What abilities are required to be able to play in a band?

[teepox]

Hi everybody.

I started playing the piano 2 months ago. While my focus is on classic music, I would also like to develop the skills necessary to play in a band...

So what would you generally recommend me to practise to achieve this, what should I start with and what's a reasonable long time goal to work toward?


thanks in advance

[gyzzzmo]

depends on what type of band (and quality) it is. For a jazz band you need to learn jazz chords and for the other bands you need  to learn how to read and play normal chords.

But whats very important, you have to learn to listen to your fellow bandmembers and interact with them musically. I think that you can only train by experience.

[slobone]

Keeping a steady beat! That's the most essential thing. No matter what happens, you have to stay in tempo. You can't slow down for the hard parts or go back and fix mistakes like you do at home.

I once tried to do some rock songs with a drummer friend of mine, just piano and drums. I naturally assumed that he would lay down a steady beat that I could "riff" on (if I may use some up-to-date slang.) Not so, I was informed rather coldly. I was expected to keep a steady beat in the left hand, the bass line, for him to follow.

I found out later that that's the job of the bass guitarist in a band -- keep going plunk plunk plunk while others get to improvise freely. If there's no bassist, the piano does it.

[gyzzzmo]

Keeping a steady beat! That's the most essential thing. No matter what happens, you have to stay in tempo. You can't slow down for the hard parts or go back and fix mistakes like you do at home.

I once tried to do some rock songs with a drummer friend of mine, just piano and drums. I naturally assumed that he would lay down a steady beat that I could "riff" on (if I may use some up-to-date slang.) Not so, I was informed rather coldly. I was expected to keep a steady beat in the left hand, the bass line, for him to follow.

I found out later that that's the job of the bass guitarist in a band -- keep going plunk plunk plunk while others get to improvise freely. If there's no bassist, the piano does it.

This actually also depends on the drummer, what he's used to do. Loads of drummers only seem to be able to drum their own beat and if they cant adapt to you, you definitely have to follow him.

[shortyshort]

This actually also depends on the drummer, what he's used to do. Loads of drummers only seem to be able to drum their own beat and if they cant adapt to you, you definitely have to follow him.

I used to play bass in a band, and the drummer lead.
If you're out of time with the drummer it sounds bad.