5 Questions to ask before your next Live Show

Learn from a professional who has learned the tricks of the touring trade on how to best prepare for your next gig with just 5 simple questions.

by David Andrew Wiebe of Bandzoogle

No matter what instrument you play, no matter what style you sing, you may, on occasion, be called upon to play a different kind of gig.

For example, if you’re a singer-songwriter, you may be asked to play in a punk rock band. If you’re a jazz pianist, you might be asked to play a few country gigs on the road.

You can turn down such offers, of course. Personally, though, I’ve always seen these as opportunities to stretch my capacity as a player.

Starting from scratch or reinventing the wheel is undesirable when preparing for such gigs, though, especially if you have a tight deadline to meet. So, here are some questions to guide your preparation.

What do I remember that could prove useful for this gig?

Even if you’ve only been jamming or performing for a couple of years, there’s a good chance there’s something in your history that could end up streamlining your preparation.

I recently played a gala where I provided background dinnertime / jazz music, so I will be using that as an example here. In my case, I have a bit of history with jazz, so I knew there were some experiences I could draw upon.

One thing I knew to Google right away was “easy guitar jazz standards.” This turned out to be a goldmine.

But there were also songs I’d worked on in the past that I remembered having trouble with. I dug up a few of those, including Wes Montgomery’s “Four on Six.” And to my surprise, I found I was able to get it under my fingers relatively easily.

I also remembered jamming out The Meters’ “Cissy Strut” with a couple of guitarists ages ago and ended up incorporating it into my set.

Scan your memory for ideas. You’re bound to uncover a few. Just don’t force or rush the process. Present the question to your subconscious and wait for the answers.

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What do I already have that I can repurpose or reuse?

I’ve always loved jazz chords and have also been a fan of funk music forever, so I knew that I had a few tunes of my own that would work for a gig like the one I just played.

If you know how to play a 12-bar blues (something every musician should endeavor to learn), there’s a good chance you could apply said skill to jazz, or, for that matter, country and even rock.

You could Google “songs with a 12-bar blues form” and you’re bound to come away with a big list of songs in different genres.

But before you even begin exploring these possibilities, you should first go through your own list of original songs and / or covers in search of tunes that could be appropriated for your next gig.

Many songs, with a few small tweaks, can adapt to other styles. For instance, to turn a four-chord pop rock song into a reggae song, the only thing you’d need to do is change the rhythm.

How can I combine ideas in a meaningful way?

In jazz, the ii – V – I chord progression (e.g., Dm7 – G7 – Cmaj7) is a staple. If you learned just one more jazzy chord progression, you could easily put together a typical A – A – B – A style jam, where the A section simply follows a ii – V – I sequence. If you were short on material, you could play the same jam in a different key later in your set – most people probably won’t notice!

If you have a chord progression or riff you’ve been working on, but don’t know where to take it next, you could sample the other material you’re working on for ideas. I’m not saying to “steal,” but even the pros are known to take inspiration from, and “quote” the ideas of others in their music. Nothing is off limits at most gigs!

Combining ideas can set you up with a lot of new material you can incorporate in your set without breaking a sweat.

What new skill can I learn? 

Making preparation easy on myself isn’t my only goal in practicing for a different kind of gig. If I can, I like to pick up at least one new skill in the process.

One thing I learned in preparation for the previously-mentioned gala is the melody to the jazz standard “Blue Monk” by Thelonius Monk. It’s not complicated by any means – I could have learned it years earlier, I’m sure.

But learning this melody added to my jazz vocabulary. I’m sure it added to the variety in my set list too.

Even if you don’t have a lot of time to prepare, looking for one new skill you can learn can add a great deal to your music moving forward. It will open the gate to more possibilities.

How can my preparation time feed into future projects?

Making the most of your practice and preparation time means looking for opportunities to reuse and repurpose all the material you’ve worked so hard to perfect.

In my case, I came up with a new song and a new jam for the jazz gig referenced earlier. Not only can I make these permanent additions to my set list, but I can also look at recording and releasing this material later (assuming the songs make the cut).

So often, as artists, we think we need to start from scratch, reinvent the wheel, change our mindset and even our paradigm around new types of gigs. 

But this is unnecessary, and when and where possible, we should be looking at how we can take what we’ve learned from one gig and incorporate it into future projects. This allows us to be more prolific in a world obsessed with ‘new.’

I also recommend dismantling the notion that everything feeds into the next opportunity on autopilot. Being strategic and intentional about the process helps you get more out of every practice session, jam, gig, recording session, and more. 

Final thoughts

If you’re a growth-oriented musician, then I have no doubt these five questions will help you on your quest to become a more well-rounded and versatile player or singer. 

Your answers to these questions should also help you diversify and expand your overall footprint, online and offline. This will result in more opportunities, a bigger fan base, and of course, increased income.

Focus on the love of it and everything else will come.

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David Andrew Wiebe is the Founder & CEO of The Music Entrepreneur HQ and author of four books, including the much-praised The New Music Industry: Adapting, Growing and Thriving in The Information Age. Wiebe has built an extensive career in songwriting, live performance, recording, session playing, production work and music instruction.