Looking for advice on my first group

[mastodonovan]

Hi guys, I'm starting a group so to say. A friend from high school went on to study classical voice at a university and she was actually thrilled when I approached her about starting a duo for fun and to pick up gigs at restraunts and what not. I was thinking the first tunes to work on are going to be Autumn Leaves, Summertime, The Girl From Ipanema, I Get Along Without You Very Well, and My Funny Valentine. I was wondering if I could get any insight on playing in the duo style with just a vocalist. Should I be playing chord melody style or "chunk" comping? I'm open to any input and will try to find the usb to my handheld recorder so I can post playing.

[mr. beaumont]

Well, first do some listening...joe pass with ella is your bible.

Don't play chord melody. The melody is for the singer.

You can do chord melody when she's not singing, but i'd rather hear you improvising than hear the melody again. Improvising as a solo instrument is a challenge! Keep your breaks short to start.

As for the rhythms you play, keep it varied. Play rubato, swing it, use moving bass, comp sparse like a piano, it all works, and it all depends on the tune.

[mastodonovan]

Thanks Mr.Beaumont. I'm going to shed the tunes and next time I see her we'll record and I'll throw it up. What did you think of the songs I chose to start with?

[mastodonovan]

I know it's pretty 101, but seems like a good easy set to me, I've been to an actual jam so I don't really know what's common

[mastodonovan]

I've never been* sorry I'm blowing up my own thread

[ronjazz]

Those, unfortunately, are very good actual jam songs. What does she want to sing? She may not be a jazz singer, or even really be able to swing much at first, so the ballads are good, but you might want to have a couple more Latin tunes, or be prepared to treat some of the swing tunes as Latin, which works fine in all of the ones you've chosen. Most pop and classical singers are more comfortable with a straight eighth-note feel rather than a swing feel.

[mastodonovan]

Hi Ron, appreciate the advice. You make a very good point she's studying classical and probably can't swing. Maybe we'll re-work all the tunes into a modern bossambova feel haha I think I would have a ball doing that and people would enjoy to hear it.

[mastodonovan]

When I asked her what she would want to start with she said My Funny Valentine and I get along without you very well, and I had asked her to learn girl from ipanema and Autumn Leaves, I was thinking of summertime as an easy tune cause every knows it musician or not.

[fep]

You didn't ask this but I wanted to add. Dedication and dependability are extremely important qualities in band members. If any of your band members don't have those traits, you probably don't want them as band members.

[mastodonovan]

Fep- Wise words, this won't be my main group(in a touring funk/fusion band) it's really going to just be something we'll do around her town when in between tours I'm hoping. Still appreciate your post though =]