Solo Acoustic Act Survey

[ohiopicker]

For those of you doing solo acoustic act, are any of you primarily "strummers", doing relatively stripped down versions of acoustic songs with vocals? This is as opposed to more complex fingerpicked/flat picked arrangements with leads? If so, is this satisfying enough for a general audience?

Thanks in advance for the input.

[Funkmaster P]

This is exactly what I did when I first put together my solo acoustic act. My primary and secondary forms of income were drying up, and due to personal reasons, a group I was playing with no longer needed my services.

I needed to put the solo thing together quickly and get out there. In my haste to put together material, I flatplicked my way through tunes that were fingerpicked on the recordings. Luckily, I was not performing for roomfuls of accomplished guitarists, so no one called me on this the whole time I was doing this.

I eventually went back when I had time (and my fingerpicking technique improved) and reworked the arrangements.

In my opinion, when given the choice between making music and not making music, I say make music.

[jricc]

I primarily flatpick/strum however, songs such as Here Comes The Sun or Springsteen's Growin' Up, require arpeggio bits so I incorporate those as well.

In addition to that, I'll add a loop of rhythm taps or a riff in some songs to add variety to the overall sound.

[lroyb]

My sets have some of each. I use a lot flat picking runs in folk songs, thumb pick (Travis Style) on blues numbers and strum classic rock tunes. I'd still be lost without my Harmonica!

[ptomoson]

99% of your audience will have no idea or care about the cool licks you are laying down. I'm a vocalist first guitar player second so ALL my tunes are chording solo skippers. Luckily I'm a high tenor so I'm able to do the Timothy B. Schmit type stuff which not a lot of players do.

IMO it's all about the vocals in a solo act.

[DavidE]

Where in Ohio? I'm in Columbus. I fingerpick but have friends who don't and they do great.

[stackalee]

I don't think you need to fingerpick/flatpick to keep things interesting, although it does help. I think the things to think about are the choice of songs and the way you adapt them to one guitar. A lot of people take a song that has a full band and play it as it is (as if there was a full band with them), which I find awful. It might work for gatherings with friends or for sing-alongs, but not really for a proper concert. I often choose songs that are originally acoustic (Bob Dylan or something) or if they're not, adapt them to one guitar.

If you think strumming the whole song might be boring, try to vary the intensity of your playing/singing, start slowly and build up in volume as you go along, etc. Hope that helps!

[ohiopicker]

Originally Posted by DavidE

Where in Ohio? I'm in Columbus. I fingerpick but have friends who don't and they do great.

Hi David:

I was in Akron, but after joining the forum, I moved to North Georgia about 18 months ago. There is a lot I miss about Ohio - just not the winters!

[lmacmil]

Originally Posted by ohiopicker

For those of you doing solo acoustic act, are any of you primarily "strummers", doing relatively stripped down versions of acoustic songs with vocals? This is as opposed to more complex fingerpicked/flat picked arrangements with leads? If so, is this satisfying enough for a general audience?

I only do open mics, almost always as a solo, and am primarily a strummer. I think if you do songs folks recognize and enjoy, the general audience won't care how closely you emulate the original recording. I have heard very satisfying strummed covers of tunes that were originally fingerpicked. OTOH, as a guitar player, I really appreciate and admire the players whose solo arrangements more closely copy the original.

[royd]

Originally Posted by stackalee

I think the things to think about are the choice of songs and the way you adapt them to one guitar.

I produce a small concert series that I began 18 months ago. We have a local opening act and a touring headline for each show. I have learned so much about what makes a great performance watching these folk. The best musicians have not always been the best acts. The key, as I see it now, is choosing the proper material for the audience and, most important of all, connecting with them. Humor works really well to help that happen so a few funny songs will go a long way. Singalongs likewise. And some songs that they know very well are also helpful. Stay away from a preponderance of slow songs. Too many and the audience will be lost. If you can get their bodies moving with a single acoustic guitar that also helps a lot. Finally, remember you are performing for them, not yourself. You want them to leave with memories of wonderful experiences.

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by ohiopicker

For those of you doing solo acoustic act, are any of you primarily "strummers", doing relatively stripped down versions of acoustic songs with vocals? This is as opposed to more complex fingerpicked/flat picked arrangements with leads? If so, is this satisfying enough for a general audience?

Thanks in advance for the input.

Hi op...

I'm a fingerstyler who sings, and incorporates a bit of strumming in my technique (when appropriate). I was at one time a folk strummer, then I learned to fingerstyle and never looked back.

[slewis]

I do some fingerstyle here and there through every gig but I find that those types of songs typically fall into the slower/quieter-song category, which falls into the lower-energy category, which falls out of the toe-tapping category (have i lost you yet?) and generally speaking, where I play, toe-tapping is a good sign of audience appreciation. So strummed tunes (not that they're all "high energy" by any means) make up the vast majority of my stuff. But absolutely, some nice fingerstyle playing is a great complement to the strummed stuff. And of course there are venues -- maybe smaller and a bit quieter and low-key -- where doing mostly fingerstyle would be better.

[Potts]

Originally Posted by ptomoson

99% of your audience will have no idea or care about the cool licks you are laying down. <snip>

IMO it's all about the vocals in a solo act.

Yeah...I hesitantly agree with you. I use to be a guitarist first until I found my voice so I'm fortunate that I can bang out some fun guitar solos over some simple loops at times. I think that it's the vocals and the song choice that carry my gigs though.

[Potts]

Why are people tossing the word folk and strumming together like they are synonymous? So those that choose to flatpick are sitting around playing Joan Baez and John Denver?

[bmc]

I'm a strummer as I've only been at a year as a guitarist. I hope to fingerstyle at some point.