Donovan Banks

I read many blog or forum posts from people who own studios, teach music or are in some way involved in the music industry where they claim to know and profess all truth.

It seems to me that there are far too many experts who have done nothing further with their involvement that writing about it online. How do you now who to trust?

I always like to look at it this way, has the person done enough with their knowledge to be considered known for it? meaning is the person at least semi-famous as an engineer, producer, musician, teacher etc. Have they written for any publications that matter or are they doing a buddy a favour?

If the answer for that is no, then I consider how honest the person is. Do they say they are still learning but this is what I know so far? Are they humble about what they know? One can only despise the guy who says, "I teach people how to sing therefore I AM the authoritae on song writing." I've come across someone like that before. He tried to tarnish the good name of my band because we didn't agree with him.

I maintain one thought though, listen, take what you need and can work with . But ALWAYS follow your own thoughts. Nobody knows your plans better than you.

Last night I played a short acoustic set with the singer of Stereo in Flight, Bevan Lynch at Zack's in Windermere rd. It was a simple affair, hosted by Steve Fataar and was very laid back. It is a lovely, intimate environment to play, especially if you want to interact closely with your audience.

Before I get into our little set, I must mention that there was a duo that played before us. They go by the name(s) Matt and Mike, or was it Mike and Matt? Thats aside, they were very good. I enjoyed their set and was very surprised to see talent like this floating around. Great voice, great guitar playing, excellent songs and a very personable interaction with the audience. I am hoping to see them a lot more often.

Our set was planned to be only two songs. Bevan played his Yamaha steel string, I don't know the model number, I played my Aria Nylon String. We played well and executed the songs well enough, but in the video that our drummer, Brett Robertson kindly took I noticed something about my guitar, well, the guitars in general.
There was a major lack of bass presence in the out going sound. Which resulted in us sounding very thin and like half an ensemble. Sure, we were only half the band but plenty people play unplugged with no bass and get a good, balanced sound.

I can only guess what the problem was out of a number of possibilities.

1. My Battery is a little flat. Any adjustments I make to the preamp above or below zero suck so much power out of the already dead batter rendering the guitar a lot quieter. I think it's time to invest in rechargeable's. We'll see how that turns out...
2. My guitar isn't the greatest sounding instrument. I have played guitars with a much better bass response. One of them being Brett's Ibanez that I pinched borrowed, another being a Martin that  I played in store. Maybe, just maybe, it's time to start  looking at a higher end Nylon String. For now I think I'm going to try the stolen  borrowed Ibanez and see what comes of it.
3. We didn't do any sort of sound check. There was no EQ'ing done before we started. We merely tuned and played. It may have been a contributor to the lack of bass response as I don't recall any other performer's sounding very bassy either. 
4. There were only 2 small speakers for the PA. I'm sure my guitar doesn't get down to the frequencies that require bass bins but it could have also contributed with the other, above-mentioned points. 

Yesterday I went to mass at my old Parish on the Bluff. I spent many years playing guitar in a small folk choir there. In fact I started out playing there.
In my confirmation years we were told to do something for the parish and seeing as I just started playing, I tried my hand and joined this group. I had only just started playing and could barely hold a barre chord but I joined anyway. I sat at the back with my trusty old Nylon String and strummed away.
I learned many things in that group. I was forced to play in front of people every week. I learned that mistakes don't count, you must just carry on playing. I learned about song structure and some very strange chord progressions. I made some good friends as well.
I must have been part of that group for over 12 years. I only ever wrote one piece of music I consider a hymn. I taught this choir the song, never letting them know where it came from. they all fancied it and we played it a few times.
I left that parish when I got married (just over a year ago) and haven't been back much. Last night was the second time I have returned in 18 months. I was listening to them play one of my favorite songs and it reminded me how grateful I am to be able to make music. It reminded me of my start, when I couldn't play Bm and I was so nervous. For all my dreams and hopes about music, the foundation was laid there.
they finished the song and I felt humbled.
Then they started to play their next song and a wave of goosebumps came over me. I had completely forgotten about the hymn I had written and they were singing it. They still have no idea who wrote it and I like it that way. It was so surreal. I just sat there, closed my eyes and listened to this small group perform a song that I penned. They sang it with heart and I could feel their belief in the words.
What a humbling experience to know that not only have  I written a song that is a spiritual connection for people, but that they sing it because they like it.

I was once accused of hiding behind my effects. It hurt me a little because I like to think that I don't. Then one day my GT8 broke and I had to play without it.

I thought I could get away with it, after all, I only need a clean sound and a lead tone. My amp at the time had 2 lead channels which was more than I needed. That gig was a mess. I had no tuner to reference from, so my guitar was out despite my best efforts (I blame the wind. Thats my story and I am sticking to it)

That played on me a lot. What if it were to happen again? So I went and bought an amp with effects built in. I went for the Vox VT50, but could have easily gone for any of the Roland Cubes or the Line6 amps. Even so I reckon I had better learn to do without any effects at all.

I pitched up at a band practice without my amp or my pedal last week. I had to use my band mates Crate amp. It has a lead channel and a clean channel and I made do. Everything sounded fine, even though I use quite a few volume based effects I had to fiddle with the pickup switch and the volume control a lot more than usual but it happened.

Than yesterday, I carried my amp and all my effects but I think I hit new lows in life when I realised I didn't bring a guitar. It was too late to drive all the way back home and I knew nobody nearby with a guitar I could borrow. So I had to make do with playing on an acoustic guitar. It was an Ibanez MASA commemorative acoustic guitar. There isn't much info on this particular guitar but I can say that this one needs a slight neck adjustment, but all round it's a very nice guitar that belongs to our drummer.

So there I played. I changed a few gain and eq settings to try avoid feedback and I played what is normally electric guitar lines on an acoustic guitar. Soloing was a little tough because it has one less fret than I am used to and the cutaway is hard to get into. Add to that an action that you can park under and there you have it.

Why I write about this is that as an amateur musician, trying to get to the higher ranks, it can be good to be fussy about your gear, but if you are rushed into a studio, you might not have tome to go searching for your perfect guitar or to try find the best feel or tone. You could be in the right place at the right time and the right band will be in the studio. You wouldn't want to tell your favourite band, sorry I can't help you out, I don't have my lucky underpants guitar.

Try playing well on anything, that way you can do it at any time when asked.

In my experience there are a lot of things that can go wrong with a gig. if there is a possibility if it going wrong, it probably will at some point in your career. Here are 10 things I like to check before I gig, big or small.

1. Strings. Check your strings a few days before, after your last practice and the day before. If you need to change for whatever reason do it as early as possible so your strings are at least slightly stretched in before you play. Tuning between songs is fine, but if your guitar can't stay in tune for a whole song it's not good enough. Also make sure you have spare strings or a spare guitar. If you do have a spare guitar you need to check that as well.

2. Leads. There is nothing worse than the noise a faulty cable makes on a loud guitar amp. It can make you look unprofessional and stupid to not have working leads. check them, carry spares and check those. Make sure you have more than enough to rig your gear.

3. Power. Never rely on the venue to have enough extension cables or multiple adapters to supply your rig. Even if they do, they may be in an unsafe condition and could possibly kill you mid-gig. Bringing your won makes sure they are there, and that they work.

4. Batteries. Does your guitar or pedal need batteries? Get new ones. or if you use rechargeable batteries, make sure they are charged and carry spares with you.

5. Stands. Microphone stands, guitar stands and amp stands. Make sure you have packed all you need. Venues always seem to be one stand short and to save time or to prevent having to string a mic up from the rafters, just carry that one in your car in case.

6. Toolkit. A basic toolkit in case quick repairs are needed should at least have screwdrivers, hex keys and spare parts for amps and guitars. I carry around a soldering iron as well but I've never needed it to date. The further you are away from home, or a quick place to get something fixed, the more prepared you need to be.

7. Spare Clothes. You are a performer and unless your stage presence relies on you looking a mess it is advisable to have a change of clothes with you. All you need is to be waiting to go on stage, and some drunk bumbling buffoon (because they are there) will stumble and spill his drink and/or food on you.

8. Effects. I like to double check that all my effects are working as planned. I have had my pedal fail on me once and I now have backup effects which I also check are working. I try have contingency plans for my contingency plans...

9. Rest. Try get plenty of rest before hand. You don't want to perform while yawning, that sends a very bad message to your audience. If your energy levels are up you can give that to your fans and they will appreciate it.

10. Be Prepared to Rock. Get yourself into the right frame of mind. Nothing can compare to finishing a gig, having been in the right head-space. Just a short meditation or psyche up and you can get on stage pumped and full of the right energy to put on a great show and soak up some really good energy from a crowd who enjoy watching the performance. I like to stretch before I play, I don't listen to any music and I run through what I need to do in my head before I get on stage.

It's always a great idea to be prepared, you may not be the best musician playing the most technical songs, but you definitely don't want to look unprofessional.
Thanks Arjun for the topic.

I once interviewed a band for a small magazine. They had just recorded an album and were about to sign a distribution contract. They were kind enough to give me a copy of their album and it was extremely well produced, the songs were amazing and the arrangement incredible. I would go so far as saying that it was the best album released in South Africa this millenium. Yet I know few people have heard of them.
So what went wrong? I guess we'll never know. Maybe it just wasn't their time? Maybe the country wasn't ready for this calibre of artist? Maybe there is a conspiracy against SA rock music?

This story has been bugging me for some time. As a musician, especially a rock musician it plays on me. How good do you have to be to be popular in this country?

If I think about the bands that were popular in SA in the last 10 years and what made them stand out for me I see a tale of very fickle South African tastes.I don't want to look at specific bands because some of them irk me to Hellengone, but the general rule is that a band comes out that was different from the norm at the time.
How on earth is one supposed to read the market? Maybe the best bet is to watch the charts and when there is nothing that sounds even remotely like you, and you believe you are good enough, then release your stuff.

Whatever it is, there doesn't seem to be a clear formula. Maybe some sort of trend info would help decipher it and help us understand the culture better. It's either that or constant market surveilance which, I guess, is another area for record labels to handle....

Being a musician is tough. Not only do we have to find money to buy great quality gear, we have to choose between a myriad of options, then we need to decide who to buy that from.
I paid a visit to Coastal Music in Durban to find out what makes my favourite local store tick.


Is it Stock?
Coastal music is fairly well stocked with everything you would need, guitars, keys, drums, recording gear, microphones, some wind instruments, strings, stands and most other stuff your average musician would need. They keep and can get all the big brands but seeing as it's not consignment stock, but a buy and re-sell operation keeping a R1million Steinway that one would probably buy once in a lifetime doesn't make much business sense. Dieter Bender, who runs the store, is part of a group that owns a few stores around SA, and imports music gear. He tells me that they will stock any instrument or brand that people ask for, provided enough people ask.

Is it Price?
Durban is a very price conscious city. I don't think anybody knows the reason for that and I'm sure the recession hasn't helped anybody. Generally in SA prices of gear is the same throughout. I have bought a very well priced Nylon String guitar from here before, and have also been shown a more pricey PRS that was in store. Dieter told me about a limited edition Takamine that was one of 80 made for the world that was sold for over R50,000, yet you can get a great set of strings for under R100. I'm not sure money matters too much as they seem to cater for everyone.

Is it Experience?
Dieter has been in the game for many years. He tells me that he was a production manager and got offered a job managing a music store, so he took it. Now he runs a very interesting ship, with all the staff being musicians with experience on the instruments. "The biggest challenge is getting people through the door," he tells me,"Everyone who comes in here does so for a reason and we want to make sure they leave having had a pleasant experience. Even if they don't buy something, they will tell a friend about how great it is to be in Coastal Music." As he tells me this I seem to click, and if you have been in the store you will too. How everyone is very approachable, they are all interested in you, even if you don't know what you are looking for.  I'll often pop in just to browse and Lee Loveridge or Ian Swart will show me the latest guitars or effect. We all know that when something bites you, you'll get it. I had a great opportunity to sit and test out the Roland GR20 and in the end I bought it from Coastal Music because they allowed me to experience it for quite a while, making quite a racket in the store.

Compared to the service you receive in other stores in Durban, Coastal Music is way ahead of the game. I remember once trying to look at a guitar in another store. A salesperson approached me, and before I could ask a question about the instrument, he reached behind me and turned the music up so I couldn't hear the guitar. I have never been back there again. I won't mention the name but it was such appalling service I do feel the need to tell all my mates about it.

Community Activity?
They do host in store workshops with the likes of Mike De Jager and Nibs van der Spuy. They have about 4 or 5 a year and invite the customers to attend. They also have a legendary sale once a year. People Wait in anticipation for this sale and even queue up outside the door before they open. I hope to get some video footage of the madness, there is no way I can describe it. The prices are so low and people go nuts for it.

I asked Dieter if he had any wisdom to give to musicians out there. "If you want to make your mark, you need to practice and apply yourself. Even someone who is tone deaf can play music by learning to read music."

Keep an eye on the Facebook group for info on the sale or ask a question, they are always glad to answer.

The music industry has changed quite a lot over the last few decades.In the past, a musician or band was "discovered" by a record executive, was signed to the label and was then paid to make music.

Financially it was a tricky affair. While the famous image would be the band, they couldn't really make all the money. The record label had to make something, after all they put up the money for the record to be made, video's and promotions to be done. They had to recoup that money somehow.

So it was a problem, where the labels and musicians appeared to be working against each other. Labels were made out to be big, bad, corporate, greedy dragons that ate up all the hard work form the poor, tired old musician. It's hard work performing live show, doing interviews and being adored. Sure they had the creative product but the label had the vessel to sell that product. Without either, there was nothing.

There were also a lot of independent labels cropping up. It's not much of a phenomenon, as there is money to be made, and these smaller labels are operating as subsidiaries to the bigger labels, who in turn are acting as publishers and go-betweens. The basic model is still there though as the label and the band working together to create and sell a product.

Very recently bands have begun taking the marketing on for themselves. It's not as easy going as they hoped for. There are a lot of funds to be generated for recording of demo's and albums. Making of videos and publicity material. Contacting the press and venues for performances. There is all this work that needs to go into being a band on top of creating great music to sell.

I'm glad that is the case. We will hopefully see a bit of understanding for the record labels and how hard they must have worked presenting packages to the public. It should also guide musicians to be more responsible, not only with their product, but with their conduct. Imagine how far the Beatles would have got with their albums while they were stoned to high hills if there was no label pushing them to perform? They would have been wasted talent.
Perhaps now, we will see a host of musicians coming to the fore who really WANT to be there. Not just people who were stumbled upon in a recording studio singing a song for his mother and became one of the worlds biggest stars by near accident.

I purchased a set off books recently that I think I should tell you about. They are a short series by David Mead and while I cannot vouch for the author, nor the accuracy of the content in the book, I always feel that if I learn one thing that improves my playing or attitude, then it is worth it.

I have the Basic Scales for Guitar, Basic Chords for Guitar, Basic Kit Repair and the Basic Guitar Workout.

Now I am very impressed with the Guitar Workout as it gives you some very good practice techniques which are very important.
The book works on a simple principle that 10 minutes of good practice here and there is better than not practicing because you only have 10 minutes. How he structures the sessions is that you randomly open the book to any exercise, and spend 2 minutes doing it. He gives a guide on how many repetitions you should be able to achieve in those 2 minutes but the aim is to do as many as you can, while maintaining clear tones.
Some of the exercises are rather tricky though he has split them into three categories, Warm-up; Co-ordination; and Ear Training. They really work your fingers and force you to practice real techniques that matter, not just speed but clarity across all available fingers.

I do like to buy little things like this. My main aim is to learn as much as possible, from all sources possible. That was my first and biggest lesson.

Playing with Swell band has taught me a lot about music performance. I have learned about bad gigs, good gigs, playing outdoors, dealing with some very strange people, being ignored, being harassed, and playing on some tiny stages as well as some big ones.

What stood out for me this weekend was that, when playing covers, you have to believe in the song to really communicate it well. There are some songs we do that the whole band believes in and we really pump those out. We have a lot like that and it is such an amazing feeling to play.

But there are the songs that I battle to get behind. Blue Eyes, by Elton John is one of them. Every time I play that song I feel like I die a little inside. We play it EVERY TIME. I don't believe in it, so I can't follow it, and I have to bury my nose in sheet music to guess what is going on and my performance suffers for it.

So how do I get around this? I dunno. I don't think I can force myself to like certain songs. I guess I must try keep to songs I believe in. Unfortunately in this case the band likes this song. I may be dead by 2015 if I carry on playing it.

That is why it is so much easier to play your own songs, because you automatically believe in them. If you didn't, you wouldn't have written them, or you would have made them somethign you can work with.

Thats just the way the world works. but if you figure out how to pay music you hate, let me know how..

I recently read John Smit's book, Captain in the Cauldron and in it, he speaks of how they arrived in France for the 2007 Rugby World Cup. He said the team decided to act as if they had won the Cup already. From my perspective as someone watching, they did play very well and I could see they were going to win, just by the attitude they took on the field.

Here's something I take for myself as a musician from that. I may not be the most talented musician currently, nor am I even remotely famous but I am going to act like I am, so that I can believe it and practice and perform like I am. It is my first step into being as great as I can be...

There is one great lesson that playing music has taught me. When learning to play an instrument there are a lot of barriers that prevent you from being a maestro straight away.

Playing guitar you battle to get your fingers to be so precise. Then you have to battle to understand music itself, rhythms and timing. Then you try get even better and play faster, with different techniques, bending notes, vibrato, hammer ons and pull offs. You see masters playing amazing pieces of music and you want to do it so you try and try and you practice for hours until you can do it to.
we focus so much on the final result that all the work in between is nothing to us, it is a few steps we take to achieve our goal.

Why, then, do we look at other areas of life and not try as hard at it. School, University, Maths (I had to throw that in there), Sports, work, relationships, ourselves? We have proven that it is easy, there are only a few steps.

1. Identify what you want
2. find out what steps you need to take to get there
3. Do it

Isn't it simple. Sure, maybe the steps may seem difficult, but if there are millions of musicians in the word, millions of athletes millions of successful people, why do we still think we can't do something, when in fact, we can do anything!!!

I know that's a bold statement but I truly believe it.

If you look at what can be done on a guitar, try and find another instrument that you can do so much on. It has a greater range than most, except a piano, You can play slow, fast, single notes, chords, pick chords, strum chords. Buy playing with a pick it sounds different, if you use your fingers and have nails it sounds different, you can get percussion going, you can have harmonics in almost any position and you can pretty much cover for a whole band on that one instrument.

With most instruments you have variations in design, but they still sound the same. a guitar can sound so very different with steel strings, nylon strings, a deep body, a shallow body, fibreglass bodies, wood bodies, painted, treated, eaten by worms the variations are amazing.

That said I have to elaborate on Tuck Andress. He is one of the few guitarists I watch and I still want to play guitar. I find him interesting, inspiring and downright incredible. I'll let his playing do the rest.




Your Honour, the defence rests

Well in the interim there are some people that impress me greatly, mostly for different reasons but I think they rock.

Andy Mckee
I found this video on Youtube and was amazed. He totally defies traditional guitar playing. There are videos where he plays normally but the creativity here is amazing.





Tony Melendez
For a guy with no arms he plays with Spirit. He has a beautiful voice too.

Orianthi
Man this girl can play! There aren't many spirited musicians around like this these days.


Tal Wilkenfeld
Anyone who gets to play with Jeff Beck must be good, but I reckon Jeff Beck is more stoked to be playing on stage with her than the other way around.


Then there's this....

I love it.