Duet Gigging

[sachmo63]

Well a friend of mine suggested we start a duet (guitar mandolin) mostly and see if we could scrape together a couple bucks. We think if we could get 3 restaurants and maybe some weddings, xmas gigs it may tie us over till next year’s festivals summer gigs, but here’s my rub.

He plays mandolin and I mostly guitar at least that’s what we're respectfully know for in our realms. Most of the songs we're going through are old standard Beatles tunes, 50's tunes you know the stuff you hum in an elevator.

I've spent a lot of time in my life playing that "&r@p" and I have absolutely no interest in doing it ever again. Years ago I was forced to play this type of music due to the lack of bluegrass in my area at the time. In fact, given the choice and if I knew I wouldn't hurt his feelings I would bail immediately and play what I wanted by myself which makes me very happy.

So what to do, suck it up and play Hey Jude or do what makes me happy.

PS. if I was hungry or needed to help pay the mortgage this would be a no brainer but for now I don't need the money to pay bills and get a lot of enjoyment practicing my mandolin.

I look forward to your input.

S

[Paul Kotapish]

Play what your heart tells you to play. If your friend isn't interested in that path, you can still make music together for fun at parties or an occasional one-off gig, but don't put your efforts into something you don't love--or worse--something that will make you grouchy about making music. Life really is too short for that.

[catmandu2]

If you don't need the money and you don't value it musically, why do it?

As a guitarist, I'm surprised that you regard bluegrass as preeminent and pop tunes with more harmonic, rhythmic and lyrical complexity as "&r@p"? Maybe you and your partner should exchange instruments.

[sachmo63]

Paul, I'm grouchy already..........but thats a great point

Cat, thats also a valid point also because with the guitar I can stretch out play way more interesting chordal sequences but honestly my hearts just not in the guitar and it hasn't been for several years. Not sure what happened, i was a dedicated player for many many years but the mandolin has since won my heart and it just seems like i'm going in another direction. It'll take time to shed the guitar aura and take the mandolin full time but that will take a lot of practice

[JeffD]

if I knew I wouldn't hurt his feelings I would bail immediately and play what I wanted by myself which makes me very happy.




There is a problem bigger than the kind of music you want to play.

[mandroid]

Write your own music and teach it to your duet partner , that takes care of ASCAP and BMI
licensing and all those copyright incursion problems too.

Prepare for all those people that want to hear that other stuff because that is what they are familiar with..
things you can play in your sleep.

be grateful you still have fingers.

[catmandu2]

sach-

Sounds like you're in the relatively early stages of mando-smittenness. More folks here than not have had or are currently grappling with similar experience. Fifths-tuned, double-coursed instruments are very seductive and fun, and come in as many varieties as guitars themselves. But, as I've said to another cafe-goer recently expressing these sentiments, the guitar is a mother that does it all. Try as you may to "get away" from it, you may likely find that it catches back up with you at some point. May as well remain on friendly terms with it.

As far as the music, don't do it if you find no value in it. Personally, I have played in many musical and social situations that I didn't particulalrly care for. But most of these were worth doing in one respect or another. Perspective is important. Being able to discriminate and create the musical envrionment you desire is a skill that comes through practice. I have gained, myself, through diversifying--music is ofetn a valuable social element, as well. Being a performer means that, at times, you may be required to "fake it." It has helped me to understand that people have musical expectations, and that to satisfy certain listeners I must strive in certain directions--some that may not be my first choice. How much do you want to play for people? If often, you may need to compromise more. If less often, then you may be satisfied performing only what, where, when, and how you want. Like everything, it's an equation that must be balanced if you are to find happiness.

PS...I presume Paul McCartney has to consciously induce his interest occasionally to perform certain songs, too--he has likely played Hey Jude, etc. more often than you. I presume, also, that he doesn't need the money...

[sachmo63]

Cat, point taken. It may be that i'm at a time in my mandolin journey that I don't want to compromise much. Most often I feel I have soooo much to learn on the mandolin and the style which interests me that I'm not very interested in much else.

I don't really know and obviously can't express it but I don't think I could honestly say i'm a newbie. What I can say is that i've found whats been playing in my head for years I want to play on the mandolin....

[Jim MacDaniel]

Write your own music and teach it to your duet partner , that takes care of ASCAP and BMI
licensing and all those copyright incursion problems too.

Prepare for all those people that want to hear that other stuff because that is what they are familiar with..
things you can play in your sleep.

be grateful you still have fingers.

Good advice, and here (http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/courtneyjanes2) is a CD by guitar/mandolin duet that is one of the most enjoyable CD's I've listended to in quite a while. I've also seen them live a couple of times, and the audience was so into them that there were no requests from the audience, except perhaps for some of their other songs that they hadn't yet played. ;)

(NFI)