Music 2

Here is the second of Snaarman's quick guides to music.

Previously we mentioned Folk, Blues and Busking, and made some useful observations about Violins. Today we deal with people who play music indoors and in the dark, and firstly we feature Rock Bands.

The Rock Band can usually be spotted somewhere dark and loud. Very loud, in fact so loud you can't hear the lyrics clearly. Don't worry, this is intentional. Smoke and lights are also an essential part of the experience. 

Have a look around the audience and try to find the sound mixer. This is a good place to stand, if it sounds OK for him it might just sound ok for you.

Now  we move on to Pub Bands. A band in a pub have the same ambitions as the rock band on stage. They would like everyone in the building to be deafened, and in this they can usually succeed. When you half fill a small pub with amplifiers and speakers the remaining space can be battered with sound quite easily. 

Despite the proximity, you still won't be able to hear the lyrics. Once again, this is normal.

Finally we have the String Quartet. While you may find them on stage they are very rarely found in pubs. Once again you will not be able to hear the lyrics, but in this case there are none. 

If you see a group of musicians and are unsure if they are a String Quartet or a Rock Band, look for music stands. Rock bands never use sheet music*.

Next in this series I will tackle the knotty problem of Jazz.

*Amateur musicians don't usually have sheet music. They mostly don't read music. Professional musicians have sheet music as a badge of authority to mark them out from the amateurs. 

Top professionals however don't use sheet music. This is also a badge of authority. This says "I can read music but I know the piece so well I don't need it"


(The bands featured above: Mark700, Duvet, The Kane Quartet)