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Well, the title says pretty much it all - a two-hour gig, one Sunday each month, the usual Great American Songbook stuff. Female singer, experienced in jazz. Looking forward to it.
I'm reminded of my previous experience with such a duo - I can happily comp along doing walking basses, chord stabs, counter melodies and/or fill ins - but when it comes to taking a solo I just feel the bottom dropping out. If there was someone comping, I'd feel confident enough to solo, but it's when you have to keep everything going yourself, I find that harder. Lots of listening to Joe and Ella over the next few weeks! I have a month to get the songs together, roughly work out what to do.
Tips/advice welcome!
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09-03-2014 05:58 AM
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That's really cool.
You're obviously much more experienced than me, so maybe I could offer a comment from a Jazz listeners perspective.
I'd say in such an environment, dynamics and variety of textures are the key. If it were me, I'd probably have a tendency to overplay, being concerned about filling up the space. However, I think the audience are far better at perceiving implied harmony than many musicians would give them credit for. Also, variety provides a much more engaging performance for the audience.
I actually really like it when a solo comping guitarist drops his bass line to take up a single note solo. It also gives an opportunity to develop the solo from single notes into chordal passages. On the very few occasions I've played solo behind a vocalist, I felt it takes a bit of time to develop the confidence to relax and"embrace the space".
Just as an aside, you might find some of these interesting:
I'd highly recommend buying a copy of this book to anyone interested in this style of playing.
Please do keep us posted of your experiences as it progresses.
All the Best.
Puby.
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I play in a duo situation with a violin player.
There's no bottom line in that situation either so I simply don't solo.
My solution to single line playing is to play 4 bar single line or longer chord melody intros on some songs.
If you are backing in the low register then you could always play higher register chords when the singer takes a break.
Edit: Well done on getting the gig!
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Cheers, guys. Yes, I must embrace the void!
Nice video. Looks good. I'm watching it now, and so far he shows things I am doing already, but I'll keep viewing...
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No, he definitely includes stuff I need to know. I've ordered the book! Thanks for bringing it to my attention, Puby.
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We have a couple of threads that praise the duets of Joe Pass and Ella, and offer them up as examples of tasteful comping and interaction between singer and guitarist.
It appears you made a wise choice.
My question is, couldn't you work out a nice solo in advance to avoid any possible grief, or does it have to be more of a spontaneous undertaking?
Either way, good luck.
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I feel for you on the soloing thing
Originally Posted by Rob MacKillop
I reckon its best to just keep comping
as per normal ... keep exactly that energy
density you were doing with the vocal
and then add in a tiny bit of a twiddle on top
of the chord ,
if theres not much of that to be had
then improvise with the rhythm of the chords
a bit turning it into a chord solo
I feel this gives a better result that 'stopping comping' to do some wizard single note thing for a chorus
have fun man
don't sweat the solos !
ps
are you gonna use a looper for the soul/funky stuff ?
get a riff going then , single note solo over that
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You'll need to practice saying this: "you're doing it in WHAT key? Really?"
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Congrats on the gig. I play with a singer as well and usually a bass player but not always. I've struggled with taking solos when playing unacompanied and still do. I have learned to keep it very simple and just look for something strong to play. Sometimes I might just do a comping solo but maybe in a higher register or with a little rhythmic variation. I often quote the melody with as many chords as I can fit in. Walking bass lines are great of course but things sound really empty when you stop playing them. Simple octave solo, double stops and harmonizing in thirds and sixths are super useful too I find since they fill things out.
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Rob,
I've always enjoyed the comping of your fellow countryman Martin Taylor in duo situations. He has several recordings in a duo setting that might provide you with some ideas.
Reunion with Stephane Grappelli, The Colonel and The Governor with Tommy Emmanuel, Double Standards overdubbed with himself, Two's Company with various artists, Two for the Road with Alan Barnes as well as a couple of others with singers Claire Martin and Allison Burns.
Regards,
Jerome
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Cheers, guys. I'm sure I'll come up with something. I'll probably work out a solo that allows for some variation, to keep on the harmony and beat, yet feeling a little loose.
Martin Taylor is a genius at this stuff. I was amazed when I saw his disc with Alison Burns, as she is from my home town of Dundee, and I accompanied her on a gig a million years ago. She's gone far!
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Rob,
I'm impressed that you accompanied Ms. Burns in her early career. You probably know that she's now Martin's daughter-in-law. Great way to secure a good accompanist.
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Joe Pass and Ella Fitzgerald! For more contemporary, look up Aylon Samouha and Jodi Jean Ambel on Youtube.
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I wanted to post this. Hopefully you'll make some allowances for me in that;
Ron's playing a 7-string,
Mort's playing clarinet, rather than singing,
Everybody's tastes and styles are different.
So, I'm basically just trying to let the forumites know about another great great recording that's out there, for anyone interested in duos featuring at least 1 guitar, for comping purposes etc.
Hope you enjoy it.
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I've just ordered a Mambo 10, with dual channel - the second is a vocal channel, just in case there's no PA!
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The Birthday Continues!
"Here at Laughing Pines,
Where the party never ends....."Last edited by pubylakeg; 09-03-2014 at 12:34 PM.
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I have that recording! Superb playing on both the instrumentalists' parts, and it kind of cements guitar and clarinet as one of my favorite duos.
Lenny Breau and Brad Terry did a DVD called "Live at the Maine Festival", just two numbers, but great playing also and some extra material like a complete discography of Lenny Breau's recordings.
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Just spoke to Jon at Mambo, and we've agreed not to add the vocal channel - it complicates things enormously, and the singer has her own vocal PA. Sorted.
Things are busy at the moment, but I hope to get time tonight to listen to Eschete and Weiss later tonight. Looking forward to it.
Now, use my Gibson 345 or Ibanez PM2...hmm...
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I actually have that book. But it's several other good books I have: I haven't worked in it yet! Originally Posted by pubylakeg
Thanks for the video link. As I already have the book, this could be the incentive I need to move it up nearer the top of the stack beside my music stand....
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I've found that two kinds of solos can work fairly well for a general audience when there is no backing: blues choruses and rhythm changes choruses. I have several of each that I can play in a pinch as stand-alone solos.
It may offend many purists, but when you need a solo and there's no backing (-and you're not playing for a roomful of guitar players), an etude works well too. They're catchy, hang together well, they're easy to follow, and you can play them in whatever key you need at whatever the present tempo is.
For example, when I play "Gee, Baby, Ain't I Good To You" alone, I may take a few standard 12-bar choruses then come back into the tune at the bridge. No one minds. (No one even notices.)
Or if I'm doing, say, "Making Whoopee" or "Ain't Misbehavin'" solo, I can use good rhythm changes 8-bar phrases for the A section and then pull something out of my Mickey Baker memory vault for the bridges. It's not sponatneous improv, but it tends to entertain the people who are there for the songs but don't mind a tasty solo here and there so long as it is, well, tasty.
The downside of soloing with no backing is that you're responsible for everything---rhythm, harmony, melody---and that can be a chore. But the upside is that you're free of concern about what others are doing. (There are no others doing anything.) If you play nice lines with swing, people enjoy them. And you probably will too.
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Cheers, Mark. Good points.
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Isn't this guitar playing at its arguably highest level? I mean being able to play the harmony and at the same time provide a melody or solo? Originally Posted by MarkRhodes
I would also argue that being able to comp for a singer and be interactive with him/her is a high-level skill as well.
Just my thoughts.
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There are two books by the same name. One is dated May 1, 2001 priced at $14.48.
The other is dated May 16, 2001 priced at $31.62
Which is the one that is suggested here?
TIA
edh
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I love that tune! (I love that whole record, Kamikiriad.) Originally Posted by pubylakeg
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Hi edh, just checked that on amazon.com, they're both the same book as far as I can see, it's just that the cheaper one is being supplied and sold by amazon and the other one is being offered by a vendor thru amazons market place thing. Originally Posted by edh
As the advert says "Why pay more ?".
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