot of mashups, so there's a lot of gymnastics going-on there in terms of changing keys, arrangements, layer parts over one another, etc. so those definitely become something wildly different than any of their original component parts. 

In terms of our regular songs, we mostly stick to the OG song, but we'll occasionally shorten a song that we think goes on for too long, or double-up an outro chorus, etc. I'm the only guitarist in the band, so a lot of songs require me figure out what parts I want to be handling - sometimes I'll stick to chords, other times with melody lines, basically whatever I feel is right for the song.

In terms of solos, there are a few songs that I do note-for-note solos because I love the originals so much and I get a kick out doing them as-recorded. Other songs, I've written my own solos for and I'll do that (or a variation). Some songs, I just know what key we're in and I play whatever I feel like on the day.


----------



## Dorian2 (Jun 9, 2015)

I think any song is open to interpretation. Only question is, who is your audience and who are you working for. And what is your bands goal. I can only speak from an Original band/player POV that does some covers though. I'm sure many players that are gigging regularly have a lot more to say about regularly covering tunes for bars that want a specific type of act. I'm not sure venues they will expect everything exactly or as close to as possible to the original in some cases, and much more precise in others. Saw a band years ago named Revolver that did a Beatles tribute at a local club. Everything was pretty much spot on to the recorded version. But at this point it's getting to the question of what the band is offering the proprietor and what he or she wants to fill the bar.

How do some of the guys here who've been actively playing and touring for years approach this stuff?


----------



## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

Dorian2 said:


> I think any song is open to interpretation. Only question is, who is your audience and who are you working for. And what is your bands goal. I can only speak from an Original band/player POV that does some covers though. I'm sure many players that are gigging regularly have a lot more to say about regularly covering tunes for bars that want a specific type of act. I'm not sure venues they will expect everything exactly or as close to as possible to the original in some cases, and much more precise in others. Saw a band years ago named Revolver that did a Beatles tribute at a local club. Everything was pretty much spot on to the recorded version. But at this point it's getting to the question of what the band is offering the proprietor and what he or she wants to fill the bar.
> 
> How do some of the guys here who've been actively playing and touring for years approach this stuff?


For our type of act, that's exactly it. Bars/clubs are looking for entertainment that fills dancefloors and gets people drinking. No one's going to dance to a moody version of Taylor Swift's Shake it Off. We mess around with stuff, but it has to stay upbeat. 

Our mashups tend to take this formula:
1) find a popular song
2) find another song that we really dig but might not be able to justify playing them
3) smash them together and see what happens

We end up doing things like INXS/Gwen Stefani, Modest Mouse/Miley Cyrus, Nirvana/MGMT, Beyonce/Bush etc. where one song is very much a boppy dancefloor filler and the other is an older rock song that we can weave into it.


----------



## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

allthumbs56 said:


> It's a sad day when I can't remember breakfast but instantly recall that Muskrat Love was originally done by America.


My sympathies, Chris. But you mean that Captain & Tenille's version was a *cover*? Dear lord. How far we have fallen.

But on the overall topic..... I think there are tunes we look forward to playing faithful covers of because there are moments in the song, be they riffs, lyrics, harmonies, or whatnot, that we really, really, like and look forward to immersing ourselves in at bigger than dishwashing-music volume-levels. But there are tunes we conceive of as coming close to their potential but not quite reaching it, and we can think of how we might expand/extend them. Finally, there are tunes that are perfect fuel for "I wonder what would happen if..." experiments.


----------



## Delores Streisand (Nov 4, 2018)

If you’re a mostly original band, writing and releasing your own material and gigging mostly your own material with a few covers thrown in, go ahead and make ‘em your own.

But if you’re mostly a cover band, playing parties, casinos and the like, stick as close as practical to the original. Nobody wants to hear your artistic interpretation of a song they always crank up when it comes on the radio. They love the song the way it is. You keep doing that and they’ll book a DJ next time.

Different situations = different expectations.


----------



## allthumbs56 (Jul 24, 2006)

Some songs deserve our respect as guitarists to do the solos as exact as possible. Anything by the Eagles, Floyd or Elliot Easton come to mind. I also would not bastardize My Sharona, Highway Star, or even Cinnamon Girl for that matter.


----------



## Dorian2 (Jun 9, 2015)

There's also the therapy


allthumbs56 said:


> Some songs deserve our respect as guitarists to do the solos as exact as possible. Anything by the Eagles, Floyd or Elliot Easton come to mind. I also would not bastardize My Sharona, Highway Star, or even Cinnamon Girl for that matter.


Yup. There's definitely stuff, IMO as well, that shouldn't be messed with too much. Although Highway star I'll have to disagree with at a certain level. Probably not yours or mine.... Morse stays pretty faithful here though.


----------



## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

allthumbs56 said:


> Some songs deserve our respect as guitarists to do the solos as exact as possible. Anything by the Eagles, Floyd or Elliot Easton come to mind. I also would not bastardize My Sharona, Highway Star, or even Cinnamon Girl for that matter.


Oh yeah, you gotta get that My Sharona solo RIGHT when you play it! And the full album version, not the chopped radio-edit that cuts a lot of the fun stuff out!


----------



## Guest (Dec 12, 2018)

allthumbs56 said:


> or even Cinnamon Girl for that matter.


That solo is up there with Ramones - Sedated.


----------



## BEACHBUM (Sep 21, 2010)

I'll let you folks decide.

Original





Mine

__
https://soundcloud.com/id%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fsoundcloud.com%252Fuser-302874328%252Fspider-and-the-fly%252Fs-jRpgN%3Bsecret_token%3Ds-jRpgN%3Btrack_id%3D374673017

Original





Mine

__
https://soundcloud.com/https%3A%2F%2Fsoundcloud.com%2Fuser-302874328%2Fspiders-and-snakes


----------



## djmarcelca (Aug 2, 2012)

Depends on the song. 
If it's an Iconic song for guitars like: 

Still got the blues
Black Betty
Freebird
Black Dog
Black Magic Woman
Satch Boogie
La Grange, Etc
Then I'll do my best to mail them note for note. ( I still haven't truly nailed the tapping section in Satch Boogie)
But otherwise screw it, change it up.


----------



## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

I can't play the same solo I played on my own songs--how am I going to nail someone else's?
Although I can be in the ballpark.
Sometimes.

Including with my own.

I once came up with a very different arrangement of a song and when I recorded the rhythm part I went to jam along with it and I played lead very similar to the original--not exact--but the same style--event hough the arrangement I had for the rhythm part was quite different- (Including tempo & feel)

So who knows?


----------

