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Anyone play live alone/solo?


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No "backing tracks" per se but I have been known on occasion to use a "looper" live for solo performances.

 

I record the rhythm while I'm singing a verse, then loop it and solo over it... I can have a lot of fun building layers of loops and what not. I have the ability to loop vocals too, something I want to practice, because I think that would be hella cool.

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Hi,

 

I'm an English solo performer playing songs from the 50s, 60s and 70s, in pubs.

 

I acompany myself on acoustic guitar (with no backing tracks). There is no "right" or "wrong" about this "backing tracks or not" issue -- its purely a matter of personal preference (for you and your audience).

 

There is no doubt that certian songs are nigh-on impossible to put across convincingly without a full backup sound of drums and bass. That said, there are many hundreds of truly great songs that (with some competent guitar or piano accompanying a competent voice) will sound just fine without that sort of backing (Beatles, Dylan, James Taylor, Simon and Garfunkel, Kinks, Joni Mitchel, Neil Young, Jim Web, Bert Bacherach, Donavon, Buddy Holly, Willie Nelson, and many more ...)

 

In my experience (and speaking to other musicians and agents) you may get more work using backing tracks, because a lot of audiences prefer the fuller sound you can get that way.

 

For myself, though, I love the freedom and openess (and the challenge!) of just me and my guitar. And I would sooner play once a week doing that, than three times a week with backing tracks.

 

I must say though that when backing tracks are used well the overall sound can be excellent -- it' s just not for me.

 

My bottom-line advice then is this: if getting the most gigs as possible is important to you, then you are probably better of using backing tracks.

 

David

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One of the reasons I use MIDI triggered events, guitar synth triggered events, foot controller triggered events etc. is that I often play larger rooms which also hire bands regularly and in which people expect to dance, and expect an entertaining presence and show and sound equal to or better than a band.

 

No matter how accomplished one is a guitarist-singer, these bigger venues do not want a solo guitarist-singer.

 

Local guitarist-singer solo acts are most often relegated to the small venues with low budgets and inconsistent bookings.

 

If you wish to be a full time live local professional working musician and not a casual weekender with a day job then your success or failure will be dependant on what skill sets you learn and how well you enable them.

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keano: I played a solo/acoustic gig for four years at a beach bar here. I did vocals and my Taylor thru a Fender Acoustasonic, Jr.

 

After a while, I added a Boomerang Phrase Sampler, which lets you lay down one or two loops(verse and chorus, maybe), and play them back, while you play and sing over them. After a bit of practice, you can get pretty good. The drawback is that there are no pre-recorded loops. You have to do them live, on-stage.

 

I added a drum machine to my arsenal, and found it difficult, but not impossible, to mesh the looper and the drum machine into a plausible performance.

 

Texas Jim

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For myself, though, I love the freedom and openess (and the challenge!) of just me and my guitar. And I would sooner play once a week doing that, than three times a week with backing tracks.

 

 

Me too for sure. I play guitar, harmonica, sing, play a rhythm with my feet. Sometimes I use a drum machine, and VERY occasionally my "agent friend" will get me a high paying gig where I must use some tracks.

I really don't care for tracks but for the dance crowd you will need to have something to make you sound more like a full band. It's the cheese factor I don't care for.

 

 

Local guitarist-singer solo acts are most often relegated to the small venues with low budgets and inconsistent bookings.

 

 

Down here in Florida almost everyone uses tracks. Lots of old people down here who just don't care too much about if it's Kareoke sounding or not.

BUT---

 

I make a consistant living with very consistant bookings playing at many places where others mostly use tracks. So it can be done.

People come up to me each week and tell me how much they enjoy the music w/o all the bells and whistles. Of course you have to make your arrangements and song selection interesting.

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Originally posted by fingerpicker
Me too for sure. I play guitar, harmonica, sing, play a rhythm with my feet. Sometimes I use a drum machine, and VERY occasionally my "agent friend" will get me a high paying gig where I must use some tracks. I really don't care for tracks but for the dance crowd you will need to have something to make you sound more like a full band. It's the cheese factor I don't care for.


Down here in Florida almost everyone uses tracks. Lots of old people down here who just don't care too much about if it's Kareoke sounding or not.

BUT---


I make a consistant living with very consistant bookings playing at many places where others mostly use tracks. So it can be done.

People come up to me each week and tell me how much they enjoy the music w/o all the bells and whistles. Of course you have to make your arrangements and song selection interesting.

Sounds great; just to confirm: are you then playing the same larger sized rooms as the bands play, and you play every week consistently in these larger rooms, and this is your sole source of income, and the patrons fill up the dance floor with just you and the guitar? I am duly impressed indeed!

 

BTW I do stuff with just me and the guitar when the environment is right and it

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I dont do a solo guitar act, but I do perform solo with backing tracks.

 

I have it setup so that the backing tracks pretty much plays the whole song. But, depending on the tracks, I take out a part so I can that live or I play something live over the backing tracks. It's kind of hard to sing, play synths, and move around all at the same time....so, its only bit parts I play live during some part of the song.

 

Considering I haven't played in front a real crowd (so far just shows at my college), the reaction from the crowd has been pretty good. I try to have good stage presence...which seems to be key. Cuz, if people enjoy the music and see that youre putting all you have into your performance...theyll like it.

 

Im gonna try and see how it works out this year when I won't be playing anything live and just singing to my backing tracks.

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I'm a keyboard player. As all the styles are already on board...I choose eg...a Cha- Cha or Disco style and play it 'live' while singing. Everything comes out from the Keyboard..none is pre -recorded...coz the Keyboard is essentially a one- man band...and all one needed to do is to be able to play it 'live'.

 

There are some backing tracks that I pre- recorded...like my back up vocals and some distorted guitar tracks that I play myself. Eg..'Smoke on the Water' and 'I love ROck and Roll'. Of course the former is now in another key that's for a girl's range.

 

I have no problem so far filling the dance floor with people though I'm alone on stage. There should be another key factor to winning people to the dance floor: Good choice of songs!.

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Originally posted by Preacher Will

Haven't used backing tracks but I have used a drum machine with solo guitar/vocals. It was clumsy and I quit. Reaction was mixed. Some pieces worked better than others. I still use a drum machine for practice, sort of a fancy metronome.

I tried too, but didn't work for me. Too limited, no flexibility and sounded flat and dull. That's what I think whenever I hear a one-man-band (def: soloact w/backing). No matter how much investment in seq, modules, fancy sounds, midi setup they have. It always sound the same song after song.

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Originally posted by Dave Wheat

There is no doubt that certian songs are nigh-on impossible to put across convincingly without a full backup sound of drums and bass. That said, there are many hundreds of truly great songs that (with some competent guitar or piano accompanying a competent voice) will sound just fine without that sort of backing (Beatles, Dylan, James Taylor, Simon and Garfunkel, Kinks, Joni Mitchel, Neil Young, Jim Web, Bert Bacherach, Donavon, Buddy Holly, Willie Nelson, and many more ...)

I feel like it's more of a challenge to do songs without backing which are originally played with a strong rythm section. Some of them you can't do convincingly, but that's the same with acoustic songs. Some of them you can't just play cause you don't feel you can justify the sound, or it don't sound right. Rarely is the lack of bass+drums my reason for ditching a song. Of course I don't do techno, but that is a non-live thing anyway. I play for people wanting live music, if you wanna disco go somewhere else. No problem for me playing funk, blues, reggea, rock'n'roll etc. and having people singing and dancing on tables. With just a voice and acoustic guitar.

In my experience (and speaking to other musicians and agents) you may get more work using backing tracks, because a lot of audiences prefer the fuller sound you can get that way.

Not once have I heard somone complain or suggest me to add backing. All the time people give me credit for what I do. They think it's brave to sit alone with a guitar in my hand alone and entertaining.

For myself, though, I love the freedom and openess (and the challenge!) of just me and my guitar. And I would sooner play once a week doing that, than three times a week with backing tracks.

Amen brother!

I must say though that when backing tracks are used well the overall sound can be excellent -- it' s just not for me.

OK, the sound can be very good. Problem is dynamics, and don't give me that but-I-can-vary-the-velocity-with-MIDI-{censored}. The one time in my life I felt OK listening to backing was a guy who used just a old drum pattern box. Almost as basic as a metronome. He would stand on the piano and dance with the girls, trying to get them into a strip dance. He played bass with a tiny keyboard and he would often change tempo, rythm, turn of the box and play the drums with the pads. This guy was using it as a instrument of it's own, playing it. No foot pedals, no sequencer, no play and pretend to play.

My bottom-line advice then is this: if getting the most gigs as possible is important to you, then you are probably better of using backing tracks.

Here in Norway it isn't so. I feel like there's more than enough gigs for me, get calls all the time. But then again I've worked hard for years to be where I am.

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Originally posted by alby

No matter how accomplished one is a guitarist-singer, these bigger venues do not want a solo guitarist-singer.


Local guitarist-singer solo acts are most often relegated to the small venues with low budgets and inconsistent bookings.


If you wish to be a full time live local professional working musician and not a casual weekender with a day job then your success or failure will be dependant on what skill sets you learn and how well you enable them.

I'm not sure what you mean with low-budget and small venue? Next saturday I have a gig, paying me $1340, is that low budget? I play for hundreds, maybe it's small where you live, but here it's big for a live soloact here. I don't really care if the bookings are inconsistient, as long as I have gigs enough.

 

Of course success depends on skills, practice and what you put into it. I don't see buying a sequencer and a sound module as a skill enhancement. I see hard practice as building skills though.

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Originally posted by stunningbabe

There are some backing tracks that I pre- recorded...like my back up vocals and some distorted guitar tracks that I play myself. Eg..'Smoke on the Water' and 'I love ROck and Roll'. Of course the former is now in another key that's for a girl's range.

Both are appr. in the same range, aren't they? I've always looked at "I love rock'n'roll" as a low-key girl-song and "smoke on the water" as a high key guy song? Maybe your are soprano? BTW, I sing "I love rock'n'roll" in original key and "Smoke on the water" raised 2 semi-tones. This way I can take advantage of the open A string so I can play the riff and the bass simultanously.

 

Playing w/o backing makes you work harder to get the pieces together, and also harder to play. You need to ensure your voice has the range to be able to sing in any key to fit the best arrangment. You also need to have technique to be able to play bass lines, chords and riffs at the same time. For me it's a kind of hard work I really love! :)

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Originally posted by Bajazz

Both are appr. in the same range, aren't they? I've always looked at "I love rock'n'roll" as a low-key girl-song and "smoke on the water" as a high key guy song? Maybe your are soprano? BTW, I sing "I love rock'n'roll" in original key and "Smoke on the water" raised 2 semi-tones. This way I can take advantage of the open A string so I can play the riff and the bass simultanously.


Playing w/o backing makes you work harder to get the pieces together, and also harder to play. You need to ensure your voice has the range to be able to sing in any key to fit the best arrangment. You also need to have technique to be able to play bass lines, chords and riffs at the same time. For me it's a kind of hard work I really love!
:)

 

I'm a soprano...very much sound like as ABBA's Agnetha Falkskog...but she's way better than me of course. :rolleyes:

 

I sing 'smoke on the water' in the key of D minor. That's way too high for a normal guy to sing...and a tad high for most girls too.

 

Perhaps you can use a capo on your guitar at the 3rd fret when you play this song. Then you'll have an open G bass throughout.

 

For the guitar solo in the same song I play the guitar solo 'live' using my Keyboard. Each solo is different in every performance...so that I sound more fresh and not like some old pre-recorded silly thingy.

 

WHta guitar and effects are you using?.

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Originally posted by stunningbabe

I sing 'smoke on the water' in the key of D minor. That's way too high for a normal guy to sing...and a tad high for most girls too.


Perhaps you can use a capo on your guitar at the 3rd fret when you play this song. Then you'll have an open G bass throughout.


For the guitar solo in the same song I play the guitar solo 'live' using my Keyboard. Each solo is different in every performance...so that I sound more fresh and not like some old pre-recorded silly thingy.


WHta guitar and effects are you using?.

A minor is OK for me, no problem. Besides, you know that bass-line on the intro: A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-F#-G-G#-A-A-A etc..., it's impossible to do with a capo. I can sing to Bb (6-fret e-string) without a problem. However "Living on a prayer" is more of a problem, can't seem to belt out that high C, so I'm working on it.

 

One of the problems with no backing is guitar solos. Sometimes I play harmonica, but for "Smoke on the water", I think guitar would suit better. You'll have to do it your own way, some chord melody stuff, and on a good night it can be really cool. I try to improvise too, makes the gigs more fun. :cool:

 

My guitar is a Washburn D34SCE AUGUSTA. Very nice acoustic sound, almost as miced. Mic is Countryman E6 Isomax, used it for first time this weekend, OMG how cool and fine sounding it is!Almost too natural. FX=tiny bit of reverb (unhearable, just to de-dry the sound) from my desk, that's it. Run vox+guit through 2 Shure Guitarist wireless, and a Shure PSM200 wireless IEM.

 

I have ordered a Behringer V-Amp to check out, and I'm thinking of something nice for vocals. Harmonies could be fun, but most important is to be able to vary the vocals sound a bit. Some fx (delay, chorus, fattening) and maybe mic-modelling. Can you suggest something?

 

How much I love my acoustic soloact, I think it's important to be able to alter the sound a bit from song to song, so I'm drooling on a Acoustic Variax....

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Sounds great; just to confirm: are you then playing the same larger sized rooms as the bands play, and you play every week consistently in these larger rooms, and this is your sole source of income, and the patrons fill up the dance floor with just you and the guitar? I am duly impressed indeed!

 

I play consistantly (weekly) not where bands play, but where there are only one man bands or duos With Tracks. I'm the only guy who doesn't use them.

 

Yes this is my sole source of income. Before hurricane season I had eight regular gigs a week (Thusday and Saturday double). Some of the venues received extensive damage from Hurricane Charlie, so I lost some gigs but am back up to 4-5 a week.

No I don't fill the dance area each week. Sometimes there are people dancing, sometimes not. Not quite those types of gigs. If I had to get 'em up I would use some backing. But I do get the people boppin':D Kind of a party atmosphere.

 

I do use foot percussion. A homemade amplified bass drum sounding thingy and a small shaker miked.

 

 

Bottom line is I try to be selective where I play. Pick a spot with a good budget for music, doesn't require you to "get 'em dancing" and I have a small following of both locals and visiters that come to hear me perform.

It is now so common for people to be using backing tracks that it has become "original" to be organic. (At least locally)

 

Keepin it real!!:D

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Hi guys thanks for replies. I guess whaT i AM SAYING IS FOR ORIGINAL MUSIC. i PLAY ONLY ORIGINAL MUSIC. sO i WOULD BE PLAYING GUITAR AND SINGING, AND THE BACKING TRACKS WOULD INCLUDE PARTS PLAYED BY ME BUT PRE-RECORDED SUCH AS STRINGS, LOW BACKING VOCALS AND DRUM AND BASS. SORRY FOR CAPSI am at work and hiding the screen as I type.

 

If you were at a bar and saw this set up. Would you feel like {censored}... good singer/songwriter or what is this fake {censored}.

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I think you could do this. There are guys in my area that are doing originals on their own with backing tracks, but their venues are pretty limited...a couple of coffee houses and a microbrewery...and pay is just tips or maybe $40-50. You've gotta check out what others are doing in the rooms you're thinking about playing...that's always the best gauge of what will work.

 

Some advice...and I also play as a single 4-5 nights a week...

Make sure you are the featured artist, not your backing tracks. I'd use just drums and bass and skip the sweeteners if I were doing what you are trying to do. For my act...which is doing covers...I'll add a few things and use a vocal harmonizer but still make it mostly my singing and playing...of else it's Karaoke.

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Originally posted by mrcpro
I also play as a single 4-5 nights a week

Wow! You play as a single 4-5 nights a week and Goldendale only has a population of 3,737. Are there enough gigs close by to play 4-5 nights a week consistently?

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