advice

Lou.m

Hey

I am starting to write music and songs and will at sometime be looking at performing.


Problem is i play everything myself,also i want to incorporate movement into this (i am also a dancer) think kate bush:-) which means i will not be able to sit at the piano all the time.

I was wondering what you would suggest.

Pre recording part of the instrumental bits? How does this turn out for a live performance i have no experience with it (although i might have a few friends who could help)

I am a classically trained musician and singer branching out so this recording stuff is relatively new but i am very interested:-)

Any advice?

Plus is it possible to rent or borrow equipment?

Thanks sorry if my questions seem silly i am new to this:-)
Louise

squibs

2 options:

A static performance uing a pre-recorded backing track, with the relevant instruments muted in the backing track where they will be played live. You'll have to be very careful to match volumes, effects, etc. on the pre-recorded instrument and the live instrument - which is eminently doable if it is a stage piano/syhth/electronic keyboard, but would be a complete pig to do with a real piano.

A dynamic performance using something like ableton live on a laptop which can function as a straight playback machine, but can also take control over the performance, if you decide you want to extend a song and boogie for another 16 bars before you get back to the piano. You'll need somebody who knows their stuff and your material very well to control the dynamics of the performance via ableton. This is probably overkill if piano is the only instrument, but some of the big names are doing this now - a geek with a laptop largely controls the mix and arrangement (under the direction of his employer obviously).

You may want to consider whether it will look a bit naff if the piano magically continues to play when you scurry off the stool to hop around the place. People may assume you aren't playing at all. If you must multitask, consider having a second in command to play a different instrument, leaving yours go silent while you foxtrot.

Lou.m

Hey thank you very much:-):)

af_thefragile

Or maybe hire sesson musicians for the gigs....?


I'm working on the same sorta thing as you (without the dancin bits) and my approach is more towards the dynamic setup. Use guitar rig, ableton live, reason n MIDI controllers, trigger pads, pedals n switches, guitars, bass, piano's n synths to play my tracks live...
You can create a lot more variation from whats on the CD playing your music this way... And the audience will like it more that was too...

Check out how this dude plays his stuff live...
Its Alessandro Cortini from Modwheelmood (also the synth player from NIN). He's playing a song from his solo electronic album all by himself...
Uses a MicroKorg for synths, a guitar/bass, Guitar Rig, a MIDI controller (which looks like the NI Kontrol imo) connected to his Macbook to trigger on and off different loops and effects... and a good few effects/delay/loop pedals...
http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=-PsloKTJMCk
Its pretty simple setup but really cool...!