Loads of our Sax School members are playing solo saxophone gigs – and it’s one of the best ways to develop your skills, not only as a saxophone player but also as a performer.
Today I’m looking at playing solo sax jazz gigs with Sax School member Wolfgang, from Germany. Wolfgang is performing solo gigs on saxophone, playing jazz standards.
I wanted to ask Wolfgang about the setup that he’s using to go out playing solo sax jazz gigs. And there might be some good tips here that you can use if you’ve ever considered doing this yourself.
Oh, and don’t forget to grab the free PDF Guide to performing solo sax gigs. I’ve put together a fantastic resource, which outlines everything you need to know about starting to play solo saxophone gigs, in all sorts of styles.
- the equipment you need
- how to get started
- how to connect your gear to make it work
- how to find gigs.
It’s free – get it here.
Playing solo sax jazz gigs: sound system
So the very first thing I wanted to ask Wolfgang about was the sound system that he’s using when he goes out playing solo sax jazz gigs. Wolfgang uses a Bose L1 system.
“The thing that I like about it, is it’s extremely lightweight. It’s a modular system, it’s very light,” says Wolfgang. With this system you can use one speaker or use an extension on the top, to fill a larger space.
I asked Wolfgang if he noticed a big difference with the extension to the top of the speaker.
“It depends a little bit on what you have in front of it,” says Wolfgang. If you’re playing with other musicians, the taller speaker works well to get the sound right to the back of the room.
Although Wolfgang isn’t playing very large venues yet, he bought this sound system to help him develop his sound when he’s performing.” I bought it for myself just to get some effects to play with,” says Wolfgang, “so that I hear myself better… and I like to add a little bit of reverb.”
Learning with Sax School Online
Wolfgang is developing his jazz playing with us at Sax School Online. There are thousands of other learners in Sax School, and they’re working on all sorts of different styles.
So if you are curious about learning how to be a better jazz player, just like Wolfgang, then we can certainly help you with that.
But you can also come to Sax School and learn about pop or ska or blues or smooth jazz or even classical. There are over a thousand lessons and just about every style you could imagine covered in there. We’ve got a whole team of tutors that are supporting our students like Wolfgang, and that’s why we’re having so much fun in there. If you’d like to check it out, there’s a 14-day trial running at the moment.
The Bose L1
The Bose L1 is a great choice because it is compact, says Wolfgang. “If you want to stay light and maybe you are playing in an office for colleagues, or maybe at an exhibition or something like that; if you’re just entertaining a little bit of a crowd then this is a fine thing. And at home, of course, this is not taking up too much space,” says Wolfgang. The L1 also has an input for a guitar, for example.
The only disadvantage Wolfgang has found is that it is not possible to add another subwoofer, for example. But for playing solo jazz sax gigs in smaller venues, the L1 is perfect.
Wolfgang’s Setup: Microphone
Wolfgang is using the Electro-Voice RE-320 microphone in his solo gig set-up. And there’s an interesting story as to how Wolfgang ended up with this mic.
“I came to that [mic] because I bought a saxophone directly from Andy Sheppard. I met him in the studio some years ago in 2016. And he said, ‘well if you go live, you need to have the RE-20’. But I thought, this is half the price and it doesn’t make a big difference for me. Maybe it does for a professional like Andy.’
Wolfgang uses the microphone on a stand, and plays into it. “I’m thinking about the NUX B-6 [wireless saxophone mic] to get rid of some cables maybe, and to free up some space here in my room,” he says.
Effects Pedal
Rather than plugging direct into the speaker, Wolfgang’s mic plugs into his Boss VE-20 pedal, which is used by a lot of our Sax School members. “I noticed this is especially nice if you’re playing the soprano. … it gives a very nice tone too. It’s very useful also for the alto and for the tenor.”
This pedal can add effects to your sound and you can also use it to record “loop” tracks and for “doubling“. Wolfgang hasn’t explored these functions yet.
So Wolfgang has his microphone plugged into the Boss VE-20 pedal, and then going into the L1 speaker. But what about backing tracks?
Backing Tracks
For playing his backing tracks, Wolfgang uses his iPhone and a popular app. “I’m a big fan of iRealPro. I think it’s a one-time cost of something like 30 Euros or £30 UK…. And I think this is excellent value for money because you have something like… 1,300 free Jazz backup tracks.”
The tracks are really flexible too. “You can move the key in half steps upwards or downwards, so you can get every key,” says Wolfgang. “You can play at a venue, and it sounds very professional.”
There are also lots of other tracks available for iRealPro. You can import lots of different styles, and libraries of different tunes. So this app is well worth considering if you want to play solo sax gigs.
However, with iReal PRO the sheet music isn’t provided so you would need to buy this separately if you need it.
Upgrading this setup
It’s interesting to see that Wolfgang is using a really nice microphone. Most people use a clip-on mic, which gives you more freedom to move around and takes up less space. However, Wolfgang will get a better sound with a bigger microphone.
I asked him if he had any plans to change his setup.
“Not for the time being- my space here is a little bit limited,” says Wolfgang. “It’s not even that I need this equipment all the time. There are a lot of small pubs where you just can play along without any plugs.”
The only part of his setup which Wolfgang is considering changing is his mic. “It’s a bit bulky with the microphone, and I have to stay close to the loudspeaker because of space restrictions, and that’s not ideal. So it would be better if I could move away a little, and that’s why I’m thinking about the clip mic.”
Tips for starting out with a solo jazz sax gig setup
I asked Wolfgang if he has any advice for somebody who was just getting started assembling some gear like this today.
“I would start with a kind of Bluetooth speaker,” says Wolfgang. “So like for example, a Bose Revolve, which is pretty powerful, … it’s around 200 – 250 Euros.
It’s very powerful, although it’s very small, and you can get it everywhere. And even if you play in a small venue, at least your background music sounds very nice, and has the right volume. This would be my first starting point for the backing tracks.”
And when you’re ready to upgrade, Wolfgang has this advice. “I think there are different options. The L1 … I think has even come down in price. It’ll be maybe starting at something like 1000 Euros … maybe cheaper if you can accept a used one. They’re very user-friendly. They’re very light … If you have a very heavy PA, I mean, it’s not fun. You need a car and you spend a lot of time just carrying around equipment and you have less time to play.”
This is great advice from Wolfgang. Just a Bluetooth speaker and your iPhone or your iPad is a great starting point.
Final thoughts
I hope you found that interesting. I think the setup that Wolfgang is using is perfect for a paired-down, simple setup for playing jazz, or all sorts of styles.
- the Bose L1 system
- a wired microphone
- iRealPro app
and with his saxophone and some enthusiasm, and he’s ready to go!
So if you fancy getting out and playing solo jazz sax gigs, then go grab the PDF. Inside you’ll find out more about the equipment that Wolfgang using, including that VE-20 effects pedal, which is a great tool, and also get some advice on how to connect everything too.