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Looking for approaches to solo GJ gigs
colorado_hick
Hotchkiss Colorado✭✭
I have some opportunities to play some background music at a small hip place cocktail bar in my community. I have my share of solo gigs over the years but usually do more of a songster / swing / American songbook with vocals and such but the venue is really going for that antique Parisian vibe.
Id love some suggestions for how folks handle solo GJ gigs? Id think some of the more ballad stuff goes over better?
On a related note if there is anyone in this community that would want to come to the Paonia / Hotchkiss area of western Colorado a couple times a month and get a regular thing going let me know!
Comments
I feel like this has been asked before, and people acited like the idea of using a looper or backing tracks is lame. The suggestions were mostly to either find/train someone to play backup for you, or work up solo arrangements of the music. Personally I can see situations where it would be ok to use a looper. At least then you are providing your own accompaniment.
This guy used to post some cool solo arrangements, but he hasn’t been active lately. I’m not sure if this fits “antique Paris vibe”, but I like it.
https://youtu.be/MXAan1baUhM?si=tyxwsDThMHbG9cOF
I record my own backing tracks, mostly with twin rhythm guitars and a fretless acoustic bass. I can then interpret the tunes in my own way, and I often slow things down a bit (mainly to give me a fighting chance of decent solos, but also to allow the listeners to be a little more relaxed as it's background music!). Tunes like Seul ce Soir and Out of Nowhere work nicely at their usual tempos, but some faster songs work very well slowed down a bit - Douce Ambiance is great as a slow piece. Also There Will Never Be Another You dialed back a bit, more akin to how Ella sang it. Troublant Bolero and Danse Norvegienne are also nice played a bit slower. You can always throw a few quick ones in if you find people are actually watching/listening!
I have used loopers in the past, but there's always the initial chord work which goes on a bit long, especially on some tunes. Couple that with the live looper element where little things including timing can go slightly wrong, and I prefer recording and playing my own backing tracks. I have about 25 now.
Good luck!!
More solo guitar inspiration:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUNbD0noceQ&t=2m43s
https://youtu.be/NzuNXScu_38?si=H_g03fN0-xUQ7qUo
https://youtu.be/ihPck2zcWLA?si=4CQCQpKsp4ZhejMV
Do what works. I play occasionally at this brewery outdoor patio, just busking, and I use backing tracks. I actually want to try it out with the looper. But I wouldn't record straight lapompe rhythm on the looper. That can get too static. For people that are there I'm just some random dude playing some random tunes. So I'm planning on putting some interest into the rhythm track, basically do whatever comes to mind to make it interesting. Talking people out of using either isn't very helpful. I'm working on a chord melody stuff occasionally. But it's going to be awhile before I can play a set of music like that. I'm not going to stay put until that happens. Occasionally Bill joins me but most times I'm on my own.
Also, if you're the kind of player that can solo and outline changes reasonably well and do it with a groove, than that can work well. Play rhythm one time through, play the melody with chord/rhythm stabs, solo, rhythm/melody combined and out. I've done that once on the street. People actually stopped and listened. I never repeated it, it was terrifying, I felt like I was hanging onto my dear life the whole time. You can see Remi Harris do that and it sounds amazing, he grooves so well when he solos single notes that you're not missing anything else.
I don't know if any of these will paint antique Parisian vibe though.
Just play like this guy:
"Solo gj"? Apologies for maybe sounding difficult but... what is that? Could certainly be a great experience but also a source for lots of problems.
Maybe do something a little more radical: be a laptop DJ, (choose great material... Edith Piaf, musettes, etc to fit the occasion) then mix it up by just accompanying yourself singing with the guitar. The change from recordings to live performance could itself be refreshing. Things could be more manageable if you opt for channelling that more "antique Parisian" vibe than a solo performance of "gypsy jazz"
Yeah just be a dj instead!
This could be cool if done with some prior planning and practice. This is where looper could come in handy: accompany whatever is it that you're DJ-ing and when ready go live with your own accompaniment playing.
Yeah its obviously gonna depend a lot on the venue & performer. Could just be a total wreck too. I've never looped so can't say anything about that.
I've noticed that the music piped over speakers before musicians go on can definitely set a mood -- can really help (or hinder) the performers. Its all part of the show. So why not program that too? I think thats kinda where my crazy idea came from.