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David Valdez has put together some good thoughts on writing set lists.
- Vary the styles and tempos of the tunes- Mix it up!
- Don't play tunes in the same key back to back.
- Start out the set with something that is comfortable for the musicians, so things lock in.
- Be ready to change up your set on the fly depending how the crowd reacts. You may need to wake them up if they're getting too chatty.
- If you're playing a gig for wealthy older caucasions, play every tune at 160bpm (businessman's bounce tempo) and segue between every tune with a 3-6-2-5 vamp into the next key. Just kidding. This is exactly what many NYC high society bands do.
- Write sets that feature different instruments in the band and vary the solo order. Start with a bass solo or a bass melody once in a while. [preach it, brother!]
- Take the time to work on your set lists before you get to the gig and try to think them through in your head. Try to think about how you will feel after each tune. Keep old set lists that worked well for future reference.
- Ask your players if they have any tunes they want to play before the gig so you can work them into the set seamlessly.
- Consider changing the style or meter of an overplayed standard. You might try something like playing 'All the Things' as a waltz or the 'Nearness of You' as a double-time feel Samba.
I agree with David on almost all of these. I've written about set lists before, and it's always nice to find others with whom you share at least a few concepts.
Posted by Casper at August 19, 2005 01:16 AM