What makes a successful acoustic performance? - Page 4

outsidenote · #46 04-08-2005, 04:03 PM

Nothing worse than someone who cant sing - singing. I think that if you can't tell if you can sing or not then you can't. I know I can't. I'm not saying that you have to be great to sing but you must be able to carry the tune.

We may have been better off if Dylan stayed as a songwriter and not as a performer. (Flamesuit on). Don't get me wrong I really like his old stuff DESPITE his performance limitations, but I imagine a better performer would have done a better job with his work - and in many cases they have.

Guyute · #47 04-08-2005, 04:39 PM

Knowing you can sing isn't a great meter. Just have to watch the first few episodes of American Idol to know that!

david_m · #48 04-08-2005, 10:25 PM

Chris,

If you get some gigs, I'll be there!!

David

ljguitar · #49 04-09-2005, 07:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by david_m

In past acoustic, instrumental concerts you've attended what did especially enjoy, and what did you dislike?

Hi David...
Pretty much I only attend concerts of pros like Phil Keaggy or Tommy Emmanuel. I've liked good energy, candor, authenticity and laughing a lot...after all these guys are already good on guitar!

I have disliked intrusive and talkative audience members...because I paid to attend a concert not a discussion group.

I play at the same coffee house every week...
This is a really different gig because the music needs to stay under people talking at tables who are enjoying their meal. It is my goal to become the Musak® of the room for the first 90 minutes of about 2 1/2 hours.

After the supper crowd dissipates I can open up a bit.

This is working well right now because I'm playing in a new handbuilt guitar that is only a month old, and because I'm preparing songs for an all instrumental CD and for a family gift CD for Christmas. Perfect opportunity to practice the songs in a rather ''unseen'' environment...certainly a non-critical one.

What makes a successful acoustic performance...
For me it is when people laugh and cry at the right times and are touched or moved by the music. Success is being asked back.

bagelsgirl · #50 04-09-2005, 09:02 AM

[QUOTE=outsidenote]Nothing worse than someone who cant sing - singing. I think that if you can't tell if you can sing or not then you can't. I know I can't. I'm not saying that you have to be great to sing but you must be able to carry the tune.

We may have been better off if Dylan stayed as a songwriter and not as a performer. (Flamesuit on).

Hmmm. Well, that's what I meant. I knew I could match pitches (carry a tune). I just didn't think my voice was anything super special...

And Dylan, if he hadn't sung, he may never have been able to get his song "out there" so that they were appreciated, and nobody might have thought to cover them... (and I guess there are some people who like his voice, you know).

bagelsgirl · #51 04-09-2005, 09:09 AM

dthumb said,
OK, OK..lets get off the Kottke thing...it was an analogy, thats all. Otherwise, I agree with you, Bagelgirl,

I wasn't... putting down Leo Kottke in any way... umm... ???....I'm not sure what it was that I said that dthumb dissagreed with... or if I offended you in some way, dthumb. No offense intended. I was just trying to make a point. I don't often ramble on here, I just felt like saying that your average person cares less about originality or talent than they care about being entertained, and for a lot of them that means hearing recognizeable covers. And yes that is a bit unfortunate for some of us.

I have also never understood why people care so much more about sports than they do about music. But hey, different strokes...

dthumb · #52 04-09-2005, 10:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bagelsgirl

dthumb said,
OK, OK..lets get off the Kottke thing...it was an analogy, thats all. Otherwise, I agree with you, Bagelgirl,

I wasn't... putting down Leo Kottke in any way... umm... ???....I'm not sure what it was that I said that dthumb dissagreed with... or if I offended you in some way, dthumb. No offense intended. I was just trying to make a point. I don't often ramble on here, I just felt like saying that your average person cares less about originality or talent than they care about being entertained, and for a lot of them that means hearing recognizeable covers. And yes that is a bit unfortunate for some of us.

I have also never understood why people care so much more about sports than they do about music. But hey, different strokes...

Oh. no offense taken Bagelgirl, none at all. Actually I wasn't diagreeing with you at all. Please re read my response. I was just pointing out that the analogies in my previous post where only meant to point out that being able to single is "relative" in its importance...not essential to success, necessarily.
by the way, I love to play mt guitar while watching football or baseball with the sound off....makes for great intuitive occurences.

JW1111 · #53 04-09-2005, 11:17 AM

Well speaking of Kottke, I play alot of Kottke covers and they are always received well. I like to do covers that no one in my audience has ever heard before. Kottke did his share of covers as well, but his choices were always well considered.
I guess it is the same old stuff you hear at open mic over and over. Those guys are not doing themselves or their audience a bit of good by rehashing those bloated songs, good voice or not.

....and Bagelsgirl, you dont have to 'hate' to agree with me.....it just takes time, but you'll get used to it.

JW1111 · #54 04-09-2005, 02:30 PM

oops ..forgot to wink at the end of that last one.

outsidenote · #55 04-10-2005, 10:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Guyute

Knowing you can sing isn't a great meter. Just have to watch the first few episodes of American Idol to know that!

Well, you got me on that one. In my defense, I don't watch Idle American very often.

outsidenote · #56 04-10-2005, 10:14 AM

And Dylan, if he hadn't sung, he may never have been able to get his song "out there" so that they were appreciated, and nobody might have thought to cover them... (and I guess there are some people who like his voice, you know).[/QUOTE]

There are lots of songwriters who don't perform and have songs out there. I like Dylan too but I do think a lot of his appeal was related to the times, the folk revival and the social - political context and not to his performance skills. I guess really, that you can make up for weaknesses in one area with strengths in others, but you do have to play off your strengths.

kronos810 · #57 04-10-2005, 08:23 PM

as a former production eng. and performance eng. big !!!! difference between performers and musicians ,,, if you can do both ...you may be a ''star''!!

bagelsgirl · #58 04-11-2005, 10:55 AM

Hey, i'm never offended, nor do I ever think I offend here. Sometimes I'm just not sure what a person means (the nature of typed forums).

Like now, I'm not sure what JW111 meant when he said,

....and Bagelsgirl, you dont have to 'hate' to agree with me.....it just takes time, but you'll get used to it.[/QUOTE]

But I'm pretty sure it isn't anything personal or bad!

But I confess, I do get a kick out of it when people say things like this:

[QUOTE=JW1111]Well speaking of Kottke, I play alot of Kottke covers and they are always received well. I like to do covers that no one in my audience has ever heard before. Kottke did his share of covers as well, but his choices were always well considered.
I guess it is the same old stuff you hear at open mic over and over. Those guys are not doing themselves or their audience a bit of good by rehashing those bloated songs, good voice or not.

Doesn't anyone else find it funny that the best musicians all like to make sure you know that they are original and have "taste", and don't do "common" or "popular" covers? I went to a friends website recently and it says the same thing, he does "originals, traditional tunes, and a few well chosen covers..."

Just once, I'd like to go to a website that says that this artist proudly chooses covers haphazardly in an attempt to please the listeners! Wouldn't that be funny to anyone but me?

david_m · #59 04-11-2005, 12:40 PM

Quote:

Just once, I'd like to go to a website that says that this artist proudly chooses covers haphazardly in an attempt to please the listeners! Wouldn't that be funny to anyone but me?

[tongue in cheek mode]
There's an album title in there somewhere. How about:

"Haphazard covers for an undiscerning (but paying) audience"

The song list would include things like "Freebird", "Stairway to Heaven", "Brown Eyed Girl", A Jimmy Buffet Medley (too many individual Buffett tunes to select one), etc.

Hey, why not?
[/tongue in cheek mode]

david

bagelsgirl · #60 04-11-2005, 01:55 PM

Heck, yes!

I want to put out an album of cheesy covers and Ill call it, "Other People's Hits"

I once saw an album with a guy on the cover, leaning up against a nice looking set of wheels. The album title was, "If You Buy This Album, I Can Buy This Car..."