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How to Deal With Bandleaders That Change Your Part
Ask Damian Erskine

How to Deal With Bandleaders That Change Your Part

A reader is dealing with a bandleader (pianist) who is rewriting the bass parts and asking them to be played that way. He asked Damian for advice on how to cope with this situation. Check out what Damian has to say.

Cover Bands: Configuring a Band to Balance Size, Cost… and the Right Sound
Ask Damian Erskine

Cover Bands: Configuring a Band to Balance Size, Cost… and the Right Sound

Q: My cover band is about to start learning new material of tunes released over the last couple of years. We’re a 5-piece (vocals, guitar, bass, drums, keys) and a lot of the songs have synth parts – more than one keyboard player can play – and brass parts that I feel are important to the sound of the song....

When a Band Member Quits: A Discussion of Music Rights, Replacements and Other Considerations
Ask Damian Erskine

When a Band Member Quits: A Discussion of Music Rights, Replacements and Other Considerations

Q: I play with the Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots (Arlington, VA). The only founding member of the band who’s been with the band longer than I have has just decided to call it quits. He was responsible for the riffs on our first album, which is also still under production. Now while I am the band’s primary vocalist/bassist/songwriter, he...

Competitive Nature
Ask Damian Erskine

Competitive Nature

Q: I am a very young bassist who plays in a band with some other young musicians. I’m having an issue with respect and competitiveness. Most of my bandmates say I’m the best musician among them. Our guitarist assumes he’s the best musician in the band, though his knowledge of theory isn’t there. How do I get him to listen...