Winging It (set list wise)

[ski219]

We had no set list going into Saturday night's gig and completely winged it from start to finish. I was surprised to find that is seemed to work better than working from a list as we normally do. Sure we deviate from our lists all the time, but with no list at all we were completely free to play whatever we felt would work at the time. We also did a good job moving from song to song with minimal or no dead air.

 

Sometimes our singer would turn around and call the next tune near the end of the one were were playing. Often our other guitar or I would just launch into something.

 

I'm thinking we may try going listless for a while and see if we can keep it up.

 

You guys wing it, adhere strictly to a list or something in between the 2?

[modulusman]

My band wings it most the time. We play both country and rock so we play to the crowd. The trick is to be thinking ahead to the next song so there is little down time.

[MusicalSchizo]

The key to winging it effectively is making sure you know where you're going next as quickly as possible. It's always best to either map out the next three while someone is tuning or changing guitars or to talk to one another as you're finishing the song and call out the next one.

 

It helps when one person is in charge of that decision, but it can be done where whoever calls it out first makes it happen.

 

It's not necessarily ideal, but it can really work well - you just have to make a quick choice to keep things moving. I find I enjoy winging it more than following a set list because I feel like I can be more responsive to what the crowd wants.

 

YMMV...

Brian V.

[TrickyBoy]

We have a set list going into every show, though we're never married to it. Based on crowd reactions, etc. we make changes as needed.

[mshifflett]

 

We have a set list going into every show, though we're never married to it. Based on crowd reactions, etc. we make changes as needed.

 

 

Same here.

[Vito Corleone]

We wing stuff quite a bit. I get a feel for where the crowd is headed and start calling out songs. I usually try to do it 30 seconds-1 minute before the end of the song we're playing. I'll tell the guy next to me and it gets passed across the stage. As long as everybody has a bit of time to prepare so we can go right into the next song, it's not an issue.

[flanc]

 

We have a set list going into every show, though we're never married to it. Based on crowd reactions, etc. we make changes as needed.

 

 

With us as well...nothing worse than seeing a band huddle up after a song and suck the energy out of a room while they mull around what to play next.

[Yer Blues]

We have a setlist and after the first 2-3 songs the band leader likes to wing. I think the approach of having songs in 2-4 song blocks would work the best, but I guess he disagrees. I suggested it and he said "good idea", but nothing ever came of it.

[wades_keys]

 

With us as well...nothing worse than seeing a band huddle up after a song and suck the energy out of a room while they mull around what to play next.

 

No doubt.

 

Why wing it when you can bring it?

[ChordGirl]

I haven't been in a group that uses a setlist for awhile now. We play acoustic shows, not rock shows. We pass the lead vocals back and forth, usually, and the singer calls it and/or kicks it off. The only time it's an issue is when my musical co-horts are out in space, which really wouldn't be remedied by a setlist, anyway. If that starts to happen, I'll start calling their songs, too.

 

Plus, it seems like just about every show, we play something I've never played before. I was involved for 3 years with a band that did it like this. That band gigged up to 20X a month.

[backtoblue]

My band doesn't use a set list on our cover gigs. The lead singer will just call out or start the next one. Most of the time, it's pretty fluid and works out well because he's great at gauging the crowd. Everyone once in awhile we'll take a couple seconds to figure out what's next, but I've seen plenty of bands (and been in a couple) who do use set lists and still have some dead air.

[wades_keys]

 

My band doesn't use a set list on our cover gigs. The lead singer will just call out or start the next one. Most of the time, it's pretty fluid and works out well because he's great at gauging the crowd. Everyone once in awhile we'll take a couple seconds to figure out what's next, but I've seen plenty of bands (and been in a couple) who do use set lists and still have some dead air.

 

This is true.

 

I would rather have a setlist though, because some songs require instrument changes, tuning changes, or PA changes for a lead vocal swap.

 

If I know what song is coming next, I can make those changes much more quickly and effectively.

[tshapiro]

I call the songs for my band. Its helpful to have song lists laid out though. I like to have them grouped by Dance songs, rock songs, slow songs, etc. That way if you're in a groove, you don't have to struggle trying to remember what material you have that would work.

[SpaceNorman]

I've done it with and without set lists. IF a band has somebody with the touch for calling and perhaps more importantly effectively communicating the calls - it's can be alot of fun. Being onstage when that somebody doesn't exist - and it can be brutal. My current projects operate in the manner many others of mentioned ... we work from set lists - but aren't married to 'em. We'll deviate as we see fit.

[tim_7string]

This is true. I would rather have a setlist though, because some songs require instrument changes, tuning changes, or PA changes for a lead vocal swap. If I know what song is coming next, I can make those changes much more quickly and effectively.

 

This is one of the reasons why I always have set lists ready to go. For example, I need to know if there is going to be a song where I drop the low E to a D and group more than one of those together.

 

But the primary reason I am the one who makes the set list in our band is that I sing most of the songs. I need to pace it so that my voice isn't being wrecked. If I left that in the hands of the other guys, they might put Paranoid, Summer Of '69 and Your Love all together (all very difficult for me to sing properly). That would suck, so I put in peaks and valleys where I know my voice will be able to rest, then sprinkle the set with a song by the drummer here, a song by the bassist there.

 

When I fill in with another band (the band I left back in early 2009), the bandleader is loose and never makes a set list. He always just calls out songs on the fly and we have to be ready for him. A lot of dead air sometimes, but it's his band and I get paid either way, so even though it bugs the {censored} out of me, I just stand there and wait as the dance floor clears.

[PeterChris]

We keep the list with us and the singer will pick the next two before the song were on is over. We ALWAYS play the crowd and never stick to a set list, the songs are listed by genre and tuning. We've learned to kill the dead time, if chicks are dancing we know we won't be playin Alice n Chains next anyway.

[jeff42]

We use a setlist everytime but we can change it up if we need to. When we do it changes big blocks of music cuz most of our show is medleys of songs.

 

there is a band in my area that has been around for a very long time (one of the most successful bands around I'd say) They don't use a setlist at all. They have a master song list on stage and the singer just tells them the next song. Sometimes it is a trainwreck (so the guitar player told me) sometimes it works well. Keeps them on their toes.

[backtoblue]

 

This is true. I would rather have a setlist though, because some songs require instrument changes, tuning changes, or PA changes for a lead vocal swap. If I know what song is coming next, I can make those changes much more quickly and effectively.

 

 

That is my only qualm. I use a Strat mainly and an SG on the heavier tunes and like a little fair warning to switch out when needed.

[mr3lions]

I've gone with a set list and without. The only problems I've had with no list is that I tend to forget some songs or play the same ones every gig.

[sleepersurprise]

i wish a set list would work for me. it just dosent. judging the crowd seems easiest.

[ski219]

We have always used a list in the past, and, like most of you would deviate from it. My problem with that is that if we had a dancing crowd and they were up and dancing fine, we deviate and keep the dance tunes going. On the flip side if we had a non dancing crowd I could not get them to deviate and I'd stand there feeling foolish (while trying not to look like I was feeling foolish) and playing Jenny Jenny or BEG or something of that ilk to an empty floor.

 

I can switch my guitars in under 10 seconds so as long as the next tune is called before the end of the current I ca get to the sound I need. So as of now I prefer winging it. After a few disasters that could easily change.