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Gig Tips Sought



 
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jhatpro
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PostPosted: Sat Mar 02, 2019 8:27 am    Post subject: Gig Tips Sought Reply with quote

I have a last minute trumpet/guitar/bass gig coming up with no time to rehearse.

We're going to play mostly ballads from the Standards Real Book.

What would your roadmap look like?
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Jim Hatfield

"The notes are there - find them.” Mingus

2021 Martinus Geelan Custom
2005 Bach 180-72R
1965 Getzen Eterna Severinsen
1946 Conn Victor
1998 Scodwell flugel
1986 Bach 181 cornet
1954 Conn 80A cornet
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boog
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PostPosted: Sat Mar 02, 2019 8:46 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Cat's "20 minute G", everyday, plus a couple pairs of good reading glasses!

Funny how the gigs always pop up when you have decided to slack off for a while! As I have told my wife many times (she is a singer and pianist), keep your chops up, ya never know when you will get a call!

Have fun with this small group. Gigs like this are probably the most taxing on your endurance, at least for me...

Regards, Dave
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TrumpetMD
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PostPosted: Sat Mar 02, 2019 9:03 am    Post subject: Re: Gig Tips Sought Reply with quote

jhatpro wrote:
I have a last minute trumpet/guitar/bass gig coming up with no time to rehearse.

We're going to play mostly ballads from the Standards Real Book.

What would your roadmap look like?

This is the format I use for most of my gigs (trumpet/guitar/bass or trumpet/piano/bass).

Resist the temptation to pick "cool" songs that you want to play. Instead, focus on songs that you know you will sound good on. Also, try to pick songs with simple formats.

Enjoy!
Mike
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Bach Stradivarius 184 Cornet (1988), Yamaha 13E4 Mouthpiece
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Plus a few other Bach, Getzen, Olds, Carol, HN White, and Besson horns.
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jhatpro
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PostPosted: Sat Mar 02, 2019 9:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

My chops are fine thanks to short playing sessions throughout the day, every day.

Problem here is how to avoid train wrecks by three guys who haven't played together before.
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Jim Hatfield

"The notes are there - find them.” Mingus

2021 Martinus Geelan Custom
2005 Bach 180-72R
1965 Getzen Eterna Severinsen
1946 Conn Victor
1998 Scodwell flugel
1986 Bach 181 cornet
1954 Conn 80A cornet
2002 Getzen bugle
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kehaulani
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PostPosted: Sat Mar 02, 2019 9:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

boog - taxing to play or listen to ?

If you have no rehearsal time and the group doesn't already have a ready-to-go set list and/or has gelled, pick easy tunes in easy keys and use the same format on most tunes . . . and pray (or is that Prey).

You might also distribute a list of tunes, page numbers, and what form you'll use, i.e. group plays last 4 bars as intro, tune, solo 1. (bone), solo 2. (trpt), tune again and repeat the last four bars. Hold last chord or not.

Solo designations are for example. Use whatever you want.

The more specific (keep it simple) you can get, the less room for misunderstandings. Good luck.
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LSOfanboy
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PostPosted: Sat Mar 02, 2019 9:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

jhatpro wrote:
My chops are fine thanks to short playing sessions throughout the day, every day.

Problem here is how to avoid train wrecks by three guys who haven't played together before.


Have a clear system in place so there is a mutual understanding on how you intend to start a tune and end it (then if you wish to deviate from this blueprint you can make a point of telling the band 'on this tune we'll do X at the end instead).

Avoid tunes with irregular phrase lengths or abnormal forms.

Don't take anything at an excessively slow or fast tempo.

Make sure you know you're own part/changes well enough that you don't have to focus on them during the gig- its important to be able to remain attentive to the band and not buried in your own part/changes.

If necessary, take the time between tunes to clarify that everyone knows the form and are all in the same key etc. Its better to have a slightly too long a gap between good tunes than to have short gaps between train wrecks...

Be calm and flexible on the gig- mistakes will happen, so be prepared to roll with it and salvage the situation with some intelligent mid-tune adjustment, rather than being stubbornly tied to 'your' ideas and getting angry or frustrated with members of the band. (Not suggesting you would do this) but if someone plays one too few an A section, or the tune comes to a collective end before the clever trick ending you were planning, just go with it and smile- its more than likely that the audience will only notice a mistake if you start showing your displeasure.

Make sure all your count offs are communicated well (whether you intend to speak them, 'conduct', click, tongue click or head nod) and the whole band is on board with your method (keep it consistent, don't change your count off throughout the gig) and have made eye contact with you before you start counting.

Enjoy the music and be sure that the audience and band pick up on your cool relaxed and in-control demeanour. This makes the ride smoother and more pleasurable for everyone involved.

All the best
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Richard III
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PostPosted: Sat Mar 02, 2019 10:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Can the guitar player do melodies or are they just a strum the chords type? If they can, just switch off playing lead on different songs and the other takes the repeats.
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Ed Kennedy
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PostPosted: Sat Mar 02, 2019 2:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Break it up. YOu play AA, guitar plays BA
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Brad361
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 05, 2019 5:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

jhatpro wrote:
My chops are fine thanks to short playing sessions throughout the day, every day.

Problem here is how to avoid train wrecks by three guys who haven't played together before.


The good thing is that with just three guys, and the relatively quiet volume levels you’ll probably be at, you guys SHOULD be able to stay in sync, unless someone decides to take off on their own expecting the other two to be able to figure out where they are going. (I work with a singer who seems to think the band is comprised of Kreskin apprentices.🙄).
Trying to stick pretty close to the charts, especially regarding repeats, codas, etc. should help also. That plus a lot of eye contact should get you through it.

Brad
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Turkle
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 05, 2019 7:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I do a ton of duo/trio work.

Bebop tunes don't generally work for this setting. Stick with standards with well-known melodies and relatively simple harmonies, unless you can REALLY nail it.

Since you don't have a drummer, your solos will have to provide all of the interesting rhythmic content. That means: swing your ass off, and vary your rhythms considerably to keep it interesting. (I guess that's good advice even if you have a drummer.)

But if you're asking about getting lost in the form, or whatever? Look, someone needs to step up and be the leader, and in my experience that's very often the trumpet player. That means counting off the tunes, telling the band what intro/outro you're using, and if the band gets lost or out of sync, being able to make the executive decision and saying "all right, the head on 1, 2, 3... Now!"

As a trumpet/cornet player, I figure it's on you to step up and lead. Your string players will thank you. I always default to leading, counting off, cueing, and no one's complained yet!
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jhatpro
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 06, 2019 7:59 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

A ton of great advice - thanks all!

Fortunately the bass and guitar player are both excellent players with a lot of gig experience - more than me.

With your tips and their talent, we're good!
_________________
Jim Hatfield

"The notes are there - find them.” Mingus

2021 Martinus Geelan Custom
2005 Bach 180-72R
1965 Getzen Eterna Severinsen
1946 Conn Victor
1998 Scodwell flugel
1986 Bach 181 cornet
1954 Conn 80A cornet
2002 Getzen bugle
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kehaulani
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 06, 2019 8:22 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

jhatpro wrote:
Fortunately the bass and guitar player are both excellent players with a lot of gig experience - more than me.


That being the case, you might want to rethink your full ensemble on every tune approach and basically build the set list around a guitar/bass duo with both individual and occasional full ensemble work.

Perhaps it will be higher quality and more manageable overall with the other voices joining in intervals doing what they do best.

I'm not suggesting that you should take this approach, just offering it as an alternative.
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"If you don't live it, it won't come out of your horn." Bird

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Benge 3X Trumpet
Getzen Capri Cornet
Adams F-1 Flghn
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