Song Endings

[spdolan]

Hey folks

Our drummer said something to the guy auditioning for bass last night which struck me, so I thought I'd see what you guys had to say about it.

"Oh and just so you know - we never end a tune the same way twice"

Do you guys practice endings for your songs or are there a couple of standard endings you use? We dont generally play outros or anything - I usually repeat the last line twice or 3 times, then a quick chordal rendition of same line, end.

Apparently this is not the way everyone does it, so I'm interested in your ideas.

**EDIT** - we play covers, mostly. But our own renditions. **EDIT**

Dolan

[Opus Antics]

We always practice the endings to the songs. And we always end the song the same way. We may have changed the ending from the original recording, but once we decide how it will end, that's it. I'll say one thing for my band, our song endings are nice and tight.

[wades_keys]

We try to get the endings down - sounds like you cats might have some dead air or very predictable endings?

If you can work up your endings - you should probably have at least 2 or 3 songs that "flow" together with no interruption - the only way to pull that off is to play the endings consistently.

I'll admit that's tough and generally the last thing new bands wind up working on...

[wades_keys]

A drummer in one of my bands is real bad with endings - we tend to wind up doing the same old same ole - ya know, the crescendo strumming on the V chord with cymbol crashes and then resolving on the I.

Kiss style - but damm it gets old after a while.

The drummer in the other band seems much more together with his endings....

[spdolan]

yeah we have quite a few we jam together to make a medley, and leave some space for noodling and experimentation, but usually we just jam out the ending, get a quick look from the singer (either me or the other guitarist) and wind it down.

Some tunes have solid endings, but most either fall apart or we make it up on th fly

[THX1138]

Definate, solid endings. Always.

[Outrider]

As a musician, the endings are one of the big keys that tell me you're serious about it. I've always tried to work them out tight. People in a crowd probably don't give a hoot either way.

[wades_keys]

As a musician, the endings are one of the big keys that tell me you're serious about it. I've always tried to work them out tight. People in a crowd probably don't give a hoot either way.

I hear ya but the biggest influence IMO on endings is the drummer.

If he's inconsistent or keeps you guessing, then there is no ending, no matter what you were intending.

The worst is when the other players don't or won't react to that and stubbornly keep playing their parts because they are "right" and the drummer is "wrong".

[GCDEF]

It may not be as much fun, but you can't be a tight band without being well rehearsed and consistent. If I was auditioning for a band and they told me that, I'd keep looking.

[ChordGirl]

One of the biggest things that hinders us as a band is the beginning and ending of a song. Since we don't practice, someone usually starts playing it and the others come in whenever. The endings eventually work themselves out, but not always. It's very disappointing sometimes.

[spdolan]

Originally Posted by wades_keys

The worst is when the other players don't or won't react to that and stubbornly keep playing their parts because they are "right" and the drummer is "wrong".

I agree with this statement, but I think it should apply across the board. For example, someone should not be so locked into their own part that they don't hear a shift in either dynamics or chord sequence to trigger a new direction. Not just endings. It seems like people dont always listen to the rest of the band.

[rhat]

What it all boils down to is that if you want things done right you do have to spend the time it takes to arrange the song as a group. If you skip that part or skimp,,, you get loose or non existant intros and endings to songs. rat

[Kuhnfyoozed]

If you're tight enough as a group to end differently every time, AND be together, then you're one of the few amazing groups that can do that.

I would recommend having a definite ending that allows for creativity. Example:

We're going to hit the chord X while Guitarist Y takes a small solo, and we'll resolve on chord Z in 16 counts .

[wades_keys]

Originally Posted by spdolan

I agree with this statement, but I think it should apply across the board. For example, someone should not be so locked into their own part that they don't hear a shift in either dynamics or chord sequence to trigger a new direction. Not just endings. It seems like people dont always listen to the rest of the band.

That's pretty much what I was saying - but sometimes you won't be able to clearly hear everyone in the band and in those cases you all should be playing the same damn thing.

[SpaceNorman]

It's a mixed bag for us when it comes to endings. We decide on a figure that sets up the ending since we're not big on counting long passages (anything more than 4 of anything and I want a cue rather than a count...). Sometimes it's "x" times through a chorus or refrain of the tune sorta thing - or simply a "hook" that whoever is soloing in the vamp will toss out to set up a short countdown to the end. The endings themselves are a mixed bag. We lean towards crisp tight endings - but do have a couple of tunes that get the "end of the world" ending treatment.

[khastra_ksc]

All of our songs end the same way. We write segues/extensions sometimes to smooth out a live show... But we generally play each song the same way.

[ggm1960]

Originally Posted by GCDEF

It may not be as much fun, but you can't be a tight band without being well rehearsed and consistent. If I was auditioning for a band and they told me that, I'd keep looking.

It's really the difference between a real group and a bunch of hacks. Our band has worked on endings but still things don't always go as planned and often visual cues are extremely important.

Some songs have clear cut endings while many have fade outs and you have to decide on how the group will end them and then get it pounded into your head.

[bassred]

The start and finish are the two most important parts of the song. If the band doesn't start on the same page then the song will already be over as far as the audience is concerned. If the ending of the song is a train wreck, or you always do the 'trash-can' ending (holding the last note while lead guitar players and drummers slam a scale or two..... ) then the night becomes unbearably long and the audience will grow tired of listening to you.

Very very important to rehearse starts and finishes, and to make sure that not every song starts or ends the same.