Do you think noodling around on your guitar when setting up on stage for a gig seems unprofessional? I'm not saying noodling on the guitar like "Look at how good I am" but just playing little licks and riffs while on stage about to play. I'm getting feedback that its clowny and can kind of taint stage presence. Whats all of your takes on it?
Noodling before a gig
- Thread starter NealVossy
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Ns10Fan
Tele-Meister
Eh, every time we would go out, there would be some sort of song we would play with bass/guitar/drums just to warm up and let the sound guy know we were ready. Last tour it was the Beatles' "Don't Let Me Down." Nothing full volume, but just a "hey, let's get this rolling."
Our gigs were nothing you'd call amazing. The few shows where we actually had our names on the tickets, and proper sound checks, we would not do anything of the sort. Go out on stage, kick it, and come off.
Guitar noodling isn't nearly as irritating as drum noodling. One of my pet peeves was the drummer who pounds on the snare/toms and fiddles with his drum key like he knows what he's doing. There was always a drummer who felt the need to play Fall Out Boy's latest intro too. I hate having to get earplugs on before a band is officially playing.
Our gigs were nothing you'd call amazing. The few shows where we actually had our names on the tickets, and proper sound checks, we would not do anything of the sort. Go out on stage, kick it, and come off.
Guitar noodling isn't nearly as irritating as drum noodling. One of my pet peeves was the drummer who pounds on the snare/toms and fiddles with his drum key like he knows what he's doing. There was always a drummer who felt the need to play Fall Out Boy's latest intro too. I hate having to get earplugs on before a band is officially playing.
musicmatty
Former Member
When your onstage, practice time is over..leave the noodling for your room. You are their to entertain and be professional as you can. Music is an art and you only take it out for presentation when you are ready. Noodling suggest immaturity and lack of respect for your art form and for the audience for what should be obvious reasons. 
A small amount of noodling to dial in your gear, check your intonation and get your fingers loose is acceptable, I think. Kind of like the cool sounds you hear from the orchestra before a concert begins.
But once the gig starts, nope, no noodling between songs!
Tim
But once the gig starts, nope, no noodling between songs!
Tim
grasspicker
Tele-Meister
I'm working on 'limiting' my noodling with my honky tonk band. I just like to make certain that pedals, levels, etc are working and where they need to be. Our 'fearless leader' has mentioned it several times...so I try to fit in! However, most of the 'warming up' is done with the amp OFF.
Now, with the bluegrass band, I usually turn my Stelling AWAY from the audience and out of the single mic.
Now, with the bluegrass band, I usually turn my Stelling AWAY from the audience and out of the single mic.
Brad Miller
Tele-Afflicted
I used to play with another guitarist that would play along with the house music. It used to get on my nerves. He finally quit....the band....I am sure he still noodles though.
Joe-Bob
Doctor of Teleocity
You need to warm up your hands before a gig; you can do that with the amp turned off. Then do the minimum you need to double-check your settings.
BTW--You should already know what settings to use/that work for you. Only minor refinements should be necessary.
BTW--You should already know what settings to use/that work for you. Only minor refinements should be necessary.
It drives me crazy.
I warm up/tune/all that biz with my amp on standby. I can get anything adjusted that needs to be sussed out within seconds regarding levels and volume while still banging out a few chords once the whole band starts playing. I hate having to yell to have a conversation just because someone who I'm paying can't control themselves. I don't like having someone lean into me two inches away yelling in my ear either.
If you need something to do with your hands waiting for the song to start put a beer in one of them and relax.
I warm up/tune/all that biz with my amp on standby. I can get anything adjusted that needs to be sussed out within seconds regarding levels and volume while still banging out a few chords once the whole band starts playing. I hate having to yell to have a conversation just because someone who I'm paying can't control themselves. I don't like having someone lean into me two inches away yelling in my ear either.
If you need something to do with your hands waiting for the song to start put a beer in one of them and relax.
I hate the noodles. I have quit other people's bands, and fired people from my bands over noodling situations that could not (or would not) be rectified.
That said, I am with Tim. I will hit a couple of chords, maybe a quick lick when I walk onto the stage, just to make sure everything is proper with the rig. Nothing like going for the first big downbeat and hearing something REALLY wrong, or worse yet, nothing at all. Both will eventually happen to you if you play for long enough.
Finalizing settings during the first tune is usually not an option for me, as I am too busy handling the vocals. I can't really look very professional stepping off the mic in the first verse to fix my amp settings. In an emergency, I've had to do it, but I try to avoid it at all costs. If something is fishy that I didn't catch, I just have to live with it until the first song is over, then make quick adjustments.
That said, I am with Tim. I will hit a couple of chords, maybe a quick lick when I walk onto the stage, just to make sure everything is proper with the rig. Nothing like going for the first big downbeat and hearing something REALLY wrong, or worse yet, nothing at all. Both will eventually happen to you if you play for long enough.
Finalizing settings during the first tune is usually not an option for me, as I am too busy handling the vocals. I can't really look very professional stepping off the mic in the first verse to fix my amp settings. In an emergency, I've had to do it, but I try to avoid it at all costs. If something is fishy that I didn't catch, I just have to live with it until the first song is over, then make quick adjustments.
Del Pickup
Poster Extraordinaire
I agree about minimising 'noodles' in set up time. I think it looks a bit naff.
One of our guitar players is forever fiddling with the settings on his Boss multi effects box and it drives me crazy cos it seems to take him forever and it happens at every gig (and every practice come to think of it).
I've asked him about it and he just tells me that he needs to adjust parameters on the different patches cos they're different from the last time he used it - he plays in another louder, hard rock outfit as well. I suggested that he should make a note of the settings he needs for each band and then adjust them silently rather than the constant noodling but he just seems to ignore that suggestion!
I (and the other guitar player in the band) have our amps more or less dialled in for the tones and volume we like and the settings on our pedals seldom seem to need adjusting.
I can check that everything's working and set properly in a minute or two at the most and then I'm set to go.
I wish I could find a nice way of getting across to him - but I know that whatever the words used they'll be taken the wrong way......
One of our guitar players is forever fiddling with the settings on his Boss multi effects box and it drives me crazy cos it seems to take him forever and it happens at every gig (and every practice come to think of it).
I've asked him about it and he just tells me that he needs to adjust parameters on the different patches cos they're different from the last time he used it - he plays in another louder, hard rock outfit as well. I suggested that he should make a note of the settings he needs for each band and then adjust them silently rather than the constant noodling but he just seems to ignore that suggestion!
I (and the other guitar player in the band) have our amps more or less dialled in for the tones and volume we like and the settings on our pedals seldom seem to need adjusting.
I can check that everything's working and set properly in a minute or two at the most and then I'm set to go.
I wish I could find a nice way of getting across to him - but I know that whatever the words used they'll be taken the wrong way......
Once I am sure everything is working and dialed in, it is time to be quiet.
Until the sound check that is.
After the sound check, it is time to be quiet.
Of course, in the last band I seemed to be in the minority on that.
In my real world, the customers wouldn't even see us on stage in our playing clothes until we start.
But that minority thing comes around on that one too...
Just ask yourself how Marty Stuart would do it.
Until the sound check that is.
After the sound check, it is time to be quiet.
Of course, in the last band I seemed to be in the minority on that.
In my real world, the customers wouldn't even see us on stage in our playing clothes until we start.
But that minority thing comes around on that one too...
Just ask yourself how Marty Stuart would do it.
Joe-Bob
Doctor of Teleocity
trag-o-caster
R.I.P.
I saw Danny Gatton from just several feet away at a big festival. He came out with no announcement, plugged in and starting tuning up and noodling. The amp mic wasn't turned up, so all that we were hearing was just from his amps. WOW! He noodled for about a minute, just messing around, and completely blew my mind!
And then the show started, the amp mic came on, and his tone was really shrill coming out of the mains. Other than that it was a great show, but I thank God for than one minute of noodling before the show kicked off.
I noodle between songs once in a while. I like playing these little guitar cadenza's that usually lead into whatever the next song is (whether the band realizes it or not!). Sometimes I'll play a short solo rendition of "Mr. Sandman" and jump into "Hoochie Coochie Man", or a short bit of "Malaguena" leads nicely into Lazy Lester's "Sugar Coated Love".
And then the show started, the amp mic came on, and his tone was really shrill coming out of the mains. Other than that it was a great show, but I thank God for than one minute of noodling before the show kicked off.
I noodle between songs once in a while. I like playing these little guitar cadenza's that usually lead into whatever the next song is (whether the band realizes it or not!). Sometimes I'll play a short solo rendition of "Mr. Sandman" and jump into "Hoochie Coochie Man", or a short bit of "Malaguena" leads nicely into Lazy Lester's "Sugar Coated Love".
chknpckn
Tele-Meister
If customers of the venue are already there when you are sound checking, no noodling. It's annoying and unprofessional. Get your gear set up quick, check levels and rawk!
At soundcheck with no patrons, it's cool to a point. Don't be playing loudly when the sound guy is bending down to set up the mic on your amp. I believe this is the reason that some soundguys can be bitter A-holes.
At soundcheck with no patrons, it's cool to a point. Don't be playing loudly when the sound guy is bending down to set up the mic on your amp. I believe this is the reason that some soundguys can be bitter A-holes.
Noodles are bad, bad, bad. I always try to play like my life depended on it.
I do a little. But it's just to make sure everything is fuctioning and ready to go. When the soundguy starts asking for things, I'm quiet until it's my turn. The other night while we were getting ready, the percussionists and I got a little jam going. We weren't playing at show volume. It helped us relax and get focused and the audience seemed to like it.
Derek S
Former Member
I use to like to come out onstage and hit 2 chords with the other guitarist in an offhanded way, little grins on our faces and seeming all rock n' roll, waiting for the inevitable applause from the crowd that WE WERE ONSTAGE! About to kick ass, blow their minds and tear the joint down. All a juvenile pose, now that I think about it. But that was the extent of my noodling.
No Noodling.
You get one chord to make sure that everything is working properly.
All noodling is to be done during sound check. You're supposed to know what your amp/guitar sounds like by the time you hit the stage, and warm-ups are to be done in the dressing room.
You get one chord to make sure that everything is working properly.
All noodling is to be done during sound check. You're supposed to know what your amp/guitar sounds like by the time you hit the stage, and warm-ups are to be done in the dressing room.
JayFreddy
Poster Extraordinaire
It depends on the music, the audience, and the band. I don't think it's black and white, good/bad, right/wrong... In some contexts it's perfectly alright, like the Danny Gatton example. If your band isn't digging it, maybe they have a point. Or maybe you need a different band. What's okay for Phish isn't going to fly on Letterman. Unless you are Phish, and happen to be on Letterman...
