how do YOU communicate with other band members

I think about this every so often. I thought I'd throw it out there this time.

I was hired to be the "German accordionist" with a band last year. I never played with them before. I did the customary "salute" during playing to advise the band members what key I was going into. Every time we ended up playing in different keys.

I questioned the guitarist. I said I had one finger "UP" meaning I'm going into the key of G. Two fingers "DOWN" means entering B flat. He argued endlessly that I had it wrong...one finger up means F and two down means D.

I haven't played in a band in years. Do I have it wrong?

That's the way I always called the keys. Up for sharps!

My band has always done the same.

I don't remember it being anything different. The words themselves tell the story. Flat is flat.

John C.

Mark,if your original key was C in your example, you are using circle of fifths (accordion players)...
If your guitar guy was in the key of E...than he is correct..
I have always based on half steps.up or down, self explaining. Up 1, raise a half step..
Even girl singers get this.

For me - and my band mates - it was always up for sharps, down for flats ...

Not sure how any of that works. I was always in bands that knew what song was coming next, and what key they were in.

Ditto!

ditto.................

as musical director playing keyboards on tour years ago with show bands during sound check & rehearsals,I would always single out each player randomly to play their part solo to see if they were holding their own as a slacker could ruin a show,....everyone had to pull their weight always or your gone. Simple as that.

Fran, I do not understand your post. Where did you find C in Marks post? And what does the circle of fifths have to do with hand signals?

Just trying to understand.
John C.

"C" was only an example I believe. However,if the signals given are in Concert C, Bb people would always have to transpose the 2 step difference in their heads to move to the new key.

The greater part of my music career was playing in a band. Sax players and trumpet players and bass players wanted the hands signs to be given from a concert key of C major. They transposed the rest themselves.

How confusing t would be if we were giving hand signals based on the different instruments ( Bb Eb) in the band.

In all my 45+ years of playing with other musicians I have never seen a musician use Up for flat keys and Down for sharp keys.

Just saying, John C.