Playing solo (not solos)

[Bilbo]

It has troubled me for many years now that, despite having been gigging for 36 years, I cannot play a single piece of music on my own. I can improvise on changes, I can strum chords on a guitar, execute passages from favourite tunes (the intro to Roundabout kind of thing) but, when I get asked to 'play something ', I cannot actually perform anything from the introduction to the end on my own without a band. It has reached the point where I am trying to learn solo guitar pieces so I can exorcise this particular ghost.

The questions are, can you play anything all the way through on your own without accompaniment and/or what part of this thing called music leaves you wanting?

[T-Bay]

I can play stuff through on my own, whether anyone would want to listen is another matter!

[Dad3353]

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1496689690' post='3313256']...
The questions are, can you play anything all the way through on your own without accompaniment and/or what part of this thing called music leaves you wanting?
[/quote]

I can't play much, but have one or two 'party pieces' that I can call up, when trying out a someone's guitar after repairing it or such (no, I'm rarely asked to play anything at all..! ). What's lacking..? Singing, mate; singing. Can't do it for love nor money. I'd really like to, but it's no use fooling oneself. The world has no need of an extra fog alert.
The key, I'd say, for playing on one's own, is 'chord/melody'. That's where I spend my time. I've been working on several versions of 'Misty' for three decades, and have (or rather: [i]had[/i]...) a fair grasp of it, now. Joe Pass, anyone..? Look up a couple of the simpler 'standards' that you like, and work on a chord/melody version..? I find it the most satisfying of 'solo' stuff. (But, then again, I'm a drummer, so 'solo' is an anathema to me, really...)

[bubinga5]

Are we talking about the guitar or the bass.? I cant think of the last exciting bass solo, on its own without some chords in the solo.

[ambient]

I do lots of solo gigs. So far this year I've done ten, including a couple in Paris and one with Steve Lawson. I've got two more later this month, one in Bath and one in Bristol.

I much prefer them to normal band gigs, much more satisfying.

[bazzbass]

The Lemon Song, no guitars needed

[Yank]

I sing and play guitar and know the words to thousands of songs. I can and do solo gigs, but much prefer duo or band gigs. I like playing off other musicians.

[Yank]

If you can sing, learn the words to songs, but since you haven't yet, I'm assuming you're talking solo guitar. There are some instrumental guitar pieces in most genres. Find one you like and make it a project. Learn in in small bytes.

[Bilbo]

I am trying exactly that, Yank. Am working on about five pieces and have just learned Hand in Hand by Ralph Towner. Got some Ravel and two or three Piazzolla on the go too.

[paul h]

I can barely play at all solo...I sound terrible.

Hopefully I don't sound too bad in a band situation though

[BrunoBass]

When I'm not on bass duty with the band I'm writing my own songs and playing them in bars and small venues.

I really enjoy the ease of gigging on my own. Usually get home at a reasonable hour too.

Edited June 7, 2017 by PaulGibsonBass

[MoonBassAlpha]

Last year I learned Wichita Lineman, as it's such a nice song. Tip - it has great chords, but if you want to play along to the original, tune the whole thing down a semitone. It make the chords SO much easier to play! I found out Glen Cambell tuned down, and it makes sense from a guitar player's perspective, as everything suddenly falls under the fingers. Or just sing it in the higher key.

[Barking Spiders]

People do ask me to play stuff on the acoustic guitar so I usually wing it by cobbling together lots of typical bluegrass, folky and classical riffs etc as i go along, so it sounds like summat familiar and pleasant. But when they say can you play 'xx' by The Beatles whoever etc I usually play dumb and ignorant . Thing is I mostly listen to funk, electronica and rap so it's quite hard to come up with Snoop Dogg or Orbital on the 6 or 4 string

[lowdown]

[quote name='MoonBassAlpha' timestamp='1496839107' post='3314198']
Last year I learned Wichita Lineman, as it's such a nice song. Tip - it has great chords, but if you want to play along to the original, tune the whole thing down a semitone. It make the chords SO much easier to play! I found out Glen Cambell tuned down, and it makes sense from a guitar player's perspective, as everything suddenly falls under the fingers. Or just sing it in the higher key.
[/quote]

Great tune.
Something about it that really gets me.

[Freddy Le Cragg]

I do far more solo stuff than band stuff. I love it! I do originals with the very occasional left-field cover. Next gig is supporting Tom Hingley of Inspiral Carpets fame!

[Grangur]

All I ever play is solo pieces. Mostly I sight read. But I don't do "the band thing".

[rOB]

Yes, I write songs on bass and vocals before they get introduced to the band so can play and sing my own songs without anyone else.

What area finds me lacking? Remembering songs that I didn't write. I envy people who have a large catalogue of songs in their memory bank.

[squire5]

Years ago,I decided to learn the bass solo part from Jethro Tulls's 'Bouree'.Always goes down well at parties and other social gatherings.In fact the bass line to the whole tune is interesting in itself.

[CameronJ]

Not on bass, but I'm actually a singer first and foremost and accompany myself on piano on a few numbers. Usually when wooing a lady.

I'm absolutely useless on guitar. Literally the only thing I can play is "Wild Thing".

[blue]

The electric bass guitar was never designed for playing solo.

However, that's changing where the new direction of bass is playing it like a guitar.

Blue

[Passinwind]

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1496689690' post='3313256']
The questions are, can you play anything all the way through on your own without accompaniment and/or what part of this thing called music leaves you wanting?
[/quote]

I do play a few solo tunes on bass quite often at open mikes, mostly originals with vocals. In the past I gigged with just a drummer and myself very happily as well.

My kryptonite tends to be playing tunes I don't like. No one in their right mind would ask me to play classic rock in a band with them, for instance. I don't hate all of it by any means, but I am pretty much indifferent to whether people dance or not, or whether I cop bass lines authentically in the sense of "like the record."

[Jakester]

[quote name='ambient' timestamp='1496706680' post='3313383']
I do lots of solo gigs. So far this year I've done ten, including a couple in Paris and one with Steve Lawson. I've got two more later this month, one in Bath and one in Bristol.

I much prefer them to normal band gigs, much more satisfying.
[/quote]

Where are you playing in Bath?

[ambient]

[quote name='Jakester' timestamp='1497355552' post='3317480']
Where are you playing in Bath?
[/quote]

St James wine vaults, 10 St James's Street, BA1 2TW Bath. It's this coming Sunday, starts at 6pm, and free entry.

I'm in Bristol on the Saturday evening at an event too.

[DaveFry]

Sometimes I mess up endings because I'm busy thinking about what to play newt .
( Doh ! Did it again ^ . )

[Jakester]

[quote name='ambient' timestamp='1497359062' post='3317509']


St James wine vaults, 10 St James's Street, BA1 2TW Bath. It's this coming Sunday, starts at 6pm, and free entry.

I'm in Bristol on the Saturday evening at an event too.
[/quote]

Ah, I may try and come down then. Incidentally, looking st that lineup I think we may have met back in Brum a couple of times when auditioning for different projects!