Playing in restaurant-sheet music

[onwan]

I'm looking for some part-time job where I could play the piano. I had some opportunities to play in restaurant or in coffee bar but everything crashed because I have very small repertoire and can play only classical music. Do you know about any music-"songs"  which is possible to be played in restaurant? Do you have any sheet music?
I'll be glad for every answer!

[indianajo]

Buy the Berkeley "Real" Fake book.  Play standards by Johnny Mercer, Hoagy Carmicle, Jerome Kern, Gershwin Bros, Harry Warren Lennon & McCartney,

[ajspiano]

Yes, as above..  just get any and all lead sheets (melody notated, chord symbals written above) and learn how to improvise the accompaniments while sight reading the leads. Your repertoire will effectively expand to 1000's of tunes once you're able to do it well enough to perform like that.

[the_fervid_pig]

Real/Fake/Buskers books, all the same thing melody line and chords. Amazon is awash with them.

[danthecomposer]

Perhaps your part-time job should be teaching and not showing yourself up as under par?  I'm a jazz pianist by profession and have played in hotels and restaurants in London, Paris and Budapest where I am now.  I know all the standards and I can jazz up the odd classical piece if required, and I don't use music at all; I'm just alone.

I cringe a little to think that you will be doing what I do, without even knowing jazz, probably not being able to improvise or do a song justice.  By all means play classical, it can be nice in a restaurant, but if you'd like to have some more personal advice, feel free to email me via my profile.

Good luck

[pianoplunker]

I'm looking for some part-time job where I could play the piano. I had some opportunities to play in restaurant or in coffee bar but everything crashed because I have very small repertoire and can play only classical music. Do you know about any music-"songs"  which is possible to be played in restaurant? Do you have any sheet music?
I'll be glad for every answer!

Classical music is not your problem, lack of repertoire is a problem. You have to understand in a restaurant setting, people are not there to listen you play piano. they are there to eat, and the piano is there to add to the flavor of the atmosphere. The repertoire for that has to be good enough to listen to in the background while people converse and eat. another poster also mention jazz standards which are fabulous and once in a while someone from the crowd will try to be prestiguos and request "Gershwin" or "Errol Garner" just to be cool.  you'll also need to feel perfectly comfortable making up music as you go. You probably could start by listening to others who play at a restaurant.  To do this for money you need to be able to play or fake at least 1000 titles.  That is where improvising helps.,

[ajspiano]

Perhaps your part-time job should be teaching and not showing yourself up as under par?

...

I cringe a little to think that you will be doing what I do, without even knowing jazz, probably not being able to improvise or do a song justice.

For one, teacher's should have the knowledge and skills required to both do a song justice, and improvise, regardless of whether their strong suit is classical, jazz or otherwise.

Secondly, improvisation, while a nice and valuable addition, is not required to do a 'jazz' tune justice. It might be wrong to call it jazz per se, but the music can still be very enjoyable to listen to and would be fine as restaurant background music...  certainly doesnt need a "cringe"

Lastly, anyone who embarks on that path - of "restaurant" gigs, will ultimately have to learn the skills you're touting, the required repertoire is simply too large. I've played gigs like this that went for 4-5 hours, every Friday and Saturday, there's frequently the same patrons at the venue. You need to be able to improvise and arrange tunes yourself in that context or you'll soon run into problems as you'll be repeating yourself constantly.. (imagine the pile of sheet music you'd have to carry around otherwise) You must know this..  you must also know that arranging tunes from lead sheets, and in turn beginning to improvise over the chord changes is the one of the steps in acquiring these skills.

Why discourage such a pursuit by suggesting that you would "cringe" at the thought of it. And why assume that the OP would not work to gain a sufficient degree of competence there before accepting payment for performance?

[danthecomposer]

Why discourage such a pursuit by suggesting that you would "cringe" at the thought of it. And why assume that the OP would not work to gain a sufficient degree of competence there before accepting payment for performance?

1.  Because I have left many a café due to the pianist being under par and have witnessed many a grimace on customers' faces at the pianist's ability.

2.  The OP's first sentence is active, present continuous:  "I am looking for...".  That means there is no active or obvious intention to study jazz and enhance their repertoire before accepting a paid gig.  If there were, they would be doing that right now, then come to the forum for advice with a larger repertoire under their belt.

Notice, however, that I offered free advice via PM since I would be more than capable and happy to share my knowledge and experience with the OP; I have no intention to knock them or discourage them, however, I would certainly cringe at the thought of their playing at this particular point in time, their ability laid bare in the OP, otherwise it would not have been created.

[ajspiano]

while you're probably right, you are way off the mark in other respects.

I apologise for my former response which was a little blunt - however, I am a teacher professionally (as well as a performer) and you suggested that the OP make that an alternative job, which he/she is also clearly unqualified for. I "cringe" at the thought of it.

[danthecomposer]

Yes, I agree, I should not perhaps have said 'be a teacher'.  I meant that, if he can already play classical piano, he probably has some level and could take on very new beginners and have more success than embarassing himself (as he wrote he has already done) in a restaurant!

I sent him an email to offer help anyway.

Best,
Dan