This was such a great rundown Aaron! Really appreciate a veteran performer like you taking the time to share these insights. Some of us who are newer to gigging can avoid missteps by paying attention here.
If you're ever so inclined, another gig-related video topic that might be fun could be Aaron's Top 10 crowd-pleaser cover tunes (aka Bangers!). Would love to hear your real-world take on which hits you've seen really get people out of their seats and movin' to the groove. Somehow I think there might be some surprises in there!
Great tips! I’ve been doing it for ages, and in the early days I had a real chip on my shoulder. I think an umbrella word for performance that takes care of a lot of your points is just GRATITUDE. How lucky are we? How many people out there have fantasized about doing what we do, for whom playing for just a handful of people in a tiny venue would be the most epic thing. Thank you for these, I’m gonna send your vid to some students!
Oh man....great point! I often have to remind myself to look through the haze of hauling gear, and traveling, and eating crappy meals, and all the other drudgery that is part-and-parcel of being in a band, and remember to appreciate the fact that hundreds of people have spent money to come see me play the guitar. It's kind of humbling when you think about it!
Really great stuff on here Aaron! This video is going into my "Play Again" list. Thank you so much, every week something new and helpful, insight, intelligent. Our band had something like 35 years together, we genuinely enjoyed and loved each other. Our audience could feel that and enjoy the time too. One place had us crammed in to a little corner and my combo type amp, which had never ever failed, got pushed back up against the wall effectively closing off any air circulation. It overheated and quit, we took a break, rearranged a few things, the amp came back to life and off we went again. Great times, some really cool people to meet and share experience and knowledge with. It's like your channel here but I don't have to lug any gear around 😅
Another tip as a guitarist is to invest in a modeling floor unit even if it's basic. If you run a regular amp and stage pedalboard system, there are many things that can go wrong in your chain. Being able to quickly plug in the modeler, even if it only has 3 or 4 basic stageworthy presets that you have tweaked ahead of time for similar volume, and either plug in to your amp if it's not the problem, or send the signal to the board and have your soundguy send it to monitor mixes, can save the gig so you can wait till the break to troubleshoot. It may not be YOUR sound, but at least it's A SOUND. One other take from Aarons suggestion is that It's a blast to find similar sounding songs in the same tempo and related key, and segue/mashup songs together so the flow does not stop. In my experience, audiences love that, especially if it's a dance crowd.
Yes! My emergency backup for my amp is an Atomic Amplifierbox. It ain't my favorite, but it's small enough to fit in any gig bag, and has an XLR out so you can quickly unplug the cord from the mic that's in front of the amp, jam it in the box, and you're rolling again. I wish more of these small boxes had XLR outs. And also: even rock audiences love the mashups!
The most important and helpfull 16:32 minutes I've seen for a long time in TH-cam! 👏👍In the 70th my 'little' brother and his other 3 school-friends made all these 10 things together exactly totaly wrong in their Band, lol! 😝🤦♂️🤣 Greetings from Germany! 🙋♂️
@@warmoth Weißt Du - an ihren Instrumenten waren sie wirklich super, aber Keiner war für die Bühne geschaffen! Jeder war nur mit sich selbst beschäftigt und starrte meistens ganz ernst auf seine Schuhe! Einmal brannte die Fein-Sicherung des Fender-Amps durch - aber natürlich gab es niemanden, der diese Größe hätte ersetzen können!🫣 Das Ganze war immer schwer mitanzusehen! 🤭🤷♂️😂
This is related to the first tip you said, my guitar teacher told me once "just remember you're voice, your instrument, amp, and everything in between and after are just tools. Tools are not your friend, they will fail when you need them most." Then she told me how to just roll with some of the mistakes and turn them into, what she called "bonus entertainment they didn't expect"
Our lead singer had a massive coughing fit in the middle of the first verse of I Think We're Alone Now and ran to the bar to get some water. To save face, I jumped in and finished the song as Weird Al's I Think I'm A Clone Now (because I know Weird Al a lot better than Tiffany) :)
EPIC! LOL. Reminds of one of my greatest musical triumphs: We were playing gig one December and somebody asked if we had any Christmas songs in the set. I said no. He said I'll give you a hundred dollars if you play one. During a break I grabbed one of our setlists and on the back I rewrote the lyrics to Lenny Kravitz "Are You Gonna Go My Way" to "Are You Gonna Ride My Sleigh". I still have a photo of that lyric sheet somewhere......
I love this! I was in a “civil war era camp and dance band “for 7 years and we were playing in and outdoor camp on a cold night. I was playing Foggy Mountain Breakdown on banjo ( not periodcorrect but audience request) when my long camp skirt caught on fire from a small heater - pyrotechnic entertainment!!
These are all great, Aaron. the only other one I can think of is to make sure that your gear is reliable, portable, and easy to set up and break down. Buy reliable gear (especially including cables) and decent cases that fit everything you need. It makes things easier for everybody else in the band and for sound people when you can get on stage and quickly have your rig up and working correctly in a short amount of time.
Thank you, well said. I’ve lived through a few of those situations. Once read in book about performance. “Smile everyone wants you to do well” probably should have known that before then.
For me as a drummer, it was a drum teacher that stressed having a spare stick within reach at all times so you could grab it when you dropped one without losing the groove. But the real lesson behind it he told me later was the idea that if something goes wrong, always have a way to fix or hid it quickly without bringing attention to it. Strap comes loose? Put it back on with a little flourish. Break a string? Have that other guitar handy on a nearby stand and do a quick changeover while the rest of the band keeps the song going. Most of the time, if it is not a huge bobble or trip no one will notice. If they do and you don't make a big show about it, then it won't matter. And if you do have a huge embarrassing fall on stage and don't hurt yourself, just laugh it off, get up and keep playing! But don't freeze, stop the song, or panic. And I have seen many or my favorite big famous nineties bands at my local big city theater venue tune loudly UNMUTED on stage! For shame! Coughcough *buffalo tom* Cough *belly* Cough * dinousaur jr.* hacka *soul asylum* cough.. *julianna hatfield* ahem *311* noodle noodle *better than ezra* cough.. Boss makes a nice pedal tuner with a mute switch HINT HINT HINT I think it was a thing back in the scrappy indie grunge underground college rock days that they kept when they made it big because anything "pro" or "polished" was uncool. "Drop D? Don't mind if I do!" Plunk plunk plunk...... haha..
Yes. The longer I do this the more I appreciate simplicity. "Technical skill is mastery of complexity, while creativity is mastery of simplicity." ~ E.C. Zeeman
@@warmoth If that jacket really was $19.99 you did well,. Jacket was a good fit for today's video performance. 😀 I am not a musician but I always enjoy these real life stories that are about music performing experiences.
In my particular case, "Make sure you can play well enough to amaze others, not just yourself." Others seem not to appreciate how good a guitarist I really, really am.
Aaron this is awesome!!! I hope that we get to see many more videos here like this, alongside the more Warmoth-specific videos. I love the tip EXAGGERATE! As performers, everything has to be a little bit bigger than real life in order to connect with an audience- I think about how stage makeup looks up close, or how actors say things that we would call "dramatic" in real life, or how explosions in movies are always humongous fireballs! Performance involves engaging all of the senses, not just listening- I would love to exist in the world where my gorgeous sounds speak for themselves, but I'm no Allan Holdsworth, so I gotta put a little more into showmanship, at least until I save up the money for finger implant surgery ;)
Ok I get the point, but like why would anyone buy or own a Tube Screamer without a proper vintage JRC4558D chip. I mean, I'm struggling to relate to that scenario. ;) Great video and solid advice.
Can I add an addendum to #10: know a couple of alternative ways to play a song. Guitar is a unique instrument because they can sometimes fail mid-gig by busting a string, and unlike A-listers you probably don't have a hot swap standing by with a roadie. You should try and learn alternative ways of playing a song so it sounds the same or as close to the same as the original way, but played on other strings. #10a.: if you can bring a spare guitar, do it.
I've known and recorded with Aaron since clear back in 1995!! (#IRONROD) The boy knows what he's talking about. Super sound advice from a seasoned veteran. Oh, and btw...he shreds sick! #rockndocandthebackbones
Aaron, apparently JB didn't get your memo. th-cam.com/video/9UFnH6ohauk/w-d-xo.html And at 1:55 in this one, he forgets the lyrics. But the band keeps rolling. The audience loves this kinda' stuff. th-cam.com/video/RXx_PSnszUI/w-d-xo.html
One thing that bugs me is a pro band that keeps a musician in a corner out of the light. It`s just wrong. It`s usually a keyboard or guitar for fill but if I see a 3 pc band an another guitar sound comes out you know he`s somewhere.
My tip: when your mind goes blank during a guitar solo that you learned note for note from the album…you need to be able to improvise your solo in the correct key always listening to what the band is playing so that you can hear the chord changes. NEVER. Try to play the solo that your mind has gone blank on.
My music teacher in high school, way back when Van Halen Fair Warning just came out, always said, "Learning your instrument is just like sex... ya gotta practice alone before ya get any good..." He was so right!
Dead air…amateurs panic…professionals relax…hard core fans don’t even care…if you’re trying to win over new fans you’ll wish a player like Aaron is in your band!
All valid, but I don't really agree with the exaggeration part. I would maybe just frame it differently. I'd say letting lose so that we allow ourselves to unleash the beast in us could result in that performance that could be more interesting to witness, but not just voluntarily exagerate things. Most people connect with what feels real. Simple minded people go nuts about fake personas and then lose the sense of humanity.
I think "don't be chained to your everyday self" is what he was going for. You're on a stage. There's probably a hundred people, if not more, looking at you. Have charisma. I used to just stand by my amp trying to make sure I hit everything perfectly, but once I started loosening up and engaging with the crowd, *I* had more fun playing shows.
This was such a great rundown Aaron! Really appreciate a veteran performer like you taking the time to share these insights. Some of us who are newer to gigging can avoid missteps by paying
attention here.
If you're ever so inclined, another gig-related video topic that might be fun could be Aaron's Top 10 crowd-pleaser cover tunes (aka Bangers!). Would love to hear your real-world take on which hits you've seen really get people out of their seats and movin' to the groove. Somehow I think there might be some surprises in there!
my elementary-school principle always said, “Practice doesn’t make perfect- practice makes _better.”_
Smart teacher!
Gotta say I love your turtle logo! Please dont ever change that! Most excellent tips btw. Youde becoming my favorite new guitar/performing chanel
Great tips! I’ve been doing it for ages, and in the early days I had a real chip on my shoulder. I think an umbrella word for performance that takes care of a lot of your points is just GRATITUDE. How lucky are we? How many people out there have fantasized about doing what we do, for whom playing for just a handful of people in a tiny venue would be the most epic thing. Thank you for these, I’m gonna send your vid to some students!
Oh man....great point! I often have to remind myself to look through the haze of hauling gear, and traveling, and eating crappy meals, and all the other drudgery that is part-and-parcel of being in a band, and remember to appreciate the fact that hundreds of people have spent money to come see me play the guitar. It's kind of humbling when you think about it!
So true.
I really appreciate your comments about interacting with the audience. That’s so important.
I probably have not nearly gigged as much as you did, but from my own experience, I can whole heartedly support everything that you said here!
Really great stuff on here Aaron! This video is going into my "Play Again" list. Thank you so much, every week something new and helpful, insight, intelligent.
Our band had something like 35 years together, we genuinely enjoyed and loved each other. Our audience could feel that and enjoy the time too.
One place had us crammed in to a little corner and my combo type amp, which had never ever failed, got pushed back up against the wall effectively closing off any air circulation. It overheated and quit, we took a break, rearranged a few things, the amp came back to life and off we went again. Great times, some really cool people to meet and share experience and knowledge with. It's like your channel here but I don't have to lug any gear around 😅
Great advice !
Great advice, Aaron!
This is some really good advice in one place Aaron.
Another tip as a guitarist is to invest in a modeling floor unit even if it's basic. If you run a regular amp and stage pedalboard system, there are many things that can go wrong in your chain. Being able to quickly plug in the modeler, even if it only has 3 or 4 basic stageworthy presets that you have tweaked ahead of time for similar volume, and either plug in to your amp if it's not the problem, or send the signal to the board and have your soundguy send it to monitor mixes, can save the gig so you can wait till the break to troubleshoot. It may not be YOUR sound, but at least it's A SOUND.
One other take from Aarons suggestion is that It's a blast to find similar sounding songs in the same tempo and related key, and segue/mashup songs together so the flow does not stop. In my experience, audiences love that, especially if it's a dance crowd.
Yes! My emergency backup for my amp is an Atomic Amplifierbox. It ain't my favorite, but it's small enough to fit in any gig bag, and has an XLR out so you can quickly unplug the cord from the mic that's in front of the amp, jam it in the box, and you're rolling again. I wish more of these small boxes had XLR outs. And also: even rock audiences love the mashups!
I always learn a lot from Aaron's videos and from this one my main takeaway is how to refer to someone without directly saying their name.
You're throwing me off this morning Aaron with the nice jacket instead of just a warmoth t-shirt 👍🏻
Trying to class this joint up a little!
Stage performance is definitely a skill, it can be nerve wrecking but when you nail a performance it's a lot of fun and rewarding.
The most important and helpfull 16:32 minutes I've seen for a long time in TH-cam! 👏👍In the 70th my 'little' brother and his other 3 school-friends made all these 10 things together exactly totaly wrong in their Band, lol! 😝🤦♂️🤣 Greetings from Germany! 🙋♂️
Danke! Jeder muss irgendwo anfangen! LOL.
@@warmoth Weißt Du - an ihren Instrumenten waren sie wirklich super, aber Keiner war für die Bühne geschaffen! Jeder war nur mit sich selbst beschäftigt und starrte meistens ganz ernst auf seine Schuhe! Einmal brannte die Fein-Sicherung des Fender-Amps durch - aber natürlich gab es niemanden, der diese Größe hätte ersetzen können!🫣 Das Ganze war immer schwer mitanzusehen! 🤭🤷♂️😂
This is related to the first tip you said, my guitar teacher told me once "just remember you're voice, your instrument, amp, and everything in between and after are just tools. Tools are not your friend, they will fail when you need them most." Then she told me how to just roll with some of the mistakes and turn them into, what she called "bonus entertainment they didn't expect"
Bonus entertainment.....I love that!
Our lead singer had a massive coughing fit in the middle of the first verse of I Think We're Alone Now and ran to the bar to get some water. To save face, I jumped in and finished the song as Weird Al's I Think I'm A Clone Now (because I know Weird Al a lot better than Tiffany) :)
EPIC! LOL. Reminds of one of my greatest musical triumphs: We were playing gig one December and somebody asked if we had any Christmas songs in the set. I said no. He said I'll give you a hundred dollars if you play one. During a break I grabbed one of our setlists and on the back I rewrote the lyrics to Lenny Kravitz "Are You Gonna Go My Way" to "Are You Gonna Ride My Sleigh". I still have a photo of that lyric sheet somewhere......
I love this! I was in a “civil war era camp and dance band “for 7 years and we were playing in and outdoor camp on a cold night. I was playing Foggy Mountain Breakdown on banjo ( not periodcorrect but audience request) when my long camp skirt caught on fire from a small heater - pyrotechnic entertainment!!
Superb tips ! ❤❤❤
These are all great, Aaron. the only other one I can think of is to make sure that your gear is reliable, portable, and easy to set up and break down. Buy reliable gear (especially including cables) and decent cases that fit everything you need. It makes things easier for everybody else in the band and for sound people when you can get on stage and quickly have your rig up and working correctly in a short amount of time.
Thank you, well said.
I’ve lived through a few of those situations. Once read in book about performance. “Smile everyone wants you to do well” probably should have known that before then.
Perfect timing on the video Aaron as im starting to gig more! Good stuff as always
For me as a drummer, it was a drum teacher that stressed having a spare stick within reach at all times so you could grab it when you dropped one without losing the groove. But the real lesson behind it he told me later was the idea that if something goes wrong, always have a way to fix or hid it quickly without bringing attention to it. Strap comes loose? Put it back on with a little flourish. Break a string? Have that other guitar handy on a nearby stand and do a quick changeover while the rest of the band keeps the song going. Most of the time, if it is not a huge bobble or trip no one will notice. If they do and you don't make a big show about it, then it won't matter. And if you do have a huge embarrassing fall on stage and don't hurt yourself, just laugh it off, get up and keep playing! But don't freeze, stop the song, or panic. And I have seen many or my favorite big famous nineties bands at my local big city theater venue tune loudly UNMUTED on stage! For shame! Coughcough *buffalo tom* Cough *belly* Cough * dinousaur jr.* hacka *soul asylum* cough.. *julianna hatfield* ahem *311* noodle noodle *better than ezra* cough.. Boss makes a nice pedal tuner with a mute switch HINT HINT HINT I think it was a thing back in the scrappy indie grunge underground college rock days that they kept when they made it big because anything "pro" or "polished" was uncool. "Drop D? Don't mind if I do!" Plunk plunk plunk...... haha..
Thanks for your insight, Aaron. My number one guitar is the hollow Tele in my pic that you helped me with years ago. Regards!
Didn't hear a word you said....too busy salivating over that tele. 😁
Thank you. This was really helpful.
Thanks man. I'm really enjoying your videos.
I'd like to add - keep your gear setup as simple as possible. I'd also recommend a modelling amp over a tube amp, especially if you're over 40 :)
Yes. The longer I do this the more I appreciate simplicity. "Technical skill is mastery of complexity, while creativity is mastery of simplicity." ~ E.C. Zeeman
Really good advice here. Now I just need to get a band together.
Well done!! Thank you Thank you Thank you
Dave Murray of Iron Maiden is the king of on-stage smiling.
All great tips and all true in the real world gigging scene.
Once a drummer took his cellphone and took a video of us the crowd cheering. You could see that he enjoyed every minute
Awesome. Our drummer wore a body-cam at a gig once....got footage of the entire show from behind the kit. It was amazing!
That is a snazy jacket, my man.
Just trying to keep it classy! Unrelated question: can $19.99 from Costco be considered classy?
@@warmoth If that jacket really was $19.99 you did well,. Jacket was a good fit for today's video performance. 😀 I am not a musician but I always enjoy these real life stories that are about music performing experiences.
@@warmoth brother it's Kirkland *Signature*, it's the definition of class
Yes!!! Because anything less than Kirkland Signature would be uncivilized.
@warmoth everything is classy when rocking it that hard lol
In my particular case, "Make sure you can play well enough to amaze others, not just yourself." Others seem not to appreciate how good a guitarist I really, really am.
Aaron this is awesome!!! I hope that we get to see many more videos here like this, alongside the more Warmoth-specific videos. I love the tip EXAGGERATE! As performers, everything has to be a little bit bigger than real life in order to connect with an audience- I think about how stage makeup looks up close, or how actors say things that we would call "dramatic" in real life, or how explosions in movies are always humongous fireballs! Performance involves engaging all of the senses, not just listening- I would love to exist in the world where my gorgeous sounds speak for themselves, but I'm no Allan Holdsworth, so I gotta put a little more into showmanship, at least until I save up the money for finger implant surgery ;)
Ok I get the point, but like why would anyone buy or own a Tube Screamer without a proper vintage JRC4558D chip. I mean, I'm struggling to relate to that scenario. ;) Great video and solid advice.
11. Don’t agree to play for free beer.
...or "exposure".
My favorite reply to people asking to us play for exposure is: "People die from exposure".
Consider that stolen. It's the only reply I'll be giving from now own!
I don’t play on stage and likely never will but I enjoyed your video just the same.
Can I add an addendum to #10: know a couple of alternative ways to play a song. Guitar is a unique instrument because they can sometimes fail mid-gig by busting a string, and unlike A-listers you probably don't have a hot swap standing by with a roadie. You should try and learn alternative ways of playing a song so it sounds the same or as close to the same as the original way, but played on other strings. #10a.: if you can bring a spare guitar, do it.
Very good points,lucky you gigged with Randy ,who saw Jimi closeup in Seattle in 1970
Yep! Great human. I've heard his story about a drop of Jimi's sweat hitting his forehead many times!
I've known and recorded with Aaron since clear back in 1995!! (#IRONROD) The boy knows what he's talking about. Super sound advice from a seasoned veteran. Oh, and btw...he shreds sick! #rockndocandthebackbones
Practice and experience are two different things and you need BOTH!!! 🌭
What is your opinion on the blu tooth device that replace the guitar cable? Is there any signal delay or any other reason to not use them?
I use a wireless on my guitar all the time. There are many kinds, so you'll have to find one that works for you.
@warmoth thanks.🤙
That’s some great advice. Aaron, will there be a Nomad bass body in the future? It would definitely sell! 🎸
I'm not saying never, but don't expect it in 2025 or 2026. Or probably 2027.
@@warmoth 🤣
Aaron, apparently JB didn't get your memo.
th-cam.com/video/9UFnH6ohauk/w-d-xo.html
And at 1:55 in this one, he forgets the lyrics. But the band keeps rolling. The audience loves this kinda' stuff.
th-cam.com/video/RXx_PSnszUI/w-d-xo.html
I saw you guys are hiring. I live in downtown Puyallup and am looking for a job while I’m in college. Do you allow walk in applications?
No, but there is a link to apply at the bottom of this page: warmoth.com/careers
One thing that bugs me is a pro band that keeps a musician in a corner out of the light. It`s just wrong. It`s usually a keyboard or guitar for fill but if I see a 3 pc band an another guitar sound comes out you know he`s somewhere.
Metal bands who hide a keyboard player out of sight somewhere is what comes to my mind first.
My tip: when your mind goes blank during a guitar solo that you learned note for note from the album…you need to be able to improvise your solo in the correct key always listening to what the band is playing so that you can hear the chord changes. NEVER. Try to play the solo that your mind has gone blank on.
on 10: Or maybe you get a rare disease and suddenly your hand doesn't work anymore and a quarter of a century playing guitar just goes out the window.
It sounds like this is from experience, and if so I am sorry!
My music teacher in high school, way back when Van Halen Fair Warning just came out, always said, "Learning your instrument is just like sex... ya gotta practice alone before ya get any good..." He was so right!
Dead air…amateurs panic…professionals relax…hard core fans don’t even care…if you’re trying to win over new fans you’ll wish a player like Aaron is in your band!
Tip #1. Grow your hair at least 18” long.
All valid, but I don't really agree with the exaggeration part. I would maybe just frame it differently. I'd say letting lose so that we allow ourselves to unleash the beast in us could result in that performance that could be more interesting to witness, but not just voluntarily exagerate things. Most people connect with what feels real. Simple minded people go nuts about fake personas and then lose the sense of humanity.
I think "don't be chained to your everyday self" is what he was going for. You're on a stage. There's probably a hundred people, if not more, looking at you. Have charisma. I used to just stand by my amp trying to make sure I hit everything perfectly, but once I started loosening up and engaging with the crowd, *I* had more fun playing shows.
Yep! And all the little mistakes you think you're making completely disappear behind a smile and an energetic performance. LOL.
Aaron doesn't like Telecasters, so why should I listen to him?
I'm coming around!