As The World Tunes

Don't Do That

by Steve Bussey
GeoSynchronous Records

I think it was Groucho Marx who told the joke about the man who went to see the doctor. Doctor , the man said, it hurts when I do this , to which the doctor replied, Don t do that! I do not know if the man was playing his guitar at the time, but the Doctor s advice is certainly applicable to all musicians. One of the easiest ways to improve your musical endeavors is to recognize and place limits on your self. If there is something you do that does not sound good, then don t do that! You would be surprised at how often this simple and obvious advice is ignored.

Western music comes already with limits and things that you don't do, with only twelve notes available. This is typically further limited to eight or even only five note scales. Most rock tunes only use three chords! So limiting yourself is not a bad thing. This less is more approach helps the listener to focus on one idea, and makes the music easy to remember. Most of us have already accepted and practice these limits. What other things can we not do?

Most of us naturally tend towards only a few styles of music anyway, be it blues, bluegrass, country, alternative or whatever. Some styles we know we do not perform well, and we don't do that. But what about in our chosen style? Are there some rock songs that your rock band does not do well? Are the vocals just outside the singer's range? Can you see the contempt on one member's face every time you perform the song? Don't do that song! Let's face it, there are thousands of great songs out there, so the loss of one or even hundreds won't put a dent in your repertoire. Even if only one member objects, don't do that song. (However, if one member objects too often, it may be time to don't do that member.)

On the songs that you all agree on, do you really need all seven band members playing all the time on all songs? Orchestras do a great job of using instruments only when required. You may see the bassoon player sitting quietly most of a composition, playing a short but meaningful part, and then sitting quietly again. Do you really need to have 2 guitar leads and a keyboard lead in every song? Do you even need an instrumental break? If the song does not need that, don't do that.

If you perform live, watch the audience reaction to each song. If they are yawning, leaving, or throwing bottles at you during certain songs, then take a hint and don't do that song. If you get offered a gig that is not suitable for your style, don't do that gig. If you record your own material and do not perform, then you will need to play your recordings for people you that will give you honest opinions that you trust. Family and friends may not give you valid feedback. You may want to sneak in your song with some other commercial music as a background at some activity and see if anyone notices.

Keep in mind that what we are discussing here is things you don't do in public performance. Every musician owes it to themself to stretch their limits, and think in unconventional ways. This is the only way to grow. If you find something difficult and hurts when you do that, and don't do that, then you will stagnate. Don t be afraid to try a new style, unconventional tunings, odd time signatures, anything. Experiment, go nuts. But do it in the woodshed, in private. Wait until you have it mastered before performing it in public. And also keep in mind that the examples mentioned here are just examples. You can find a successful exception to every one mentioned. That is the hardest part of being a successful musician, knowing what to do and what not to do. And it can also be the most satisfying.

About the author: Steve Bussey is a singer/songwriter/guitarist and is currently the owner and general manager of GeoSynchronous Records (http://www.pan.com/geosync, Listening Line 800 235 9193, ask for a free catalog), an indie label handling artists such as Les Dudek, Mike Pachelli, Bong Water Taffy, and Big Red & The Bus. Prior to this, Steve earned Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Electrical Engineering and Acoustics from Georgia Tech, designed sound equipment and guitar amps for Fender, and supervised design of communication systems for the Space Shuttle at Kennedy Space Center.