From bedroom tae Hall/gig

Hootsmon

anyone get the fright of their lives when they "made the step up" tae a rehearsal hall or gig after many years playing at friendly TV volumes at home?

I am planning my 1st venture out in a while to a rehearsal hall soon, just for kicks, and I am half expecting to shit myself since it's been sooooo long since I twanged a G string in anger at volume......

professorben

Yep, near shit myself as a 16 yr old when my guitar teacher got me up to play a song at one of his gigs, apparently it had all been arranged with my dad, just no one told me!!!
the first time I hit the low E on his Les Paul through a 2x12 jcm800 I physically jumped. 

thomasross20

Earplugs!

vasselmeyer

It's always shockingly loud when you play with someone on full acoustic kit. I get the earplugs in ASAP once the drummer gets the snare on the stand.

Exorcist

+1 for earplugs my friend, I wouldn't wish my crushing tinnitus on anyone.

thomasross20

Honestly, right... every week for 2-3 hours we play LOUD. Loud drummer so we're all loud. And at least 2 members every time don't wear ear plugs. Every week! They're going to have serious problems in future. I keep mentioning, but they just don't listen. I can't believe it!

Cabicular

You learnt new skills
mainly around how to not make a noise 

HAL9000

thomasross20 said:

...we're all loud. And at least 2 members every time don't wear ear plugs. Every week! They're going to have serious problems in future. I keep mentioning, but they just don't listen.

They probably do listen. They just can't hear you.

the_jaffa

HAL9000 said:

thomasross20 said:

...we're all loud. And at least 2 members every time don't wear ear plugs. Every week! They're going to have serious problems in future. I keep mentioning, but they just don't listen.

They probably do listen. They just can't hear you.

I was just about to type the same thing

thomasross20

Very good

Marktigere1

thomasross20 said:

Honestly, right... every week for 2-3 hours we play LOUD. Loud drummer so we're all loud. And at least 2 members every time don't wear ear plugs. Every week! They're going to have serious problems in future. I keep mentioning, but they just don't listen. I can't believe it!

Yep our drummer never wore them.  Madness!!!

slacker

IMHO the loudness is one issue and one of the things to manage early on. I was in a covers band where the lead guitarist wanted to be louder than the guitar guitarist and me (on bass). We basically ganged up on the guy and forced him to resolve his monitoring problems without constantly turning up. We would stop the rehearsal and make him raise and angle his amp at him. He was a long time bedroom player without any band experience. He's great now. 

The other issue is the nerves in a new situation. I joined a band before I could play and so rehearsals were never a problem. I got really nervous in front of an audience and I had to sort that. My desire to play was greater than my nerves. 

I've been doing various live stuff on various instruments in various styles since 1980 to audiences ranging from 2 to 10000. I shouldnt be nervous, ever. However a new situation makes me nervous. I auditioned for a couple of bands on guitar in 2012 and 2013. I joined both bands (left shortly after) but I was really nervous. This year I'm doing a start up, when I auditioned the drummer, on my kit in my house and I've known him years, I was nervous. 

So short answer get on with it. Long one, learn the material really well, have confidence in your abilities and have a fallback plan when things go wrong. For example if the solo goes off, keep it off a bit more, resolve to the root and convey the impression that you are influenced by John Scofield. 

english_bob

Fright of my life? No. It's fucking brilliant. Puts a big ol' smile on my face every time

gusman2x

If this is turning into a "the other guitarist in my band constantly turns up his volume after s/c, and it's ruining our live sound, and I want to kill him", then count me in.

WRT to OP. Is it just playing loud on your own, or with others? You never need to be that loud to be honest. But yeah it's fun. However, fuck ups sound waaaaay worse.

paulmapp8306

thomasross20 said:

Earplugs!

Are you sure your a guitarist?  Earplugs and light weight gear... Ummmm.  Maybe you should take up something else

professorben

thomasross20 said:

Honestly, right... every week for 2-3 hours we play LOUD. Loud drummer so we're all loud. And at least 2 members every time don't wear ear plugs. Every week! They're going to have serious problems in future. I keep mentioning, but they just don't listen. I can't believe it!

tried sign language? 

wellsyboy

thomasross20 said:

Honestly, right... every week for 2-3 hours we play LOUD. Loud drummer so we're all loud. And at least 2 members every time don't wear ear plugs. Every week! They're going to have serious problems in future. I keep

timmysoft

thomasross20 said:

Honestly, right... every week for 2-3 hours we play LOUD. Loud drummer so we're all loud. And at least 2 members every time don't wear ear plugs. Every week! They're going to have serious problems in future. I keep mentioning, but they just don't listen. I can't believe it!

my hearing is now ruined, i have about 40% in my left ear and infuriating tinnitus in the other. It all from touring and rehearsing over the last ten years. The last year i was in the band we moved over to IEM's, but these didn't really help as the monitor mixes were often shared so volume and angry frequencies were often increased. I do have custom moulded ear plugs, but the damage was already done, i use them a lot now though, even when i go to the drag racing!

My hearing fatigues very quickly now, i can mix or record guitars for about 20 minutes before i lose the low end and top end frequencies, so i have to mix in small bursts.