How do you handle one-off gigs

[J. Dan]

I have a one-off gig tomorrow which means learning a lot of songs on short notice, most I’ve never played, and some I’ve never even heard/. I’ve been cramming and I feel good about each song before going on to the next, but then going back through the list it’s like “wait, what song is that?”  When I hear it, it’s like “oh, OK” and I can play along, but at the gig you just have a list.  I’ve been putting notes like keys on the Kronos set list.  How do you guys handle these kind of gigs?

[jazzpiano88]

1 hour ago, J. Dan said:

I have a one-off gig tomorrow which means learning a lot of songs on short notice, most I’ve never played, and some I’ve never even heard/. I’ve been cramming and I feel good about each song before going on to the next, but then going back through the list it’s like “wait, what song is that?”  When I hear it, it’s like “oh, OK” and I can play along, but at the gig you just have a list.  I’ve been putting notes like keys on the Kronos set list.  How do you guys handle these kind of gigs?

 

These are some of the most awesome and fun gigs I've ever played.    You know from your sheer talent you will cover key pieces and have the adaptability to lay back when needed and let the band take over those parts.   The band would not have asked you to cover if their life depended on it so you have a little bit of leeway.

 

I did these types of gigs many times I would never turn one down unless they told me I gonna need to be the leader :):)  Club gigs.    Sometimes the band leader would call attention to me (the sub) and it would be extra fun. E.g.   "Jerry isn't here tonight - he's being treated up at the Clinic in Minnesota and we hope to have him back next week"

[Bobadohshe]

I make detailed notated charts in finale and use my iPad. A ton of work up front but I'm fast at it and then I have the song ready to go for life.

[niacin]

4 hours ago, Bobadohshe said:

I make detailed notated charts in finale and use my iPad. A ton of work up front but I'm fast at it and then I have the song ready to go for life.

same, but using Musescore, which is freeware. I used to just make a few notes on the song list, bridge chords or a particular riff, but I’m getting past the age of being able to keep shoving new material into my head. The more I do the faster I get, and i figure it’s good ear training.

[elsongs]

If it's great, you enjoy and cherish them.

If it's horrible, then you're thankful you don't have to do that again.

[AnotherScott]

7 hours ago, J. Dan said:

I have a one-off gig tomorrow which means learning a lot of songs on short notice, most I’ve never played, and some I’ve never even heard/. I’ve been cramming and I feel good about each song before going on to the next, but then going back through the list it’s like “wait, what song is that?”  When I hear it, it’s like “oh, OK” and I can play along, but at the gig you just have a list.  I’ve been putting notes like keys on the Kronos set list.  How do you guys handle these kind of gigs?

 

For songs that are not in my head, I chart the songs on paper as I learn them (using the term "chart" loosely, I admit), and then have a photo of that chart attached to the set list app in my iPad. My tip here is to put at the head of the chart the name of some other song you are familiar with that has a similar feel, to remind yourself of the general approach. 

[Outkaster]

I they are terrible, at least for me.  It doesn't even matter how much you get paid either:

 

1. The band always benefits more than you do

2. Often they make you practice songs they don't end up doing.

3. Spending too much time on songs you might not even play

4. They forget to tell you key changes.

5.  Their arrangement is fucked up and they don't play songs like they are recorded.

 

I know these are extreme cases, but I don't like one offs unless the band is really polished or organized.   I have experienced this with good bands over the years so I try to avoid them. 

[The Real MC]

I no longer do them.  I'm a competent player and can comp, but I'd rather be in a steady gig with a band.

[AnotherScott]

This topic isn't really limited to one-off gigs, there are other scenarios where you have to show up and play a song you barely know. One of my bands does weddings and other private events, and we always offer to do a couple of "special songs" that aren't on our song list (e.g. the B&G may want a particular song for their first dance, etc.).

[JamPro]

I do it the old-fashioned way: I listen to the song, make notes, and then write out a chart for myself.  Sometimes the chart is nothing more than my notes ("key of A; mid-tempo blues shuffle; Intro by guitar, enter after 4 bars; bridge on IV after 2nd and 4th verse; end walk down from I to V, repeat 3x).  And sometimes I need to write out chords for every measure like a fake book.  I want to have something on paper I can look at before the song starts, or read along as the song progresses.

 

It seems I lose 20-30 IQ points by stepping on stage (I think the loud noises make it harder for me to think and concentrate), so I don't trust my memory.  I want to have it on paper to look at it.

[eric]

I am very old school and use a little 3x5 spiral flip book, in which I jot down the main aspects of songs I haven't played and need a "cheat sheet" for pick up gigs. I put the song title and key of song at the top, then I put the main chords for Intro, Verse, Chorus, Bridge and anything else that is helpful.

 

I play in a Clash tribute band that only does about 3-4 shows a year and I honestly forget some of the songs when playing less frequently...so I keep my little flip book handy. I even use it when learning new songs with my main bands. If I get through a few rehearsals with the flip book, I can often put it away for gigs, though I have a little spot of velcro on the left side of my keyboard that holds it pretty unobtrusively.

 

In general, I highly prefer to memorize songs and not use charts...my flip book is the only thing remotely close to using charts in my arsenal.

[drawback]

I used many of the suggestions above, mostly written on cheat sheets on recipe cards. 

[Dave Number Four]

+1 for making quick charts on musescore. Mine tend to be overall form + chord changes + any important keyboard parts.

 

The 20 minutes or so or effort making the chart leaves me understanding the song much better than if I took somebody else's chart.

 

I probably have 400 or 500 of these now, but when I take on something new and get a song list from the leader, I still usually only have a few songs where I already have a chart.

[Stokely]

I'm with Outkaster, they are more stress than they are worth.  Especially at my low level of gigs making what I do.

Some might find them exciting, but I guess I'm not that adventurous.   I've only done this type of gigs to do a favor for a keyboard-playing friend and dreaded the gig for weeks leading up to it each time.   I like being in my comfort zone in my band of 12 years, though I do push the envelope with vocals and maybe guitar so it's not all comfort!

[eric]

14 minutes ago, Stokely said:

I'm with Outkaster, they are more stress than they are worth.  Especially at my low level of gigs making what I do.

Some might find them exciting, but I guess I'm not that adventurous.   I've only done this type of gigs to do a favor for a keyboard-playing friend and dreaded the gig for weeks leading up to it each time.   I like being in my comfort zone in my band of 12 years, though I do push the envelope with vocals and maybe guitar so it's not all comfort!

 

I generally agree with this! I was recently approached by my friend who plays bass in a Steely Dan tribute, plus they also do a bunch of Doobie Brothers and other things near to the genre. He told me "we need a keyboard sub for 1-2 gigs" and one of them is kind of a lowly brewery gig while the other is a larger venue.

 

I asked him to send me the set list and rehearsal schedule. I've played a number of Steely Dan songs in prior bands, though they were the bigger hits such as Peg, Josie, My Old School, etc...and while I really love SD and would totally have a blast playing their entire catalogue...this dude ain't quite got the time to learn ALL those songs for 1-2 sub gigs...I realize that sub gigs can lead to being a full time player, though I'm not really in the market to add another band at this juncture.

 

I was noncommittal until seeing how much work it would be to learn the songs, make notes on the chords, program the sounds, etc. and then I told him to count me out for now.

 

There's another local band that occasionally asks me to sit in and they pull from a song list of 400+ very randomly...they gave me a smaller list of "here are the really important keyboard songs" so I made notes on those and programmed a few special sounds...it's a bit unnerving to be on a gig when they spontaneously move from '60s to '90s to current, to random songs I've never heard before, etc.

 

All of that to say that my appetite for one-off gigs has diminished.

[Shamanzarek]

I am always apprehensive about taking one-off gigs but usually accept them. I rarely ever write anything down but I had a one-off gig a few weeks ago where I had to learn three sets of classic rock and some country. I did make a few notes and spent three weeks going over the material. One thing about these gigs is you never know what songs are actually going to get played so I spend the most time on the more difficult songs and figure I can wing the country and blues stuff. So we get there around 5:00 but things don't go according to schedule and we actually start playing a little after 9. Then we have to be out of the room at 10 sharp. I spent all this time going over about thirty songs and ended up playing about eight of them. At least the pay was more than I expected in cash and included dinner.

[ProfD]

One-off gigs are great especially when playing with excellent musicians.

 

Listen to and chart the tunes accordingly (memory or paper).  Maybe a rehearsal to run it down.  Do the hit (gig).  Get paid.  Rinse and repeat.

 

IMO, one-off/pick-up gigs are way way more fun than being in a band with bowling nights, er, standing rehearsals and everything that comes with it.

 

However, one-off gigs are not for every musician. If the gig is a dread or a drag or causing some other form of anxiety, do not feel obligated to do it.  Just say no. 

 

There are musicians who walk around with a book full of tunes in their head and/or they hear well enough to pick up the songs on the fly.  

 

Pass those one-off/pick-up gigs to a mercenary musician capable of knocking it out of the park in their sleep. 

 

Otherwise, if comfortable with it, take the gig and do the work and have a blast.😎

[TommyRude]

1 hour ago, ProfD said:

However, one-off gigs are not for every musician. If the gig is a dread or a drag or causing some other form of anxiety, do not feel obligated to do it.  Just say no.

What if Tay Tay asks you to do a one off?  Maybe not a dread or drag, but might cause some anxiety.

[ProfD]

26 minutes ago, TommyRude said:

What if Tay Tay asks you to do a one off?  Maybe not a dread or drag, but might cause some anxiety.

The gig pay will cover any anxiety expenses too.😁😎

[Outkaster]

More trouble than they are worth..Good musicians or not.

[D. Gauss]

I'm probably the odd-man out here as I don't play in a cover/tribute band, but I've been thrown into lots of one-off gigs of original material with zero beforehand. Songwriter says, "It's in G with a 4/1/2/5 bridge, oh, and there might be some stops," and off we go and hopefully no trainwrecks.  Before the pandemic, I did a weekly songwriter series for about a year, where each week the booker threw 4 different musician/songwriters/front people randomly together just to see what would happen.  Was a ton of fun. Some great music was made, despite a few trainwrecks.  

[stoken6]

Unlike some of the posters above, I love the thrill/adrenaline rush of a one-off gig. I follow @Bobadohshe's process, except using Sibelius. 

 

Cheers, Mike.

[musicbysterling]

I’m doing a gig on 4/12 with a very prominent PNW musician who puts these occasional gigs out where he plays with musicians he’s never worked with. He culls together 3 sets of material from songs the aggregate musicians sort of know and we do the gig with now rehearsals. I’ve got to learn ELO and Moody Blues tunes that I’ve never played. I’ve got my hands full with those 6 alone….

[AUSSIEKEYS]

7 hours ago, Dave Number Four said:

 

 

The 20 minutes or so or effort making the chart leaves me understanding the song much better than if I took somebody else's chart.

 

 

 

Exactly. I'm presently doing that for my new duo. Infact i was up last night charting a bunch of songs for a rehearsal today.

 

I learn / remember more by charting a song than simply playing it. I sit at piano with song playing starting stopping it till i have charted every bar in "wrote". Including vocals where needed.

 

Im A4 size intially Then i try to reduce its size down to that cut in half essentially A5 in portrait on my computer to print out.

 

Next project is to convert all these paper charts to viewing on a tablet in A5 portrait. Just reading about tablets and e ink tablets last night. Another learning curve.

[ESFlash]

I do a lot of sideman gigs and dont mind them at all.

 

For some songs a few written notes suffice ie: Verse mimics Hit The Road Jack and Chr is Major: 4155 1515

 

For other tunes,

 

I'll write out complete  number charts of the song, scan them into my iPad, and then send the scans to UnReal Book 

 

all in all, a pretty simple system plus I have a paper back-up if the ipad goes down.

 

And UnReal Book lets me keep all those songs filed under the Bands' or BL name, so if the opportunity with that band repests itself, Im good to go.

 

And having everything in numbers simplifies things if/when performance keys change.

 

 

[Synthaholic]

11 hours ago, AnotherScott said:

One of my bands does weddings and other private events, and we always offer to do a couple of "special songs" that aren't on our song list (e.g. the B&G may want a particular song for their first dance, etc.).

These are the only gigs where I am willing to learn a song. Learning new songs is time consuming. I may make exceptions if they are songs that I will incorporate into my regular gigs because I like them. But not for a one-off.

[obxa]

Also gun for hire-  I too make Finale charts for everything, more often than not If I get asked back,  I'm covered for next time.

As other mentioned, charting the song helps me learn it better.   I 've also sold a couple to a few artists (especially Christmas shows). Though if I like them, usually just give it to them if they ask-which has scored some points for future gigs.   

 

 RE Weddings:  When I had my little big band and variety band I set a limit to Couples  that we'd only learn 1 special, and not do anything that was out of our genre or instrumentation. (E.G. Hip hop, Metal, Josh Grobin, Taylor Swift 🙃 etc......).   For those instances we'd play the Mp3.

 

In the "never say never department" : Just finished doing a string of shows with a Jerry Garcia Tribute band (!).  38 songs charted in 7 days.  Pay was great,  Organ & Piano, Beer, no formal attire. So I took the gig..  I thought I'd smugly hate it, but was almost like a long  jazz gig.  Charts were helpful, but they definitely went off the page.   Crowds (Dead/Garcia heads) were some of the most enthusiastic and appreciative I've ever seen, and  actually enjoyed it.  Don't often say that on Wedding gigs.     Like blues, definitely lot more fun to play than listen to , but glad I got over myself.  Was only supposed to be a couple, but signed on for the next leg. 

[J. Dan]

Gig went pretty well, though we ended up not playing some songs I spent a lot of time on.  Also, started the night with Mr. Crowley, and shortly into my intro they waved me off to stop and informed me that they tune down a 1/2 step.  Thank God for transpose per slot in setlist mode on the Kronos.  Even after the transpose, there was one more song they did in a different key than I learned but it was 12-bar blues and A instead of G so I just winged it and it was fine.

[ProfD]

1 hour ago, J. Dan said:

Gig went pretty well...Thank God for transpose per slot in setlist mode on the Kronos.

Great news. 

 

Confirming song key is rule #1 especially if there is no rehearsal.

 

Technology is great in providing a transpose button. An acoustic piano or electromechanical KB is less forgiving. 

 

As a gig vet, figured you'd be fine. Glad it went well.😎

[mate stubb]

I was forever cured of pick up gigs by the last one I did with a local long running band. We had one rehearsal the night before, and I learned that I came better prepared than the regular players were.  

 

The gig was a disaster. It was an unorganized outdoor multiple band event with no stage or stage lighting. We played a tiny set for a tiny crowd because we were last and everything was late, but we still had to stop at dark.

 

During this short set, the drummer bandleader was yelling at the bass player for losing the beat during What Is Hip, and the horn section was so bad cracking notes and playing sloppy that the drummer actually stopped the song to yell at them before starting it again.

 

Needless to say I never answered my phone again when he was calling.