-
So I've scored a solo gig as the house guitarist here at the beautiful Lakeside Inn, Mt. Dora Florida. Friends whose opinion I highly respect. (one is a writer for Fretboard Journal and Vintager guitar mag) have given some advice. And I should add that my wife is my toughest critic. Learn more contemporary arrangements. Todays audience (at least in Florida) doesn't want to hear Duke, Miles, Chick, etc. Too many ballads. Boring. Pick up the tempo. Don't worry about repeating tunes in the third set you did in the first. No Christmas tunes till December.(I played Silent night, people were singing along) Any thoughts.
-
-
Familiar pop tunes, search YouTube for those insidious two hour collections of popular cocktail or easy popular or show tunes, and find out what the age demographic is and choose what's familiar to THEM. Make arrangements that are in familiar form to the originals (Don't go for the Balkan atonal looper polytonal version of Stayin' Alive). It's nice to fill in an improvisation chorus if it stays harmonically close to the original head but after one chorus, it's running the risk you'll lose people.
Loopers are fine. They're quite nice and nobody notices, as a matter of fact, it may free you up to pleasing dialogue with yourself.
Beatles tunes, always nice. Spot some younger faces, you can have a Radiohead tune in the bag. Old crowd, jazz standards are a hit. Gauge your volume so people don't have to talk over you to connect with one another. Better to risk being drowned out than to play the shouting game with your audience.
Look classy and you've got credibility that will put people on your side from the start. You're playing to strangers who are not there for you, you're there to be wall paper. If you keep this in mind, you may even get invited back.
Have a set list that will assure a change of tempo, key and familiarity but keep your eye on how you're being received. Variety and a steady supply of tunes so you can change it up for the room.
Just my two cents from having been there, done that. For me, once they accept my presence, I have more freedom to do my own self entertainment, take more liberties after the third number.
Have a fun time. If they feel you're a professional glad to be there, you're doing your job.
-
-
The triumvirate-- Beatles, Stevie Wonder, anything Sinatra sang.
-
Jake Reichbart, who sometimes posts around here, has had a longtime running solo gig. He has a web site with lessons and blog:
Jake Reichbart - Jazz guitarist, Guitar lessons, Fingerstyle guitar arrangements
and a very extensive youtube channel with probably close to 600 of his arrangemnts as solo performances:
Jake Reichbart - YouTube
The reason I am suggesting a look at his work and lessons is that he plays a VERY wide range of material from the typical standards through Steely Dan, Beatles, and everything in between. I can't think of a better example for a modern solo gig.
Tony
-
Big clue in your last sentence: "People were singing along."
Are you going to sing? Nothing like bringing in another instrument to create variety and interest...
-
A 2 hour solo guitar gig is my bag. Straight through the amp, no loopers or external effects.
Typically I'll improv an intro, sometimes I have a nice one worked out, play the song, improv a verse, play a verse and chorus and out.
Somehow I've evolved into three songs per type.
Roughly;
Pop: Yesterday, Morning has broken, Somewhere only we know
Light Jazz: Misty, Autumn Leaves, Here's That Rainy Day
Classical: Largo, Lagrima and an original
3 Irish tunes
3 melodic original tunes
Plus I have a few back ups such as Over the rainbow etc.
These tunes work very well.
Best of luck. Enjoy it.
Looking for a "jazz box"
Today, 09:57 PM in Guitar, Amps & Gizmos