Your band has decided on a song to perform, but everyone is debating whether to do a straight cover or a live arrangement. How would you end this debacle?
Read on below to decide!
What is a Straight Cover?
A straight cover is produced by recreating the music closely to the original song. This means that the characteristics that make up the song are kept largely the same. This can include:
- Instrumentation (Band setup follow original instruments)
- Timbre (Eg. Using / Replicating the original synth)
- Form (Song structure remains the same)
Pros
Template
Because a straight cover requires you to draw exact characteristics of the original song to your band’s arrangement, all you have to do is copy. Your music cannot go wrong if your band recreates the song properly.
Thanks to the advent of the internet, you also have unlimited access to the original song, plus plenty of resources online such as YouTube videos and scoresheets to learn and practice.
Resources like videos breaking down the song into its different segments, guitar tabs for guitar players, and drum transcriptions, can be found all over the web. There should be no shortage of avenues to learn the song.
Time-Efficient
With templates being accessible to many, you will need to focus less on figuring out the technicals of the song and more on perfecting how it sounds.
Compared to live band arrangements, straight covers do not require you to sit down and brainstorm what the next segment should sound like.
This helps to save a lot of practice time, which is great for bands who are in a pinch for time for their next gig.
Reliability
Following a template will increase your chances of a successful performance.
Because a lot of effort has already been put into arranging the song, and more so because experienced artists work on them, you can be assured that your band will sound cohesive and coherent if you follow the right methods.
At the same time, the song has already been published and enjoyed by many worldwide listeners for a long time. This will help guarantee that your audiences will also enjoy your straight cover.
Cons
A thousand replays
Some don’t want to listen to original covers when coming to a live show. Why pay to watch a band do a straight cover when they can just listen to the original on Spotify at home?
This is a common discussion topic among live music fanatics, and why many bands change up some aspects of the song to provide extra oomph to their performance.
The sliver of hope is that no 2 performances are exactly alike, because some bands have limitations (such as band setup or instrumentation) when trying to recreate a song.
Lack of creative direction
Musicians love to flex their creative muscles, but straight covers do not need them to do so. This is not a big con; it can be easily side-stepped by adding bits of freshness throughout the song. This includes live arrangement methods.
For newer musicians who are just starting, sticking with only straight covers and not venturing into composing new arrangements may hinder their growth as musicians. To develop musical vocabulary, musicians need to explore and create consistently to see progress.
Straight Cover Examples
Have a listen to the following straight covers by different artists.
Coldplay
Michael Jackson
Why use a Straight Cover?
Many musicians and bands continue to do straight covers for their live performances. One big reason is that their songs are iconic, and changing the arrangement may lose their distinct characteristics.
When should you choose Straight Cover?
Limited time – When you are in a pinch, a straight cover will give your band more time to practice so that you can sound good on stage. You can rely on ready-to-play resources online to speed up the process and focus more on polishing the music.
Iconic song – If the song is widely known for certain traits, the safest option is to do a straight cover. This will let your audiences enjoy the music for what it is, lest you anger die-hard fans.
New Musician – If you are starting, take templates from songs as they have been tried and tested. Develop your techniques while building your vocabulary as you conquer different songs. Once you feel confident in your skills, feel free to add spice to your performances.
What is a Live Music Arrangement?
A live music arrangement occurs when the original song is reimagined in a different version, adding and changing many characteristics and enhancing the original arrangement. It may also result in the original arrangement being barely noticeable.
This is done by using multiple live arrangement methods to spice up the song, ranging from:
- Changing the genre
- Adding new sections to the song (Eg. Guitar solo)
- Injecting new fills and attacks
Pros
Fresh
Because a live arrangement usually involves changing the music, it gives audiences something new to enjoy. It helps to keep listeners intrigued and on their toes for the next big thing that might happen.
Some audiences go to live shows hoping to witness a new arrangement or experience, rather than listening to what they have already been listening to on loop.
If pulled off right, the new arrangement can sometimes sound better than the original, setting a new standard for future performances and having listeners asking for more.
Knock your socks off
Imagine yourself as an audience member.
The music starts but it is not what you expected. Instead of the usual song Intro, the band gets the audience to chant. Everyone starts to do it and suddenly the venue is flooded with human voices.
It is exhilarating when the music surprises you with a full band attack or when a jazzy reharmonization of chords catches you off guard. That is the effect you want to have on your audience members.
It is crucial to have an impact on your audience so that they will remember your performance. Sometimes, this is done by injecting small but memorable bits into the music.
Cons
Requires experience
Knowing how to change the music will be difficult when you don’t know what works and what doesn’t. You have to build this vocabulary through extensive exploration and learning from other experienced musicians.
Naturally, this requires time and exposure to musicians who are better than you. Newer performers may struggle at the start to come up with something or apply a technique that is not pleasing to listeners.
If you are looking to speed up the learning process, there are commonly used live arrangement techniques that veteran musicians employ to amplify their performances.
Time-consuming
Piecing together a new arrangement can take some time before the band settles on a finalized version.
Compared to a straight cover where the band follows a template, a live performance requires bands to decide what new elements to change or add.
Discussions are to be had, and the band has to run through a few takes to settle on the best arrangement.
Depending on the band’s dynamic, they can be swift to decide, or contemplative at every suggestion. In the end, more time is taken compared to a straight cover.
Potential downfall
Not every live music arrangement appeases the masses.
If done poorly, the arrangement can break the performance and result in an unhappy audience. When audiences are caught off guard in a distasteful way, they will remember your performance but for the wrong reasons.
This can cause many hours of hard work and discussion to go to waste. As mentioned, settle on a live arrangement once you have ample experience or when an experienced musician is around.
Live Music Arrangement Examples
Bruno Mars
Friday Night Plans
When should you choose Live Music Arrangement?
Capability – The band should first be capable of executing the live arrangement musically and tastefully. If the band members are experienced and can direct the music well, they can pull off the arrangement successfully.
Limited Setup – When the gig calls for a different band setup, such as 3-piece or acoustic, it will be difficult to recreate a heavy Rock song. In those situations, you will need to work with what you have, which entails adjusting the song arrangement.
Conclusion
Deciding between a straight cover or live arrangement make or break your set. This guides hopes to help you make a decisive choice. There’s also no saying that you can’t have a mix of both in your oerformance!