I recently started discussing the ideas that covering music isn’t such a bad thing. I want to restate that I don’t believe anyone has to cover music, but that those of who do shouldn’t be thoughts of as traitors to the songwriting movement. Believe me, I’m much more proud of the songs I’ve written than anything I’ve covered.
That being said, how should you cover a song while staying true to yourself?
- Pick Songs that You like: Yes, there are certain songs that bar customers will ask to hear (Yes, you will hear requests for “Free Bird”…even if you play solo), but it’s important to play songs that you enjoy. If you only play songs because you think the crowd will enjoy them, then you’ll be crossing into dangerous territory. If you’re having fun with the song, it will show and the crowd will have fun as well.
- Change the Key. Don’t be afraid to change the key. Just because Kelly Clarkson can hit that high “A” doesn’t mean you have to. Feel free to play the song in a key that works for you and your style. Use a CAPO if that helps.
- Use Your Style: Do you remember when Obadiah Parker put up that Youtube video of “Hey Ya?” He took a well-known R&B/Rap song and fit it into his acoustic guitar style If you have never heard of Outcast, you would never think twice about this being an original song – this cover showcases the musician’s vocals and guitar abilities and really draws us into to listen to more of what he does. This might mean adding instruments to the song or even removing them. One of my first recordings of a cover song was when I used a trombone to play the main melody to a Back Street Boys song – I’m not saying it was good, but it fit into the Ska style I was going for.
- Give the Song a new Interpretation: Think about Nine Inch Nail’s song “Hurt” – a song full anger and pain. Maybe believe this song to be from the perspective of a heroin addict. Then cut to the same song performed by Johnny Cash towards the end of his career. The same chords and lyrics, but a new interpretation. Now it’s a song about an old man looking back on his life with regret at the pain he has caused others.
- Pay Attention to Copyright: Just because you do a killer cover does not mean you can distribute the song. There are lots of technicalities in what you can do and who pays for what: I found an interesting article here that helps explain it. The bottom line, double check copyrights before you do anything to get yourself in trouble.
- Have fun: The whole point of playing covers, or playing music in general, is because you enjoy it. Have fun playing every song you perform and the crowd will have fun as well…and maybe you won’t end up on Crack.Com’s list of the worst covers ever made.
What tips do you have for covering a great song? What is your favorite cover song of all time?