Every musician wants to have their own songs be heard. There’s nothing better than playing to a live audience who came to hear your songs. It doesn’t always end up that way though. Many artists or bands start their career playing cover songs.
What’s a cover song (yes, some people don’t know the terminology)? It’s a song a musician plays that’s not written by the artist themselves. For example, I play “Sweet Caroline” written by Neil Diamond.
Here in Washington, DC I play lots of shows that are strictly cover songs (a lot of us do actually). It’s not uncommon that the majority of venues around here, whether your solo or in a band, want musicians to play cover songs over original songs. I’m not sure why this is the way it is, but I have had several conversations with fellow musicians about what it means to play shows with cover songs versus original songs.
When I tell another musician that I play lots of cover shows, some common responses I get are “that sucks” to “I would never play cover songs”. Sometimes I get the question, “what cover songs do you do?”. For the group that is anti-cover songs, their view comes from a matter of pride, a desire to focus on crafting their songs, to be creative instead of copying, and not feeling like their wasting time performing songs people could just hear on the radio or on their iTouch.
Personally, I’m not ashamed to play cover songs. I’ve played them since the day I picked up the guitar (I’m always curious when I hear a song I like how they play what their playing). I’ve actually found cover songs to be helpful in my music career in a variety of ways.
1. Learn how other musicians write songs: Why are some songs successful and last the test of time? What makes a song a good song? Without getting deep into it, much of it has to do with how a song was written. All songs have a structure to them. They have a rhythm, flow, melody, and convey an emotion. I’m not sure how you can be a songwriter without knowing how to put these elements together.
2. Develop your Sound and Style via your Influences: Every musician has influences. It’s likely that over time one’s “sound” is developed from learning how their influences write, play, and perform their songs. Now I’m in no way saying you should rip off or copy another artist (this does happen though). However, when I hear a song by an artist that I like I usually ask myself: how do they play it? What are the chords? How did they get a particular sound out of the guitar? Once these things are discovered over time, a musician’s style and sound begins to evolve based on the guidance of their influences.
3. Expand your Vocal Range Among other Musical Challenges: One of the best things cover songs has done for me is in expanding my vocal range. When I was starting to perform again, I wanted to challenge myself vocally. I have my share of “safe songs”–ones in which I’ll never have an issue singing. But there are others, especially songs sang much higher, that took a lot of time to get comfortable singing. It may be something else for you–like a guitar riff or a solo or a certain drum fill–that you have to play in a cover song, but is still challenging enough that it will build a musical skill you would not have attained otherwise.
4. Make the song your own: Those on the anti-cover side think that just repeating what someone else does is not creative. There is some truth to that. Have you ever heard a band play a song almost exactly as the original band played it? It’s boring. My philosophy when learning cover songs is this: it’s music and it can be changed. Sometimes the way the original artist plays it is not the best way for you to, given your style, music skills, and interpretation of the song. There’s nothing wrong with changing a cover song so that you make it your own. As long as an audience can still recognize the song, go for it (a good example of this is Tori Amos’ version of “Smells Like Teen Spirit”).
5. They are a good introduction to those unfamiliar with your music: People like music they know. You could have written a top hit that would be great on the radio and make you millions, but if no one knows your songs, they may not seem as excited about it versus something they can sing along with instantaneously. So use cover songs as an introduction. Show off your guitar skills or vocal range. Then you can throw in some of your own stuff in between cover songs during a show. In my experience, cover songs have lead to many discussions during breaks or after shows. I’m not sure I’d have as many if I’d played all originals.
There is some benefit in playing cover songs. I’m not intending to say anti-cover song musicians are completely wrong for thinking the way they do. I appreciate people who stick to their convictions, but cover songs are not as bad as they make them out to be. In another post, I’ll get into some of the downsides of cover shows.
3. April 2011 at 11:12 pm
Great stuff man! we actually play some covers on our shows and people love them!, because they dont expect that we were going to play them!
riko
http://rikorock.com
20. July 2011 at 11:47 am
Great post, Brian!! I really dig playing cover songs whenever and wherever I can but of course also enjoy playing the originals as well, just as I know you do as well. I agree with all the points you made. And I really miss the more creative aspect of performing cover songs, even though I know better, a lot of the time I don’t really change the songs too much if at all. Yet, I feel like I have developed my own sound through those influences and have begun to instinctively do my own thing with them from time to time as a result of having played them so often.
I only wish I could spend as much time and effort into “making the song my own” much like I would do when composing arrangements for jazz big band when I was in college and playing saxophone back then. It was a great pleasure to have had that experience and been able to spend so much time writing and arranging those scores but it’s only become more and more difficult find time to do much of anything these days. I can remember slapping two songs together (Horace Silver’s “The Jody Grind” with “The Chicken”, a great tune James Brown used to do that his band mate Alfred Pee Wee Ellis wrote) and even arranging two songs to happen at the same time as the melody phrasing worked out to where the breaks could be filled in with the other tune (Wayne Shorter’s songs “Witch Hunt” and “Footprints”) and just doing all kinds of crazy stuff and getting really creative and hence “making those songs my own” through the arranging and composition process. And of course I was also still writing just as many original compositions with my own jazz songs that I was writing at that time.
And while I don’t always do the best job of taking a cover song and making it my own, Derek Evry did do a great job of just that with a cover song he use to play a lot, and probably still does on occasion, with Radiohead’s song “Idioteque” and even put it on one of his albums – get ready for me to shamelessly promote my friends music – http://www.amazon.com/Idioteque/dp/B003W63IJE
And to check him out playing it live on acoustic guitar, here you go:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ditPvNm3NXY
or here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1R-jTIP4zMw
So this another great example of as you say, getting creative with a cover song and taking it and making it your own and all.
So now where’s the post where you “get into some of the downsides of cover shows.”?
- Alex
21. July 2011 at 1:17 am
I guess I never got back to addressing the downsides. But my friend Dan Fisk did in these posts:
http://www.grassrootsy.com/2011/01/19/the-pros-cons-of-playing-cover-gigs-part-1/
http://www.grassrootsy.com/2011/01/20/the-pros-cons-of-playing-cover-gigs-%E2%80%93-part-2/
14. November 2011 at 3:39 pm
I love this article! I’ve been struggling to write my own original material over the last few years so when I play gigs I mostly do covers. For that reason, I don’t play many gigs because I’m under the impression that in the area that I live people enjoy hearing original music.
Here’s an interesting story of mine…
I had a friend who would hold “Acoustic Nights” at his house. The house would fill up with friends of ours and everyone for the most part would play covers. As time progressed and more of these “Nights” were held, more original artists started to show up. Many of the kids who played covers stopped playing except me. Eventually my friend told me that I shouldn’t play anymore if I didn’t have any original songs. He made it out to be that original songs were better than covers. In the beginning, I’d usually go on before him as a co-headline for the night. But over time he would put me on first to play maybe 3 songs and get me out of the way for those who had original material, himself included. I stopped going to these “Nights” when it was apparent what was happening.
Some time later, he asked me to play bass in his band. I was in a tough spot at the time just looking for something to do and occupy my time. He held another “Night” and I went as a bassist for his act. That night he actually did allow me to play a few songs again like old times, probably because he felt he owed me (that’s how his mind works). I took advantage and played some new covers and some old ones that people loved to sing along to and watch me play. Generally, even though my sets were all covers, I was usually seen as one of the better acts at all the “Acoustic Nights”. I made a lot of contacts like this and met a lot of local bands who wanted me to play for them.
I am no longer in that band and they are doing fine for themselves establishing a fan-base and getting signed to an indie label. I continue to cover songs because for some reason I just cannot put a proper song together; stuff that I enjoy playing and listening to myself. But my attitude is that there is a lot of great music out there that has already conveyed what I would hope to. And they’re established and people know them. And if I can hone my chops and singing ability doing justice to covers than that to me is perfectly okay. There is a deep cathartic feeling associated with writing and playing your own music and I can understand where my friend is coming from – God knows I’d love to be able to perform some original music for a living – but I just think what he did and the mindset that he harbored was kind of crappy and uncalled for. He’s got this holier-than-thou mentality about original music over covers.
Anyway, great article. A lot of what you say hadn’t even crossed my mind. So kudos to you for enlightening me.
16. November 2011 at 10:59 pm
Thanks for sharing your story David. To me regarding your friend and his acoustic nights, it probably became an expectation to the crowd that they would hear original music only.
There’s definitely nothing wrong with playing covers. I find the best are ones where the artist can add their flavor and style to the song. It could be something very small or big. Keep doing what you’re doing and if you love playing cover songs then play them!
Brian
2. March 2012 at 10:05 am
Hi,
I’m a singer-song writer & guitarist from South Africa.
I have mostly done originals,since I think I don’t do justice to the covers.I don’t feel confident enough to do other artist’s songs.there’s this expectancy by the audience that the cover song should sound just as good and if not better!The audience then will judge you according to the artist whose song you are doing.
I prefer to be judged according to what I’m capable of doing and comfortable doing as a muso.When you do originals,they can’t weigh you up against any other artist because you are coming in as a new artist and should be like or not for this, creating fans based on your own merit.
I also love creating with chords and melodies,lyrics.It’s within this process of creating you find more of your identity.
I’m not against covers at all and are in the process of doing some.Can’t really say why?Maybe…I just feel like exploring a bit on other people’s songs..my vocal capabilities, and stretching myself on the guitar for sure!
Thanks for the interesting article.All of the best with your journey!
6. March 2012 at 2:16 am
Thanks for the comment Michelle. I don’t think you should be afraid to try a cover out and not worry about not doing it justice. Do it in your own style. It may not make it better, but it will make it unique!
I agree you should do music on your own merit, but lots of artists from The Beatles to The Killers played cover songs. Eventually people saw their music for what it was and supported it. If those artist, and probably myself, did not do cover songs, we would be unable to pay our bills, make our albums, and continue with music. I’m not saying it’s all about money, but covers can be somewhat of a sacrifice if doing music is truly your dream.
Brian