Original Post By: bassfiddlesteve Date: 4/1/2009 10:59:54 AM I've played at lots of weddings...as a bass player, but now I am getting calls to perform at weddings as a solo ukulele player. I can play a number of solo pieces on the uke but they are mostly tin-pan alley standards and I don't really know any Hawaiian songs. I sing, but my voice is pretty limited and I don't do well on ballads (listen to the song "Francine" at www.thebarnkickers.com to hear an example). I'd like to take these gigs but I want to make sure that I am prepared, so I have a few questions for anyone who performs as a solo ukulele player at weddings: Are there any "must have" songs I should learn? Hawaiian wedding song seems to be one. What is typical attire for these gigs? Is a PA system required, or are these generally "unplugged" performances? Any other suggestions or tips would be appreciated. - Steve Posted By: Tiki King Date: 4/1/2009 11:30:31 AM   (Updated: 4/1/2009 11:33:35 AM) Pretty much all of these questions can be answered by the soon to be married couple. Ask them all these questions and more. Find out exactly what they expect, and let them know exactly what you expect. Otherwise you will show up with a set list of Hawaiian songs, and they will want tiptoe through the tulips because the theme of the wedding is sixties. You also don't want to show up to a large tent or hall and ask where the P.A. is and be asked, "didn't you bring it?" The best thing is to make a sort of "contract" that says how long you will play, a list of songs, equipment you will need (if any), etc. Weddings are a funny business. The couple may not even know exactly what they want, but they will certainly know if it is not what they expected. I am asked to play Weddings and Parties all the time, I first ask if they have heard me play, and the answer is "it's Ukulele stuff, right?" I direct them to my website and they usually comeback with "I always thought Ukulele was all about (hawaiian, tinpan alley, whatever)". Another thing about weddings is, you may be playing background music over the sound of people talking, laughing, and socializing. be ready for that. There are a thousand little details. Even little stuff, like if you happen to nip from a flask between songs only to find out they are all teetotalers. --------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.tikiking.com Posted By: NinaC Date: 4/1/2009 11:48:37 AM Steve, one must-have song is Iz's Rainbow. It's apparently in the top five hit parade for weddings and funerals. And, it's more than five minutes long, which can make it pretty tedious as a solo piece. Not to mention the whole wrong lyrics issue. I used to love the song, now I sort of dread even hearing it, and I don't like to play it anymore. I apologize to anyone who doesn't share this sentiment. I feel the same way when our guitar jam group starts playing "The Weight" for the five millionth time. Posted By: Gerald Ross Date: 4/1/2009 12:26:59 PM I've played hundreds of wedding gigs both as soloist and as a band member. Ditto on everything Tiki King said. More: 1. If the happy couple wants you to learn 15 songs for their day, make them pay for it. Your time is worth money. One song... no problem. 2. Remember, a wedding is a happy occasion. It's also a very nerve racking and tense occcasion for both families involved. Everyone wants the day to go smoothly. Your job as a musician is to help things go smoothly and mask any tenseness in the atmosphere. You do this by keeping the beat going - keep a steady flow of sound going out into the room. Check your ego at the door. Your job, many times (unfortunately) is to be "musical wallpaper". 3. Keep smiling, roll with the punches. I once did a wedding gig on the way to the banquet hall, a half hour before we have to be on stage, the bass player, who got the gig, announces "Oh... they want us to play this Van Morrison song. It's 'their song'". Fortunately he had a cassette tape of the song. Now this wasn't Moondance or Wild Night, it was some obscure song. We couldn't decipher all the lyrics. At one point it sounded like Van was singing "your lips are like scrambled eggs". We played the song at the wedding and sang the lyrics but kind of slurred the scrambled eggs. Result? The happy couple smiled and gave us a thumbs up when the song was done. 4. Find out if you are allowed to eat at the wedding. This is not a given, considering that the bride and groom are paying by the plate. If you are allowed to eat, find out where you should eat. Don't assume that you will sit at a table. If you eat in the kitchen - be happy they fed you and shut up about it. 5. Avoid overly flirting with the guests. You can do it a bit. But remember - you are the hired help. And the most important - have fun & charge a lot of money. Posted By: NinaC Date: 4/1/2009 12:37:01 PM   (Updated: 4/1/2009 12:39:18 PM) There's also the issue of whether you'll be playing at the service or at the reception. When I played guitar for weddings back in the early 80s, I just played at the service. This one minister used to recommend me and that was how I got the gigs. I played songs while people were getting seated, and did the Lord's Prayer during the service. My act wasn't going to cut it for the reception and I turned down those gigs. Finally I decided I didn't like the pressure to perform flawlessly (luckily I had thus far) but I was starting to do a head trip on myself. So I stopped doing weddings. I'd really have to have the right circumstances to do one again, but I don't want to say "never." Posted By: Goaticus Date: 4/1/2009 12:44:50 PM I agree with Nina concerning Rainbow-as a pastor, in performance of both weddings AND funerals, I have been asked to play it. I have also done the song, "There is Love", which is easy enough-I just play chords and sing it. But all else are correct, ask the bride and groom for songs they want. As the preacher, I ALWAYS get to eat! One of the perks, especially since I generally don't charge if the wedding or funeral is at my church building-I consider it a part of my duties as the pastor. If I have to go elsewhere, well, that's a different story. My favorite was doing the renewal of vows for my parents' 50th-I finished a humorous song my father had begun many years before, that he had forgotten about, added a couple verses and put it to the uke, "I'm Getting Weirder in the Morning", played to the tune of I'm Getting Married in the Morning". We all had a good laugh. For an amp, I generally use the memorex Karaoke machine I got at Walmart-good for small halls, good sound, and I can plug in both the uke and a microphone, if I need to. And, it has a USB port so I can plug in a flashdrive and record it, so I can listen later and critique myself. Posted By: Gerald Ross Date: 4/1/2009 12:47:25 PM More: 1. If Uncle Joe wants to get up on stage and sing a song into the microphone, let him do it, and smile while he's doing it. Try your hardest to make Uncle Joe sound good. 2. But, if Uncle Joe also wants to play your guitar/uke while drunkenly singing his song. Say no. Be firm about this. Most people understand. Posted By: bassfiddlesteve Date: 4/1/2009 4:42:03 PM Thanks folks. I've already had a lot of experience playing weddings as either the electric bass player in the dance band at the reception or the double bass player in a duo for the ceremony, but the uke/solo thing is new territory. Thanks for your input and suggestions. - Steve Posted By: pippin Date: 4/1/2009 5:47:29 PM It's tough with limited vocal range. There are lists of songs requested at weddings. Three really great examples of often requested songs... John Denver's "Annie's Song" John Denver's "Perhaps Love" John Denver's "Follow Me" I have been asked to play my own song, "Loving You" at several weddings. Others I have heard several times... We've Only Just Begun A Love to Last A Lifetime Dream A Little Dream of Me Make It With You (Bread) Lady (Styx) Always (Irving Berlin) Posted By: Gerald Ross Date: 4/1/2009 6:43:30 PM Steve, I went back and reread your initial post. Ooops... sorry, yes, you've had much experience in the wedding biz. Hopefully my tips will benefit those who read this thread and haven't ventured into these strange but lucrative waters. Hawaiian Wedding Song? Man, that song takes some pretty hefty vocal chops to do it right. Posted By: John Kavanagh Date: 4/1/2009 8:56:42 PM The thing I like about playing weddings is.. everybody's already happy when you show up. You don't have to make them happy, you just have to keep things going. Posted By: bassfiddlesteve Date: 4/1/2009 11:24:40 PM The Carpenters? John Denver? Bread? Styx? ):^P I may refer this gig to someone else and stick to playing weddings on that larger four string instrument. The bass parts on some of those songs are kind of fun to play and I get to keep my dignity. Besides, I'm not sure that anyone should start their marriage off to the sound of me trying to sing like Iz. - Steve Posted By: pippin Date: 4/2/2009 3:37:41 AM How about the Eagles - Lying Eyes. hehehe Posted By: bassfiddlesteve Date: 4/2/2009 8:05:55 AM "How about the Eagles - Lying Eyes. hehehe" Actually, I was thinking of playing "The Lady Is A Tramp". - Steve Posted By: Gerald Ross Date: 4/2/2009 8:50:15 AM A really good wedding song is the Tammy Wynette hit 'D-I-V-O-R-C-E'. Posted By: TomHB Date: 4/2/2009 8:54:54 AM Many years ago a friend's bride chose "Love Stinks" by J. Geils for their wedding song. They are now divorced... but it was funny. Posted By: NinaC Date: 4/2/2009 9:14:47 AM   (Updated: 4/2/2009 9:15:50 AM) "White Wedding" by Billy Idol. heehee. ):^P indeed on the Denver and Carpenters...but how about this: Why not give them a list (or a demo CD) of appropriate songs you know and like and ask them to select from the list? This way you won't be compromising your musical integrity or your style, and will become known for providing that kind of sound and personality at a wedding? For instance, I'm sure you could come up with a big list of songs you know that would work great, here are just a few from my playlist that came to mind right away: I'm Beginning to See the Light L.O.V.E. Twilight Time As Time Goes By Posted By: ralphiewho Date: 4/2/2009 9:48:40 AM A man in our group recently married and a small number of players (two guitara, mandolin and uke) performed these numbers. Bridal Chorus (Wagner), Believe Me, Let It Be Me, Let Me Call You Sweetheart, and the creme de la creme exit number, Side By Side, as they exited as a newly married couple. The last number was a hoot! Posted By: George Harper Date: 4/2/2009 9:55:15 AM I've played wedding gigs for about 40 years. Here are a few memories of those gigs: Most inappropriate request for a solo act - "I've got you, Babe" by Sonny & Cher (was I supposed to sing Cher's parts in falsetto?) Hardest time not laughing during the performance -- A summer wedding, very redneck people. The bride and groom wanted to stand in front of me, facing the crowd. He was wearing a yellow tux and the stripes of his white tube socks could be seen by all. Sleaziest wedding -- During the rehearsal, a groomsman asked if I thought the bride was hot. When I said yes, she's very attractive, he said (and I'm paraphrasing here) she and I did it last weekend. Favorite gig: Not really a gig. Our daughter asked if I would sing, but I confessed that I probably would get too emotional. Instead, I played Ed Gerhard's guitar arrangement of "The Water is Wide." Last performance: About nine months ago, I accepted a gig to play the IZ song. That worked fine because they used it as a processional. But they also wanted something brief and upbeat as they walked out. I tried Lyle's arrangement of "All the things you are." I've never botched anything so badly! After that, I decided to retire and leave the wedding gigs to the youngsters! Posted By: scrooner Date: 4/2/2009 2:13:17 PM I've never performed before, other than for my wife & kids, but my wife's best friend just got engaged, and two days later she asks if I can perform the Hawaiian Wedding Song for her weddding in July. She's never heard me play or anything, she's just aware that I like to collect ukes, and that I play as a hobby, and well, she wants music at her wedding, so...voila! She says that I don't have to sing it if I don't want to, so I start thinking about whether or not I can come up with a chord-melody arrangement, or some other way to capture the melody of the song that would be better than just strumming the chords (boring!). And I decide that if I'm going to have to do all this work, I might as well rope my wife in to assist me. She's a very casual player, but she could strum the chords while I put some melody over the top. Then a couple of days later her friend also asks if maybe we could do some songs at the reception too. I'm really stressing about how this could all turn out, considering that it sounds like it will be an outdoor wedding and it's not clear that we'll have our own microphone, or that there will be a PA, or what's going on there. I don't have a pickup/amp setup, so we will definitely need to be miked. I've already told my wife we should absolutely limit it to one song, because it's going to take me a while to create and memorize the melody arrangement for the one song. I'm not a professional! So yeah, I'm freaked out about how this might all go down, whether it will get out of hand, and how we can make the most out of our limited talents....but maybe that's what she gets for asking for music she's never heard before :) Posted By: scrooner Date: 4/2/2009 7:12:30 PM So....any advice? Posted By: Dutch Date: 4/2/2009 7:42:01 PM Treat it like camp songs. Treat it like playing mostly hapa haole ("Blue Hawaii, etc.) You know more about it than they do. How could it get out of hand? Don't freak--go and have fun for your wife's friend. The worst that can happen is you won't have to do it anymore. You know more about it than they do. Play for your wife's best friend and have fun. You know more about it than they do. If acoustic is too quiet, it will make it an intimate wedding. Besides, you know more about it than they do. (Repeat, "I know more about this than anyone here. If anyone knows more than me, they know what I'm going through.") Strength & Honor Dutch Posted By: bassfiddlesteve Date: 4/2/2009 10:51:14 PM Okay, this is getting interesting. I spoke with the girl at the agency who contcated me and I guess I don't have to sing like Iz (or John Denver, or Karen Carpenter...). In fact, she thinks the client may just want instrumental ukulele music since they originally called her for a steel drum player to perform the wedding. When I told her I could sing some tin-pan alley songs and standards (like the ones Nina mentioned) she though that would be fine. She actually told me she has a lot of work for a ukulele player but she's having a hard time finding one! There are over 50 members in the Tampa Bay Ukulele Society that I started a few month ago, so I know there are a few players around. Still, the idea of playing some solo ukulele gigs is very appealing so I am making a demo for her agency. I plan to record an instrumental chord-solo medley of "When You Wish Upon A Star" with "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" and a vocal rendition of an old standard yet to be determined. As if to signify that this is a move in the right dirtection, I receved this e-mail tonight: "A friend found your information on www.fleamarketmusic.com. I am having a small beach wedding on Pass-a-Grille beach. I am looking for someone to play the Ukulele during the ceremony and I thought I would contact you to see if you would be interested..." And to think I've been lugging around a big bass all these years! - Steve Posted By: Dutch Date: 4/3/2009 5:29:21 AM Damn, Steve! I'm a drummer. Is there hope for me? Posted By: Heather Date: 4/3/2009 11:02:28 AM Im not a Ukulele player but I am also looking for a Uke player for my wedding (April 2010). The wedding is in Melbourne, FL. Anyone think they could do this? Posted By: bassfiddlesteve Date: 4/3/2009 4:49:31 PM I'm on the Gulf Coast of Florida so Melbourne is quite a hike for me. I'll post this on the Tampa Bay Ukulele Society website for you. Someone may be interested or know of someone in your area. - Steve Posted By: ricdoug Date: 4/3/2009 10:35:25 PM   (Updated: 4/3/2009 10:37:12 PM) Here's the attire at a Hawaiian wedding I played at, Steve. We played the Hawaiian Wedding Song and a variety of hulas: http://www.davidandkay.com Hula and the mele are like a religion: http://manybooks.net/titles/emersonn2029920299-8.html We used a battery powered P.A. as the ocean provides a lot of background noise Posted By: East Mountain Date: 4/8/2009 6:21:31 PM I've played a good number of weddings as a soloist (singer and guitar player, not uke), sometimes before the ceremony, sometimes during the ceremony, sometimes after during cake, food, drink, etc. I think Iz's Rainbow/What a Wonderful World is a for sure uke song. Others I have had success with include: I've Just Seen a Face/Here, There and Everywhere/I Will (Beatles) As Time Goes By Come Away with Me Time in a Bottle Follow Me, For Baby, Annies's Song, Lady (all John Denver) Wedding Song (There is Love, Paul Stookey) At Last (Etta James) Unchained Melody Unforgettable I Can't Help Falling in Love with You The Water is Wide (change the lyric on "love grows old and waxes cold" though) Stand By Me When a Man Loves a Woman used to get requests for Sunrise, Sunset a lot, but not so much anymore. and I even had a request for Angel by Aerosmith once. Good luck, have fun. Posted By: pippin Date: 4/8/2009 6:57:48 PM East Mountain... on JD Lady is a song that I love to play instrumentally in the early morning. Finger-pickin' it, nice and mellow morning mood music. For Baby, For Bobby... lots of people do request that. I have told them about the "cling to the warmth of your tiny hand" and that the song is for a child, actually. Some people still want it, others skip it. "Love is Still the Only Dream I Know" is often requested, too. Posted By: rbeetsme Date: 4/8/2009 7:09:03 PM A good buddy played "I'll fly Away" at his own wedding, om mandolin, some of the guests were a little confused. Posted By: Howlin' Hobbit Date: 4/9/2009 3:02:35 AM Back when my mom was a little girl she was taking accordion lessons. (Turns out she was a musical prodigy on keys. I didn't know that until I was in my late-20s, but that's another story.) In any event, she got her first gig, playing at a wedding reception for some friends from her church. She sat down and just unthinkingly launched into the latest thing she'd learned from her teacher. It was called... And The Fight Is On I wouldn't recommend learning that one for wedding gigs. Posted By: otterbob Date: 6/30/2009 2:09:40 AM I am a wedding DJ in Central Calif. My 2 cents... People at weddings in this area that request a Uke musician ALWAYS expect "Over the Rainbow". They can't get married in Hawaii so they bring Hawaii to the Central Valley. I can Mic the Uke player or provide a DI box for the players having a 1/4" plug. That works just fine. Songs: These are Wedding Standards Prelude/Processional (Soft. Chewy Instrumentals) Elvis- "Love me Tender", "Fools Rush In" Peter,Paul&Mary- "Wedding Song" Brudda IZ-"Rainbow" Cocktail-While pictures are being taken: Sinatra, Dean Martin, Elvis, James Taylor even modern Adult Contemporary songs. Journey And a host of Hawaiian Style Instrumentals. I'd say if you take some time and get to 30 songs in your repertoire, you'll do OK. Posted By: scrooner Date: 6/30/2009 10:46:51 AM On July 12 my wife & I will be playing E Ku'u Morning Dew as an intro piece (should be a good warmup for us, and we can repeat the melody as necessary while people get seated) and then the Hawaiian Wedding Song as a processional for the wedding party & the bride. It will be a backyard wedding on the coast, so we've asked for a microphone and a PA system. We've also asked for a chance to rehearse on the PA that morning to get a good feel for the volume & whatnot, but didn't really get a clear answer on whether that would be possible or not. I'm mostly concerned about what our 10-month-old and 4-year-old will be up to during that time. I keep hearing that "someone" will be watching them! Posted By: BrianT Date: 9/4/2009 1:32:50 AM Wedding Band Requests Dear Bandleader: We look forward to your performance at our daughter's wedding. If you don't mind, we would like to request a few of our favorite songs. If you could play these at some point during the reception, we'd be grateful: Any Keith Jarrett composition from his solo series. Please arrange it for full ensemble and nothing in 4/4 please. Mahavishnu Orchestra, "Dance of the Maya" and please have the guitarist play John Mclaughlin's solo from the live performance Nov. 16, 1972 at Chrysler Arena. My wife and I were at that show and we particularly liked his use of polyrhythms. If you find it too difficult you can leave out the feedback. Any of John Coltrane's duets with Pharaoh Sanders. I understand that their use of atonality is not everyone's cup of tea, but all our guests love high register tenor saxes. We thought a little Stravinsky right after the toast would be nice. We particularly like "The Rite of Spring." If you want to use the sheet music it's OK. We like a tempo of about 1/4 note = 93. Then for the candle lighting ceremony, please play Frank Zappa's "The Grand Wazoo." If you want to play it in the original key of Bb, that would be fine. And my cousin Jeannie would like to sing the baritone sax solo, though you may have to play that part in another key - she has kind of a high voice. When my daughter throws the garter, could you play just a little of Varese's "Ionization." It's such a funny piece; we think it would go over real well. Much better than "The Stripper." And for the Bride & Groom's first dance, please slow things down a bit by doing Barber's "Adagio For Strings." It's so much better than "We've Only Just Begun" or the "Anniversary Waltz." When my wife and I join in the first dance, could you please segue to Thelonius Monk's "Ruby, My Dear" - it's in honor of my wife's grandmother whose name was Ruby. It would mean so much to the family. Thanks very much for all your help. We'll certainly be happy to recommend your band to all our friends. Mr. and Mrs. Dilettante

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