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Post subject: I'm in a band for the first tme....
Posted: Mon Aug 11, 2014 7:53 pm
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Aspiring Musician
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Location: Pembroke Pines, FL
I'm the guitarist for a band in Miami called DUMAS. I'm trying my best to learn chords on the fly....any recommendations. Im trying to learn the chords for radioheads song jigsaw falling into place...it seems my 2008 MIM strat's neck is really skinny and I have big hands and long fingers.....so it's a challenge.....Our first gig is on Sept. 6th 6pm at Univ. of Miami and our second gig after that is at a place called Open Stage Club. Nervous as all hell....first time in a band...I know you seasoned vets can help.....what should I expect for my first time around a stage and a crowd?

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Your Fender HSS Standard Stratocaster in Electron Blue was made at the Fender Ensenada Plant in Mexico in the Year: 2008.
Final Assembly Date: July 30th, 2008
Model Number: 013 4700 587
Serial # MZ8031252


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Post subject: Re: I'm in a band for the first tme....
Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2014 8:41 pm
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Joined: Sun Mar 23, 2014 8:11 pm
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Location: Northern NJ
Learn your parts and find your way to relax.

My 3rd time playing live was at a college "Spring Sing" show in front of about 600 folks. I have the benefit of being one of those rare types that I have felt more nervous around fellow musicians than audiences. I really never experienced stage fright.

Keep yourself calm and enjoy the ride. I have spent a lot of time in bands talking fellow musicians, more talented than me, down from their nerves. Most folks don't know when you make mistakes (unless it's really obvious) so don't sweat them, just play through it.

Finding your confidence is also key, hesitation leads to mistakes. No matter what the instrument, confidence is a must. Play it and own it - even the mistakes.

My first time playing live was in the basement of a bar - it had 3 floors with music on each. Our floor had no stage, just a tiled area that also served as a dance floor when they had DJ's. I was set up on stage left and the 4th song or so in, these 3 hot girls start walking slowly to the "stage" area. I look at my best friend Mike (the other guitar player) and give him a nod (A total "hey, our first groupies" head nod). It was not to be. In my haste in setting up, I did not realize that the doorway to the hall for the bathrooms was right behind me. I was shocked as these ladies walked right past me and then disappeared. It was also "fun", to hear the occasional toilet flushing in between songs. A humbling experience, but as our drummer's older brother (who got us the gig) told us. If you can play - and play well, in those conditions, then you can play just about anywhere. It was the only time that band played out. We never got to play again before I left the band to go to college.

First gig at gig at the University of Miami, very cool - I almost went there for college - way back when. The cool thing about a setting like that, is it's early in a school year, folks are just looking to have fun. As long as your band can facilitate that, you'll be fine. Expect there to be issues with sound. Get there as early as they will let you and set up and check everything out. Even after all that expect there to be issues.

If you use pedals, but don't have a pedal board, tape your cables so they don't pull out.

If you don't already, loop your guitar cable through your strap near the bridge strap pin so it doesn't pull out of the guitar. Make sure you also leave even room so that the cord is not bent right at the guitar jack.

Take good care of your straps and cables.

Make sure you have plenty of picks and strings.

Pack some ground lifts - expect hum to raise it's ugly head.

Invest in a cable tester - Behringer makes a good one for about $25 bucks.

Have a good and easily visible tuner - I love the Korg Pitch Black.

Protect your ears - you'll need them if you want longevity.

Learn to play well as a band with minimal stage noise (especially in small venues) as this helps the sound guy have the control he needs to make you sound good.

Don't expect that the sound guy knows how to make you sound good. Learn as much as you can and have your own sound guy when you can.

Don't sweat the first 10 gigs, consider them rehearsals with an audience. And that's for every band your in.

Never pair yourself with musicians who 1) won't spend money on their own gear, 2) don't know their parts at rehearsals 3) don't take the music as serious as you do and 4) who take themselves too seriously.

With he right amount of rehearsal you'll do fine - have lot's of fun and let us know how it goes.


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Post subject: Re: I'm in a band for the first tme....
Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2014 8:57 pm
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Aspiring Musician
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Joined: Wed Dec 10, 2008 10:09 am
Posts: 568
Location: Pembroke Pines, FL
Thanks for the insight. It's an interesting journey. Confidence is the key......working on that part.

_________________
Your Fender HSS Standard Stratocaster in Electron Blue was made at the Fender Ensenada Plant in Mexico in the Year: 2008.
Final Assembly Date: July 30th, 2008
Model Number: 013 4700 587
Serial # MZ8031252


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Post subject: Re: I'm in a band for the first tme....
Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2014 10:09 pm
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Well it all went to hell in a handbasket really quickly. They were not as serious as I was.....It was over faster then it began......I'll update the story once all the facts are in. I won't give up....just more motivated now.

_________________
Your Fender HSS Standard Stratocaster in Electron Blue was made at the Fender Ensenada Plant in Mexico in the Year: 2008.
Final Assembly Date: July 30th, 2008
Model Number: 013 4700 587
Serial # MZ8031252


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Profile
Post subject: Re: I'm in a band for the first tme....
Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2014 11:45 am
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The most important thing is to practice at least 2hrs/day ,I know it’s a lot but it is most important .
Practice anything you want just practice. Learn to sing and play at the same time. (very very very important).
It will take your timing to a new level.
Persistence pays off so stick with it.
When your on stage live just focus on what your doing like its just you and the band at practice.


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Post subject: Re: I'm in a band for the first tme....
Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2014 8:09 pm
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Location: South Carolina, USA
Toliver-Lyons wrote:
Well it all went to hell in a handbasket really quickly. They were not as serious as I was.....It was over faster then it began......I'll update the story once all the facts are in. I won't give up....just more motivated now.


Unfortunately this happens a lot, but you've got the right attitude.

Hang in there, RGM.


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Post subject: Re: I'm in a band for the first tme....
Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2014 8:19 pm
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Aspiring Musician
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Joined: Tue Jan 15, 2013 11:12 pm
Posts: 520
Location: Perth, Western Aus.
npaske wrote:
The most important thing is to practice at least 2hrs/day ,I know it’s a lot but it is most important .
Practice anything you want just practice. Learn to sing and play at the same time. (very very very important).


Two hours+ per day is unrealistic for most people. It also brings about diminishing returns due to fatigue, and that leads to bad practice. No one can focus on actual practice for that long. Focussed practice is hard, and requires a fair bit more work than just going over and over songs and chords. Many people will fall back into noodling, or going over stuff they can already do, and calling it a practice session.


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Post subject: Re: I'm in a band for the first tme....
Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2014 10:56 am
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Joined: Sun Apr 22, 2012 7:46 pm
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Drubbing wrote:
npaske wrote:
The most important thing is to practice at least 2hrs/day ,I know it’s a lot but it is most important .
Practice anything you want just practice. Learn to sing and play at the same time. (very very very important).


Two hours+ per day is unrealistic for most people. It also brings about diminishing returns due to fatigue, and that leads to bad practice. No one can focus on actual practice for that long. Focussed practice is hard, and requires a fair bit more work than just going over and over songs and chords. Many people will fall back into noodling, or going over stuff they can already do, and calling it a practice session.


With all respect...

For most people yes 2 hours is a lot to ask. However, if you truly aspire to be a musician making a living in the craft, two hours is not enough. Hours every day are called for. To avoid falling into noodling practice must be compartmentalized into planned segments. Standardized warm ups will take about 15 minutes. In my case I like to block out roughly an hour for left hand technique as I have a weak left hand and need to consciously avoid bad habits . I fingerpick and spend a few minutes on righthand technique. Block out a major chunk of time building your repertoire and learning new pieces. Wrap up your practice by playing tunes you currently know. This is fun and rewarding and by noodling over your current repertoire you are building your jamming skills.

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Check out my finger-style guitar tracks at www.soundcloud.com/billmcmannis


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Post subject: Re: I'm in a band for the first tme....
Posted: Wed Sep 24, 2014 11:05 pm
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Location: Harvard IL
Toliver, I've played in bands since 15yrs old, now I'm 65yrs old. It can still be a struggle to meld with bandmates. The earlier advice of learning your part is paramount. Even in a pick-up band scenario there must be a leader. Ideas coming from all of the players is fine. But you all must decide on a set-list and a structure for each piece of music. In other words: who plays what and when within that piece. When the musical jobs are spread out and agreed upon by all the members, it is an easier situation to gather together. One song or section of a song at a time, leave room for relaxation. No one wants to come to band practice unless it is accommodating and fun!!! The leadership role can fluctuate between bandmates, depending on the vision(theme-set list) for each venue. I've found that to work great, it really spreads out the responsibilities. And everyone gets a taste. Been in two bands for 20 yrs+, it's not easy, but you can't beat it when it's cookin' and everyone is grinn'n !!! JMHO ....I have a bandmate that will always give me her sweet smile when I'm so serious about my playing and the rhythm section.....it's all fun!!!!! Keep Pickin'!!! Art

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Post subject: Re: I'm in a band for the first tme....
Posted: Fri Oct 03, 2014 7:39 am
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Joined: Sun Jul 29, 2007 6:33 am
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Location: Western Massachusetts, USA
Everything that NJ_WorshipLdr said is spot-on.

I would add this:

Try to help develop a productive practice routine within your band, especially when learning new material together. You might not have total control here, since the interpersonal dynamics within any given band can vary quite widely.

Agree ahead of time that - during rehearsal - if anyone doesn't "get" something (a change in dynamics or something with the arrangement) that there's an opportunity to flag it and work on it right then and there.

Rehearsal should NOT be the place where the songs are "learned". That happens from time to time and it's super-counter-productive. All should do their homework, know their parts, know the arrangments, etc.

But things happen to cause individuals to become misaligned on things from time to time. Once, my band was listening to different releases (arrangements) of the same song. We learned different things and rehearsal was a bit of a trainwreck until we figured that out.

Get buy-in on rehearsal routines from everyone. It will pay off!


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Post subject: Re: I'm in a band for the first tme....
Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2014 3:04 am
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I'm 55 years old and started playing in bands when I was about 15 or so. Speaking from experience , I would say that everyone in the band , has to be on the same page musically. As far as practice is concerned , you should give yourself at least a hour daily to improve your skills at home. Work on what you feel are your weaknesses and also learn whatever songs that band wants to do. When the band is together , take 2 songs at practice , and concentrate on those 2 songs only and nothing else. Also, make sure you don't have any distractions around such as girlfriends, alcohol, etc. I've seen those ruin too many bands. While being in a band is a business , make sure you also have fun as well and that everybody gets along with each other. If any member starts developing " Attitude or Ego Issues " , get rid of them. They are what we call " Band Cancers " and will bring you down faster than white on rice.


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Post subject: Re: I'm in a band for the first tme....
Posted: Tue Jun 23, 2015 10:24 pm
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When I was in a full time band (late 60s to mid-70s) pretty much all I did all day every day was play guitar. That was also my band mates' level of commitment and the payoff -- we really could have fun on stage once we walked out. All the elements of the songs had been worked out and rehearsed. We knew that we'd make mistakes but we all knew each other so well that it was never a problem. Sure, if we thought we blew it particular song, it would get more rehearsal time. In short ... if you're looking to do this as a living, then do it like a job. All out, all in.

And yes, you do have to be on the same page musically with your bandmates. That (now that I'm 63 and looking to get back into it) seems to be the hardest step. Finding people who love to play, no problem. But the same thing, same level of commitment, same concept ... there you just have to keep looking. But if you love to play, it can be fun looking. As I see it, jamming with any group who're at least serious about music beats a night in front of the TV hands down. I only get a bit annoyed when it turns out they only wanted to mess around and make noise.

In terms of gig time ... I just never look beyond going out and playing. I enjoy it, and if the gig goes south, that just becomes part of your memories. it's going to happen sometime and that's what we call experience. I only start to worry (and yes I'm stealing this from one of my favorite movies) when they have the chicken wire up between the band and the audience. At 5'5", I never could outrun too much :)


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Post subject: Re: I'm in a band for the first tme....
Posted: Sun Jun 28, 2015 5:54 am
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As another oldie (58 ... gigging since 15), I would advise taking a structured approach to learning and rehearsing.

EVERY band member should learn their own parts individually. Rehearsal time is important, make best use of it!

When learning songs, don't be too proud to look up the chords and tab on popular sites, this will speed up the process.

Get hold of the track. If you play it in a different key, transpose the mp3 in something like Audacity.

Play along with the track until you don't even have to think about it. If you are unsure, go back and do some more research/learning.

Write out a setlist, even if eventually you play the tracks in a different order, you will be used to following a setlist.

Once you can play one track, congratulate yourself. This is important.

When you are not learning/rehearsing, listen to the tracks you will be playing on whatever audio device you use. This will reinforce the structure of the songs in your mind.

If you follow this structured approach you will win. I have just learned 2 x 45 minute sets in 1 week using this approach.

The very best of luck to you.
8)


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Post subject: Re: I'm in a band for the second time....
Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2015 11:32 am
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Location: Pembroke Pines, FL
Thank you all for your advice. It seems I might be at it again with a different group of people....much better practice space out in North Miami Beach on the water and the vibe seems right but then again this was the first rehearsal...LOL.

_________________
Your Fender HSS Standard Stratocaster in Electron Blue was made at the Fender Ensenada Plant in Mexico in the Year: 2008.
Final Assembly Date: July 30th, 2008
Model Number: 013 4700 587
Serial # MZ8031252


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Profile
Post subject: Re: I'm in a band for the first tme....
Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2015 11:34 am
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Joined: Wed Dec 10, 2008 10:09 am
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Location: Pembroke Pines, FL
aclempoppi wrote:
Toliver, I've played in bands since 15yrs old, now I'm 65yrs old. It can still be a struggle to meld with bandmates. The earlier advice of learning your part is paramount. Even in a pick-up band scenario there must be a leader. Ideas coming from all of the players is fine. But you all must decide on a set-list and a structure for each piece of music. In other words: who plays what and when within that piece. When the musical jobs are spread out and agreed upon by all the members, it is an easier situation to gather together. One song or section of a song at a time, leave room for relaxation. No one wants to come to band practice unless it is accommodating and fun!!! The leadership role can fluctuate between bandmates, depending on the vision(theme-set list) for each venue. I've found that to work great, it really spreads out the responsibilities. And everyone gets a taste. Been in two bands for 20 yrs+, it's not easy, but you can't beat it when it's cookin' and everyone is grinn'n !!! JMHO ....I have a bandmate that will always give me her sweet smile when I'm so serious about my playing and the rhythm section.....it's all fun!!!!! Keep Pickin'!!! Art



hank you for the advice...you seem to have lived the life my friend...

_________________
Your Fender HSS Standard Stratocaster in Electron Blue was made at the Fender Ensenada Plant in Mexico in the Year: 2008.
Final Assembly Date: July 30th, 2008
Model Number: 013 4700 587
Serial # MZ8031252


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Profile
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