Solo acoustic songs?

[handrick]

Hi,Hope the New Year is treating you all well..Just a quick question regarding the below listing. Does it mean one vocal and one guitar track or main vocal, backing vocal and a couple of guitar tracks, a riff or something???CheersAndrewACOUSTIC SINGER-SONGWRITER SONGS are needed by an established Music Publisher in L.A. who has secured TONS of Film/TV placements for many TAXI members. This Publisher is only looking for songs that are piano/voice or acoustic guitar/voice - NO additional instruments in the track, please! Songs should be original and along the lines of Jeff Buckley, Elliott Smith, Rufus Wainwright, Patrick Wolf, Fiona Apple, Rachael Yamagata, Aimee Mann, Tori Amos, etc. All tempos will be considered for this one, but please be sure that the arrangement is SOLO piano/voice or guitar/voice.

[llama]

Hey Andrew,I think in a case like this I'd call or email Taxi direct. It's tough to know the answer for sure and it'd be a shame to go off in the wrong direction. Taxi should be able to clarify this though. I've called them twice so far and found them very helpful. Derek

[davewalton]

Jan 4, 2009, 2:41pm, llama wrote:Hey Andrew,I think in a case like this I'd call or email Taxi direct. It's tough to know the answer for sure and it'd be a shame to go off in the wrong direction. Taxi should be able to clarify this though. I've called them twice so far and found them very helpful. Yep... always the safest route and Taxi is always very helpful when there's questions about listings.I'll throw out a guess here just for fun... I read it like they're looking for tracks that are what you would and could do if you walked into someones office with your guitar, sat down and sang. Only single guitar and single vocal. Or single piano, single vocal. Like music that would be used for a character in a TV show that grabs a guitar or sits down at a piano to play and sing.

[jmather]

Been wondering this myself...

[futurefolkhero]

I was just looking through listings and was curious about this as well. Did anyone get any clarification from taxi about it?

[michael11]

Jan 4, 2009, 2:54pm, davewalton wrote:Jan 4, 2009, 2:41pm, llama wrote:Hey Andrew,I think in a case like this I'd call or email Taxi direct. It's tough to know the answer for sure and it'd be a shame to go off in the wrong direction. Taxi should be able to clarify this though. I've called them twice so far and found them very helpful. Yep... always the safest route and Taxi is always very helpful when there's questions about listings.I'll throw out a guess here just for fun... I read it like they're looking for tracks that are what you would and could do if you walked into someones office with your guitar, sat down and sang. Only single guitar and single vocal. Or single piano, single vocal. Like music that would be used for a character in a TV show that grabs a guitar or sits down at a piano to play and sing. But Dave!!!! I am sure you are much too young to remember musicals from the forties and fifties but there might be a scene for example with a couple on a deserted beach and one of them starts to sing acapella and by the time they have finished there's a ninety piece orchestra playing in the background but the beach is still deserted. I never quite figured that one out.Michael.

[davewalton]

Jan 12, 2009, 9:27am, michael11 wrote:I am sure you are much too young to remember musicals from the forties and fifties but there might be a scene for example with a couple on a deserted beach and one of them starts to sing acapella and by the time they have finished there's a ninety piece orchestra playing in the background but the beach is still deserted. Well, too young for the 40's films but I've seen plenty of 60's "Beach Blanket Bingo" films when I was a kid where one guy playing an acoustic guitar on the beach somehow produces electric guitar, bass, drums and background vocals (in addition to his own lead vocal). It's a mystery as well.

[jmather]

I just talked to someone at TAXI about this listing - whether or not an additional guitar track would be a problem. He and the other people in the room seemed to think that the client is looking for songs with "room to breath." To avoid over-layering of guitar tracks. However he seemed to think that an accompanying guitar riff or layer along with the main guitar shouldn't be a problem. I guess we'll all find out for sure pretty soon! Justin

[jmather]

As I re-read the listing, it does seems pretty clear that they are looking for ONE guitar/Piano and ONE voice. "please be sure that the arrangement is SOLO piano/voice or guitar/voice. I decided to strip out the second guitar part that I did and just go with the guitar/voice mix. I think I was just hoping they would accept additional guitar tracks because its DAMN HARD to get a nice sounding two-tracker!! Good luck everyone, today is the deadline!!Justin

[homeslyze]

I just submitted to this listing as well. I wrote the tune specifically for this listing. As the tune took shape, I realized it would best be served as duet with female singing verse/chorus one, and male singing verse/chorus two, then joining for the bridge and final chorus. Then my wife (the other half in my duet) pointed out the word "SOLO" in the listing. I interpreted "SOLO" in regards to the arrangement. The listing seemed to stress the bare instrumental quality it was looking for. Hopefully a little harmony two and a half minutes in won't diqualify the song.