Metallica - Garage Bands Rule!

Metallica - Garage Bands Rule!

Before all the fame and fortune, before all the million selling albums and sold out world tours, Metallica was just another band, playing cover tunes in bars out in California. In fact, at their very first live performance in Anaheim, back on March 14, 1982, they played just three originals and seven cover songs. One of the songs, "Am I Evil," is still used by the band as an encore and was first released by the heavy metal band Diamond Head in 1980. When Metallica got their start back in 1981, they learned songs from the massive record collection of drummer Lars Ulrich. Born in Copenhagen, Denmark, Lars was the son of Danish tennis pro Torben Ulrich. He was attending concerts since the age of five, seeing the Rolling Stones and Deep Purple before he turned nine. He met James Hetfield in high school and they decided to start a band. Soon they were joined by guitarist Dave Mustaine and bassist Ron McGovney. They released a demo cassette in 1982 titled "No Life 'Til Leather" that quickly became a smash hit among tape traders across America. The tape sparked interest by several major labels and the band signed with Elektra in early 1983 and released their awesome debut, "Kill'em All."

Internal tension caused Mustaine and McGovney to leave the group. Their replacements were Cliff Burton on bass and Kirk Hammett on guitar. It was time to record another album, but the band just wasn't ready for the strain. Instead, they opted to just record some of their favorite cover tunes. They picked "Am I Evil" by their favorite band, Diamond Head and "Blitzkrieg" which was by the English band of the same name. A tour of England was planned to promote their new album "Ride The Lightning." They issued the single "Creeping Death" to foreign audiences to promote the tour and put these two cover songs on the "B" side as a gift to their fans abroad. While on the overseas tour, Cliff Burton was killed when their bus overturned in Sweden.

Back home, they hired bassist Jason Newsted to replace Cliff, and hit the road to fulfill some tour dates that had been previously booked. During this time the band was invited to perform at the huge Monsters Of Rock festival at Castle Donington in England. Elektra Records suggested they record a few new songs to help promote the prestigious gig. They went in the studio but were only able to write one new song. While skateboarding, singerJames Hetfield fell and broke his arm. Time was running out. There was no time to write and record new songs. The answer was simple, record some cover tunes and give the record company something to promote the upcoming tour. They recorded five of their favorite cover tunes and released the famous "The $5.98 EP: Garage Days Re-Revisited" collection. It contained their versions of "Helpless", originally recorded by Diamond Head, "The Small Hours" by Holocaust, "The Wait" by Killing Joke, "Crash Course In Brain Surgery" originally done by Budgie and "Last Caress / Green Hell" by The Misfits. They released the collection in August of 1987. The EP was so successful, the band decided to record a few more cover songs during the next few years. In September of 1988, they recorded two tunes to use as "B" sides for the single "Harvester Of Sorrow." Again they picked songs byBudgie (Breadfan) and Diamond Head (The Prince), two of their favorite bands.

During the studio sessions in 1991 that produced the "Metallica" (Black Album), the had two cover tunes on tape. The first was "Killing Time" by Sweet Savage and the second was "So What" by Anti-Nowhere League. When the band released the single "Unforgiven" in November of 1991, these two tunes were used as "B" sides. They recorded a version of the Queen hit, "Stone Cold Crazy" especially for Elektra Records compilation called "Rubaiyat." Queen guitarist Brian May was a huge influence on Metallica during their early years. It was a chance for them to pay tribute to the band.

During studio sessions for the "Load" album in December of 1995, they were invited to an all-star jam at the Whiskey in L.A. honoring bassist Lemmy Kilmister of Motorhead. Metallica declined the jam session but offered to open for Motorhead, unannounced, as a tribute band. In preparation, they began rehearsing some Motorhead tunes. With a DAT tape running, they recorded four songs that would appear as "B" sides to the "Hero For A Day" single. The classic Motorhead tunes captured on tape were "Overkill," "Damage Case," "Stone Dead Forever" and "Too Late, Too Late." Metallica recorded a massive amount of material during the September 1996 to October 1998 period. They released an amazing two albums during this period, "Load" and "Re-Load." In addition, they recorded over 15 cover tunes during the process. It had become a tradition with the band to always break in a new studio by warming up on some old favorites before getting down to basics. As always, they keep the tape running in the studio. This time, rather than just play a few tunes, they recorded over a dozen classic versions. Once they listened to the tapes, they realized they were to good to just sit on a studio shelf. Thus the decision was made to release an album of all cover tunes. Due to massive fan requests, they decided to issue a 2 CD set. Disc one would include eleven of the cover songs they had just recorded. Disc two would be a special collection for the loyal fans. It would contain all the other rare cover songs they had recorded during their career, collected all on one disc.

Released at the end of last year, "Garage, Inc." shows Metallica at their brutal best. Unrehearsed, unedited and raw. The way it was in the old days, playing for beer at all the grungy clubs on the west coast. Each song on disc one was carefully selected by the band and represents certain phases of their career. Covering such time honored war-horses as "Turn The Page" by Bob Seger, "Tuesday's Gone" by Lynyrd Skynyrd, "It's Electric" by Diamond Head, "Sabbra Cadabra" by Black Sabbath, "Astronomy" by Blue Oyster Cult, "Whiskey In The Jar" by Thin Lizzy and "The More I See" by Discharge. As drummer Lars Ulrich states, "Our songs are dissected bit by bit by our fans, so it's cool to just blast through some cover songs. It's a fun thing for us to do. As long as there is a Metallica, we will do cover songs."

This year looks busy for the band, they plan to tour later in the spring. They have a handful of original songs ready for the next album. Their website is doing fantastic on the Internet. The band is healthy and happy, both on and off stage. There are even rumors of joining Detroit rocker Ted Nugent when he brings back his "Whiplash Bash" New Years Eveconcert at the end of this year. Life is good, crank it up.

Music and theory: harmony, dissonance, and tonality

Music and theory and harmony: A descriptive treatment of harmony and dissonance as they are defined under the principles of tonality.

Harmony is the relation of notes to notes and chords to chords as they are played simultaneously.

Harmonic "patterns" are established from notes and chords in successive order. Melodic intervals are those that are linear and occur in sequence, while harmonic intervals are sounded at the same time. Whether or not a harmony is pleasing is a matter of personal taste, as there are consonant and dissonant harmonies, both of which are pleasing to the ears of some and not others.

Music history tells us that the definition of harmony has evolved over a period of time as different music forms have developed. In the Middle Ages, harmony was simply a two-note combination. During the Renaissance, three-note harmony was popular with the introduction of the triad. The Romantic Era expanded chords into four-part harmonies. The only method or technique for music endings was to resolve into a tonic chord built on the 1st and 5th notes of the scale in that key. Contemporary music has broadened the meaning of harmony to accept dissonant chords that never resolve into tonics of the key.

Basic to harmony is the triad mentioned above. A triad is the most common chord form. It is built on the first, third, and fifth notes of the scale and is symbolized in music notation by the Roman numeral I. A triad built on the second note of the scale would include the second, fourth, and sixth notes of the scale, still keeping one scale degree between each jump. A triad built on the second note of the scale is symbolized by the two lower case "I's," written as ii. Triad chords may be built on all seven notes of the scale (with the eighth note a repeat of the first.) Chord symbols for the triads built on the third through seventh notes of the scale are as follows: iii, IV, V, vi, and vii. Just as the I chord is named the Tonic, the IV chord is also called by the name Sub-Dominant. The V chord is the dominant. And the vii is referred to as the Leading Tone, as it is often used to change (or "lead") into a new key. This organization around tones is known as "tonality."

Tonality provides the basis for the establishment of keys. The I, or Tonic chord, determines the key. For instance, when the Tonic is A, the piece is said to be in the Key of A. Another issue in tonality is major and minor. Pieces built on the tones of the major scale are termed major and those built on a minor scale are said to be in a minor key. Major composers - Schubert, for instance - wrote a variety of music in both major and minor keys. Examples are his quartets in "A minor," "D minor," and "G major," pieces that were melodious and full of modulations from key to key. Some of his more well-known chamber music includes "E major Quartet" and "Allegro in C minor."

Harmony that brings about a concordant or agreeable combination of notes is termed consonant. When chords do not fit into an accepted pattern of harmony, they are said to be dissonant or unstable. Dissonance is often used to create moments of suspense that later resolve into more pleasing tones of consonance. Dissonance is sometimes not considered harmony by some teachers of music, although most pedagogy classifies harmony as dissonant or consonant.

Music is based on structure and order. Harmony, dissonance, and tonality are key elements in that school of thought.

How to write great music

Writing great songs are not as difficult as most people think. Use this easy to follow guide do learn how to write great music.

What makes good music? It’s a very subjective question because there are so many different kinds of people in the world and as many different types of music.

But it isn’t necessary to have a degree in Music Theory to write a satisfying song. You only need to have some inspiration and a strong feeling you want to share with others.

Outstanding songs have several components that make them superior and memorable. The lyrics should be filled with truth, sometimes hard truths and sometimes joyful truths. To accomplish truth in lyrics it’s important for the artist to zero in on a certain feeling: joy, despair, love, sadness or even lust.

However it is equally important to keep the central idea of the song simple. Great songs convey very straightforward ideas or emotions in a fresh way.

The second factor of a good song is something more elusive. It’s called the ‘hook’. The only way to learn about the ‘hook’ is to locate it in other songs. A hook is usually a catch phrase of words that sum up a commonly recognized emotion, set to a rhythm for impact.

Examples of good hooks in lyrics:
‘Don’t be cruel. . .’
‘Every rose has its thorn. . .’
‘Amazing grace how sweet the sound. . .’
‘Raindrops keep fallin’ on my head. . .’

Listen to songs from every genre and locate the hooks. Then listen to your favorite songs and analyze what each hook says to you. This will help you determine what kind of music that you want to write. Hint: the hook should strike a note of familiarity in you, a feeling of déjà vu should strike, as if: “hey! I know that feeling!” When that happens you’ve found your hook.
Your hook will be your chorus. A chorus usually repeats a few times before going to the second and third verses.

Another extremely important element is melody. A common mistake of beginners is they write wonderful lyrics but set them to the wrong music. For example, you wouldn’t write a song about newfound love and set it to a slow ballad in a minor chord. Your music’s tone must match the theme of your lyrics. Lyrics about the loss or death of a lover would be ridiculous set to a jaunty tune like “Happy Birthday.”

There is no rule requiring lyrics to rhyme, but your syllables must fit the beat; this is extremely important. Listening to rap music is a great way to find words that fit well into unusual tempos.

Once you have a few verses written, and a chorus, don’t forget to write the ‘bridge.’ What is a bridge? A bridge is a part of a song that seems like a departure from the verses and chorus. Bridges are more prevalent in modern and popular music than in older music from a century ago.

Sometimes the bridge will move up a half a key and convey the song’s innermost message in an even stronger way. Sometimes the bridge will issue an ultimatum to a lover, or even tell the ‘rest of the story.’
Listen to your favorite music. Locate the verse and the chorus. When the song departs from the verse and chorus you have identified the bridge. This departure from the song will be one or two lines long, sometimes four lines long, and almost will always rhyme, even if the verses and choruses do not rhyme.

These are the basic technical elements to a rewarding song, but there is one more fundamental facet left to cover.

Do not write music for anyone but yourself. Attempts at trying to commercially manufacture music that has no truth will only be a frustrating exercise in futility. Music is art, and should be respected as such. Do not try to write music aimed at a certain market with dreams of earning big money as your ultimate goal. The song itself should be the ultimate goal, and writing the best, most honest song that you can write will produce the most gratifying and powerful music.

Band tips: how to stay together

Being in a band isn't easy. Here's how to deal with typical problems that arise.

Anyone who has ever been in a band, particularly a band that’s enjoyed some longevity, will tell you that “a band is just like a marriage”. The main difference is that the love is for the music, not necessarily for each other. Nevertheless, the principles are the same when it comes to staying together. Here are a few typical dynamics that you’ll encounter and some practical ways to deal with them.

#1 – The “Big Ego” Syndrome

Typically assigned to the lead guitarist or the lead vocalist, the “Big Ego” syndrome can be deadly to a band. It can take the form of tantrums at the severe end or passive-aggressive control at the low-key end. The question here is – how do you want to deal with it? When faced with such personality conflict, the best thing to do first is to evaluate your personal gut reaction. Listen to your self-talk. Listen to the things you don’t say. Is the other person’s big ego competing with your ego? Since you can’t control the other person (number one rule), how can you best control yourself? There are a few stances you can take. One, you can simply blow it off, ignore it, chalk it up to the other person’s immaturity and play on. That’s fairly easy to do if you have your own ego together and in perspective. That means that your heart and ego are with the music and for music’s sake and nothing else – assuming the band you’re in is really where you want to be. Anything that happens outside of that is peripheral and inconsequential. That’s hard to do sometimes but there will always be times when the friction seems less than worth it.

The one afflicted with the “Big Ego” syndrome may have good reason to be so. Are they a leader with a clear vision? Are you there to support that vision? If the answers are two consecutive yes’s, then you’re probably in a position to resign yourself to dealing with the Big Ego. Do you have a clear vision of your own? Then perhaps the conflict is deeper than mere irritation. If what arises from your self-talk and an honest assessment of your own needs and desires is that your vision conflicts with their vision, then you might do better to move on. Sometimes we endure the tension and tantrums because we think we have to and sometimes we endure because we don’t know better, and sometimes we endure because we fear moving on. Which is it for you?

#2 He/She is not committed

Here’s an interesting problem. There’s one person in the band that, for some reason that no one can discern the closer you get to your goals, the less they seem interested. Just like in a marriage, communication is key. A band has to constantly communicate their mutual goals and renegotiate their goals every step of the way. Some members might believe at the outset that they are in it to “go as far as (they) can”. But when it comes down to it, and play becomes work, they’re no longer as committed. Honest and open communication can settle this problem as soon as it’s detected. That goes for problem #3.

#3 – Pressure to “Make it”

Once a band has acquired a local following and things really begin to heat up, one or some members might jump the gun and quit their day jobs in order to commit themselves entirely to the music. Usually this happens because the money’s coming in from steady gigs and that’s so much more attractive than the mundane day job. Things look good, but that’s when the trouble starts. The pressure is now on to gig continuously and for good pay, in order to sustain those otherwise unemployed. What started out as fun is now “work”. This creates undue tension and breaks a band that has already been through much and gone far. Decide as a group to decide when to make what moves. It’s not fair to other members to put that kind of tension on the group. The best thing to do is again, to communicate and decide together, as a group, when and if the group wants to strike out and go fulltime.

There’s no way around it. You are responsible for your personal decisions and the effects they have on the group. The smart thing is for the group to make all decisions together by continuously communicating mutual goals. The bands that make it far are the ones that communicate and agree as a group.

Five reasons rock bands break up

Here's five reasons why bands break up. Many fledgling rock bands hope for that one big professional break, or at least enough steady work to earn a living. When neither event happens, bands may fail.

One common fantasy from our teenage years is forming a great rock band and touring the world. Album sales would go through the roof, and we would be the envy of millions. At least, that was the fantasy. Anyone who has actually attempted to form a rock band soon learns the truth about the music industry and one unknown band's place in it. A real band requires extreme dedication from all of its members, a fanatical rehearsal schedule, and enough word-of-mouth advertising to be considered for paying gigs. Forming a successful band is difficult at best, and few bands survive the first formative years completely unscathed.

For those who are considering forming a working rock band, you may want to consider these five common reasons that bands break up, so you can recognize the warning signs before it is too late.

1. Apathy towards the music Some bands fail because individual musicians fall 'out of love' with the music you've chosen to create or cover. A heavy metal guitarist won't be happy in a 70s cover band any more than a country singer would enjoy playing jazz. Sometimes tastes change, and one particular band member may decide that your sound does not match their interests anymore.
   
   As the leader of the band, you should make every effort to include everyone's personal tastes into the set selection process. Perhaps your jazz-influenced guitarist would be happy with a solo piece thrown into the mix. If your drummer prefers a hard thrash sound and you are primarily a 60s cover band, you might try finding some new music in that genre that calls for furious drumming. If you're happy with the band as musicians, you need to make an effort to appeal to them as individuals as well. If the band member has a real problem with your chosen style, you may be better off without their disruptive influence.

2. Solo careers Every once in a while, a talent comes along who is so amazingly good that any band would be blessed to have them. In fact, it is often this same talent that causes the band to break up. Many rock bands are a balance of egos and abilities, which can be much harder to maintain when one member begins to get so much more attention than the rest. A virtuoso lead singer or an Eric Clapton-level guitarist can put a band on the map, but it may not stay there long if tensions build. Some bands become comfortable with the idea of being a 'backing group' to an incredible talent. Others begin to feel less appreciated and lose interest in the entire project. Once word of the lead singer's extraordinary talent gets out, he or she may be pressured into leaving the band to pursue a solo career.
   
   As the leader of the band, you have a delicate balancing act to perform. As the gap between wunderkind and band begins to widen, you should try to get a feel for where individual band members stand on the issue. Are they comfortable with their more subdued roles behind the raw talent, or do they feel underappreciated? This situation is not to be taken lightly. If you cannot coordinate a truce successfully, you may have to make some serious cuts in personnel or else risk losing the most talented member of the band. You must also get some idea on the aspirations of your virtuoso. Are they satisfied with the band arrangement, or are they seeking a solo career? You don't want to stand in the way of true talent finding its own level, but you also need to know where things stand right now.

3. Lack of financial incentive Band rehearsals take a lot of time and effort, not to mention money. Equipment must be maintained, upgraded or replaced. Instruments may require expensive repairs or new accessories. Time spent in the band may be time taken away from more lucrative ventures, such as a second part-time job. Many beginning bands split up simply for economic reasons. Gigs may be few and far between at first, and whatever money that is generated must be split among a lot of hands. An out-of-town club may offer good money, but travel expenses may eat up the profits. Getting a new band established takes promotion and advertising- two very expensive propositions for the leader/manager. Some band members cannot continue pursuing a musical career while trying to support a wife and children. The band may not break up as much as dissolve through lack of finances.
   
   To address this problem, you must be open and honest with the entire band. Don't try to tapdance around the issue of money. Tell the band what sort of budget you have to work with, and let them know what sort of sacrifices they may have to make in order to achieve success. If you have a talented band member who is struggling financially, you may have to offer some support until the incomings start matching the outgoings. Never overextend your band's ability to cover expenses. If your band is offered a food or beverage tab, keep an eye on the bottom line. It can be very tempting to eat and drink the entire night's profits.

4. Outside influences Forming a working band is much like forming a marriage or a business partnership. You will be spending quite a bit of time away from your family, whether in rehearsals or in performance. You may find yourself putting the needs of the band over your own personal commitments. Tensions may begin to form with spouses who feel neglected or employers who feel like your primary job is not important to you anymore. Not everyone can truly commit themselves to a rock and roll lifestyle and also stay committed to the other elements in their lives. Bands often break up due to the influences of those outside the confines of the band itself. Loyalties and commitments may be questioned, creating tremendous pressure on a band member who is uncomfortable in his or her role. Personal decisions may adversely affect professional aspirations.
   
   As a leader, you must be sensitive to the band members' individual situations. Asking a bass player with a wife and three children to spend an entire weekend out of state may be pushing the limit. Be prepared to hear a few 'no's' where the band is concerned. Avoid issuing ultimatums when choices do exist. Hire a replacement player for that one gig, or restructure the music to cover for the loss. Until a band becomes financially viable, you should always keep an open mind towards band members and their levels of commitment.

5. Artistic differences This has almost become a cliche in the music business, nonetheless artistic differences can break a band up fast. Band members who become proficient at their own craft may start seeing small cracks in other members' armor. The drummer doesn't seem to keep a good beat, or the bass player has no creative ability whatsoever. The original songs written by the guitarist are way too simplistic, and are not commercially viable. The manager hasn't gotten a paying gig for the band in a month, and the new record sounds terrible. None of these situations may be true in an objective sense, but that is how a band member might begin to think. Once a player starts feeling restrained by his or her current circumstances, they may inevitably lose interest in the band. Artistic differences may be the number one killer of fledgling bands everywhere.
   
   All you can do as a band leader is follow your own path. You select the music that the band will play, and the image your band will project. If you write your own music, it will sound like your own music no matter what. Band members should respect each other's varying abilities and be willing to offer constructive criticism when needed. If that system doesn't work for a particular band member, they should feel free to leave. Rock bands are not always democratic- certain personalities will be more dominant than others. Tough and often unpopular decisions have to be made. You want the back-and-forth dialogue of a good band at work, not the disruptive influence of a disgruntled bandmate. Changes in personnel do not necessarily mean a break-up of the band itself. Oftentimes, the change in line-up leads to a stronger, more stable band in the long run. It's ultimately YOUR vision, so do what you must to make it happen.

A guide to types of bands

Different kinds of bands, their instrumentation, their sound, and what they do.

There are many different kinds of bands out there, including both the typical ones like marching, concert and jazz and less typical ones.

Marching band: This is a band that performs at football games, parades, and other similar events. Most high schools have one, as do most universities. They are large bands, consisting of anywhere from 50 - 300 members. Marching bands consist of trumpets, trombones, mellophones, sousaphones, percussion, and usually clarinets, flutes, and saxophones. Percussion is typically made up of cymbals, snares, quads, and bass drums. Some marching bands don't include any woodwinds. Bands will march in straight lines when they are performing in parades or moving anywhere. They may also perform shows where they make pictures on the field during half-time or pre-game shows. They also typically lead school songs and spirit cheers in the stands during games.

Pep Band: This is a band that performs at other school sporting or pep events, including basketball games, pep rallies, and potentially other sports. Most high schools and universities have one. These include, typically, only brass, although some include woodwinds. For percussion, they may have only snare drums. They are much smaller than marching bands (perhaps only 20 - 30 players) and they sit in the stands during indoor games. They lead school songs and cheers.

Concert band: This is an indoor, sit down band, which usually plays standard repertoire. It is typically a learning environment for young musicians and maybe even for older ones. It consists of a full range of brass, percussion, and woodwind players (including oboe, bassoon, euphonium, tuba, and melodic percussion). It can consist of 30 - 75 players, and is a generic term for any band that plays indoors.

Symphonic band: This is a large indoor ensemble, which consists of 60 - 70 members, including full clarinet and trumpet sections (3 or 4 players on each part. There are usually three parts for each instrument). The music is usually thickly scored with not too many solos. The sound is well-blended and complex, because the group is so large. Wind ensemble: This is a small indoor ensemble. It consists of only 30 - 40 members, with one or two players on a part. Clarinet and trumpet sections may have only 4 - 6 members. It plays repertoire that is much more thinly scored and which contains a lot of solos.

Jazz band: This is a generic term for any band which plays in the jazz style. It typically contains piano, drum set, bass, saxophones, trumpets, and trombones. They play only jazz-style music, which is written in a swing style often with mutes (the "wa-wa" sound of the cup-muted trumpets is common). Bass and piano figure prominently into the style, and there are many solos. There are different kinds of jazz bands, including cool jazz, big band, and more.
There are many different kinds of bands in today's world. Many of them are found in the schools, as well as in the community. They play an integral role at sporting events, parades, and concerts -- all events that are highly attended by the public.

A guide to types of bands

Different kinds of bands, their instrumentation, their sound, and what they do.