Stamina. Few mention this but you need it...

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RockerRocker Frets: 4942
..to play a full song or a few songs. Bass means bigger strings and longer stretches so your fretting hand gets a serious workout. It is fine playing a riff a few times but by the end of a song your hand aches a little. Or a lot. Play "Green Onions" for example. Four notes repeated, on different strings!, but it is mighty hard work to keep up while still playing clean crisp notes. Not every song has stretches like GO but you have to work on strength as well as learning where the notes are. At least I had to.
Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. [Albert Einstein]

Nil Satis Nisi Optimum

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Comments

  • CarpeDiemCarpeDiem Frets: 274
    Wis'd. I agree that stamina is probably overlooked. Some of my band mates stop for too many chats during rehearsals imho, and I suspect this is partly down to stamina levels!
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  • You certainly need it for a few hour sets, the key seems to be pacing yourself.  I've got the odd unwanted cramp before, in part due to not drinking enough fluid near the end of long sets, or playing too hard, left hand gripping the next tight or same with the pick, bit of nerves probably in part too... 
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  • I learned to walk through an easy couple of exercises to warm up before I get into playing or practicing.  I've almost always had 3 or 4 sets worth of songs ready to go ranging from dead easy to total workouts so this was mandatory.  Also, I usually take over putting set lists together no matter what kind pf project I'm in. partly because I like to make sure there's a good slow/fast tempo mix, not too many in the same key in a row and not too may barre chord heavy songs in a row anywhere. 

    “Theory is something that is written down after the music has been made so we can explain it to others”– Levi Clay


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  • fastonebazfastonebaz Frets: 4065
    I used to be Angus in an acdc cover band.  I was totally exhausted after each gig and it took me days to recover.   I don't know how he did it night after night. 
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  • VibetronicVibetronic Frets: 1036
    You certainly need it for a few hour sets, the key seems to be pacing yourself.  I've got the odd unwanted cramp before, in part due to not drinking enough fluid near the end of long sets, or playing too hard, left hand gripping the next tight or same with the pick, bit of nerves probably in part too... 
    definitely agree - keeping hydrated is really important. I got cramp in my fretting hand once - went completely into spasm and was really painful; always kept drinking (water!) throughout gigs after that.
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  • I completely agree. I remember a band I was in wanted to do an Arctic Monkeys track that involved a fair bit of sliding on bass. It was fine practicing at home but doing it in rehearsal at full speed ripped my fingers apart and wrote off my left hand for a few days.

    Moral of the story, exercises to build up finger strength and conditioning are just as vital as learning scales or arpeggios or any other part of playing music.
    Just so people are aware. I have no idea what any of these words mean.
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  • timmypixtimmypix Frets: 2304
    edited February 2019
    I'm just finding this myself - trying out for a metal band having not played metal in anger for a few years, and my picking stamina has just gone. One song has a tremolo-picked main riff that I can play in isolation, but run the song more than twice in a row and my picking forearm starts seizing up. Spending lots of time with a metronome!
    Tim
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  • octatonicoctatonic Frets: 33725
    Play acoustic guitar with 12's.
    Going back to electric guitar will be easy.
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  • tone1tone1 Frets: 5112
    I used to be Angus in an acdc cover band.  I was totally exhausted after each gig and it took me days to recover.   I don't know how he did it night after night. 
    Amazing, considering he had to get up early for school the next day.... :)
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