Band is hitting the roof. (advice needed)

[behling]

my band is hitting the roof.

my band consist of

a vocalist cum keyboardist
a electric guitarist
a acoustic guitarist
a drummer
and myself as the bassist

a lil backgrnd. my close frens and i formed a band on the 081006. we are 3 mths old. we all picked up the guitar in sec skool. played along to pop songs and all but never really got tog untill recently. i myself along with the band's vocalist cum keyboardist and acoustic guitarist have a musical background. we pick up songs pretty fast. we've been blessed with a gd ears so we are able to hear details of the diff instruments in a song. We're started out with simple songs and are progressing towards technically demanding songs. currently we have a repertoire of about 10 songs.

the problem im facing is. Even thou we're doing everything right musically (notes are right, timing is there) basicallly everything is in order. however i feel somthing is missing. its like the vibe is absent in certain songs. i cannot seem to figure out what is wrong.

i do not know if its due to a lack of instrument technique but i believe that is a problem that can be overcomed. the part i do not understand is that despite a simple song with very little technical skill required (i.e Dishwalla - angels) is lacking a spark to it. its like the song is played rite. its just there. as it is but lacking a spark. it might be because i'm part of the band thats why i'm hearing it from the band's perspective however after expressing myself to the rest of my bandmates we all feel the same way.

im pleading to the more experience bands out there. if any of you have faced a similar situation and have overcomed it please share with me and the many newly formed bands out there your advice and possible solutions.

thank you.

 

[Crawldaddy]

Hmm.

Is your band a "full" band? From your post I can only identify that your band consists of yourself, a vocalist / keyboardist and another guitarist. I'm wondering if you guys have a drummer and a bassist because there is no mention of those positions.

 

[behling]

oh sorry.

my band consist of

a vocalist cum keyboardist
a electric guitarist
a acoustic guitarist
a drummer
and myself as the bassist

 

[soft]

behling, do you have any recording of your band's music? post it here and we can comment on it.

 

[shredded]

Hmm, how about tweaking the amps and the EQ?

 

[AEnimic]

urmm..sometimes playing a cover for so long will only wear the spark down coz the challenge of playing it together is gone...

the whole band would feel that playing the song is second nature and then feel nothing outta it...so get someone to come and hear..probably somebody who is a fren from another band..and get his/her opinion..

or try rotating jamming list songs..adding a new song into the playlist every once in awhile..while keeping the old list there to keep band chemistry...then if one song is supposedly sounding boring for the band..then keep the new song as a permanent song...

this kinda things usually happen..thats why those big big band people have side projects to have a different avenue to play different music..

hope i made sense

 

[RazrAsh]

then mayb its time to work on stage presence. or try a new studio.

try moving around during jammings, i get the feeling that u guys pretty much just stand around doing your stuff. like its putting in the required time and then going off after.

my band is facing the same thing now, and its kinda escalating to the point where we have no mood to jam, and even though our song covers are technically correct, its lacking the vibe to it. or like goose and edder and shredcow always say,
IT LACKS MOJO!!!!

 

[behling]

@soft i'll try to record our session on a mp3 player and upload the next time the band meets.

@AEnimic Looking back i kinda agree. currently we're attempting harder songs now and it makes the 1st few songs we tried sound ez i guess. i tink i'll try to get a fren to sit in and hear us play to get his opinion.

@RazrAsh. i guess so. my band has never performed for anyone thou we're building up our repertoire now in preparation for a audition to be able to perform. we've never realli thought able stage presence or using stage equiment and how it might be different. i guess we'll try that too.

thx for the feedback guys realli apperciate it.

 

[visa]

it might be the tempo.

 

[RazrAsh]

lol. tempo visa?

yeah well.. try playing a song that goes at 80 bpm at 180 or 200 bpm.

might give u a real kick.

 

[visa]

sometimes if you're playing a song too fast or too slow it loses it's magic. to me lah.

it could also be chemistry. i've played in bands where everybody just plays their own instrument to the beat and it gets really boring even though it's tight- it feels like everybody is struggling for air.

i've also played in bands where everybody communicates and is coordinated, and you can really feel the drummer and bassist working together as a team and the rhythm guitars floating over them nicely and the vocals and whatever else really soaring.

communication, comfort, coordination

 

[RazrAsh]

lo. eh visa, remember that band we both played for that time at beat merchants?
power right? :lol:

 

[visa]

eh? are you sam? O_O

 

[RazrAsh]

yes la!!! I AM SAM!!!! gawd, i sound retarded.

 

[visa]

sam you are. i forgot your soft name lah!

wah that vocalist hairstyle machiam style

 

[RazrAsh]

lol. the drummer besar sia. MoP!!!

 

[visa]

end of passion play!

 

[behling]

@visa i kinda get wat you mean. in my band's currrent repertoire there is this particular song which myself and the rest of the band can feel the vibe.

strangely enuff for that song everyone is sorta in sync with one another and only because of each other's part that it makes the song great. just like you said drummer and bassist giving the ormph, rhymthguit carrying the song with the lead to add the flavour and the vocalist shining thru this is the thing that makes the song gorgeous.

i kinda can relate to wat you're saying but wat i am unable to do is to bring that same level of communication and coordiation to into other songs. its not that there ain't no communication in the other songs its just it issn't as gd as that particular one and i'm pullin my hair trying to figure out how to do that. any advice? solutions? thanks man.

 

[penguin]

hey bro...take a break you are trying too hard..
how often you jam???jam again after taking a week break.

how loud do you jam?im thinking perhaps its too loud...thus no room for you guys to interact..need to compensate one another ..thats also teamwork hehe
or just change to other set list ...i`ll do wonders..

 

[behling]

jam normally once a week. but when busy twice a week. nromally doing a new song once every 2/3 weeks.

hmm dotn tink volume is very loud. have had ppl who are extremely sensitive to loud noise sitting in and they haven had a problem.