One Cover Song is NOT Enough ...

As you may have noticed by now, I am a big fan of performing medleys live on stage.

For many years, I played with a group that actively tried to NOT stop playing through every set. This meant we spent a lot of our time coming up with song arrangements that would last 10, 15, 30, and even 45 minutes long.  Our original idea was to create something similar to a 3-ring circus for our crowd where singers could change and each new song started with a different musician in the band. We wanted to have control over the energy level currently happening with the audience and create a non-stop show similar to the way a DJ can blend music together without breaks.

Even though I stepped away from this group about 10 years ago, a lot of what we created early on still works today, and last week, I was able to fill in for them (after 10 years) without a lot of effort to get myself back up to speed. 

The Usefulness of Medleys

Whether you write your own music or play cover songs (or a bit of both), putting together a medley of songs can create a different level of engagement with your audience and make your show more fun for you as a musician. 

Here are 10 reasons why I think creating a medley of songs to perform live can be advantageous compared to playing individual original or cover songs one at a time:

1. By blending multiple songs together, you create a seamless flow that keeps the audience engaged and entertained.

2. Medleys allow you to surprise the audience by incorporating unexpected song choices 

3. You can showcase a broader range of musical styles, genres, or eras in a single performance. This variety appeals to a wider audience and keeps the setlist feeling fresh and dynamic.

4. By demonstrating your ability to seamlessly transition between different songs and styles, you highlight your versatility as a musician.

5. Performing a medley lets you choose which snippets of each song to use. This allows you to control the time frame which can be useful in situations where you have limited performance time.

6. Creating a medley requires rearranging songs, incorporating different musical elements, and adding your unique touch. This process allows for a lot of creative expression where you put your own twist on the music, setting you apart from others.

7. This a probably my favorite reason. Medleys are really good at maintaining audience attention. Transitions happen quickly between songs which keeps the audience guessing what comes next. 

8. When crafting a medley, you are forced into ensuring smooth transitions between songs. This skill is valuable in live performances and demonstrates your ability to create a cohesive and polished set. No awkward silences between songs.

9. Medleys can evoke strong emotions by blending songs with complementary themes or by building powerful musical contrasts. By paying attention to this, you can create an emotional journey with a deeper connection to your audience.

10. Medleys offer the opportunity to create a dynamic performance by combining upbeat sections of some songs and calm sections of others. This creates an atmosphere, encourages audience participation, and allows you to control how your show ebbs and flows.

How Do You Make A Medley?

For the purpose of performing live, a medley can start with something as easy as two songs.

1. My suggestion to you is that if you want to perform one song, you should automatically try to look and listen for a potential second song that you can play with the first. Whether it is original music or cover music, there is often a complementary song that can work with the first.
   
   Check out this YouTube Short as an example:
2. If you do find that second song, then you can look at how to best blend the two songs together like a straight cut from one to the next, overlapping vocals, etc. 
3. Beyond that, look to see if you can add a 3rd, 4th, 5th song, or more using the same routine.
4. If you want to get really creative with it, start paying attention to the song themes, keys, genres, energy levels, and which piece of each song makes the most sense to use. By doing this, your medley starts to become its' own story that ebbs and flows like chapters in a book.

As someone who has seen the benefits of this, I can tell you that it is an extremely useful skill set that sadly, many live performers will never realize. If you are interested in diving deeper into this topic, please take a look at my Medley Mania course about creating effective medleys to use on stage. 

Final Thoughts

The effectiveness of your medley will depend on your ability to create a skillful arrangement with great song selection, and your own performance abilities on stage. With careful planning and practice, a well-executed medley can truly enhance your live performances.

Whether you are by yourself on stage or with a 13-piece band, you can create a great medley ... just start with that first song and see what happens.

Thanks for reading.

Best of luck with your next performance and have a great week!

Danny