How do you buy time on stage?

[Jebberz]

Bring more guitars instead of detuning, an plan your set list so you can play intros when the guitarist is switching.

 

[FrenchBassQC]

Do you step dance?

 

[mambo4]

Have a "glue vamp" that the band can execute between songs, a simple chord vamp that doesn't require fully realized parts for each instrument. Allow anyone to drop in/out of it as needed. Listen to some live zappa albums. WhenFrank wants to talk to the audience, he says "bring the band on down behind me, boys.." and they settle into nice quiet 2 chord vamp while Frank banter. It's rare that the music ever actually stops, the vamp often becomes the background theme of the show, the musical glue between every song. It let's every one know the show is still going on even if there's no song at the moment.

Always thought it was brilliant, could never convince my bands to do it.

 

[jtg]

our guitarist does a solo song in Open C tuning and needs time to retune his guitar after.

1. Tuning a single guitar string up two full steps should take a total of 2-3 seconds, and should be able to happen during applause. If the song doesn't get three seconds of applause maybe it doesn't belong in the set.

2. More generally, handling song transitions. All the earlier suggestions boil down to this: make sure the band is connecting with the audience for the entire set, during and between the songs. It's a mindset issue. That is why you have a gig with an audience. You want the audience to fix their attention on you, and you do this by engaging with them. The only reason for you to be there is to develop your relationship with the audience. Even something as simple as eye contact and smiling can further this effort. You can do this with a chatty frontperson, in which case you can get away with longer transitions - because what's in between the songs is part of the show too. I'm fortunate to play in outfits with charming, engaging leads (this is good because I'm neither!). If you don't have anyone who nourishes a connection with the audience through interaction, and you're counting on the sound of the music alone to sustain the connection (perhaps the symphony example is appropriate here, with its rituals and rhythms), your music can't stop. That's when the transitions that don't require the person taking care of technical details are particularly useful - e.g. the bass/drums vamp mentioned earlier. Whatever approach you use to making and maintaining that connection, make it continuous. Don't have any seconds or fractions of seconds where everyone is looking inward, haphazardly tuning or dinking with gear they didn't bother to get dialed beforehand or at soundcheck, or sharing inside jokes that exclude the people you're fortunate showed up. Nobody but you cares about that weird mid-hump that popped up in your tone when a few people walked into the room - it's far more important that those people know you're there for them and you're happy they're there.

 

[Londo Molari]

Lie, the bigger the better.

 

[bigswifty1]

Guitar Broken String:
Finish the song as best can (guitarist exclusively plays hardtail strats, so that can be done ok), then BL calls a song with drum and bass intro. We have a few of these and can vary the length of them to fit the situation.

Guitar Retuning:
We tend to put all the alternate tuning songs in a row, at the start or end of a set. While guitarist retunes, the drummer will play a known intro, we come in after 4, 8 or 12 bars depending how low it's taking. He's usually super fast and we make it in 4 or 8.

Bass Problem:
This has only happened once to me (touch wood) and it was a degrading battery in my Stingray. Signalled the problem to band leader (it was obvious anyway) and they took it to a breakdown while I ran swapped batts. Back in action by the end of the breakdown. Or, to put it correctly, the breakdown continued UNTIL I was back in action

 

[Humbled]

If and when it becomes necessary, whip out the snappy banter exploiting your gift for gab and irresistible charm. You are, after all, in show business.

 

[Nephilymbass]

Hello folks,
I don’t like noodling around between songs but there are situations where you might have to “buy time” on stage for other band members (re-tuning, broken strings, fired the drummer and need to find a replacement, etc.). In our actual set list, our guitarist does a solo song in Open C tuning and needs time to retune his guitar after. I would love to hear ideas, favourites songs or techniques that you guys use it to fill up time with bass only while waiting for the rest of the band.

We usually have some stuff prepared. if I’m trying to fill time by myself Ill play a solo bass version of a popular song. Most recently I played Crawling by Linkin Park which I learned a solo version of from a piano version of the song. I also tend to play Tool lines. If the drummer and I are both free though we tend to jam something together that’s recognizable with just bass and drums. Usually 90s hip hop, Tool, limp Bizkit. Funny but I’ve probably played the verse to rearranged by limp Bizkit the most for filler. It’s a good ice breaker. Either it makes the people who are acting snobby lighten up or if people actually do like the song they’ll dance to it.

 

[Ostie]

Recognize friends and fans in the audience, thank them for coming.
Recognize birthdays or anniversaries.
Recognize the wait staff and bartenders, remind patrons to tip.
Tell bass player jokes.
Play the theme song from Jeopardy.
Play the alt tuning song right before your break so he has time to retune before the next set.
Ask trivia questions, like “who played bass for The Doors”?

 

[wraub]

"So, true story... on the way to the gig tonight, I ate a goat..."

Lie, the bigger the better.

 

[Basshappi]

I usually start a blues walk and the drummer joins in, we jam until the guitarist is ready. Usually he just joins in and we jam for awhile.

 

[elgranluis]

Simple : remove the “solo” from the set list.

 

[bobba66]

Whip out the bull whip and and do some tricks. Every eye in the place will be on you.

 

[twinjet]

Hello folks,
I don’t like noodling around between songs but there are situations where you might have to “buy time” on stage for other band members (re-tuning, broken strings, fired the drummer and need to find a replacement, etc.). In our actual set list, our guitarist does a solo song in Open C tuning and needs time to retune his guitar after. I would love to hear ideas, favourites songs or techniques that you guys use it to fill up time with bass only while waiting for the rest of the band.

Let the soloist finish out the set.

 

[5StringBlues]

I passed out onstage a few weeks ago.



Might be a bit drastic for your purposes tho.

 

[jmhaslip]

The guitar player needs to bring a second guitar, period!

 

[cnltb]

In our actual set list, our guitarist does a solo song in Open C tuning and needs time to retune his guitar after. I would love to hear ideas, favourites songs or techniques that you guys use it to fill up time with bass only while waiting for the rest of the band.

Take that piece off the set list if your guitarist can't do it without retuning /taking loads of time.

 

[mcnach]

Hello folks,
I don’t like noodling around between songs but there are situations where you might have to “buy time” on stage for other band members (re-tuning, broken strings, fired the drummer and need to find a replacement, etc.). In our actual set list, our guitarist does a solo song in Open C tuning and needs time to retune his guitar after. I would love to hear ideas, favourites songs or techniques that you guys use it to fill up time with bass only while waiting for the rest of the band.

He really needs to get a second guitar to save time, that, or do his song at the end of a set.

Or... drum solo!

 

[notJaco]

Go to commercial.

 

[interp]

Learn a bunch of really bad jokes, the lamer they are, the more laughs you will get. If you're lucky and get a heckler, have some good generic responses up your sleeve, or ask them to come up and do better.

Never, never, never, never, ever (x1000) give a mic to a heckler.