Any advice on how to warm up just before the gig?

[baga]

Another silly question from me.

How do you warm up before a gig? Any tips?
I mean the hour (or so) you can usually manage to find just before the show, but after unloading the junk from the van.

I have found that I need usually about an 40 minutes of warm-up exercises before my fingers are in shape, the sax speaks etc etc --- it can boil down to 20 minutes if I am left alone and by myself... but getting a quiet place to shred on the sax just before the show is RARELY manageable. And folks keep on coming in, bandmembers babble about you being quiet etc etc. And well -- practicing just before the show when the people are there is revealing the cards a bit, isn't it?

Do any of you have this problem?
I practice everyday by the way, so it is not a question of panic. It is a question of getting onstage in top shape.

Another problem I noticed is that playing onstage usually requires the sax to be strong and loud. And I mean loud, not just pretty much loud as is usual when I practice and want to be loud.
Precision starts to become an issue at such volume levels - at least in my case, and while I manage, I know I could do better if I had some way to practice it. Do any of you address this problem in your practicing?

[Frank D]

Like you have stated, it's pretty hard to get any significant playing time before the gig, other than making sure your reed/mpc is setup ok. I'd suggest playing awhile before you leave for the gig. Unless you drive hours to get there, you'll still be in shape by the time you hit. Remember, everyone else is warming up on the first couple of tunes, too.

One thing you can do is finger your horn silently (that sounds dirty), practicing scales, etc. if you need to warm your hands up.

I prefer to use that dead half hour before the gig getting to know the bartender and wait staff, it usually pays off during the rest of the night.

[saxchado]

I always practice long tones on my low notes before any performance. It helps focus my sound and get the air flowing. It's also much more relaxing that playing all the licks that I'm saving for later. I say leave the early showing off to everyone else.

You don't see sprinters running around the track at full speed for a half hour right before the race, do you? Why wear yourself out? I feel it's best to warm up slowly. "stretching" your chops, so to say.

[Keith Ridenhour]

It I'm doing a pre gig warm other than home I really don't want other people around as a distraction. If you have a band van and no other place I'd play long tones with a tuner in the van after its been unloaded. Most of my pre gig warmup is to find a reed that has a decent tone but as you alluded to twice as loud as what I normally play. I don't neccessarily play that loud but I want the overdrive available if needed. Just my experience but warming up fast doesn't always translate to playing fast on the gig for me. My speed (what there is of it) comes from feeling relaxed as I play more than pushing how fast I can do a scale/ arpeg exercise. Mental prep is very useful also. Mentally look at your solo opportunities and think what you could improve from last gig or if you might want to change how you approach a song harmonically. My biggest concern is always a loud, fat , easy to play reed with at least 3 backups. K

[Captain Beeflat]

As soon as you have assembled the horn prior to playing, finger low B & breath through the horn for a minute or so to ensure that it is warm and moist (Hmmmmm! :roll: ). You will nver play hot licks with a cold, dry horn.........:-).........regards.....Bb.

[baga]

Thanks for the kind responses.

I liked the idea about using the van for practicing. Heh heh.

Also - another idea caught on as I was gigging lately - I practiced in the backstage room, while the rest sets up their guitarish equipments, amplify the drums, etc. You can catch some 20-30 min of practice time before they start knocking that you better come out.

There are some other tips, maybe you like them too:
- I like to practice ear-drills early in the morning.
- I like to practice ear-drills just prior to sax practice.
- I like to practice ear-drills after sax practice.
- Low Bb is good.

*edit* the last one (about Bb) is a wink. We all know that. 8)

[GaryLee]

Wow Baga, a 40 minute warmup.
I guess I am used to being in marching/concert bands. There have been times when about the most you could do was wet the reed, play a Bb scale and tune.
That pattern has pretty much stuck with me. Typically, if the horn is cold from being outside I will silently blow some air through it to warm it up. Then I play a few long tones and a scale or two to see how the reed is responding. If there is time I will noodle around a bit but that is mostly from boredom rather than an integral part of my warmup.

The shortest warmup I have ever seen was Eric Alexander. He walked on to the stage and put together his horn. The reed was already on the mouthpiece and the piece on the neck. He didn't even take off the reed to wet it. They counted off the tune and he started playing.

I saw him the next morning when he taught a masterclass and he did basically the same thing and then ripped though an acapello rendition of Cheroke.

I suppose it is possible he did the "back of the van" thing before the gig but I don't think so. The last time I saw him perform he was in the college coffe house watching a tennis match 20 mins before he went on stage.

[Gandalfe]

Gary, that's what I saw Darren Motamedy do. He's got three saxes that he pulls out of the cases and puts on stands. I didn't see him work the mouthpieces or reeds. He just put them on the horn and started to play. An hour later he pulls another instrument and just starts playing. It's mind boggling.

When Phil Woods was here last year at a Yamaha master's series, he prepped his reed simular to what we all do, sticking it in his mouth as he put the horn together. Eric Kloss does that too. However, being blind, it takes him relatively little time to place the reed on the mouthpiece and he does it while he talks. :)

[jaankaden]

after setting the horn up, i normally play a few short licks, maybe a solo or two to make sure the reed's working fine. if it's not convenient to do this inside the venue (dinner setting in a restaurant), i sometimes just go out on the street to do this. i busk from time to time, so it's pretty natural for me. haha.

if it's a bar, i normally do it in there. i take it as not only a warm-up for myself and the sax, but also as a warm-up for the audience. it helps me suss the crowd so that i know what to expect throughout the night. after that, i just leave the horns on their stands and when i need to use them, it's normally a lick and go thing. :wink:

[Vortex]

I like to warm up earlier in the day before the gig (usually possible) and put in a good practice session. Then I warm back up a little while before the show, and blow a few notes off to the side right before I play. I know this is a little vague but the specifics vary so much that these are just good general guidelines. The trick is getting into 'the zone', and you know when you're there. Just don't blow yourself out first.

[Big Nick]

Warm up?

If I think about it, I play a couple of notes to make sure I haven't left something under some of the pads. It's embarrassing to start playing and find your G# key is jammed open.

Otherwise I usually warm up in the bar.

[Joe Linux]

How do you warm up before a gig? Any tips?

Drink a glass of wine, but don't hold a cold glass in your hand.

I asked this same question one evening to Joe Sample, and he said, "I'm careful not to hold a cold glass in my right hand."

I'm actually serious about the wine though. It will improve your playing considerablly. In my case this is time tested and proven. I get more tips from the audience when I get there a half hour early and have a glass of wine before I start. You should start your set with a tune that's real comfortable for you. Also on sax, I would suggest a tune that is limited in range and in the best register until you do get your horn and yourself warmed up.

[tomsch]

My warm-up, right before I stop on stage, is to blow some long tones to get my airstream going and serveral rounds scale patters in tricky keys. This helps to warm up my fingers and focus on clean articulation. That's pretty much it.

[Big Jim]

Gene Simmons says he doesn't warm up before a gig, just jump in and go 100 miles per hour.. (Gene Simmons, is the Bass Player for KISS)
:lol:

[Frank D]

That's because he's too busy putting his makeup on :lol:

[Vortex]

Bands like KISS aren't exactly known for their musical skill, at least not their bassists or drummers

[Bill Mecca]

That's because he's too busy putting his makeup on :lol:

and we won't even mention his tonguing. :twisted:

[Carl H.]

String players have different needs than ww's for warming up. On symphony gigs (violin) I show up one hour early, get the instrument acclimated to the room (if possible) and get myself warmed up from being outside. I try not to practise, but rather save my eyes for the mayhem present in the 1st fiddle section (Take a look at a vln 1 part sometime). If I touch the instrument it is to tune and maybe play a slow 1 octave scale.

On WW gigs - sax & clarinet, I get there early to unpack and setup. Let the horns sit a bit, then check reeds and do scales - slow and fast both, Check nasty bits in the line up for the night to make sure the reed and lig placement are good. When the equipment is set I go get a drink of water and relax untill the fun begins.

I can relate to jumping in at 100mph, but not stone cold, at least room temperature and stretched out.

[leemansax]

My tip is definately to share a lift with the drummer - I'll just turn up so early then !!! We do our own sound / PA / Rigging so a few people pitch up really early... I do some unloading and helping out ... order a round of drinks (the first one with the fewest band members present and open a tab - which we forget to settle up) blow the horn for a bit - park it, get some food, enjoy the wine/beer and suck on cane for the next 4 hours - until sound check!!!!

The hardest thing I find is when I'm sat out for 5 or six tunes then it's the interval and then I have to come in on a 8 or 16 bar solo at the top of the second set!!!!! The saxis ok - but I'm usually worse for ware by then!!! 8-)

[Bill Mecca]

so, you're new here? ;-) just kidding...

I live a few blocks from my drummer and we carpool so I get there early, and like you we do our own setup. and liek you the long breaks,,, man do I hate them, though they appear to be over. When we were starting out, we shared players with another band, and neither of us had a full night's worth of material ready so we split the gig, on and off, so the long sit was a killer, espeically since they were Loud Southern rock... way too loud for the venue, but that is history...

[Frank D]

Gimme three steps, gimme three steps, mister.........

Free Bird! :lol:

[Bill Mecca]

I took those 3 steps right out the door one night, had to save my ears...;-)

[baga]

Heh, heh. Regarding the alcohol then. From my experience:

Beer: slow to get you boozed, but except pure water it is the only to get your mouth wet during playing when you need something to drink. Con: visits to the toilet.
Wine: very nice, gets ya warm quite fast. No cons from my experience, especially if you bring water onstage.
Vodka: good to soak the reed (antiseptic), but I noticed it is a silent killer, if you're not careful: kicks in after half an hour/hour or so, and if you don't know the right amounts you can get whacked.

[leemansax]

They just re-organsied the set for the last gig, which really annoyed me as I play in the front half of the first and sit out for 6 then play the top and bottom of the second set sitting out for another 5 or six.

But what's really cool is I can wander off stage listen to the band. I'll usually stick to bottled beer left over from practice / jam seesions (as the bar is too far from the stage unless we're in a pub!!).

I tend to find that something always gets knocked over and fluid tips out of glasses much quicker than bottles!!! :D