How to embellish a solo act?

[JackB1]

OK so I have gotten a few gigs now under my belt with just my acoustic guitar and vocals. Simple setup....just me, the guitar and my voice and my PA. What's the next steps I should consider to make my act more interesting sounding? Should I get a drum pedal (Beat Buddy, etc) or a vocal harmonizer or a looper or other effects pedals? What in your experience made the most noticeable difference? What do you guys think? Or should I just hone my singing and playing first before adding more?

[mr. beaumont]

Never got into the gimmicks...if a player can sing well and play the guitar in an interesting enough way so that it's not just the "dude strumming the same pattern for 2 hours" thing, then I'm entertained.

I'd concentrate on dynamics and arranging.

[RedJoker]

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

Never got into the gimmicks...if a player can sing well and play the guitar in an interesting enough way so that it's not just the "dude strumming the same pattern for 2 hours" thing, then I'm entertained.

I'd concentrate on dynamics and arranging.

I tend to agree with this however.....

I've been playing around with an old bass drum pedal for added rhythm. It's a lot of fun!

[Guitaurman]

I've seen guys use loopers by playing a rhythm part first while the audience sat and waited for the song. Then he'd play the song and sing. Then he'd lay down another rhythm part and repeat the singing and solo fills. Sorry but that isn't entertainment. I found it annoying. Me, I play my guitar and sing. I use a chorus for the guitar on a couple of tunes, and a light harmony from my TC Helicon Play Acoustic on maybe three songs out of over two hundred that I do. I play harmonica on a lot of songs so I feel what your hear is what you see. It's all me. I start each set with a high energy tune, I vary tempos and keys in each set, I try to have at least one funny song per set, and occasionally, when it fits, throw in a musical trivia question to keep the audience's attention.

I have a friend who sits on a box while he plays and sings and has two foot pedals that he uses for a bass drum sound from that box, and a tambourine sound with the other foot. It sound great, people love it and again, it's all him.

If you play your instrument and sing as best you can you'll be fine. Gimmicks can negatively affect the basics as you are paying attention to the gimmick when you should be concentrating on playing and singing. Live music is what we do!

[varmonter]

or maybe a monkey.
IMG_1213.jpg

[eyesore]

stick to the basics!! there are too many showoffs out there already!!!!

[JackB1]

I am going to get things basic and organic. Just want to make things sound a little better and more interesting. I was thinking maybe an occasional harmonizer for vocals and an occasional drum pedal for certain songs ?

[eyesore]

a friend of mine uses a harmonizer . it does break things up. but it's just not me.more power to ya my friend!!

[Nymuso]

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

Never got into the gimmicks...if a player can sing well and play the guitar in an interesting enough way so that it's not just the "dude strumming the same pattern for 2 hours" thing, then I'm entertained.

I'd concentrate on dynamics and arranging.

Thanks, Jeff you just saved me a lot of typing. This, exactly.

[Shredmaster007]

Not really a fan of the harmonizer - seems kind of cheezy to me. I like the idea of a simple rhythm stomp box. Check out logjam.net

[Nick84]

I’ve been out gigging for around 6 years now and I’ve slowly found myself adding things to expand my act.

I have a TC Helicon Harmony pedal. I use the harmonies sparingly but find the reverb and tone improves my vocals which are in all the time.

I also use a simple wooden stompbox which is great for adding a kick/bass drum sound to some songs. It took me a while to get used to but now I wouldn’t be without it.

I’ve experimented with effects and have used Chorus, delay and even overdrive. Again these are used sparingly.

I’ve also taught myself a few songs using harmonicas (tambourine man, dirty old town, piano man etc).

I’m more than happy with just my guitar and vocals but enjoy experimenting with a few different things. It keeps me interested if nothing else!

[Silly Moustache]

If it's just me and my guitar, and a p.a is required, then I'll use a single large condenser mike on a straight up mic. stand. That's it - apart from a well thought out repertoire, and the ability to communicate with your audience.

I put great stock on thinking about the order of my songs, and I like to know what I'm going to say to introduce each one.

I pick a few people in and around the audience to make eye contact, so there is a number of groups who will think that I'm singing and talking to them (which I am of course, but they need to know).

Don't ramble (like I do in my videos) - short, well pronounced sentences, done as a good actor would and with a sense of humour without turning into stand-up.

Learning the combined arts of communication, entertainment, storytelling, singing and musicianship is key and all equally important.

[dcopper]

If you have the basics - good vocals and dynamics and you are happy with your setup, you could do well with that alone. Don't let the gear and effects distract you from playing and singing at your best.

That being said, there is nothing wrong with adding some color by using some effects - chorus and delay on your guitar, maybe some vocal effects other than classic reverb. I especially like a slight delay on vocals. I think most players agree that effects should be used sparingly and not the same on every song. Chorus on every song gets old, as does the same kind of delay on every song. Switch things up and see if the effects add anything to the song. If effects distract you, then go without them.

I use a harmonizer sometimes but not always. It is there if I feel like I want to add some color to a solo gig. The same goes for looping but looping takes practice. Whatever you add in to your solo act, not a good idea to do it for the first time live. Once you have the basics down, just see what feels comfortable and what effects make the song better or your playing/singing better. If the effects inspire better work on your part, they would probably inspire your listener as well.

There are many percussion options, from making a kick drum to porchboards and everything electronic in between. Pedals like BeatBuddy take practice and playing with an electronic percussion or drum machine (much like a metronome) takes practice as well. You can't easily slow down tempos and you want to avoid the Nick Lava sound of background electronic drum machines. Again, not every song works well and varying what you do is just as important to keep things fresh for your audience.

Playing live, especially solo work, really takes confidence in your own abilities. There is no one to look to if you make a mistake. Making mistakes is not anything new, it is just how a performer handles those mistakes. You just get out there and do your best. There is no real substitute for hard work and practice and that goes with adding effects and percussion to your solo act.
Good luck,
David

[SpruceTop]

TC Helicon VoiceLive 3 or TC Helicon VoiceLive3 Extreme.

[RobKay]

Be an entertainer