Commit those epic setlists to memory every time!
Low Life
elcome back, bassists! This month I’m taking on a question from one of our readers, Gabriele Johnny De Toffol, about how best to prepare large amounts of material in short spaces of time.
This is common when taking on dep work or last-minute gigs, so I always start the process by making sure I have the relevant resources – such as a full list of tracks with key signatures, live recordings if the original arrangements are altered, and any other important notes from the band leader. Depending on the performance context, you’ll either have the leeway to take charts on stage – in which case, ask for those – or you’ll need to know them from memory.
Firstly, I would recommend compiling a playlist of the tracks, so they are all in one place. This could be upwards of 30 songs in some cases, so it’s a good idea to have the playlist on your phone, so you can listen to it in the car or while walking. This constant exposure will help you to familiarise yourself with the songs and their structures. You should then section up the list to form ‘mini-sets’ of six to eight tracks, so the task becomes manageable. If you only have a few days to prepare, space out the learning of your mini-sets over that time period.
On Day 1, plan to work through the majority of the set, leaving a sufficient break between each practice session to allow it all to sink in. Don’t worry too much about
