How to build a set list

You’ve chosen the songs, you’ve rehearsed them with the band, but now you have to decide what order to perform them in.

It may not seem like a huge task, but the order in which you sing the songs can have a big impact on the success of your performance.

Here are some of the things you may want to consider in writing your set list:

Time constraints

Is there a given/fixed length for the performance (or for each set if you’re singing more than one)?

This might affect what songs you can choose, or the set in which you put certain songs.

Audience

Who are you performing to and what are they expecting? Do you want to surprise them or give them exactly what they’re after?

What’s the journey you want to take them on; up and down in energy levels, or a constant build to the end of the set?

Themes

Not all performances have or need a theme, but sometimes having one in mind can help you choose which songs to present.

Maybe you’ve a theme that runs throughout your songs, or handful of songs that focus on a similar topic. Will you space out the songs which focus on similar topics, or deliberately group them together?

Technical Challenge

Have you any songs that challenge you or that require you to give a little more than others?

Think about how you space them across the set, and what songs follow them to give you some recovery time.

Tempo/Feel

Be mindful of the speeds and feels of each song and try to vary them throughout the set.

This is especially important if you’re playing for people dancing - think about the flow of the energy, but also the potential need to give people a rest! (This all depends on the purpose of the performance, and the audience you are playing to).

Key

To create a varied set, you might want to separate songs which are in the same key. Alternatively, grouping them together could create a potential medley moment!

Talking

Are you going to chat between every song, or will some run straight to the next?

Have you thought about what to say? Factual information about when a song was written and by whom can be interesting, but so can a story about why you love the song or how you first came about it.

Of course, not every gig will be suitable for chatting between songs, so be aware of the environment and audience.

Opening and Closing numbers

Having considered all these elements, a good place to start when writing your set list is to choose your closing song (don’t forget you might need to hold something back for an encore!) and working backwards by 2 or 3 to ensure a strong ending to the performance.

Next up, choose the opening song for each set taking into account whether you might be nervous, pre-performance.

Finally, fill in the gaps while being mindful of the points above.

For more singing practice tips you can follow me on social media @TessaSmithMusic, or explore thesingersguide.com where there are resources all about optimising your singing practice.