Top 10 Things To Gig As A Solo Artist 

You never realize how important a setlist is to prepare, but it REALLY is!

should I keep making videos like this sometimes?? 🖤

Super helpful! it can feel intimidating starting out in a male dominated music scene, so videos like these help me feel more prepared:)

Thank you for sharing this! I love watching your gigs on intsa live and always wondered how you did everything so smoothly. Thank you for the tips!!

Excellent advice.Thx!

Thanks for this video, it helped a lot !

i've always wished i was a musician but now i reaaallllly wish i was

Hi Sara! Thanks for a very informative video! I'm having my second paid gig ever tomorrow ($20 for 50 minutes of original songs only and a free meal) and thought I'd better try to be more lively than I was the first time and look at performance tips. First time gig six weeks ago I was very nervous and later a friend showed me the video she took with her smartphone and I realized how terribly weak my voice was. I thought I'd say to others here... I get clogged up around my vocal cords. Before I sing I have a small Vick's steamer (I think it cost about $35 US dollars) that takes about 1/2 cup of distilled water (probably tap water works too) into a chamber and basically boils it to steam and above the boiling water is a small air chamber and above that is the large mouth/nose piece that fits over nose and mouth. I take shallower breaths for the 6 minutes it runs as I don't need to moisturize my lungs, just my vocal cords. Also if you have acid reflux from your stomach into your throat then you can get mucus around your vocal cords. Also if you have acid reflux and you sleep laying flat the stomach acid can come up around your vocal cords while you're sleeping. I wondered why so much of the time I had to keep clearing my throat when singing and found out those are reasons why. I sleep more upright too. Pro vocalists use this same steaming method that I describe here, even opera singers. There are videos about it on RU-vid and also some use some kind of inhaler. I don't because that is so very fine it also goes into your lungs.

tks for the advice!

Great video very helpful for advice and tips of what music gear to buy. Thanks so much Sara Ann🎶🎵🙋

Thank you for all this awesome information!!!

This is great, thank you for sharing! 🥰

Great advice, thanks!

Good work. Okay, I'll talk more. I just saw Gov't Mule a couple nights ago, and Warren Haynes never said anything except, "Thank you."

Thank you, this really is what I needed

Thanks Sara!

As a wanna be musician this is very helpful!

Daaaamn, we need more videos like this one

It crazy how similar it is to solo filmmaking. I play piano too and looking to upgrade so this was perfect.

Thanks Sara 💕✨

super helpful as i accumulate gear to perform with! the worst part is finding other DEPENDABLE musicians to play with tho. thank you!!

Good tips!

Cool

Thank you

Sara dropping knowledge 💪🏽

thisvis very helpful

you have super enjoyable personality and hopefully I can use some of your tips. I'm toying with the idea of "gigging" assuming I can find places that like what I do:)

Thank u!

What about video recording your gig; small vid cam or cell phone?

I'm a solo player too and I recently moved from Key West to middle Florida. Key West has it's share of players but there are plenty of venues... Well bars, around 260 liquor licences. You don't need much to get booked, managers just stop by and see you at another venue and hire you. No contracts, demos, pictures, etc. I so WISH SOMEONE would make a video on how to actually get a gig in the real world. Gone are the days of cassettes and photos. Please tell us at least what medium our demo music should be in. And what else do you need to present yourself to a bar manager. You could also include dealing with booking agents. Thanks.

I’m curious how you go about finding bands or musicians you can bring in with you for gigs that require a full band? This is a great video btw. Very informative

i have the shure sm58, and the clip - did you find that its a really tight fit on the clip ?

You are life saver thank you so much for this

that set up thouuuuugh

So helpful thank you so much! The tip story was funny and sounds awkward haha!

Most venues have mics, mic stands, and cables tho! ALL venues I been to had them!

All that you said about be inclusive and presence on stage is so helpful! We really need connect with people in order to produce engagement and as a result we get that they’ll stream or music. Thanks for share ! 🙌🏽🫶🏼

omg can you do a warm up and gig prep vlog?

I‘m not performing tho (playing cello) but I think this really helpful! I‘m watching your videos anyways soo... :)

You should make a video about how to get a gig

I've been dropping my SM58 for 35 years and it's still amazing.

Thanks do you have a personal studio home / garage list of what to have ? Or is it just the same

What camera and lens are you using to film your videos?

Hi Sara, my name is Claire, thank you so much for this video, I've been doing researches for 2 days but I can't really find the answers... I'm starting as a solo artist, and basically it will be the same configuration as you, BUT without an amp! I live in French Polynesia on the small island of bora bora, and here it's almost impossible to get an decent guitar amp (I've tried), so I'm looking at amp modelisers, but I'm not really sure of what I need, there is no store to ask questions, and I have to order stuff to the family who will then send me the box from france! If by any chance, you have an advice for me, it would be very much appreciated :) Maruuru!! (means thank you in tahitian :))

As someone looking to start gigging locally I find this to be a helpful video, so thanks for making this. Im looking to perform solo (singing while playing guitar). I’ve been looking at the Fishman Loudbox. What type of venues do you use it in? Coffee shops/small bars/outdoor? Was it ever not powerful enough for a gig?

You are funny :)

You forgot ‘nerves of steel’

Cool! What video gear are you using?

I see a girl talking about music equipment, and go - naaaah, what does she know. I underestimated you, im sorry. Thanks for the tips :)

I think...no. I know you're awesome.

If you could just slow down a little so I can understand you that would be great!!

11. Clean your iPad screen

"artist" a bit pushing it a lady who like to play music ... artist who is being known around the word and people paying money to see him or her being humble is better than try to be something that we are not YET..

If you want to have a lousy muddy vocal sound, use the gear she recommends. Want to sound better? Use a Sennheiser mic and Bose S1. Even better, Allen & Heath mixer. Don’t be one of those muddy sounding singers you hear everywhere. Learn songs by heart, staring at a iPad is lame lame lame!

Thanks. Great advice!