How many new songs will you learn for your next gig?

[SeniorBlues]

Let's assume you're a regular member of the band.

 

What kind of gig is it?  Would that number be higher or lower for a different kind of gig?  

 

A related question . . . .  How many of your regular songs did you play in your last gig that you didn't play the gig before?

 

I'm trying to get at the issue of learning and retention.  I realize that some songs are a lot more familiar and/or easier to learn that others.  The instrument you play and its' function in the band could also be a factor.  So is your role as a vocalist.  So is the number of gigs your band plays per month.

 

Maybe we're too diverse a group, but I'll try anyway.

[SpaceNorman]

Both of my regular projects have somewhere in the vicinity of 100 "active" tunes on their playlist - and typically 1x-2x each.   The "core" (roughly 50%) of our setlist remains pretty constant (i.e., tunes that get played pretty much every gig).  The other 50% gets swapped around with each gig.   Each band typically adds 2-3 tunes each month. 

Since you mentioned you're trying to get at the issue of learning and retention - I'll mention the following.   Each band publishes a list of roughly 50-55 tunes prior to each gig of which tunes from the 100 song "active" playlist are going to be fair game for the upcoming gig.  Part of my gig preparation is to ensure that II run down that "target" list sometime in the 48 hours leading up to the gig to "dust off" anything that's a little fuzzy in my head.  I usually play the intro ... along with a couple seconds of the groove ... run through whatever changes there might be ... maybe futz with transitions into / out of solos.   I run through my prep for 50-55 songs in less than 2 hours.   As long as I don't skip my pre-game prep - I'm alright.

[Vito Corleone]

My deal is roughly like SpaceNorman's.   We have a master list of 100-200 songs of which 30 or so we play pretty much every gig.  The remaining 10 or so songs will come from that master list that everyone has played before and are dependant on which best suits the particular gig. 

A set list goes out to everyone at least 4-5 days before the gig so everyone has the opportunity to brush up on whatever songs they might need to brush up on.

As far as brand-new songs go...we'll usually learn one or two a month so there's almost always at least one new song at every show, and if it's a wedding there are likely a couple of "special request" numbers we're pulling out as one-offs.  How much rehearsal we put into learning those songs depends on the song.

[Tullsterx]

None really. We add a couple every now and then. Each of my projects has a list of 55-60 songs in active rotation. My prep is similar to SpaceNormans, I have a checklist on my phone and I prioritize songs that I think I need to work on or review between gigs.

I've never had a show where we decided to learn specific songs for. 

 

[jeff42]

HOW MANY NEW SONGS WILL YOU LEARN FOR YOUR NEXT GIG?

we have been averaging about 3 per month now. we have around 120 we can pick from and if you include ones we can "relearn" in about 15 minutes then its about 150. we do have a few privates coming up that we will be learning some tunes for (a few more classics)

[Vito Corleone]

That's a pretty solid set list. I wouldnt want to add 20 of any of those songs EVERY show. Is there a reason why he's changing stuff up so much?

[SeniorBlues]

 

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guido61 wrote:

 

That's a pretty solid set list. I wouldnt want to add 20 of any of those songs EVERY show. Is there a reason why he's changing stuff up so much?

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You can see why I like to use charts . . . . 

I've thought about this a lot and we've talked about it. One reason is that we've backed five different singers (including him) since I joined a year ago, but that doesn't fully explain it.  Part of it is boredom; part of it is the fact that he has a huge repertoire at his fingertips and has subbed with other bands without rehearsals in a lot of different genres, so this isn't a problem for him, or for most of the guys in this band that he's played with for years and know most of his repertoire.  

The crux of the matter is that the gigs we're getting are so varied that we need to morph into a different band in order to play the room proprerly.  I used to play one clearly defined circuit with every band I played with... fraternity parties in upstate NY, supper clubs on the east coast, house band in Seattle, etc..  It's different now, especially given who we are and what we want to play.

[Vito Corleone]

 

I get the variety thing for different gigs. The trick is do it with a core of songs that work for most rooms and keeping the specialized stuff to 10-15 different songs per show that you go back to for those types of gigs. Overall you shouldn't need more than maybe 100 tunes and you shouldn't need to reach deeper than from that well.  There's really only so many different kind of rooms you can play, right?   4-5 different set lists should pretty well cover it, I would think, with 50-75% of the set being the same for every show regardless.

That seems like a great 'variety' set list as it is.

 

It seems to me he may be working harder than he has to.  

[SeniorBlues]

Don't overlook the boredom factor . . . . 

Just to put this in perspective, he's playing a gig with some other guys in the band (I said no thanks) earlier on the 20th that will feature a blues/jazz repertoire. . .  totally different.

We're playing a Cinco de Mayo gig.  How maybe "theme" songs would you learn for something like that?

Stay tuned.

 

I do agree with the concept of working hard to figure out which songs are strong enough to be played anywhere.  Sixty percent seems like a good number.

[Yer Blues]

What instrument does the band leader play?

Last cover band I played with rarely added new songs.  It would have been boring, but the band leader was big into improvisation.  Sometimes it flopped, but I always had fun playing a lot of routine songs and trying new stuff during solos.

[SeniorBlues]

 

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Yer Blues wrote:

 

 

What instrument does the band leader play?

 

Last cover band I played with rarely added new songs.  It would have been boring, but the band leader was big into improvisation.  Sometimes it flopped, but I always had fun playing a lot of routine songs and trying new stuff during solos.

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He plays bass mostly . . . . . guitar occasionally.

Some of our songs include solos, some don't.  That's not the issue.  He's actually big into playing the song as close to the record as possible - more so than anyone I've ever worked with.