Backstage With the Band

[azmyth]

We want to play this song. I'm the singer, but I can't play the keys and sing at the same time.

I've been practicing the intro which is really the only part I am super concerned with having as its so iconic.

I was thinking of trying to use a loop station or something to play it once, and then loop it. Then I get the "they actually played it" but without having to learn how to sing it and play it.. and its the only song we'd need it for so far and we don't want to hire a keyboard player for one song. any thoughts?

[Opus Antics]

Obviously having a piano is best for that song.  But, if you don't, we play it by breaking the piano part down into bass and guitar.  The bass does the "left hand" and the guitar on a clean setting does the "right hand".  The only part where it gets a little tricky is when the distorted electric guitar fill comes in.  Switching to that, getting the fill in, doing the dramatic Bom Booooommmmm, and then finishing off the verse takes practice to sound right.

[stangconv]

We mash it up with enter sandman, no keys needed

[StratGuy22]

We play it with bass and guitar.

A bit ironic since we DO have a keyboard player

LoL

[mstreck]

Our ipod used to play the piano intro.

[bigjd]

We do the Sandman mash up. Works gr
eat everytime.

[vablows]

We do it on keys, but I have done it with bass and guitar only and it works ok, you could try it and see how it feels.

[Nobody Told Me]

We used to do the sandman mashup, but noticed that after the novelty wore off, the chicks thought we were ruining DSB, and the metalheads hated what we did to Sandman.

[rodclement]

We do it at every gig acoustic, just one guitar and vocals, it works every time.

Rod

[n9ne]

Some friends of mine do it with no keys at all. They start with just the guitar playing the bass line and chords, but with a slow, bluesy groove. (Think Tracy Chapman's [I]Give Me One Reason[/i], but replace the I-IV-V with the DSB chord progression.). The drums and bass do the swell and double-hit, then drop out until the full band kicks in at the chorus. . Works pretty well.

[wheresgrant3]

We have TWO keyboard players playing this song and it's one of the big ones of the night, however one show two years ago neither of us was available. I was out of town on business and Richie our other player caught the beginning of the flu just before the show (on the way to the venue) two hours away. He couldn't finish the gig so the band had to play the song as a 4 piece. Our guitar player during the set break worked out the right hand parts and the bass player played the bass line. This was in a packed and popular club... the crowd couldn't have cared less. They sang right along with the song just as they had done 20 times before. I've seen alot of bands cover the song with the iPod option. They get through it. If you can sing the song and do it justice thr audience will be focused on the lead vocals and not the instrumentation. 

Just my $.02

[guido61]

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wheresgrant3 wrote:

I've seen alot of bands cover the song with the iPod option. They get through it. If you can sing the song and do it justice thr audience will be focused on the lead vocals and not the instrumentation. 

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This is the modus operandi of all bands that play to tracks.  And karaoke as well.  

[Piano Whore]

My .02: Do what u gotta do but please keep working at it until you can handle it by yourself in real time. It's doable and the next piano/vox tune will come easier. Take it slowly at first, with a click, and break it down little by little- maybe for beginners just start with right hand chords and have the bass carry the LH part.

[guido61]

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Piano Whore wrote:
My .02: Do what u gotta do but please keep working at it until you can handle it by yourself in real time. It's doable and the next piano/vox tune will come easier. Take it slowly at first, with a click, and break it down little by little- maybe for beginners just start with right hand chords and have the bass carry the LH part.

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That's a good suggestion.

As simple as it is, I remember it taking me a bit of practice to get the right hand/left hand playing both parts like they should.  I can only imagine trying to sing as well as Steve Perry on top of it at the same time. 

[Tullsterx]

If you only need the keys for one song, just play a recording of the piano part. 

I was going to suggest you work on it, but, if you're not really interested in playing keys and don't need the keys for anything else, just play a recording and sing along.  

[wheresgrant3]

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guido61 wrote:

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wheresgrant3 wrote:

I've seen alot of bands cover the song with the iPod option. They get through it. If you can sing the song and do it justice thr audience will be focused on the lead vocals and not the instrumentation. 

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This is the modus operandi of all bands that play to tracks.  And karaoke as well.  

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Which is in itself the modus operandi of most bands that play to tracks... to get through it, necessarily deliver the song with any justice. Not a dig per se, just an observation why most bands turn to them. 

[TrickyBoy]

We do it as a 4-piece, drums, 1 guitar, bass and singer every show.  So easy to pull off.  We honestly get the same reaction playing it with guitar and bass that every band I've ever seen play it get's with the piano.  

Just own it!!!

[wheresgrant3]

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TrickyBoy wrote:

We do it as a 4-piece, drums, 1 guitar, bass and singer every show.  So easy to pull off.  We honestly get the same reaction playing it with guitar and bass that every band I've ever seen play it get's with the piano.  

Just own it!!!

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This is true! I remember seeing video and it sounded great. The bar/club ate it up. You can play it like your playing an arena or you can strip it down to it's basic parts. I think the mistake alot of bands try to do with most music is cover the song as close to the artist without all the instrumentation and parts. Just own it... make it your own! 

[TIMKEYS]

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guido61 wrote:

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Piano Whore wrote:
My .02: Do what u gotta do but please keep working at it until you can handle it by yourself in real time. It's doable and the next piano/vox tune will come easier. Take it slowly at first, with a click, and break it down little by little- maybe for beginners just start with right hand chords and have the bass carry the LH part.

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That's a good suggestion.

As simple as it is, I remember it taking me a bit of practice to get the right hand/left hand playing both parts like they should.  I can only imagine trying to sing as well as Steve Perry on top of it at the same time. 

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I have to agree.  we dont even do that song.   It took me less than a minute to figure out the jist of the key part , and its really not that hard to sing and play it.    Its pretty simple ,, practice.    As for an arrangement without keys,,  I dont think it would be very hard to work somthing up that gets the job done and sound good.   people tend to listen to the vocals more than what instrument is playing the licks

[azmyth]

We went over it this past weekend without the keys and we definitely have to play the song.. the rest of it rocked. I've been trying to learn the keyboard parts, but I can't play them and sing at the same time currently.