Synthaholic Posted October 19, 2017 Share Posted October 19, 2017 I really hate when people want to see my songlist to pick the next song for me to play. Because I'm not a human jukebox. I always counter with "What artists do you like? Pick an artist and I'll play something from them or something similar". That usually works. The fact there's a Highway To Hell and only a Stairway To Heaven says a lot about anticipated traffic numbers People only say "It's a free country" when they're doing something shitty-Demetri Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timwat Posted October 19, 2017 Share Posted October 19, 2017 Presuming we're talking about solo piano gigs, I've never carried a song list for an audience member to "choose from the menu". If someone asks for something interesting politely, I tell them I may try to fit it into the set in a bit...and if it's hip, I'll try. If someone asks for something pedestrian, and impolitely, I'll give them the blank stare, nod, and then the next tune will probably be Jarrett's My Song or I Remember Clifford. My subtle point is while I seek to entertain, hey buddy why would you ask for a Kia at a Mercedes dealership? Most times if flies over the rude guest's head, but someone else in the room gets the point and mentions it during the next break. Okay maybe I've got a bad attitude today. Nothing like waking up in the morning to a puppy that's pooped his bed. .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sven Golly Posted October 19, 2017 Share Posted October 19, 2017 Okay maybe I've got a bad attitude today. Nothing like waking up in the morning to a puppy that's pooped his bed. While you don't really need my help, I have found that many of your posts in the past have helped me to see the brighter side of things (unbeknownst to you, so thank you! )... so I will offer this piece of wisdom: It's better than waking up in the morning to a puppy that's pooped YOUR bed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MathOfInsects Posted October 19, 2017 Share Posted October 19, 2017 I don't have a songlist per se, but if I did, I can't see the downside to accommodating a request that comes directly from it. Am I missing something? Also, dogs are not so keen to poop where they sleep, so it might be worth a vet trip, or at least a phone call. Now out! "Mind the Gap," a 24-song album of new material. www.joshweinstein.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miden Posted October 19, 2017 Share Posted October 19, 2017 TBH, I have an opposing view. I provide a song menu to place on tables at solo gigs. Theres about 500+ or so on it and I have found that by giving folks this when they ask for a request they know it can be done. I have also found that getting audience members involved this way also improves the attention and enjoyment from their perspective. For me, it makes the gig far more enjoyable. I do have a pre-prepared setlist too There is no luck - luck is simply the confluence of circumstance and co-incidence... Time is the final arbiter for all things Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stoken6 Posted October 19, 2017 Share Posted October 19, 2017 I think there is a context for requests. "Cocktail jazz piano" at a drinks reception is an appropriate context for requests - in that it's a culturally accepted thing to do (at least in my experience). Requests at a speed-metal festival or 80s nostalgia/reformation roadshow - not so much. Cheers, Mike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Threadslayer Posted October 19, 2017 Share Posted October 19, 2017 and then the next tune will probably be Jarrett's My Song or I Remember Clifford. on both of those. Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect. -Mark Twain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnotherScott Posted October 19, 2017 Share Posted October 19, 2017 Alternatively: Depends how much they're putting into the tip jar. Maybe this is the best place for a shameless plug! Our now not-so-new new video at https://youtu.be/3ZRC3b4p4EI is a 40 minute adaptation of T. S. Eliot's "Prufrock" - check it out! And hopefully I'll have something new here this year. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timwat Posted October 19, 2017 Share Posted October 19, 2017 Okay maybe I've got a bad attitude today. Nothing like waking up in the morning to a puppy that's pooped his bed. While you don't really need my help, I have found that many of your posts in the past have helped me to see the brighter side of things (unbeknownst to you, so thank you! )... so I will offer this piece of wisdom: It's better than waking up in the morning to a puppy that's pooped YOUR bed. Sven, I'm humbled and very thankful you mentioned that about my previous posts. And yes, I'm a strong believer that pooping my bed is my job, not his. .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timwat Posted October 19, 2017 Share Posted October 19, 2017 Also, dogs are not so keen to poop where they sleep, so it might be worth a vet trip, or at least a phone call. My thought as well. Honestly, not my first thought, but eventually I got there. .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Song80s Posted October 19, 2017 Share Posted October 19, 2017 I would have expected better customer service here. esp from those that are friendly with basic technology. Assuming its not on your set list. A possible answer, is ' let me think on that, not sure I have that nailed down,, ( or similar excuse to buy time) '. Then d/L the midi file on your iPad, get it to your keyboard SEQ, and test/run it thru on your headphones on your next break. Suddenly you play it in your next set. Why fit in, when you were born to stand out ? My Soundcloud with many originals: [70's Songwriter] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miden Posted October 19, 2017 Share Posted October 19, 2017 I would have expected better customer service here. esp from those that are friendly with basic technology. Assuming its not on your set list. A possible answer, is ' let me think on that, not sure I have that nailed down,, ( or similar excuse to buy time) '. Then d/L the midi file on your iPad, get it to your keyboard SEQ, and test/run it thru on your headphones on your next break. Suddenly you play it in your next set. hahaha! I have done that..not the MIDI file, but I have d/l a chart from Ultimate Guitar - provided I had some inkling of how the melody went There is no luck - luck is simply the confluence of circumstance and co-incidence... Time is the final arbiter for all things Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timwat Posted October 19, 2017 Share Posted October 19, 2017 T A possible answer, is ' let me think on that, not sure I have that nailed down,, ( or similar excuse to buy time) '. This presumes the role of the piano player is to field requests. I don't necessarily accept that premise. Consider: You walk into the Four Seasons some day and lo and behold Herbie is sitting at the piano reharmonizing Dolphin Dance into wild and new territory, and in 7/4 at that. A hotel guest stumbles in from the bar and says, "Hey that's nice...but do you know any country? Like All the Pretty Girls by Kenny Chesney?" I'm not Herbie...and none of the rest of us here are either. But my point is on one end of the spectrum I'm making art. On the other end is pure entertainment (like the dueling piano acts that make a point of fielding requests on preprinted forms). Somewhere in the middle is where I tend to approach solo piano. You ask me for "Feelings" and you ain't gonna get it in 4/4. .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Lobo Posted October 19, 2017 Share Posted October 19, 2017 There have been other threads discussing Terrible Requests I Have Known, or something like that. There's a range, and it depends on the solo gig style, venue, etc. A woman I knew played piano bar. If she knew the tune, she could play it. She couldn't read music, didn't even understand what chords were, but she could entertain a roomful of drunks for hours with them singing along to all their favorite songs. My business partner plays boogie woogie piano and has been gradually expanding his repertoire to include standards that he likes. When he used to do solo piano though, he stayed within his boogie woogie roots, which cut down on requests almost completely. On the other hand, a friend used to play solo piano in a famous fancy restaurant. He would just keep playing, one song into another, with no breaks and no endings. He would happily play requests if he knew them, but because he played non-stop it also tended to cut down on requests. These are only my opinions, not supported by any actual knowledge, experience, or expertise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drawback Posted October 19, 2017 Share Posted October 19, 2017 I don't often do requests But when I do I never do Piano Man ____________________________________ Rod Here for the gear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Song80s Posted October 19, 2017 Share Posted October 19, 2017 I would have expected better customer service here. esp from those that are friendly with basic technology. Assuming its not on your set list. A possible answer, is ' let me think on that, not sure I have that nailed down,, ( or similar excuse to buy time) '. Then d/L the midi file on your iPad, get it to your keyboard SEQ, and test/run it thru on your headphones on your next break. Suddenly you play it in your next set. hahaha! I have done that..not the MIDI file, but I have d/l a chart from Ultimate Guitar - provided I had some inkling of how the melody went I hope you don't rely on " Riffstation ". Their chord recognition software struggles with anything different from major chords . Must be a metal rock thing No need for 9 chords or minor 7ths. Why fit in, when you were born to stand out ? My Soundcloud with many originals: [70's Songwriter] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miden Posted October 19, 2017 Share Posted October 19, 2017 I would have expected better customer service here. esp from those that are friendly with basic technology. Assuming its not on your set list. A possible answer, is ' let me think on that, not sure I have that nailed down,, ( or similar excuse to buy time) '. Then d/L the midi file on your iPad, get it to your keyboard SEQ, and test/run it thru on your headphones on your next break. Suddenly you play it in your next set. hahaha! I have done that..not the MIDI file, but I have d/l a chart from Ultimate Guitar - provided I had some inkling of how the melody went I hope you don't rely on " Riffstation ". Their chord recognition software struggles with anything different from major chords . Must be a metal rock thing No need for 9 chords or minor 7ths. haha, no I just stick to the basic "chords" options, no tabs or others. Although when browsing at home on the desktop I have heard a few of the chord recognition attempts, and they are pretty basic There is no luck - luck is simply the confluence of circumstance and co-incidence... Time is the final arbiter for all things Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Song80s Posted October 19, 2017 Share Posted October 19, 2017 T A possible answer, is ' let me think on that, not sure I have that nailed down,, ( or similar excuse to buy time) '. This presumes the role of the piano player is to field requests. I don't necessarily accept that premise. Consider: You walk into the Four Seasons some day and lo and behold Herbie is sitting at the piano reharmonizing Dolphin Dance into wild and new territory, and in 7/4 at that. A hotel guest stumbles in from the bar and says, "Hey that's nice...but do you know any country? Like All the Pretty Girls by Kenny Chesney?" I'm not Herbie...and none of the rest of us here are either. But my point is on one end of the spectrum I'm making art. On the other end is pure entertainment (like the dueling piano acts that make a point of fielding requests on preprinted forms). Somewhere in the middle is where I tend to approach solo piano. You ask me for "Feelings" and you ain't gonna get it in 4/4. ok. I thought it might be a good idea to be open and approachable. I will stick around and hope to hear something I like Why fit in, when you were born to stand out ? My Soundcloud with many originals: [70's Songwriter] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeaGtGruff Posted October 19, 2017 Share Posted October 19, 2017 Alternatively: Depends how much they're putting into the tip jar. That's about what I was going to suggest! People have to put money in a jukebox-- or pay the jukebox apps on their iPhones or whatever-- so if they request a song from live performers they should expect to pay for the privilege. I guess if they paid a cover charge then they can ask without tipping, but that doesn't obligate the performer to fulfill every random request. Michael Rideout Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DulceLabs.com Posted October 19, 2017 Share Posted October 19, 2017 The best is when they request a song, and you play it, but then they tell you "No, that's not it all." [video:youtube] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Song80s Posted October 19, 2017 Share Posted October 19, 2017 The best is when they request a song, and you play it, but then they tell you "No, that's not it all." [video:youtube] the problem is that you didn't dance on your keyboard and make strange grimaces, point to the crowd and scream, etc. Why fit in, when you were born to stand out ? My Soundcloud with many originals: [70's Songwriter] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PianoMan51 Posted October 19, 2017 Share Posted October 19, 2017 I don't often do requests But when I do I never do Piano Man The last time I expressed this thought on the forum I got hammered. Nobody, but nobody has ever asked for this song because they like piano-based music. And I don't care that I missed out on thousands of dollars in tips. Now, if it was hundreds of thousands, hmmm.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Emm Posted October 19, 2017 Share Posted October 19, 2017 I was once asked to play "Freebird" by a guy who was clearly too drunk to focus on the fact that there were two synths and no guitars in sight. Made me wish I had a Mace can filled with ether. Its 50/50 as to who I'd spritz, him or myself. An evangelist came to town who was so good, even Huck Finn was saved until Tuesday. ~ "Tom Sawyer" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Synthaholic Posted October 21, 2017 Author Share Posted October 21, 2017 Presuming we're talking about solo piano gigs, I've never carried a song list for an audience member to "choose from the menu". I'm not. I do a OMB and have my laptop on my left, on top of my rack. The only thing open is a Windows Explorer window listing my 300+ MIDI sequences, from which I choose the next song. So sometimes people come up and either want to turn my laptop around to look at my list, or they want to come up and stand behind me to look at my list. That's when I cut them off and say "Tell me an artist you like . . . " The fact there's a Highway To Hell and only a Stairway To Heaven says a lot about anticipated traffic numbers People only say "It's a free country" when they're doing something shitty-Demetri Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Synthaholic Posted October 21, 2017 Author Share Posted October 21, 2017 The best is when they request a song, and you play it, but then they tell you "No, that's not it all." Or when they request a song, and ten seconds into it they get up to go to the bathroom. Or when they request a song, and then proceed to talk at their table throughout, not paying a bit of attention. Or when they request a song, you play it, then on break they ask if you're going to play that song for them or not. Or when they request a song - and this happened to me the other day with 'Sweet Caroline', not a song that's easily "missed" - and they claim you never played it for them. I had to ask the audience "didn't I just play Sweet Caroline?" "Yes". Dirty look from requester. http://i.imgur.com/4i6Ckte.gif The fact there's a Highway To Hell and only a Stairway To Heaven says a lot about anticipated traffic numbers People only say "It's a free country" when they're doing something shitty-Demetri Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
area51recording Posted October 21, 2017 Share Posted October 21, 2017 I would have expected better customer service here. esp from those that are friendly with basic technology. Assuming its not on your set list. A possible answer, is ' let me think on that, not sure I have that nailed down,, ( or similar excuse to buy time) '. Then d/L the midi file on your iPad, get it to your keyboard SEQ, and test/run it thru on your headphones on your next break. Suddenly you play it in your next set. hahaha! I have done that..not the MIDI file, but I have d/l a chart from Ultimate Guitar - provided I had some inkling of how the melody went I do this all the time on my piano bar gig....keeps me from having a stack of fakebooks and lets me cover probably 85-90% of the requests I get, which of course equals more $$$ in the ole tip jar..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Song80s Posted October 21, 2017 Share Posted October 21, 2017 The best is when they request a song, and you play it, but then they tell you "No, that's not it all." Or when they request a song, and ten seconds into it they get up to go to the bathroom. Or when they request a song, and then proceed to talk at their table throughout, not paying a bit of attention. Or when they request a song, you play it, then on break they ask if you're going to play that song for them or not. Or when they request a song - and this happened to me the other day with 'Sweet Caroline', not a song that's easily "missed" - and they claim you never played it for them. I had to ask the audience "didn't I just play Sweet Caroline?" "Yes". Dirty look from requester. http://i.imgur.com/4i6Ckte.gif It's bad luck. Is your venue having an ADD conference ? Why fit in, when you were born to stand out ? My Soundcloud with many originals: [70's Songwriter] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miden Posted October 21, 2017 Share Posted October 21, 2017 The best is when they request a song, and you play it, but then they tell you "No, that's not it all." Or when they request a song, and ten seconds into it they get up to go to the bathroom. Or when they request a song, and then proceed to talk at their table throughout, not paying a bit of attention. Or when they request a song, you play it, then on break they ask if you're going to play that song for them or not. Or when they request a song - and this happened to me the other day with 'Sweet Caroline', not a song that's easily "missed" - and they claim you never played it for them. I had to ask the audience "didn't I just play Sweet Caroline?" "Yes". Dirty look from requester. http://i.imgur.com/4i6Ckte.gif ^^^^^ TOTALLY this!!! hahaha! There is no luck - luck is simply the confluence of circumstance and co-incidence... Time is the final arbiter for all things Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonybanksfan Posted October 29, 2017 Share Posted October 29, 2017 I wish I was good enough to play what people request, that would be awesome. Hard to imagine just saying sure buddy, what key would you like it in? Kurzweil PC3K8/ GSI Gemini Desktop/ ESI UNIK 8+ monitors/ QSC K8.2/ Radial Key Largo/ CPS Spacestation Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pigmeat Posted October 29, 2017 Share Posted October 29, 2017 Snooks Eaglin was nicknamed 'the human jukebox'. He had over 2500 songs in his repertoire. Love his music and he had some of the best keyboard players with him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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