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JrB

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I like to smoke weed before I make a commitment to a song or a mix. It allows me to see the cool/dork factor in a song or a mix and make changes before it goes out into the void. I
highly
recommend it.

 

 

I have long held this believe. Music should sound really good while stoned. Having an expanded sense of time allows you to hear more moment-to-moment detail in the music.

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Once you finish your set, move all your gear off stage and THEN break it down. Don't do it on stage or all the other bands will hate you and never want to play with you again.



This please. And don't go have a chat with your broez or a drink at the bar or a fumble in the toilets with that girl/guy who was checking you out during your set first. Take your {censored} off the stage NOW. You're not a {censored}ing rock star yet (unless you are, in which case some other dude is moving your junk, so it's cool :thu: ). Business before pleasure.

Cirrus nailed pretty much every other aspect of live playing etiquette :thu:

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-don't come to the gig without the things you need to play. If you're asking other bands for picks, leads, straps or amps, you shouldn't be gigging because you obviously don't care enough about the show or the audience to think it through.



Ugh. This.

If you want to be a musician, you need to own the tools of your trade and maintain them properly. You wouldn't expect to hire a builder and have him turn up at your house and ask if he could borrow a cement mixer and some bricks. :facepalm:

IMO you should treat being in a band like a job if you get paid for it, or ever hope to. Get to rehearsals, recording sessions and gigs on time, sober (because I'm not buying this "get baked and you'll be awesomer" horse{censored}) and with all the equipment you're expected to bring. Working. Treat people with respect- bandmates, promoters, sound engineers, audiences, whoever, and be a team player. It really won't matter how talented you are if you can't get your {censored} together, or if you're a massive wanker who's thoroughly unpleasant to be around. You can never underestimate the value of being a decent human being.

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Ugh. This.


If you want to be a musician, you need to own the tools of your trade and maintain them properly.


It really won't matter how talented you are if you can't get your {censored} together, or if you're a massive wanker who's thoroughly unpleasant to be around. You can never underestimate the value of being a decent human being.



I did a paid gig (on bass) where the guitarist didn't own a guitar, amp, tuner or leads. In fact the only thing he did own was a Moog Low Pass Filter :facepalm: He borrowed everything. He told me how to play bass and during the gig actually expected a very pregnant woman to carry his amp on stage. Knob.

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-Don't overestimate gear durability, when you detect a faulty patch, pedal, tube or else, repair/change it. Don't wait for it to fail on stage.

-Don't overestimate yourself, if you don't brainstorm your weaknesses or listen to other people, you'll reach a stagnating point and eventually lose motivation later.

-Share your practicing time, like half fun (a cover you wanted to do) half not so fun (scales, exercices...). It's motivating.

-Try to write songs, you play for pleasure, not for impersonating somebody each time.

 

But I think the most important tip I got is HAVE FUN !

Second place is : don't get a divorce on GAS issues

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I would say that its important to play to your strengths as a band and as an individual, even though it may take years to figure out what those strengths are. I know that i have a much better ear for texture than I do for pitch, so I try to build progressions that make sense to me. My knowledge of theory is pretty weak, so I try to work with what I have to create the same effect as someone that really knows their stuff.

 

On that subject, theory is helpful. But if you can't make something simple sound good, then no amount of theory will help you.

 

In terms of influences, I try to avoid learning songs by guitarists that I really like. For example, I'm quite the Frusciante fan boy, but I only know how to play 1 or 2 of his songs. This way I don't end up ripping him off, but I can still be influenced by the feel and mood of his music.

 

You are never more than two frets from a note that will work.

 

As far as recording goes, preproduction is a big one. Also get your drummer to rehearse to a click a bunch of times before going to the studio. I don't like drummers playing to the click all the time because it sucks some of the humanity out of the performance. Just be ready to do it in the studio. Having said that, if you don't need a click when recording, don't use one. I have found that in songs where there is a delay in time throughout the song, the click can kill the mood.

 

One of my recording tricks is to always record two amps at once. Partially so i can use stereo effects, but mostly because it sounds thick without becoming cluttered with overdubs.

 

my 2 cents.

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This please. And don't go have a chat with your broez or a drink at the bar or a fumble in the toilets with that girl/guy who was checking you out during your set first. Take your {censored} off the stage NOW. You're not a {censored}ing rock star yet (unless you are, in which case some other dude is moving your junk, so it's cool
:thu:
). Business before pleasure.


Cirrus nailed pretty much every other aspect of live playing etiquette
:thu:



We did a residency for 5 months and i didn't have to take my {censored} off straight away, it was liberating.

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Always record guitar with at least two mics. You can get away with one on each amp/cabinet if you're using more than one amp, but I've found the best way to get the amp to sound something like what's in the room is using two mics panned very slightly.

Chances are, when you're thinking of a guitar sound, you're actually thinking of a BAND sound. This is especially true of heavy music.

Similarly, when you're learning a cover song, don't try to play the whole band's sound at once. Learn to distinguish the components that make up that sound and you will then learn how to construct your own songs.

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I've been gigging and making music for about 40 years, I've had more success than most people will ever have, but there were so many things I think I should have done, so I'll come at this from a different angle - regrets:

 

I wished I would have put more time into becoming a better guitarist when I was in my teens and twenties. I was/am still a good guitarist, but I spent too much time getting high and getting laid to become great.

 

When my band got kicked off our major record label after two albums, I should off taken more advantage of the connections I had at the time instead of sitting around feeling sorry for myself.

 

I wished I would have taken more risks. I never put myself in a situation where I thought I might fail. I should have pushed the band to go to Europe. I should have tried to get more session work when I was "famous".

 

Anyway, that's about it, not too many regrets really. I'm still gigging and recording, though I'm not trying to "make it" anymore. Now I just do it because I know I'm good at it and it's a blast most of the time.

 

One more thing.

 

Most bands that become successful enough to make a living have people in the band that are good at business. A successful band is a money making entity. When I look back at the bands that I've been in that have done well there were a always a few guys who knew how to get a good lawyer, make deals with managers, hire artists and light people, get people to give you money (invest in you). If you are not good at that, hook up with people who are.

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Always go pee
before
you go on stage.

 

 

And whatever you do, don't all go completely stuff yourself on Pizza Hut food 20 mins before the start of your set. You'll end up playing at half speed, trying not to be sick after every high note...

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a few nuggets i don't think have been mentioned yet:

 

- Garbage In, Garbage Out OR You Can't Polish a Turd: your sound comes from the sum total of the player, the instrument, the micing, the FX, and the mixing. suckage in the early part of the chain is going to become MORE (not less) apparent when it is miced and amplified. the instrument of the electric guitar is exactly that: the guitar plus the amp. your amp is as much (if not more) a part of your sound as your guitar, and you're only as good as the weakest part of your system. a $2000 guitar through a $200 amp is going to sound more like a $200 amp than a $2000 guitar.

 

- The Guitar is a Rhythm Instrument: guys who can wank crazy solos are useless unless their rhythm chops are equally solid. playing rhythm accounts for over 95% of guitar playing, so it had better be chunky and in-time. when looking for players, a band will choose a solid rhythm player with so-so leads over a solid lead player with so-so rhythm every time.

 

- Tone is Everything #1: guys with mad technical skills are not going to get the gig if their tone sucks. when you get right down to it, music is nothing but an arrangement of tones. so no matter how great your playing is, if your tone sucks, you suck. you don't need to spend thousands and thousands of dollars on a vintage guitar and a boutique amp, but if your guitar and amp are worth less than $700 - 1000 total, you've probably under-invested in your gear. how about instead of getting another stupid tattoo, you get rid of that crappy solid-state piece of junk you're always complaining about? there is always a market for decent used music gear if you decide you can't afford it or don't like it. also learn to tweak your amp to sound good IN THE BAND. it's tragic how many people have great gear but absolutely no clue how to make it sound good.

 

- Attitude is Everything #2: it's easy to take a good guy and make him into a better guitar player. it's next to impossible to take a douchebag and make him into a better person. be a responsible, helpful, hardworking person and the musical skills will come. always have a good time at gigs. rock out to the other bands, talk to them before and after the show, and show the bar owner that your band is the life of the party. NEVER leave your show early without a valid prior commitment (no, your gf/bf being a needy bitch or you being "tired" are NOT valid prior commitments) and make sure to thank the sound person, door staff, waitstaff, promoter, bar owner, and the other bands. bring a list of the other bands onstage so that you can get their names right!

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