First 'gig'

[Greyduster]

I've had a tenor for about 3 years but I've only been playing seriously for about 18 months. I try and practise every day for half an hour. I hit that target most days. I play in a street band and with a small improvisation group that very occasionally plays little gigs.

One of the chaps in the street band who plays in a number of other bands. He's playing in a new band that had their first gig last night. Rock, R&B etc. They asked me if I would do a backing spot on one number. I got the dots on Tuesday to practice and had a 20 minute practice with them the day of the gig. During the practice the singer asked if I could just jam with them on one of the other numbers.

I grasped the nettle. In life you make opportunities or take opportunities. I tend to be a taker rather than a maker. I took the chance.
One backing spot and noodling around through a whole number.
OK not the best bit of sax playing in the world but I felt a million dollars. Best experience I've had in years and they want me back on another gig.
I came off stage with three thoughts in my head.
1 that was fantastic
2 I can do this
3 I can do this better

So everyone out there my advice FWIW is 'go for it'. By the way I'm 52

[Bill Mecca]

Welcome to the party!

Keep Honkin!

[Gandalfe]

'course the trick is to get called back. :)

[Greyduster]

I should have said. They asked me back for their next gig on June 17th!!

[bass]

Grey-

Congrats! I'm green with envy, being a tenor newbie too shy to jump into a rock situation like you did.

I'm curious to know what you were asked to do and how you did it. I presume the songs were in some ungodly keys like concert E and A. Did you rely on blues scales to patch together some improv?

Bass

[david044058]

I have my first gig on august 7th 2004 !! I cant wait!! Hope I do good...

[Greyduster]

Bass

For the one number I had the dots so it was just a question of playing what was written. A lot of it was a slightly difficult interval for me F# to low C# but OK with practice.
When they asked me to noodle around on the other number I asked Rick what key it was in.
B minor he replied. 2 second panic before all my study kicked in. You get promoted to major by 3 semitones. that makes it the scale of D major, started on B (and sharpen the the seventh (A0) if you want to). So I just noodled around in D major with more emphasis around B than D. seemed to work.

It sounded OK but obviously it could be a lot better. What was great for me was that it wasn't to difficult to do it at all and for it to sound OK.

David..
Good look for your first gig. Relax and enjoy it!
The problem for me a while ago was doing it, or even contemplating doing it. The problem has now become more a question of OK how do I do this better.

One last point. I am working on my theory which is not too good. Currently relative majors and minors. I've been a teacher all my life and I find the best way for me to really understand something is NOT to read it, but to work it out for myself so I worked out a quick way of changing between rel. maj and mins. Not a big deal in the great scheme of things but just being able to do it and understanding it boosted my confidence hugely. For the first time I actually felt like a musician, and understood what was being said and how to apply it.