Playing Solo

There is a little different way of thinking when you are playing a solo program as compared to playing a program with someone else. It is different with a duo or trio as compared to a full band as well. I have played several solo gigs over the years, and there are things I enjoy about doing this.

The picking and instrumentation is often different when playing solo than it is when you have someone else playing along. You have to make sure to keep some rhythm going while playing a melody. It is often a chance to do some songs that we do not normally do as a duo. It is also a time to try out things that I think are fun or just want to see how they go over. Of course, I do some of that when we play as a duo as well.

While I enjoy doing solo programs all along, I do not really want to do them all the time. I enjoy the give and take of playing in a duo or even a trio (though it has been quite a while since we played in a trio). There are things we can to together that is just not possible when playing alone. Additionally, I find an extra energy to a program with more than one personality involved. Not to mention how good a picker Buck is.

The first of this month I played at a festival in TN. Because Buck had to be somewhere else, I played solo. This was the first time in a while that I had played alone. The first day went well enough, though I was trying to get my solo feet back under me. The next day I was more relaxed and at least had more fun myself. I wasn't on the listening side, but I did feel it was a few steps ahead of the program from the day before.

An extra gift for me from this festival was the chance to see Steve Kaufman perform. I even had a chance to meet and talk with him for a while. I have followed his career along since he won the Flatpicking Contest in Winfield several years ago, and was glad to have the chance to finally hear him in person. It was a good evening.

Full bands are enjoyable to listen to, especially those that have played together enough to really perform and play relaxed and tight. However, it seems that the groups I most often want to hear these days are solo, duo, or trio. Not to say there aren't bands out there that I will go a long way to listen to, but there is something about the sound of a small group that I find particularly appealing.

Nelson