I am filling in at a weekly restaurant gig with a terrific singer that performs all the standards. I am having a little issue with leading her into the song.

Sometimes I use an appropriate Tyros3 canned intro, sometimes the last few bars of the song, or a simple chord progression.

Sometimes there is a problem with her taking my lead into the song.

Any suggestions for simple intros would be appreciated.

Regards,

Jerryghr

Sometimes it helps if the highest note of the last chord you play corresponds to the first note she has to sing, that's what I sometimes do with the singers I accompany, but that requires a bit of prior agreement/practice.
For simple intros, I often take the last bars of a song, too.

My tip is the practice, practice, practice, with her.....you both have to work as a battery knowing each other....using the "original melodic intro" of the song vs the KB style intro that shes not used to could be the problem also..you can record some mp3 backing tracks exactly how you would accompaniment her so she could listen to the intros etc,. and practice her parts at home also ...

The tips posted are all good, but Donny's tip on the mp3s (which I have highlighted) is an excellent one ... this is something I have exchanged with a guitar player in New Jersey when we are going to do a gig together and 'live' rehearsal is limited to when we can get together the afternoon prior to the gig ...
Good luck with it, and enjoy the opportunity to gig with another LIVE human being ...

Practicing at home is a good one. Live rehearsals is another good one.

Let’s talk on the job. I use these three:
1-Some melody in the intro.
2-Building the volume one or two measures before they start.
3-The last chord I stop dead so the singer has no recourse but to start.

This takes care of when to start singing. If they do not start on the right note after all that you’re in trouble.

During an Elks party I female singer came up (Uninvited) to sing. She made her play to the audience with waving arms and smiles. We successfully got her into the song and then she went of key. Understandable, but everyone was looking at her and she turned toward the band and made a gesture that the band had screwed up her song. I apologized and we started again, this time she was right on key. In the middle of the song I called a change the keys – she got lost and left the band stand. Not proud of what I did but I was tired of this type of no talent.

John C.

Heh Heh John. I'm sure the Devil made you do it.
Eddie

Thank you for the suggestions.

I'll be giving them a try. I set up a rehearsal for this week.

She only has 300 songs we have to work on. I am not kidding. I went to see her sing the week before accepting the job, and she handed me the typed sheets with all her songs listed, so I would be ready for the following week.

She is a real pleasure to work with, and has a very good rapport with the audience.

Regards,

Jerryghr

Something I do (for some songs), is do a simple intro (which could be the last 4 or 8 bars of the song, or some other simple chord progression that leads to the first chord in the melody). ... and what I try to do is, in the last measure before the singer starts, is to play a run or arpeggio that ends on the note that the singer starts on. That way, it sort of "gives a hint" of what that first note will be, a little before the time she has to sing it. I think 'rosetree''s suggestion is similar, this is just my 'spin' on it :-)

Accompanying singers is a wonderful thing - one of my favorite things to do musically speaking!

Jim