Let Go of My Ego

Why knowing when not to play is just as important as knowing when to play
By Steve Rubin

"My father was a great drummer not because of how he could play, but because he knew when not to play."
-Jason Bonham, John Bonham's son

Most musicians will agree that the song is the most important aspect of their art. One hit single and you are "it." Sure you need to look the part, have good marketing and promotion, and the ability to sell your music to the world, but all of that is irrelevant without the actual product: the music.

In today's ever-shrinking world, the internet has made mass-distribution as easy as sending an e-mail. Bands can create Web sites to promote their music on the cheap and getting your music heard doesn't necessarily require knowing your local radio DJ.

But with ease also comes more competition. More bands are out there recording than ever before. Digital recording has made getting your product out there an easily attainable goal.

But how do you differentiate yourselves from the pack?

It is a lot more difficult than one would imagine. You write great songs and produce great CDs. You might think your band is the greatest in the world: Your singer is good looking and has great range, your guitar player rips, your drummer is thunderous, and your bass player practices for ten-hours a day. But if you're not writing good music, no one will care. Good musicianship alone does not automatically make you a star.

So, your product can't just be up to par, it needs to stand out above the rest. This means that when you record your music, you need to make sure you're getting the best possible take of that song before you consider it done. Too often, bands will enter a recording session knowing what songs they want to record, but not necessarily how they want to record them. Are there vocal harmonies? Does the guitar player want to add multiple guitar tracks? Will the drummer be adding percussion? In order to make sessions move along at a comfortable pace, it's wise for musicians to have these questions answered beforehand. A good producer or engineer will offer their advice, but ultimately it's up the artists to make the final decisions.

If you've ever played music in a band, then you know that it is almost equivalent to being married. You often hear, "my band is my family," or "we are a team." As with any good marriage, compromise is one of the key elements. When you put four musicians in a room together, chances are, there are plenty of ideas being tossed around regarding what is best for their recordings. Musician number one wants there to be three-part harmonies on the chorus. Musician number two wants two-parts. Musician number three says, "I don't think it needs any harmonies," while musician number four states their preference for no singing at all. So what do you do in these situations? The answer is easy: you do what is best for the song!

Unfortunately, this is not always the way the process works. Let's say musician number one wrote the song in question for his girlfriend and has a very specific way in which he hears the final mix sounding. Musician number two thinks that adding three-part harmonies will ruin the song, making it "too busy." But he's apprehensive about telling musician number one because he doesn't want to hurt his feelings. This is the type of situation where having an experienced producer can alleviate some of the problems that can arise in a recoding environment. Sometimes you simply have to tell someone what they don't want to hear.

Great musicians are great not only because they can play their instruments (sometimes they can't even do that) but because they put the song before themselves. Virtuoso artists such as Frank Zappa (guitar) or John Coltrane (sax) are often skipped over by the general listening public because they are thought to be incomprehensible to the common ear. While non-virtuosos such as Bob Dylan or Beck gain critical and fan praise because people like their songs. Not everyone cares that you can play super fast, or hit 1,000 notes per minute. They want to hear sounds that are pleasurable to their ear. It's the classic question of "what is more important to you? Being able to play your instrument better than the next guy or being able to write better songs?"

Like Jason Bonham's quote to start this essay, I find one of the most important aspects of recording and playing music to be knowing when and when not to play. It is not about everyone getting to feed their ego on every song by playing all the time. A friend of mine went to see a "jam band" (I will keep the name anonymous in order not to piss anyone off) a few years back who's guitar player is phenomenal. He loves the band and their music, but was very turned off during their live show because he said "the guitar player would not shut up! He kept soloing and soloing to the point where it looked like the other musicians in the band were bored or pissed off." When I heard him say this I started thinking of popular bands and how they format their songs.

Let's keep on topic and use Led Zeppelin's, "Stairway to Heaven" as an example. The song clocks in around seven minutes and change. However, the drums don't enter the track until about halfway through the song—quite amazing considering John Bonham is considered one of the greatest rock drummers of all time. You have to wonder, in the studio, was this a conscious decision by the band? What I do know is that it adds a dynamic element to that song that might have been lost had he been playing from the first measure. By entering half way through the song, Bonham creates a level of anticipation that helps build the song to its ultimate climax. It was not about him having to show how good of a drummer he was, it was about him making sure the song was the best possible version the band could record.

I always tell my clients that it is a good idea to finalize decisions about tracking on their songs before they enter the studio. Not only will it save time, but it will prevent potential conflicts between the members. No one wants to spend an extra hour or two in the studio because you couldn't decide whether to use an acoustic guitar or not during the verses. Equally as important is to make sure those decisions are based upon what is best for the song, and not about what is best to feed Musician number three's ego.

More Essays:
The Importance of the Recording Environment