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Guitar chord forum - chordie → My local band and me → Set List Philosophy
I'm starting to sculpt 2-3 set lists. I ran through my first one last night and, well, it needs work! Way too chill for a first set. maybe a good final set, but I don't want bar patrons falling asleep on me either.
How do you put together your set lists? Any tricks or secrets you use to make sure you get that perfect balance?
3 upbeat, are you in a bar that would enjoy a humor song? like Grape fruit Juicy fruit or Ray Stevens? toss one of them in, another upbeat, a mid tempo, then maybe a slower one or 2, ramp back up make them want to dance and drink, end with something makes them sweat so they buy from the bar. That's what I would do. It really depends on where you are playing. Hanging out with bands its kinda a formula I have seen used.
Russell and a few of the guys who have more public experience than I can probably be of more help.
3 upbeat, are you in a bar that would enjoy a humor song? like Grape fruit Juicy fruit or Ray Stevens? toss one of them in, another upbeat, a mid tempo, then maybe a slower one or 2, ramp back up make them want to dance and drink, end with something makes them sweat so they buy from the bar. That's what I would do. It really depends on where you are playing. Hanging out with bands its kinda a formula I have seen used.
Russell and a few of the guys who have more public experience than I can probably be of more help.
Some of the place I'm playing in will have a sense of humor. Was gonna do "Why Don't We Get Drunk and...." as a haha song. Oh and Bare Necessities.
It's highly commendable that you're thinking about the entertainment value to your audience, and not just the music you like to play. I was never so good at that, which is why I haven't performed for decades ... too pig-headed, I guess.
I perform at rest homes BGD with a group of ladies once a month. We base our set list on songs that 60 - 90 year olds would know and can sing along with. We mix them up and add to the set lists all the time. So we presently have 12 different set lists and can mix and match depending on if we have performed there before or not.
When we go busking on the streets to raise money for children and schools to buy them ukulele`s at Christmas time each year, we have other songs that we add in that we wouldn't perform at the rest homes as they might be to modern for that generation and they wouldn`t know them or they may be not suitable at the rest homes but great for busking.
Once we did a gig for a 50th birthday and sang lots of sing -along and very much dance songs and music.
We have another set list for Christmas time, which is always handy to have for the odd seasonal gig.
So the set lists are pretty much targeted to the audience we are performing for.
(Edited by Jandle to add in - in, sing - along)
I used to have set lists when I played in bands but not really for the last 30 years or so. For me it's a case of "feeling" out the audience. You have to know who you're playing to and what mood they're in and we all like different styles.
I've also done a lot of old age homes and I try and keep it up beat and fun, mixing 50s and 60s with C/W.
For my age group, my target age is 40 to 75 I play anything from Rhinestone Cowboy to Another Brick in the Wall.
Ann keeps telling me I should be doing Human and Sex is on Fire....I don't think so!
This is from my last post in Peatle's thread - injecting humour - I'm sure it will help in your playlist and set performances!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pidokakU4I
This is from my last post in Peatle's thread - injecting humour - I'm sure it will help in your playlist and set performances!
I have tried for many years to get humor into my shows. Only problem is I'm not very funny. I have a super dry sense of humor that (I am told) either doesn't make sense or comes off as me being a jerk. I've tried though lol.
Guitar chord forum - chordie → My local band and me → Set List Philosophy
