BAND STUFF: less is hard

The aim of a band is to play as 'one'. If it sounds like there's a lot of different instruments (including voices) doing their own thing, it's not great to listen to! The old adage 'less is more' is really helpful, but it's pretty hard. So, here are some ideas - if there are 5 people in the band, make it a rough rule that everyone plays a fifth. Listen to each other. Play complimentary parts - if the electric is playing a riff, maybe the piano can mirror it, or play a harmony with it for example. Don't be tempted to clutter things up. If in doubt, have someone listen and give you some feedback - or you could do a rough recording of yourselves, and then listen back to get some ideas. It's a learning curve, but it's something that you do get better at. Let me know how you get on...