JPF Home Page Forums General Messages General Message Forum Good cover songs for a solo acoustic act?

I've been performing and writing for a little over a year as an original solo artist. As a lot of us know, it's hard to make a lot of cash doing this. I've decided to start pursuing cover gigs as well as doing originals, to get some extra cash for the bills.

I'm curious what songs are great songs to start with, that generally ALWAYS work in most bars?

Hi,

I know someone just asked the same question awhile back. I'm not sure what forum its under look around a bit and you might see it.

If you go to the guitar forum they do have acoustic cover song info, I think Bob Cushing has some advice on covers.

k.

It depends on a variety of things. But here is some advice for what it is worth. What kind of stuff do YOU do well? What kind of stuff IS expected? Try to judge the audience and what kind of music they WANT. No point in playing what is not wanted. ASK what is expected and do your homework. Try not to play just one genre or style be as eclectic as you can. Try to judge the mood and mix and match with different tempos.
There is nothing to stop you playing a cover and putting your own slant on it. Sort of splits the difference between original and cover version..
All the best for the future.

What type of songs do you do? Start there. It may be trial and error until you get the hang of it.

Hey Donnie,
Kathy's right, Senor Cushing is Da Man on playing covers solo.
Here are a few I do either solo or with my buds:

Loves Made a Fool
Well Alright
Rave On
Rhythm in the Rain
Stand by Me
My Girl
Bring it on Home
To Love Somebody
Raindrops
Hello Marylou
Brown Eyed Girl
Wonderful World
Peggy Sue
Johny B Goode
Medley (Dreaming,Last Kiss,Dream,Dream,Dream,You Send Me)
Hide Your love Away
Runaway
Fire on the Mountain
Save the Last Dance
Do You Want to Dance
Moondance
Kansas City
Break Down
Listen to Her Heart
Found Out About You
Behind The Walls of Sleep
Who'll Stop The Rain?
Hurricane
Cupid

You want to REALLY blow them away with one song,,,a set ender?

"Friday On My Mind", by The Easybeats! Depending on the crowd, (although the song has been on Youtube with many youthful ears having seen and heard it), if you do it well, or even a good attempt that has passion, you will be their hero.

You can even work in some of the backing vocals,,slipping some in between the lines.
Starts in Em.

Chords online.

Nail it and you'll be my hero,
John

Young Don, You've come to the right place!
First off, the more songs you know ,the better {from ALL genres}
From the Rock side...There are 2 songs that are fool-proof that I got so sick of playing that I "retired" them. {American Pie and Brown Eyed Girl} Others that ALWAYS go over.. "Drift Away"-Doby Gray, "The Joker"-Steve Miller {sick of THAT one too!} "Signs"-5 Man Electrical Band, "Me and Julio"--Paul Simon
"Pink Houses"-John Mellencamp, "Beer Run"--Todd Snider
From the Redneck side..ANYTHING by Johnny Cash {especially "Ring of Fire" and "Folsom Prison Blues"} ANYTHING by David Allen Coe {especially "You Never Call Me By My name", and ANYTHING by Hank Jr {especially "Family Tradition" and "Country Boy Can Survive" and ANYTHING by Lynyrd Skynyrd PERIOD.
Hope that helps. We seem to be going in opposite directions though. I'm so sick of cover tunes that I'll play my originals till somebody requests a cover. {I made it 2 hours and 10 minutes til' I got my first cover request last night!

Donnie, it also depends on your range. I used to flip people out by playing Bowie (Ziggy Stardust, Space Oddity, Moonage Daydream) or unexpected solo Beatles (A Day In the Life, I'm So Tired) or Lou Reed (Satellite of Love) or funny things like Loudon Wainwright III's Dead Skunk... There are so many things you can choose, but only if you can pull them off and they suit your vocal and playing range.

Donnie,
play what 21 year old girls will dance to, if they wouldn't dance to it don't play it. If you get them to stay the bar will not thin out, they will stay and dance and that will keep the guys hangin' out, buyin' drinks, the club will love you and ask you back ( don't make it rocket science, cause it ain't). Totally different philosophy than being an artist, but that is a success formula for a cover band in bars. ( don't take it hard that the folks that are there, are more there to hook up and hang out than they are there for you, just do your best to entertain them and make some cash doing it)good luck...Moker

Lyle, I do every song you just mentioned!
Donnie, something else I do that helps a lot, is I have have pamplets that I put on all the tables that contain my schedule, songlist, and merch. list.
The songlist is so people can request tunes all night, and know exactly what I play. Come to one of my gigs sometime and feel free to take one.

Donnie.... Moker is right. What is the difference between an artist and an entertainer? The artist plays to please just himself whilst the entertainers play to please the audience. A lesson I learned early.
Bob One of these days I am going to show up and ask for something not on the list.

Keep in mind guys, Donnie is playing solo. I don't think the dance floor is an issue.

However, reading and pleasing (and keeping) your audience is always good advice.

Lyle,

Playing solo, doesn't mean anything. Girls night out if ya like the music ya dance...who cares if its just a guitar if he's rockin out....

k.

Guess you've got a point there!

Highway 61 by Dylan is a whole lotta fun.

The BeAtTuls:

-Yesterday
-You've Got To Hide Your Love Away
-Something
-I'm a Loser, (If you can hit a good LOW note)
-Strawberry Fields Forever, (beautiful and cool on guitar). Lennon has one or two acoustic versions on Anthology, from the first demo tracks.
-Working Class Hero
-Blackbird
-A Day In The Life (Use a slide for the two climbing sections!)

-Imagine,

-Mule of Kintire, Bring bagpipe player! Trust me, it will go over.

-Pick a song or two from Harrison's "All Things Must Pass" album!

-Ringo's No no no no song.

-Play a Mandolin and do Paul's recent "Dance Tonight". Easy,,,fun. will get some feet stomping.
-If you're feeling rockin, try "Smile Away"!
-Or do what we're doing now,,,a REAL slow Maybe I'm Amazed. Sexy and allows the lines to be expressed in a blues style. Yeah!! We like it. Don't we Iggy?

Lots more of course. Find your range,,,your best high note that won't ever let you down. Make that note the note for the highest note in any given song, and then figure out what key that would have to be played in. (Finding out what chord would go along with that high note of a certain song,,,then just continue the song from that chord/highest note, and presto,,,,you found what key it should be in for YOU. Keys don't matter, but the singer hitting the notes sure do, and sounding good hitting them. Should never strain/go above your range just because you always learned a song in a certain key from the record,,,or because the G or A or D was too easy to ignore. But that could be ignoring your vocal,,,which is what is mainly heard and thought about when being judged at places. YOU got to sound right for you. I can't do Paul in his keys for some songs,,,,so I do it wherever,,,,and it becomes a normal sound instantly,,for I can SING the sucker in my keys, and have similar tones.

Hope that all helps!
John

I can't wait to get started. I'm going to continue doing original gigs, but I've learned doing originals cannot get me into some bars.

Thank you so much for the info! I'm going to get started as soon as possible!

It all depends---it's impossible to know---I have played ring of fire and the crowd went crazy!! and I've played it and...nothing... same with other stuff. Sometimes you'll get em...and sometimes you won't...You can never guess right...I once looked out at alot of 20-30 yr olds...I had picked out "puttin on the ritz" to do at open mike that night...I had a good 11 pm slot and I was thinking that I had the WRONG song for them...but I did it anyway, and they went CRAZY..they all got up and starting dancing and smiling and hooping it up. That song was written by Irving Berlin in the 30s!!! Whoda thunk it?

Cushing is king.

Thanx O' {I try!}

When in doubt, play Margaritaville. (Sigh....)

Jeff E