Developing a Solo Set

[Geospectrum]

Im working on repertoire at the moment, building a list of about 20 tunes that I know really well and can improvise over. It occurred to me that this could be the basis for a solo set. Ive played in small combos and jams but haven't developed my chord melody to any degree of competence so a solo gig has always seemed out of reach. There is a sax player I know who does this, although he incorporates a bit of singing too. (He isn’t willing to form a duo before you ask).

I was wondering if it’s possible to play solo guitar gigs mainly using single line playing; intro, melody, followed by a couple of verses of improv, back to the melody and out. I could comp with chords for a few bars to break it up a bit, add some bossa tunes perhaps.

Backing tracks may be required but as I live in something of a jazz desert Im not sure what else I can do unless I lock myself away for a couple of years to learn chord melody.

Any thoughts?

[Mick-7]

There was another thread on this subject not long ago....

It could work with a looper but even so, I think you'd have to be good improvisor for it to be interesting, e.g., I've heard Adam Rogers do what you suggested.

[GuyBoden]

I've played with a looper 15+ years ago live quite a few times, I recorded the chords on the looper (live) and then played the melody/solo over the top of the chords.

Recording the chords live on a looper wasn't good entertainment for an audience and I wasn't a good enough a player, but it worked.

Recently, I saw a guitarist, when I was on holiday last month, playing to Jazz backing tracks in the hotel. It sounded ok, the holiday makers didn't seem to care one way or another that it was backing tracks.

If it isn't a Jazz gig, I'd use the very popular Jazz backing tracks from Paul Wilkinson.
Here: Play Jazz Tracks - High Quality Backing Tracks

[Geospectrum]

Thanks, that’s intriguing. This is also a bit of a project for me. Im waiting for eye surgery in my right eye and my away from home jazz activities are on hold until that is done, probably late Summer. Working out a solid set of tunes, learning to use a looper etc to at home where i can enlarge music on screen seems a reasonably solid plan and one I can manage with 1.5 eyes!

[mheton]

I played lots of gigs with a looper and the audience was fine with me doing chords first...

To derail this thread a little:
Do you know of any other good jam tracks/playalongs with standards that only include drums and bass?
I can't stand it anymore when the piano accompanies (in a non-live context)

[GuyBoden]

I played lots of gigs with a looper and the audience was fine with me doing chords first...

To derail this thread a little:
Do you know of any other good jam tracks/playalongs with standards that only include drums and bass?
I can't stand it anymore when the piano accompanies (in a non-live context)

Bass and Drums only:

Jam Session - For Piano Players
– Play Jazz Tracks

Jam Session Vol.2 (for piano players)
– Play Jazz Tracks

[grahambop]

A couple of years ago I saw someone doing a solo jazz guitar gig in a restaurant with a looper, and considering I had always been a bit dubious about the idea, from the perspective of being in the audience it actually worked well. When he laid down the chords it just sounded like a kind of extended intro, I don’t think many people even realised he was using a looper.

Bossa tunes work very well, probably because the rhythm is so clear (if it’s done well), people can follow it easily.

[Geospectrum]

Im using stagetrax 4 and making the backing in Band in a box. Export separate stems and import them into stage tracks, you can then mute the ones you dont want. You can do the same with IReal pro via GarageBand also Quartet will allow export of Stems for a small fee per track.

I played lots of gigs with a looper and the audience was fine with me doing chords first...

To derail this thread a little:
Do you know of any other good jam tracks/playalongs with standards that only include drums and bass?
I can't stand it anymore when the piano accompanies (in a non-live context)

[GuyBoden]

Jamey Aebersold Jazz Play-A-longs

"The special stereo separation technique we use is ideal for rhythm players. The left channel includes bass and drums, while the right channel contains piano (or guitar) and drums."

So, why not have a backing track with the greats:
" Ron Carter, Kenny Baron, John Patitucci, Grady Tate, Rufus Reid, James Williams, Hal Galper, Cedar Walton and many others."

So, don't forget your old Jamey Aebersold Jazz Play-A-longs. For Bass and Drums tracks only, you can separate and save the left channel as an individual track using Audacity or similar.

[djg]

Jamey Aebersold Jazz Play-A-longs

"The special stereo separation technique we use is ideal for rhythm players. The left channel includes bass and drums, while the right channel contains piano (or guitar) and drums."

So, why not have a backing track with the greats:
" Ron Carter, Kenny Baron, John Patitucci, Grady Tate, Rufus Reid, James Williams, Hal Galper, Cedar Walton and many others."

So, don't forget your old Jamey Aebersold Jazz Play-A-longs. For Bass and Drums tracks only, you can separate and save the left channel as an individual track using Audacity or similar.

i wonder how much of my tendency to rush can be blamed on playing endless hours with ron carter on the bird volume...

[GuyBoden]

i wonder how much of my tendency to rush can be blamed on playing endless hours with ron carter on the bird volume...

and other Jamey Aebersold Jazz Play-A-longs too.....................................

[mr. beaumont]

People also like solo guitar with lots of space.

[PMB]

and other Jamey Aebersold Jazz Play-A-longs too.....................................

The Hal Galper Trio on Vol 25 played a backing track for I Love You and it moves up almost 30 bpm!

[AllanAllen]

Look into Kenny Burrell he’s got a very approachable solo technique.

Noodle, noodle, chord.

[Mick-7]

Look into Kenny Burrell he’s got a very approachable solo technique. Noodle, noodle, chord.

Well, I don't know, it's those distinctive intra-noodle chords that make it work, it's a sparser approach to chord melody playing.

[AllanAllen]

Yeah, that’s why I attached an example.

[Mick-7]

Yeah, that’s why I attached an example.

You have a good point, but the approach he takes while playing with a trio illustrates it better. Playing that way with, say, a drum machine could definitely work.

[AllanAllen]

I like him so much because he’s self sufficient in a trio, but not overbearing. So much taste.

[Mick-7]

This is the previous forum thread on this subject to which I referred: Getting out there…

[Aiq]

Sco and looper:

[Cunamara]

I was going suggest the "noodle, noodle, chord" approach but Allan got there first. In many cases, when playing the melody, the melody can be put on top of the chord so you can do both at once. That is an essential skill to develop. For soloing, single lines can work but you have to provide enough clues as to the harmony to make that work. Playing in octaves sometimes can fatten it up. Double or triple stops, too. Be rhythmic. Just not an abstract, extended searching solo (for most audiences). Maybe only one chorus of soloing before going back to the head.

[JazzPadd]

That Scofield video using a looper was interesting, thanks for posting it! I also like what Bill Frisell has done with loopers, though in a different way. There's a lot of perspectives and suggestions here and it seems like there's various ways to use loopers for live sets.

I think the context and intention matter. If you want to just have fun at home or open mics and such, that might suggest one approach, while if you intend to gig regularly or entertain audiences at night clubs, restaurants, etc., that can suggest another approach.

My context for using a looper in solo guitar performances stems from a little bit of both. A few times a year, I do a live solo set at community events in a couple local venues. These are short sets maybe 30-40 minutes and it's part of a social scene built around live music.

Since they are infrequent and there is not a lot of pressure to be an entertainer, I use the opportunity to work up a different set each time. The songs might vary, and I may use an acoustic or an electric with or without pedals, but a looper is part of what I use for these.

I tried laying down a chord progression, then playing the melody and soloing over it, but I found it tedious and unsatisfying in the long run, and felt too bound to the progression. I tried that for practicing at home, too, but eventually switched to using backing tracks.

But I still use a looper in a specific way for some of these live sets, usually in conjunction with some kind of chord melody playing. For example, I did a Jobim set on a flat top with a few pedals a couple of years ago and last year did a medley of tunes linked with a loop.

My chord melody playing is limited by my skill level, but this point in life I'm interested in playing more than shedding. So I make use of the skills that I have and innovate within those, playing the chord melody first and then setting down a vamp to do some soloing.

Sometimes, the vamp can function as a segue between two tunes, or can work in the middle of one tune before changing up the key or tempo or some other aspect of the arrangement. Doing it this way is more fun for me and I think audiences appreciate it.

For the Jobim set, I did an arrangement of Dindi, which I worked on for several years because I liked the tune, and played it open mics a few times, refining it. When one of these community events came up, I turned that into a 10 or so minute solo performance.

The first three minutes were a chord melody kind of thing, then I set up a vamp on two chords using the old fusion thing of having a one note difference between the chords and playing off of that difference while soloing. In this case, it was based upon Amaj7 to Em7.

After 3 minutes of that vamp and solo, I cut the looper and modulated to a different key, playing another version of the chord melody in the second key with a somewhat different mood and feel, which I did for 3 minutes, bringing the whole thing to around 10 minutes.

For another set, using an electric with some pedals, I did a "Stars Medley" making use of sparse arrangements of "When You Wish Upon a Star" and "Stella By Starlight," linked by a two chord vamp on harmonic major tonality for ad-lib. This one was around 8 minutes.

For anyone who might be interested, those two are linked below. I've used this "sandwich pattern" (melody, loop w/ ad-lib, different melody) for other solo sets as well. Granted, this isn't for everyone but works well for my context and intention. I wish you the best in yours!

[Aiq]

I like it, dreamy.

[befiddled]

Sco and looper:

I was scrolling down to post this video. Cool set and cool venue.

[alltunes]

Matt Otten has a new course out on jazz looping. I really like the way he plays and considered getting it but there is only so many platforms I can deal with TrueFire DC Music School Barry Greene Open Studio Peghead Nation.

Matt has some great looping vids on YT.