All You Need to Know About Casual Gigs
by Shannon Kennedy
So you are probably wondering what a casual gig is. In short, a casual gig is
a gig that you have to play at a wedding, party, etc. for long periods of time. You usually play popular music
and are given a list of tunes by the person who hired you. It is not like a regular gig where you get to play
music of your choice.
Everyone plays casuals (even anonymous sax players from Big Phat Band), so you need to know what they are all about
and what to do because, chances are, you will end up having to do casuals.
The first thing is to learn tunes - in all keys (darn singers...haha. You have to know the melody AND the changes. Learn
tunes of all styles - swing, latin, pop, funk, R&B, rock, ballads, power ballads, etc. The more tunes you know, the more
"employable" you are.
Learn the horn parts for tunes like "Respect". Some bandleaders have charts, but most do not - do take the time to
learn them on your own. Learn to harmonize on the spot. In the case that there is more than one horn player on
the gig, it is always ideal to have them play something other than unison lines.
Some tunes you should learn: Just the Way You Look Tonight, Fly Me to the Moon, A Man and A Woman, What a Wonderful
World, Wave, One Note Samba, Girl from Ipanema, Jump, My Girl, Rescue Me, At Last, Dancing in the Streets, Repect,
You Make Me Feel (Like a Natural Woman), Mack the Knife, Beyond the Sea, Tequila, etc.
