We have all listened to songs that have levels to their parts, like “Song 2″ by Blur, and “Remedy” by the Black Crows. What I mean – and I am really simplifying this – is that the verse of a song may be lower than the chorus. Imagine this scenario: you’re in a bar where the club band is playing. They’re playing at one volume level; the verse is not soft and the chorus is not loud; the singer is in the background, and in this particular song s/he should be in the foreground. It’s all noise.

“Song 2″ is a great little song in the sense that the verse is at a fairly decent volume. As soon as the bass kicks in, which is in the chorus, the song takes off. Once the verse returns, the bass drops out and the song resumes its previous volume. The dynamics take the song back and forth with the different volumes.

“Remedy” uses the same idea, but with a switch: they play the song verse fairly loud; when it comes to the chorus the volume drops considerably. The dynamics really set a mood for the song and the crowd.

Another band that does very well with dynamics is the Dave Matthew’s Band. I am not going to ANALYZE their songs, but I encourage you to listen to a few.

Playing dynamically will also help your singer tremendously. S/he will not have to scream a whole song or set, so you may sound like the wedding band you are and not the local hardcore group. Being mindful of the levels you play during certain parts of a song will allow your singer to achieve a wider range. This has done wonders with my band, thanks to song dynamics.

It is a natural tendency for people to get excited when they play out. They play loud, and also fast. It is great to have energy as a band but you should sit down and discuss dynamics with your band mates. For example, the bass and drums should complement, not over power, each other. The guitars should be at a level that is not deafening, and the vocals should be coherent and not drowning in the music. Seriously listen to songs and how a particular band approaches a song.

I know this sounds simple but pay attention to the songs you are covering or the originals you are writing, because the dynamics will set the mood and the direction in which you want to go.

Here’s a side note on playing at lower levels and dynamically. I find that if my attack is lighter and less aggressive, I strike the strings with more precision and control. The harder I play, while fighting to be heard in a band, the sloppier I become. I have found that by playing at lower levels and more dynamically I have gained more control and precision of my attack.

In conclusion, keep your ears perked and poised for action; be professional in the sense that you can play a song tastefully. By following a dynamic you will become a better player. Remember, the band that is the loudest doesn’t always have the talent. It is the band that plays the song with dynamics that keeps the gig.

Music Stand: This is for those of us who have set lists and key structures written out. The stand is better than picking papers off of the floor that were on your amp.

Instrument stand: I can’t even count the times that my guitarist kept forgetting his. He’d prop up the guitar and I would watch it fall across the amp. Oh well. Save your own instrument.

Ear plugs, for the obvious reasons: loud drummer, super loud guitars, etc.

At the gig: Don’t drink excessively or dope up. It shows in your playing and your professionalism or lack of.

Practice: Send a flier to the neighbors letting them know when you practice, so if there is a problem, they don’t call the cops first, they call you.

Band politics: The band sits at a round table. There are no egos, and everyone gets a say. Be democratic. Discuss your goals, tunings, dynamics, etc.

Towel: To sop up the spilled beer on your amp that your guitarist denies he caused.

Cable: Loop your cable through your amp handle and your strap so it doesn’t fall out.

Picks: Different gauges for anyone in your band who uses one.

Spare cords and cables: It worked yesterday, so why doesn’t it work today? By the way, wrap your cords when you are done; the copper wire has a memory.

Spare strap: I had a guitar player sit in a chair for the whole gig. Enough said.

Spare microphones: If you sing, it is always good to have a back up. There is nothing like watching, in slow motion, a microphone hitting the ground and splitting into pieces.

Tuner: A guaranteed need. Your guitarist thinks he’s in tune and everybody else is out.

Batteries: For the tuner (which proves your guitarist wrong) or effects pedals.

Strings: Obviously for yourself. But also get a set of guitar strings. A guitar string is guaranteed to break; it’s always the high E. This happens on a Sunday, Sam Ash is closed and the gig is in an hour.

Drum key: The drummer arrives and can’t tune his set, or can’t put a new skin on.

Power strip/surge protector: For some reason, clubs always have problems with their power. Go figure. There have been more surges or blown circuit breakers than I care to remember.

Screwdriver: To get into your instrument or amp if there are any problems.

Allen wrenches: A must, if you want to do any instrument adjustments.

Tubes: For all of you oldies out there.

Fuses: For GK amps especially.

Pen/paper: For some reason you always need this. I just don’t know why.

Crazy glue: For your fingers or your guitarist’s mouth.

Duct tape: Repairs anything — even your guitarist. It can even fix broken drum skins.

Duffel bag: To carry everything.

Spare Clothes: For yourself. Not the kinky kind, but something that is comfortable, or to change into if someone spills something on you.

I know you will feel like a walking hardware store with all this stuff. But don’t tell your band mates what you have. If you do, they will rely on you every time. The purpose of having all of this equipment on hand is to save the day for yourself and others. Most importantly, it brings a sense of professionalism to your craft.

Actually, this article relates to The Little Black Book article that I wrote. This situation deals with how to deal with people on the telephone and make the auditioning experience for you next band worth your time.

So as you are searching for a new band, you should be able to:

• Get what you want out of any conversation.
• Paint an accurate picture of your soon to be band mates.
• Make a not-of-interest phone call into a brief call.
• Network with people of interest.
• Create your Little Black Book (see my other article).

Well as you might be thinking where do you get all these names and phone numbers? Easy, everyone and everything around you that pertains to music. The music shop, the local record store, the papers, word of mouth, and any other connections you can come up with.

Let us say that we have collected phone numbers and put them into a book, Access or Excel database file, or whatever (the databases are great because you can filter phone numbers immediately to see if you called before). You have a writing instrument in hand and you’re ready to dial the number…NOT YET!

Make a list of what you are looking for! Seriously think of what you want and what you want to avoid. Create a checklist. For example:

• Type of music?
• How many people in the band?
• How many times a week?
• What time(s) do they practice?
• How much experience?
• What are long term goals?
• How often do they want to play out?
• Is it just a jam band?
• Is it covers, originals, both?
• How far away are rehearsals and gigs?
• Where do they practice (garage, studio, etc)?
• Do they drink/smoke/do drugs (either normally or recreational use)?
• How long they have been together as a band? How long have they been playing out?
• Are there individuals in the band that have played together before?
• What are the ages of the band members?
• What is the band mix, female, male?
• Who and how many people sing?
• What are everyone’s musical influences… not their likes; their influences…who would they sound like when they play?
• What type of equipment (if you are an equipment buff)?
• Who owns, and if they even have a P.A. system? (this one causes many problems in bands who are looking to get one, but nobody wants to dish out the cash)
• Sound guy?
• Ask names of people in the band and where they are from… nothing worse than hooking up to find that you’ve played with the drummer before and you really didn’t like him.
• Are they set in their ways and won’t change tunes?
• Do they make money at gigs?
• Who is the bandleader?
• Does everyone contribute equally, or is it leader directed?

You should put these questions in an order of importance to you, from most important to least. By doing this you can seriously cut a phone call short if it doesn’t meet your expectations. You will also be able to get a feel for the maturity level and the seriousness of the band. Keep detailed records of the people you spoke with, and create a little black book.

The above questions and statements will spare you embarrassing moments and save you heaps of time. I know that we are all guilty of it, when making a phone call you are so excited that you forget to ask half of the questions you wanted too, and before you know it you are driving 45 minutes to a gig that you are not quite sure you want.

Remember, a phone call is akin to a verbal resume, so be honest. Don’t inflate your talent because you will have to produce when called upon. Also, you are interviewing them, not the other way around, even if they did place the ad for auditions. You want to see if the job is for you, and you won’t know if you don’t ask. One thing that is common, more often than not, is that people tend to inflate themselves and they are the ones desperate to get people in to play. Lastly, if you don’t like what you hear, immediately say, “I do not think I am right for this situation. Thank you for your time.”

By being open minded, modest and considerate, you will find it much easier to meet people and connect with individual personalities. The best part about being prepared with the above list is that you do not have to be a phone person to accomplish this task, just determined.

After reading and hearing about bass players concerned with finding a drummer, guitarist, horn player, or anything else for their ultimate band, I thought I would share one of my record keeping skills: keeping notes, names and phone numbers of band members.

Some years back, I began keeping records of people with whom I played and met. I have always tried to keep situations amicable, and to never burn a bridge. I would also read and call on ads for musicians in local papers. By doing this, I created a black book of players. These players are at my fingertips, and I am able to call different people for different situations. For example, for covers I would call a great rock drummer who was a strong player and had a full sound. For originals or recordings, I would call a drummer who was lighter and had more of a funk groove. The same would apply for singers, guitarists, and others.

The practice of keeping names has paid off. Remember, you may have a list of names but not everybody is playing all of the time. So when I make phone calls, it’s likely that some players are in-between bands or looking. The most valuable thing about this black book is that you keep in touch with people and create a bond, or a trust. It may take some time but it will pay off. Who knows: without expecting it, the next person you call may be looking for a bass player, or may know someone who is looking! This has happened to me and I give credit to networking for it. As I get older, I know what I am looking for in players, and not everybody fits that mold. This network of players allows me to pick and choose for projects and introduce players to other players.

Here is a quick story. I kept in touch with a drummer for about a year before I actually played with him. I met him through an ad he had placed, and though we were just too busy to get together, we kept in touch. It was worth it, because when the time came for us to get together, we were comfortable playing together, and there was little to no tension when we met. It was as if we were old friends.

The little black book almost makes you a booking agent by pulling people together, introducing others, etc. There have been instances where I have introduced people to each other and they have started their own bands. Though you may feel like you’re competing with this type of networking, you shouldn’t. We all have the same goal: to find people who share the same values, and have the same love for music that we do.

So, if you are in a situation or a band that isn’t coming together, just leave on friendly terms and look elsewhere. Keep everyone’s name, number, instrument, and style on file, even the people you don’t like. Who knows? The band you walked from may get rid of the person you didn’t care for. It happens, and it happens more often than you think. The network you create is a wonderful way to meet and play with people. You will meet people of all levels of musicianship, and people in different careers. This network of people will be your connection to the world of music, so don’t burn your bridges or lose numbers.