Playing in a Band
Here are some commonsense tips for guitar players. Always make sure to tune your instrument prior to the performance at hand. There’s nothing more annoying than an out-of-tune guitar. Not everybody can hear it, but many can, and you don’t want to turn anybody off. You never know who could be in the audience! If you are doing a couple of sets, you will want to monitor your tuning at regular intervals ie....if solo work is being done with lots of string bending, you may want to check the tuning after every solo or at a minumum after every song. New strings will go out of tune quickly if not treated correctly. To avoid this problem get a rough tune and pull each string to get rid of slackness and retune. Now they will stay in tune. A tuner can be placed in-line. That way you can monitor your tuning easily. Make sure everything you need on the gig is with you and available, not left at home.You don’t need the stress of having to drive home in a rush to get back to start the gig.
I like to get to gigs early, which gives me time to setup my rig, check for all sytems go, and relax. If there is an earlier sound check that’s good too. Never leave your guitar at the gig. There are too many stories of instruments disappearing into thin air.When you do eventually get on stage, focus on the music 100%...Give it all you’ve got. That does’nt mean crank the amp up to 10 and let rip! You should be able to hear yourself and everyone else clearly. What you play should compliment what the other musicians are playing, not compete with them. Now when it’s time for your solo that’s another story! You go up in volume some, and it’s your world baby! At the end of the solo you come back down to the previous volume setting and blend in again. Be courteous to your fellow musicians. When someone esle is soloing, try to compliment without being obtrusive. Focus on becoming one with the rythym section. THERE'S A COMMON MISCONCEPTION THAT LOUDER IS BETTER. My advice..Don't make that mistake.. Excessive volume does not hide the absence of good technique and leaves no room for any dynamics.
As a guitarist that works with different musicians, there is one thing I been noticing over and over again.. Many musicians can play a thousand notes a minute, but when it comes to a tasty number or playing a slow groove, they are lost. Whatever happened to the beauty of the ballad? Jazz and all of music would be lost without it! Trust me I wish I cannot overemphasize the importance of learning to play ballads and slow grooves. Anyhow, if this triggers the curiousity of one musician to learn more then it is worth it. Stay tuned for more tips.
