4 things I've learned from playing cover songs

This last Saturday, we had the privilege of joining other Dallas musicians at Opening Bell Coffee for an evening of Eagles songs.

Thanks to Emmeline for taking this picture. Check out her music here.

As I mentioned before the show, we have never worked so hard at learning cover songs even though our repertoire of covers includes songs from The Beatles, Led Zepplin, Bob Dylan, and Jimi Hendrix, to name a few. I’ve played in coffeehouses for 2-3-hour long stretches since I started performing in public almost 15 years ago, so cover songs have always formed an integral part of what we do as a band. Over time, we’ve expanded our range of songs and taken our music to weddings and parties in addition to the usual singer-songwriter venues. Our experiences learning the Eagles songs combined with all the fun we have in general with cover songs got me thinking about why I love playing other people’s music so much, and this is what I came up with:

Things I’ve learned from playing cover songs:

1. The greats are great for a reason.

As a struggling independent artist, it can be all-too-easy to grumble and complain about the people who “make it” in the music industry. “I could do that,” I think, like the person who sees a Jackson Pollock in a modern art museum and assumes that their 5-year-old could do the same.  But as soon as I start learning the music of the people who have not only succeeded in music but who have also endured, I realize that I have so much more to learn about songwriting, playing, singing, arranging, etc. There’s a reason the Beatles and the Eagles and Led Zepplin became great -- because they are great. And this makes me realize that I’m not as great as I think I am. The good news, of course, is that by playing these songs, I learn a little bit about what makes them great, and, with luck and practice, those techniques slowly make their way into my own work.

Sure, maybe you could paint this -- but you didn't.

2. I’m capable of more than I thought I was

I didn’t know I could sing “Ramble On” by Led Zepplin until I tried it. I didn’t think I would ever pull off a rendition of “Jumping Jack Flash” by The Stones until I learned it for the “Dallas Does the Stones” show. Adam didn’t know he could learn to sing harmony until he started learning the background vocals for “Here Comes the Sun.” My dad, Ed (our keyboardist), who learned to play pop and rock styles by ear, wouldn’t have thought he could play Pachelbel’s canon in D until he was asked to do so for a wedding. The list goes on and on. Putting ourselves in the position to learn cover songs has taught each of us new skills and styles, and in bringing those skills and styles into our original music, all of our music has been strengthened.

3. “Three chords and the truth” is a cliche because it’s true

Many of the “great” songs are built around a simple I-IV-V foundation. (For the non-musicians out there, that’s the three most basic chords in Western music). When I first started writing songs, I tried to throw in as many “exotic” or “cool” chords as possible, but the more I played music by those who had gone before me, the more I understood that if your melody and lyrics are strong, you don’t need to stray too far from the basics in order to write a good song. Granted, sometimes a “special” chord makes for a really great moment in a song, but the Greats know how to balance the “different” elements with the mundane ones in order to make a song that is both interesting and catchy. “Already Gone” by The Eagles is a great example. The dramatic key change in the final chorus might lead you to believe that the song is super complicated, but even with the key change, there are only 4 different chords in the whole song, since the song’s two keys share two of the same chords. And which chords are featured in this rock classic? I, IV, and V, of course.

4. The music I really love to perform might be different from what I’ve been writing

I’ve been writing music in the folk-rock vein for a while now, but the music that really makes me happy when I play and sing it is music that sounds more like blues-rock (think Rolling Stones and Led Zepplin especially). This is causing me to reconsider what I write and to search for new ways of writing so that I can have as much fun playing my own songs as I do playing these covers.

Well, that about covers it. (Ha ha -- get it? that covers it? Okay, I'll stop now.) Just a quick plug before I go -- many of you don't know that we are available to play weddings and parties. If you like 60s and 70s rock (with a few songs from other decades thrown in just for fun), you will love what we do. Contact us here, if you'd be interested in booking us for something like that.