Which songs should I learn b4 auditioning for a band?

[skier4467]

My goal is to someday be good enough to play keys in a band. I probably still have another year or 2 to rehearse though.

 

What are some popular songs that every keyboardist should know?

 

What should I learn b4 auditioning for a band?

[King Julian]

most of the bands i've played in have done "I'm a believer"

 

Others that might come in handy include:

Gimme some lovin

mustang sally

midnight hour

twist and shout

suspicious minds

sympathy for the devil

good lovin

heard it through the grapevine

roadhouse blues

back in the ussr

[GigMan]

Better question is, what songs do the bands in your area typically play? Go out to the bars, clubs, restaurants that are the typical venues for the bands on your circuit (the "circuit" you'd like to be on) and check 'em out. Make notes, hear the arrangements, etc...

 

Your list is pretty good, but here's a few that I'd add:

 

Sweet Home Alabama

Takin' Care of Business

Hard to Handle

Ain't Too Proud to Beg

Knock On Wood

House is a Rockin'

Wonderful Tonight

Margaritaville

Brown Eyed Girl

My Girl

Some Kind of Wonderful

[tucktronix]

You definitely want to learn some popular funk tunes:

 

I Got You(I Feel Good) - James Brown

Sex Machine - James Brown

Thank You For Letting Me Be Myself - Sly & The Family Stone

Play That Funky Music - Wild Cherry

Celebration - Kool & The Gang

Hollywood Swinging - Kool & The Gang

I Wish - Stevie Wonder

[b_3guy]

When you get an audition or try out, ask them to provide a list of tunes & the keys they play them in. The really good guys will have cassettes or CD's & possibly chord charts for you.

 

Also randomly learning tunes is just a good practise. Kind of like taking apart stuff, just to see what makes it tick.

[GigMan]

Originally posted by tucktronix You definitely want to learn some popular funk tunes: I Got You(I Feel Good) - James Brown Sex Machine - James Brown Thank You For Letting Me Be Myself - Sly & The Family Stone Play That Funky Music - Wild Cherry Celebration - Kool & The Gang Hollywood Swinging - Kool & The Gang I Wish - Stevie Wonder

 

Great tunes, all around Tuck - esp. Play That Funky Music, I think I've played that at every possible gig setting: weddings/banquets/parties/bars/clubs/bar+batmitzvahs, etc...

 

[mrcpro]

This is such a wide open question. My suggestion would be to not worry about specific songs right now, but to start going to places where the bands you're interested in are playing. All-ages, clubs (if you're over 21)...get a good feel for what's going down. You'll notice the songs being covered the most in your area that way.

 

I won't even start to make a list (I'd be typing all day ), but of the songs already mentioned, Play That Funky Music seems to be everywhere around here...even the country bands do it.

[GigMan]

Originally posted by b_3guy When you get an audition or try out, ask them to provide a list of tunes & the keys they play them in. The really good guys will have cassettes or CD's & possibly chord charts for you.

 

Right -

Ask for maybe 3 or 4 songs that you can do in an audition and make sure you know what key signature the band you're trying out for does them in.

 

Ask for copies of the tunes if you don't have 'em - easiest way nowadays is for the band to email you mp3 files of 'em, then you can listen and practice along w/your PC & you can burn 'em to CD to listen to in the car as well.