# How does your band handle dynamics?



## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

The band I'm in hasn't played that much for the last 4 years. Maybe 4 gigs a year. Recently we've had some personnel changes and have gotten more serious, booking almost every weekend and changing almost all of the set list lineup. 
One thing I noticed Saturday night while we were playing is that everyone was pretty excited and the volume dynamics suffered greatly. I started to roll volume off my guitar for verses and places of vocal importance. I' would boost slightly for choruses and spots to build more climax. then I boosted more for intros and solos. I had a hard time getting the attention of the bass player and drummer to follow suit.
So I'd like to hear others thoughts on how they handle this in their band setting.


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## washburned (Oct 13, 2006)

Unfortunately, unless you have a really great PA and Sound Tech, the only way to master playing with good dynamics is practice, practice and more practice, with a good sense of self discipline. Once levels are set, DON"T TOUCH THAT DIAL! I usually try to set my gear up for a good tone with the guitar volume about seven...this gives me a bit of clean headroom and lets me go into a bit of crunch just by turning up the guitar, without getting much louder...I use one of my OD pedals for a boost for leads, and the OD channel on the amp + pedals for really big sounds when needed; this pretty much let's me stay in control.


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## Guest (Feb 26, 2008)

washburned said:


> Unfortunately, unless you have a really great PA and Sound Tech, the only way to master playing with good dynamics is practice, practice and more practice, with a good sense of self discipline. Once levels are set, DON"T TOUCH THAT DIAL!


+1 to everything washburned said here. I'll add that I try to encourage the other amplifier-based people in the band from turning up when they can't hear their own sound. Instead, use the EQ and try to find a bit of the spectrum that isn't cluttered.


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

Paul said:


> I don't turn up to compete. If they can't hear me, eventually they figure out to turn down a bit. That's usually their cue to read the friggin' chart. The dynamic markings are there, read them and follow them!!!!! Keep in mind I play in a 12 piece horn band, and a full big band. You don't see a lot of charts on stage when the typical power trio is crankin' out "Pride and Joy".
> 
> Finding the right frequency spectrum to inhabit can help, but the downside is that the perfect tone you found all by yourself might not work in context, and what works in context may sound really sucky on its own.
> 
> Where are you playing locally? (Or at least cough up the name of your band so we can stalk you.....)


The big problem is that we as musicians are being selfish by worrying more about making sure we can be heard above everything in the mix and not worrying about properly backing up the vocals. I am going to have to bring the hammer down on the guys and get our volumes under control. Mainly work with dynamics to bring the volume up when appropriate and down again. The name of the band is Nowhere Road. The closest we play to the GTA in the next while is the Oshawa Corral April 15th where I will be sporting my new Dr Z Maz 38 senior, which I am truly in love with. Hopefully my Dr Z Stangray head and cab will be there as well but I don't hold out much hope that I will get it in that soon. 

Nowhere Road Myspace, http://www.myspace.com/nowhereroadband


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

Like washburned said-practice, and Paul gave the breakdown.

I would also say communicating with the other musicians. Before, during, and after practice--and during actual performing. I've always tried to listen to the others and tried to pick up on cues to add dynamics, etc.

I've played with people that seem to have no concept of dynamics--and it can be frustrating. Dynamics add so much to the feel & emotion of a song. Again--like Paul said--some songs will never be loud, some will never be quiet.

But communication & practice are important--as well as being able to explain to them why the dynamics are important in general, and to the song in question as well.


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## Wheeman (Dec 4, 2007)

Paul said:


> I play to create, (welllllll re-create, I play no original material) music. Music isn't a competition, it is an ongoing conversation. As far as playing live goes, I believe that it's about meeting two needs. The needs of the song, and the needs of the audience. Everything the band does has to work towards both of those, IMHO. When I've played bass in a band, I always played so that if I could obviously hear myself, I knew was either too loud, or playing in the wrong key. (Unfortunately it was frequently the latter). If I stopped playing and left a hole, I was probably just about right where I should be.
> 
> Think about how it works for a traditional big band. (5 saxes, 4 trumpets, 4 'bones + rhythm). From the audience perspective, only the most trained/experienced listeners will be able to single out individual horn players when they are playing together. The soloists will, or at least should, stand out when it's time to solo, but when there is section work to be played, it is a challenge to identify exactly which 'bone player is playing which note. As a player the challenge is listening to yourself in order to play your best, but also listening to everybody else too, in order for the group to play their collective best. To my ears that is frequently the difference between 3 or 4, (or 17) musicians playing together as opposed to happening to be playing at the same time.


Well said. You have to be 'there', or in the mix, or even louder if you are playing a vital instrument like the bass guitar. If you can't be heard, how are the other musicians going to know their cues or their own dynamics? 

I would have to agree with listening to a big band, concert band, orchestra, whatever. Playing together is more than just getting the notes, its about listening to dynamics, what the others are doing, *tuning* (big deal in a larger ensemble) and much more.


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

In my rock band context, some dynamics are planned/arranged, others are by-the-seat-of-the-pants, head nodding, conducted, felt, eye contact, even verbalixed. But no matter how it's done, everyone is paying attention, and gets the cue, or knows how to adapt to changes on the fly. It's tight or it's homework.

In my violin/guitar duo or my concertina/guitar duo, most of the dynamics are directed by me on guitar, or felt by us together as we've grown accustomed to each others playing and the material. Eye contact, and full attention are necessary when it's not all immediate and learned.

Peace, Mooh.


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

Paul...Yeah, the concertina is a really expressive instrument in the right hands, but there's a huge difference between good and mediocre models. It's kind of like having a pipe organ on your lap (no innuendo intended, lol). Loud. They guy I play with is mostly into celtic stuff, but we swing lots of it, not just the hornpipes, and he does song accompniment too.

Duos are simple to work dynamics.

Peace, Mooh.


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