What is a good-sized repertoire?

Subject: What is a good-sized repertoire?
From: GUEST,G B-P
Date: 02 Feb 24 - 03:27 PM

I'm currently reading a book on Folk Song in England where the author talks about the size/scope of singers' repertoires at the time the first revivalists were collecting folk songs-apparently this ranged between those who only knew one or two songs well enough to sing publicly, through to some who knew up to 400-odd; which seems staggeringly high to me. It got me wondering how many songs most modern folksingers have in their repertoire (by which I mean, songs the singer both knows well enough to sing publically/without prompts, and which they actually DO sing publicly at least on occasion). And what people consider to be a good sized repertoire? I'd be interested to hear everyone's take on this-irrespective of how good they are and whether they are pro, semi pro or amateur. Some personal context: I sing mostly trad folk these days though I used also to sing a lot of my own material. In recent months I've made the conscious effort to learn a lot of "new" traditional songs (new in the sense I'd not previously sung them), and drop nearly all of my own efforts from my repertoire. I'd describe myself, rightly or wrongly, as a gifted amateur- I've sporadically done paid stuff but I've got a day job, mortgage etc and no interest in the professional folk scene as a performer (or as a listener that much-I like sessions, singarounds etc). I counted my own current repertoire at 41 songs today; my gut feeling is I could do with getting that well.over 50, maybe closer to 100 though that'll take some effort. Thoughts please?

Subject: RE: What is a good-sized repertoire?
From: GUEST,G B-P
Date: 02 Feb 24 - 03:29 PM

PS, should also have asked, is it generally easier to learn and maintain a larger repertoire if you sing unaccompanied and don't have to worry about coming up with an instrumental arrangement and then practicing so you can play it reliably well? I only sing a handful of unaccompanied songs and play guitar on the rest.

Subject: RE: What is a good-sized repertoire?
From: GUEST,Tom Patterson
Date: 02 Feb 24 - 06:09 PM

I would say just learn the songs which you like, are interesting and suit your voice. Just work from there and let your repertoire build. You only need a large number of songs if you are playing the same venue week after week as a main resident singer. Best of luck with it.

Subject: RE: What is a good-sized repertoire?
From: Robert B. Waltz
Date: 02 Feb 24 - 06:48 PM

I have heard at least one professional (Jerry Rau) say explicitly that his repertoire automatically fixed itself at about ninety -- if he learned a new song above that number, he just stopped doing another. I seem to have heard similar things from one or two others -- the size of their repertoire is somewhere between 75 and 100 songs, although they weren't quite as precisely fixed.

Another way of looking at it is that a performer working the worst possible gig (by which I mean a four hour show for tips only) needs to have enough material for about three hours of actual performance. Some are willing to repeat songs; some aren't. For those who aren't, allowing four minutes per song (including something to say between songs), for 180 minutes, means you need a minimum of about 45 songs. Allowing for seasonal variation, that makes a minimum of about sixty.

Back when I was practicing more, I probably had on the order of 125 in my head.

I personally do not find that performing songs a capella makes them easier to remember. If anything, it makes it harder to remember a song, because it means more concentration on the exact details of how to vary the pace and such. But I play almost entirely by ear, and can play most songs without really needing to practice -- the problem is to remember the words; the accompaniment is automatic. (I have to remember which instrument to use, but that's easier a lot easier than the words. :-)

That might, to be sure, be an autistic thing -- a special skill. I've known other performers who seem to have that skill without being autistic, though.

Subject: RE: What is a good-sized repertoire?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 02 Feb 24 - 10:37 PM

I got my start singing for kids at campfires, and I've sung for children all my life. I counted up my repertoire once, and was surprised to find I knew some 300 children's songs. I didn't start learning adult songs until I was almost 50, so I find it much harder to retain them. People sometimes criticize me for using cheat sheets for adult songs, but I ain't no slouch in other categories.

I've been in church choirs since fifth grade, and people are always amazed at how many church songs I know.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: What is a good-sized repertoire?
From: GUEST,jim bainbridge
Date: 03 Feb 24 - 04:26 AM

practice- what's that?

Subject: RE: What is a good-sized repertoire?
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 03 Feb 24 - 11:46 AM

I would say that I perhaps have about 40 that I could sing without crib sheets, but hundreds that I could do with the reminder sheet there. Or if someone else is singing them - then I know ALL the words, but....I wouldn't be able to lead the same song myself as I haven't yet got them all in the right order (Eric Morecambe??!!)
Add to that, I'm an instrumentalist too, so there are a lot of tunes also in my head, which hopefully keep my brain cells from degenerating.

Subject: RE: What is a good-sized repertoire?
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 03 Feb 24 - 02:52 PM

About 4' 2"

Subject: RE: What is a good-sized repertoire?
From: GUEST,G B-P
Date: 03 Feb 24 - 03:23 PM

Thanks to everyone who has chimed in so far. Based on what I've read and my own gut feeling, I think 80-odd is probably a good number to aim at. I've managed to add two more since my last post so hopefully that should be achievable within a few months.

Subject: RE: What is a good-sized repertoire?
From: The Sandman
Date: 03 Feb 24 - 04:29 PM

dont worry about size just choose songs that you like

Subject: RE: What is a good-sized repertoire?
From: GUEST,matt milton
Date: 03 Feb 24 - 07:04 PM

Yeah, to echo those above it seems whimsical to aim at a specific number. I mean, if you want to learn 80 songs, by all means go for it but there's no point learning a song unless it really speaks to you. I do wonder when you'll get the chance to sing them all... who is the beneficiary of this ultimately?

I go to one folk club very regularly, and I'm aware if I've sung particular songs there too many times. I feel like I should bring along something new from time to time. I have quite a few songbooks, with songs marked up that I like. Every so often I'll get one down off the shelf and something about it might suddenly make it seem imperative that I learn it. I probably know about 50 songs off by heart, having been singing folk for about 20 years now, and that's more songs than I have time to regularly sing.

Subject: RE: What is a good-sized repertoire?
From: GUEST,G B-P
Date: 03 Feb 24 - 08:00 PM

Good question, Matt, and I suppose the honest answer is the main beneficiary is me. I've found for various reasons over the past few months that learning new songs, and managing to perform them in public to a reasonable standard, has brought me a degree of satisfaction and enjoyment.

Secondary beneficiaries would be the folk process itself-as someone much better than me once said, the worse thing you can do to a folk song is not sing it-and my peers in the sessions I attend. I don't particularly want to be "that guy" who inflicts the Whistling Gypsy Rover or whatever week in and week out without variation on his captive audience, and as someone operating in a limited geographical area and singing to/with a lot of the same people all the time, this is a potential pitfall.

Obviously I'm only learning songs I actively like; and if I learn a song that turns out not to suit my voice, or the arrangement isn't right, I usually manage to weed it out before I ever get to airing it in public (I can think of a couple of exceptions, but in those instances I knew by about halfway through the song that I wouldn't be performing it again).

Subject: RE: What is a good-sized repertoire?
From: GUEST,DrWord
Date: 04 Feb 24 - 12:10 PM

Ditto to damn’ near everything in response to the OP!
Well put, people! My two cents: join Mudcat! Come and visit!
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