Members Stackabones Posted October 8, 2009 Members Share Posted October 8, 2009 Re: The Radically Pure Acoustic Gig Three months and 54 gigs later, I've gained some experience playing a gig without mics, without amps, without a PA. Guitar and vox. Air is the best mixer and PA. Load-in and -out are beyond simple. One guitar and me. No cables, no mic stands, no mics, no amps, no guitar cables, no DI, no batteries, no outlets. I open my case, tune up, put my setlist on the floor, get some water (no ice), turn down the house music, and start playing. At first, I thought I had to sing loud! By the end of the first week or second week, I realized that it was a losing battle. I'd never be able to sing over lunch crowds eating and chatting. Plus, the louder I sang and the louder I played guitar -- the louder the crowd got. If I got quiet, the crowd got quiet. I told myself that I really only needed to be heard by the surrounding tables, not but at the other end of the room. Once I started "turning down", I rarely had volume or projection problems. When I get to the gig, the house sound is often BLARING (and the concrete floors and metal ceilings help with the blare-o-rama). It take a couple of songs for the crowd to settle down after the house music is turned down, but they do settle down. Even after I play a loud song, it only takes about a verse of a quieter song for noise levels to drop. I started on the Gitane D500, went to a Tak dread, then to a Yamaha FS720S, and now I'm back to my Gitane D500, the perfect acoustic guitar for me in these gigs. I'd thought that it was too loud and just wrong for my voice, but after experimenting with other guitars and learning about how to work the room I felt that the Gitane was actually quite perfect. It can whisper well and it can jump out and attack. Something about my voice may have changed too, for I really enjoy how they work together. Perhaps I had to go through an adjustment period. While I flatpick these gigs (using my trusty Wegen 3.5mm), I often wish that I could fingerpick. There are moments when it is possible, but not for an entire gig. It would be cool to further develop that side of my playing. I also worry about colds and sore throats. My throat has been a little scratchy the past couple of days and I wonder what I will do if/when I can't sing -- probably instrumentals. In the past, I chomped on throat lozenges, lowered the keys to my songs, and got as close as possible to the mic. Perhaps I will just have to call in sick and take the needed rest. So after logging 108 hours (gigs are 2hrs each, no breaks) I know that I have changed as a performing musician. I understand my voice and its capabilities in a totally different way. My guitar playing and choice of instruments has changed and remained the same. I've only played small to medium sized rooms and this acoustic approach seems to work nicely. Not so sure if it would work in noisy bars or stadiums or concert arenas, but I'm not planning on playing in those places. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DeepEnd Posted October 8, 2009 Members Share Posted October 8, 2009 Good on you. Nice to know there's room in the music scene for a throwback, erm, traditionalist such as yourself. I'm amazed you can't fingerpick. I'd always assumed you could. Makes me feel a bit better about not being able to myself. On a semi-related note, my family and I were at a science fiction convention over the weekend and I spent some time listening to "filking." We were in a medium sized room and nobody used amplification. Generally just vocals and guitar. Of course, there were also concerts in larger spaces where the performers did use a PA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Fendouglas Posted October 8, 2009 Members Share Posted October 8, 2009 It's great that you have the confidence to do purely 'acoustic' gigs. When I'm in Turkey I do a lot of purely 'acoustic' gigs - usually in outdoor restuarants or bars - and find that adjacent bars etc turn down their piped music so that their customers can hear me (it's actually quite funny when the owners come up and ask me to play in their premises, when they can get me for free playing next door!). I'm lucky, in that I've got a fairly strong voice - after 30+ years of street busking and playing 'acoustic-only' Folk Clubs and I get over the picking problem by using Medium Gauge Finger Picks (Dunlops when I can get them). I'm also pleased that you've passed the message on that 'the louder you play - the louder they'll talk. You've cracked it man - now carry it on. ps: As for the scratchy throat - that's pure paranoia man!. Happens to me every gig (whether acoustic or amplified) and just goes away during the first song. When not driving, I have the occaisional 'Long Whisky' (Single measure in a tall glass - topped up with Lemonade), but I think this is psychological also (tastes good though!). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Stackabones Posted October 8, 2009 Author Members Share Posted October 8, 2009 It's great that you have the confidence to do purely 'acoustic' gigs. ... ps: As for the scratchy throat - that's pure paranoia man!. Happens to me every gig (whether acoustic or amplified) and just goes away during the first song. When not driving, I have the occaisional 'Long Whisky' (Single measure in a tall glass - topped up with Lemonade), but I think this is psychological also (tastes good though!). Not really confidence. At this place, there is no option. Play without amps/PA or don't play. I only get the scratchy throat when it's scratchy, not before every gig. But I do like the idea of a long whisky. I wish I lived in a city that had better public transportation, for I have to drive everywhere. If I didn't have to drive, this gig would be perfect for public transpo and those long whiskys. I need to consider using fingerpicks. I used to hate thumbpicks, but now I really dig 'em. Maybe my opinion of fingerpicks has changed, too. Thanks for that tip. I'm still waiting on the pics of those Turkish gigs! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Samilyn Posted October 8, 2009 Members Share Posted October 8, 2009 I sure hope the scratchy throat resolves soon and you're not coming down with a cold or flu. Hot tea laced with lemon and honey is my favorite throat soother. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Stackabones Posted October 8, 2009 Author Members Share Posted October 8, 2009 I sure hope the scratchy throat resolves soon and you're not coming down with a cold or flu. Hot tea laced with lemon and honey is my favorite throat soother.I'm not sure what it is. I've had a flu shot, but that doesn't guarantee anything. And if it's a cold, then I'll just have to ride it out. The hot tea concoction is nice. I wonder if it's this ... I went to a very crowded bar on Monday night. The game was on and it was crazy loud. After about 30 minutes or so of my friend and I shouting at each other, we went outside to the quieter patio (still warm outside in Texas). I've noticed that those situations can sometimes create voice problems in the following days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Samilyn Posted October 8, 2009 Members Share Posted October 8, 2009 I'm not sure what it is. I've had a flu shot, but that doesn't guarantee anything. And if it's a cold, then I'll just have to ride it out. The hot tea concoction is nice. I wonder if it's this ... I went to a very crowded bar on Monday night. The game was on and it was crazy loud. After about 30 minutes or so of my friend and I shouting at each other, we went outside to the quieter patio (still warm outside in Texas). I've noticed that those situations can sometimes create voice problems in the following days. Indeed. I've noticed that, too. Any time I have to raise my normal speaking volume for more than a few minutes, my throat feels strained and my voice feels blown out for a day or two. Hope you feel better soon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members garthman Posted October 8, 2009 Members Share Posted October 8, 2009 . . . . . Hot tea laced with lemon and honey is my favorite throat soother. A shot of whisky in there helps too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Dthraco Posted October 8, 2009 Members Share Posted October 8, 2009 Awesome thread! There's a local coffee shop that does this same thing here. I just go in with case and guitar. Have only done it twice, but after this poist, I think I should go more often. This also falls right into line with the 'one take recording' principle. Just make it one mic recording.lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Chordchunker Posted October 8, 2009 Members Share Posted October 8, 2009 I completely understand. I am in my 4th year at a similar gig (no amplification) only there are 3 of us. A fiddle player, mandolin/banjo and myself (martin d18). We play on a balcony of an old limestone hotel that sits over the main street for tourists. The place is usually Packed with around 100-150 diners, plus there is all kind of street noise under us. Last weekend we had 300,000 bikers in the area so it was a steady stream of loud-ass-straight-piped Harleys. You can barely hear yourself as there is also a bandshell right next to the hotel with bands going all weekend. You can quickly get frustrated at these kinds of gigs trying to be as loud as you can but then the music really suffers. I used to be a street musician and got used to singing at the top of my lungs and beating the crap out of the guitar then when I would play a club gig I would tend to do the same thing over the mikes..Pretty fingerpicked tunes don`t really work and you will find yourself playing more up-temp rollicking kind of tunes (at least I do) to get the tip jar rolling. To state the obvious you have to warm up for these kind of gigs especially if you play this way every day or you will blow your voice out. Don`t drink cold stuff when singing and do vocal exercises on the way to the gig in the car.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Samilyn Posted October 8, 2009 Members Share Posted October 8, 2009 A shot of whisky in there helps too. Indeed! But only when I don't have to gig. A whiskey-induced brain fart right in the middle of a song is not a good thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DeepEnd Posted October 8, 2009 Members Share Posted October 8, 2009 Get the filk out! I can fingerpick, but I just don't get too many chances to do so at these gigs. A few summers ago I went through a gut-string git phase and all I did was fingerpick -- I used amps at those gigs. Did that for about a year. Steel-strings respond a little differently to fingerpicking, so I'd like to do more of that. Right now, I just do it at home. . . . Sorry, I misread your post and thought you were referring to not being able to fingerpick, rather than not having the opportunity. Didn't mean to cast aspersions on your playing, which has always struck me as excellent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Stackabones Posted October 8, 2009 Author Members Share Posted October 8, 2009 Sorry, I misread your post and thought you were referring to not being able to fingerpick, rather than not having the opportunity. Didn't mean to cast aspersions on your playing, which has always struck me as excellent. No harm, no foul. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members pk1fan Posted October 8, 2009 Members Share Posted October 8, 2009 Cool how you figured out which guitar was the best one for the job . We sell a lot of this stuff in the shop where I work http://clearvoicethroatspray.com/ with repeat customers so it must work pretty good . I don't sing so . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Stackabones Posted October 8, 2009 Author Members Share Posted October 8, 2009 Cool how you figured out which guitar was the best one for the job . We sell a lot of this stuff in the shop where I work http://clearvoicethroatspray.com/ with repeat customers so it must work pretty good . I don't sing so . That looks great! Thanks!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members brahmz118 Posted October 8, 2009 Members Share Posted October 8, 2009 I'm just about ready to give up on using acoustic guitar for unamplified gigs, particularly those performances with instruments that can truly shine and fill quiet venues without amplification (like cellos, violins, flutes, and most recently a bassoon). I've never been able to produce an acoustic tone that fits with the group, and I think I need to stop telling myself that I'm one piece of gear away from finding it. By itself the guitar just can't rise out of quiet territory - the other instruments I mentioned can do it at will. I've heard lots of studio recordings with perfect balance, but in live performance it seems like it's common for the acoustic guitar to get mostly buried (except for a few trebly pings that escape to the surface): pYNBgNNHEoM hMcZquQQ25Q My attempts to use amplification (Aura / acoustic amps / powered speakers) have always sounded unnatural. I might be more motivated to find better sound gear, but it just seems so much easier to sound good immediately with a digital piano. I'm sure I could achieve the volume balance if I relegate my playing to forceful chord strumming and nothing else, something like this... Uvya4JAHWqQ But that really isn't my style. I think I was less preoccupied with the meekness of my instrument when I tried to focus on banjo years ago. I might go back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Melodeous Posted October 8, 2009 Members Share Posted October 8, 2009 Great write-up, Stack. I'm getting the notion your volume as a fingerpicker is lacking so you can't make a steady go of it. That right? You might have to resort to fingerpicks if you can't cultivate the real thing. I might suggest falsies, though. The acrylics are one way to resolve the problem for me. I've been using them whenever I need to unashamedly. They're tools that get the job done. At this point I can put a set on in less than 15 minutes and be playing. Typically, though, I only need one or two. I tried all the Alaska and Fred Kelly products. I can't use them. I pick with my fingers fairly close and slip/clip-on products interfere with the natural distance between my fingertips. They collide - clickety-clack - and that bugs the snot out of me. Anyway, that was a good read and it's interesting how the crowd can be subliminally controlled. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Galabar Posted October 8, 2009 Members Share Posted October 8, 2009 Wonderful! I'm glad things are working out so well for you. Do you have any videos of your performances? I'd love to here some of it (I haven't been following the VOMs lately, some you may have already posted some of this stuff -- I'm going to try to get back into it this weekend). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Scodiddly Posted October 8, 2009 Members Share Posted October 8, 2009 Cool writeup and appraisal - glad it's been an educational (in a good way) experience for you. Purely acoustic is underrated these days... and I'm even a Sound Dude saying that! Relative volume levels is an interesting beast - I've been in one or two situations where I was playing by a campfire and really hit the guitar too hard, because in retrospect I could have been as quiet as a mouse but would have been listened too. One time I was even sitting around waiting for a band-oriented open mic to start, bored enough to pull my guitar (Taylor 314) out and just play while watching the guy move tables and chairs around. After a bit he told me he could hear me all the way at the other side of the room, even over the TVs blaring sporting events. I guess my guitar is loud enough if only somebody is bothering to listen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Stackabones Posted October 9, 2009 Author Members Share Posted October 9, 2009 Relative volume levels is an interesting beast - That's something I've been experiencing -- relative volume. I think I'm learning to appreciate what it means to be an acoustic musician: acoustic guitarist and acoustic singer. And it has to do with a different approach to sound: how loud or soft, how far it does or doesn't project, and what it all means to me and the audience. Back when I was all jacked up with mics and piezos and amps, I often had folks say that they couldn't hear me. I haven't heard anyone say that yet. Perhaps the folks who want to hear me, hear me. And those who don't, don't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Fendouglas Posted October 9, 2009 Members Share Posted October 9, 2009 Get the filk out! I can fingerpick, but I just don't get too many chances to do so.... I'm still waiting on the pics of those Turkish gigs! Sorry didn't mean to offend - I was assuming your fingerpicking problem was one of volume (without amplification) and I find that Finger-picks solve that.As to the pics, I would post some if ever I can figure out how to upload them from my Hard Drive/Storage Drive rather than from a URL (Doh!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members garthman Posted October 9, 2009 Members Share Posted October 9, 2009 . . . . As to the pics, I would post some if ever I can figure out how to upload them from my Hard Drive/Storage Drive rather than from a URL (Doh!) Use a photo hosting site like Photobucket. Go here www.photobucket.com, sign up and follow the instructions to upload your pics to their site. You can then post any of your pics in the forum (or on any other forum). It's free. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Fendouglas Posted October 9, 2009 Members Share Posted October 9, 2009 Many thanks Garthman! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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