The director stopped rehearsal because I added a 7th.

About 15 years ago, I was playing in a theater production, probably Jesus Christ Superstar. This time, the orchestra was bigger, likely due to a better budget. The director played the piano, and we had two guitars. Usually, these shows have two guitars. We were rehearsing one of the pieces with just the orchestra, without the cast.

In front of me were chord symbols and slashes, meaning I had some freedom to play in a way that contributed to the music. I remember one of the chords was D minor. Music for theater productions is very specific, with lots going on.

We kept playing the same passage, and I played D minor 7 even though it said D minor. After about the third time, the director stopped us and asked, Wait, who's adding the seventh there? I thought I was doing something good because D minor and D minor 7 sound similar. I always believed that adding more would be better. But I was wrong. My extra note didn't fit with the arrangement and sounded stylistically incorrect.

So, I told him, Yes, it was me. I played the D minor 7. He asked, What chord is written there? I said, D minor. He asked, Why did you play D minor 7? I explained I was used to doing that because I've been playing jazz standards for a while and you have some freedom to add and remove things.

He then said, This music isn't like other music you're playing. This stuff is very specific. There are lots of parts, winds, voices—it's detailed. If it says D minor, you play D minor. You can't put something else because you have to respect what the arranger wrote. Someone worked on these arrangements for them to work. By changing it, you're messing it up.

He continued, From now on, you need to be exact with this theater music. Always remember that the music is the most important thing. If an individual part decides to change things up thinking it's better, it might work in other styles but not here. For example, if you take a pop song and start adding sevenths and ninths like in jazz, it'll sound stylistically wrong and won't work.

Many bands make the mistake of always thinking they need to add something to improve. The first thought is, What can I add? This is a common trap because our brains are more geared towards adding than subtracting.

For example, if you think about how to improve a room, you might consider adding a rug, some pictures, or another piece of furniture. But what if the room is dark? Maybe you just need to remove the curtain. The problem with removing things is that no one notices what's gone. When you add something, you can take credit for it.

Bands often fall into this trap and think adding layers will make their music better. They might end up spoiling a song that would sound perfect with just simple rhythms or fewer instruments. Piling on more layers often doesn't lead to the desired outcome.

On a final note, if you’re a guitarist, bassist or drummer, and ever get the chance to play in a musical—even if it’s a community theater or college production—take it. Do it even if the pay isn't great, or if it's a passion project. When a production pays for the official show license, you get access to the actual, legitimate charts. You can’t just go out and buy these orchestrations; standard store books only give you simplified piano-vocal adaptations with generic chord symbols over them. Working with real theater charts alongside a live orchestra is an incredible learning experience that you can't get anywhere else. If you get the call, don't pass it up.

L. D. Bonilla

The Band Coach Method