by harlowmedia | Mar 16, 2021 | Pro Tips
by Ken Kirkland
It happens more often than you might think. Especially when you’re playing at a new venue. Maybe they had booked a different band that cancelled at the last second and you’re filling in. Maybe you’re playing on a Monday, or the venue down the street has a huge sold-out show. Or the venue forgot you were coming, or…or…or…
Every nightmare scenario you can think of can actually happen. Sometimes when I’m talking with someone I’ll get the question: “What’s your one piece of advice for musicians just starting out?”
It’s a legit question. Usually I’ve spouted out some kind of “Do it because you love it” or “Just don’t quit” type of responses, which are kinda lame. Now I finally feel like I have a legit answer. What’s my piece of advice for musicians starting out?
“Learn how to play to an empty room.”
You are probably thinking, “Damn, Ken. That’s the most depressing shit I’ve ever heard.” But wait, there is a real art to it. Not just the performance itself, but the mindset you need before, during, and after a gig like that. Especially if you end up playing several of them back to back. And yeah, that happens too.
If you’re reading this there’s a pretty good chance you’re familiar with at least one of my bands, MidLife Crisis or Giants Among Men. You should know that we work hard to perfect our music and try to blow peoples minds when we play. But we have played to empty rooms. Lots of them. We have played rooms where no one has clapped. You know what? Once, we actually played to a huge room where we had the one lone slow-clapper in the back. Like you see in the movies. Clap…clap…clap…clap. That ACTUALLY happened. I actually turned to my bandmate right when it happened and asked, “Did that seriously just happen?”
I admit, after I got back home that night I was devastated. It is difficult to put out that much energy on stage and have zero response to it. To have the one fan walk out during your set to have a cigarette and leave you there alone with no one but the bartenders, band wives, and your bandmates. If you’re like me, your head might start going in a downward spiral. “They don’t care, why should I care?” “Maybe I suck and I don’t know it.” You’re on stage, you’re pissed off, maybe you start to get a little depressed, so you start to play all half-assed.
Stop that. You stop that shit right now. You know why? Because you’re better than that. Because you decided to go out and do this because music makes you happy, so if the room is empty, you play for yourself because you love these freaking songs. (If you don’t love your songs, then play better freaking songs.) Play some covers you love. Go to your freaking happy place. Look at your bandmates. You like them too. You love playing together. This night is for you guys. A chance to sit back with good sound and a cool light show with no pressure other than to just rock out, have a blast, and maybe get a few free beers. Crack jokes. Talk to the two people out there. Ask them questions. Dedicate every song to them. Have conversations with them between songs from up on stage. Laugh! It’s a funny situation! Have a shot of whiskey and play because you love the tone of your bass. Or your guitar. Or whatever. You love to play, so PLAY dammit!
Because someone IS watching. Maybe it is just the sound guy. Maybe it’s the bartender. Maybe it’s your bandmate. But someone is watching you. You can either be cool with everyone and have a blast or act all pissed off and play a crappy show. I’ve seen it. I’ve been there. I’ve seen bands up on stage pissed off and not giving a shit. And you know what? It’s an instant turn off. Now even if I like the songs, I think, “Wow, those guys are assholes. Look at that dude’s face. He’s so pissed off.” That does not make me want to come and talk to you and it does not make me want to tell my friends about you.
I cannot tell you how many times we have played in front of three or four people who have then told us how special they felt and what an amazing night it was for them. How unexpected it was. How much fun they had. In some cases they’ve turned into our most active fans. In other cases that bartender went to bat for us and the next time we played that venue it was a kick-ass show that pulled a ton of people. In yet another case, that sound guy was so excited that they suggested to all their friends that they follow us on Facebook. Or stayed in touch with us so they could do our sound again at another venue.
Learn to play to an empty room. And play amazingly (if that’s actually a word). You will be happy to have learned that skill. Because there is only one thing harder than playing to an empty room, playing to a packed one. But that’s another conversation all together.
by harlowmedia | Jan 1, 2021 | Pro Tips
by Sam Wilder
With all the money we spend on guitars, effects, amps, and more guitars it’s hard to imagine how a little piece of plastic that costs almost nothing can make such a noticeable difference in your playing. And up until right now you probably didn’t even realized it. But the truth is your pick is the bridge between you and your guitar. It’s an extension of your fingers and what’s more important than that?
When you first start playing it’s different because at that point who really cares. But after a few months or years of practice you may come to find that a simple pick change can improve or at least alter your playing literally overnight. So for today’s Pro Tip we will compare the various pick options and hopefully you’ll find one better suited to you than the one you’re using now.
The playability and tone of a particular pick basically depends on 5 factors. Thickness, hardness, texture, size/shape and material.
1. Thickness
Guitar picks come in 1 of 4 general gauges. Thin, medium, heavy and extra heavy with the actual thickness/mm of the gauges varying. Depending on the manufacturer these ranges can vary considerably. But don’t worry about the exact numbers just yet. Let’s start first by comparing thin vs thick.
Thin picks are typically better for brighter tones (because their striking surface accentuates high frequencies), tighter dynamic range (because their flexibility limits the volume that can be achieved, which works especially well for recording) and acoustic guitar strumming (partly because of the tighter dynamic range but also because it adds more clarity to the individual notes in the chord).
Thick picks are typically better for mellower tones (because the weight and rounder edges emphasize more bass and less treble), a wider dynamic range (because they offer greater control over volume and attack), electric lead guitar (because they allow for more speed and accuracy during fast solos) and heavy distorted sounds (because they offer more clarity and separation between note. And even if heavier picks happen to suit your style of play, the downside is that they require more finger strength and dexterity to control. So consider that as well when choosing your gauge.
2. Hardness
Even if a particular pick is on the thinner side, if it’s made from a HARDER material you’ll find that the added stiffness offers performance characteristics resembling that of thicker picks and vice versa. Thick but softer picks typically have performance qualities closer to that of most thinner picks. Make sense?
3. Texture
The more textured the surface of the pick the more friction will exist between the pick and your fingers and the easier it will be to grip. Especially when you’re sweaty. The same goes for softer picks. For the most part more grip is a good thing for everyone. But there MAY or MAY NOT be a trade off because texture also affects how the pick rolls off the strings. Smooth slippery picks produce cleaner, natural tone and rough picks will add more grit and color to the tone. Smooth round edges will have a warmer, more purer tone, while sharp edges will have a stronger attack and brighter sound.
4. Size and Shape
With smaller picks there’s less distance between your hands and the strings making it easier to use different hand techniques like palm muting and fingerpicking. Of course “small” is a totally relative term depending on the size of your hands. Perhaps the best advice is to find a pick big enough to fit your hands… but NO bigger.
Now, moving on to shape. You can find all kinds or weird pick shapes if you look hard enough (sharkfin picks being the most famous example) but in almost all cases you are better off sticking to a common, standard triangular teardrop shape.
5. Materials
The final and most important factor of all.
The material of the pick is what ultimately determines the stiffness, texture, and overall performance so let’s check out our options.
Throughout history, musicians have tried making picks out of almost everything imaginable and the best material of all came from the shell of the Atlantic Hawksbill Turtle and was known simply as “tortoiseshell“. Starting in the early 1900’s plastic picks designed to emulate tortoiseshell slowly gained in popularity up until the early 70’s when the Atlantic Hawksbill became endangered and plastics took over entirely. The 3 most popular plastics are nylon (which is typically softer with a textured grip, and is best suited for lightweight flexible picks), celluloid (which is stiffer with a smoother slicker texture compared to nylon) and acetal (aka Tortex, Dunlop’s popular line which has a textured grittiness that closely mimics the feel of tortoiseshell).
Now finally, what picks do I recommend? I don’t. I’m a bass player lol! No seriously, I’d love to give you a straight answer but as I’m sure you know you can only learn so much from pure information and you can’t know for sure which pick you’ll pick until you try picking with them all. Since picks are practically free anyway just buy assortment pack of different gauges and different materials. Try them out at home on your own time. That way you can take as long as you need to figure out what you like and what you don’t.
So there you go. Hopefully this post has answered all your questions and helped you find the perfect pick for whatever style music you play!
by harlowmedia | Dec 22, 2020 | Pro Tips
By Sam Wilder
My band, the G.O.A.M.F.T. is, well, the greatest band of all MF time. We’re so awesome, in fact, that bands on the same bill as us never ask my group to play another show with them because they know they just can’t keep up. We just end up embarrassing them with our insanely badass songs and wild, passionate stage presence. If you want to get on our level (which honestly is impossible) here are some tips that will transform you into the band nobody wants to play with ever again.
1. Never Do Your Own Promotion
Most promoters who book G.O.A.M.F.T want us to spend weeks advertising the show online, inviting people, and doing all sorts of other lame BS. Why should musicians have to promote? I’m not a promoter. I’m the lead singer and lead guitarist of the sickest band in America right now, bro! If the venue can’t figure out a way to get people in the door, that’s on them! Musicians are musicians, and that’s all you need to succeed. Venues and bookers will ask us not to play shows in the area for a few weeks before the show, and we say we won’t. But here’s a little secret, we always do. They say it’s important to make sure to get the best crowd. They’re just looking after themselves. They can’t tell us what to do. Who cares if the other bands asked you to do the same? You have to get your music out there. Your band is way more important than any one gig, so you don’t really need to keep your word when bands ask you to block out a date. The real music fans out there, and the truly cool venues in biggest cities, don’t care about how many people you draw, it’s all about the music. Besides, caring about draw makes you a sellout.
2. Don’t Coordinate Marketing Efforts with Other Bands
I don’t want to have to reach out to the other bands either. What could I possibly talk to them about? Sure, we could share each other’s music over our respective social media accounts so the fans will be excited about the whole bill, and coordinating posts can be helpful, but that’s nerd stuff. My social followers only care about us, not someone else. I’m an artist anyway. I’m just above all that.
3. Load In Last Minute
Most venues will have a load-in time (a time when the lesser bands drop off their gear backstage and do their soundcheck). If your band is half as amazing as G.O.A.M.F.T the other bands probably aren’t going to mind if you load in after the show starts. They know they’re only there to warm up the crowd. We’re the main attraction. When the G.O.A.M.F.T set up, we take our sweet ass time. We have a very specific sound, and it takes time to dial it in. We don’t really think about the audience or the other bands when we’re doing this. When we’re onstage, it’s our stage.
4. Skip Soundcheck
The problem with soundcheck is that soundchecking is boring! Why should I have to show up hours before the show even starts? We just do ours before our set. Sure, it might interrupt the flow of the show, but it’s a small price to pay to see the G.O.A.M.F.T. Soundchecks are for chumps.
5. Miss the Other Bands’ Sets
First off, let me say that you’re under no obligation to watch the other bands. I’m sorry that I don’t want to watch your weak band. I didn’t agree to watch anyone, and I’m on a tour with new support acts every night. How could I possibly have enough interest in them all? I do, however, expect you to watch my band. You guys could learn a lot, and I’ll be upset if I don’t see you cheering for us in the crowd.
6. Drink… a Lot
Get drunk. It’s what rock stars do, and if you’re going to play a rock-star set, then it’s probably a great idea to do a bunch of shots while you’re hanging out backstage. I mean, Slash was constantly wasted, and he could really rip it! Your bandmates will understand that if you start making mistakes it’s because of the alcohol, not you, and they’ll be cool with it.
7. Hit on All the Women
If a girl is hanging out with the band, she’s probably just there to sell merch or is someone’s girlfriend. There’s really no need to talk to her unless you want to hit on her, which is why she’s really there. And if that woman is in the band, even if she’s the lead singer, she probably isn’t the band leader or the person who does the booking. Women aren’t real musicians anyway.
8. Ignore Sound Engineers
The people who run sound at shows are just musician wannabes. They don’t know what you want or need. Sure, they may get a clearer representation of what the audience is hearing, but they’re dumb, and you don’t need to listen to them. If they give you an attitude, don’t be afraid to get confrontational. They have no power, and you’ll probably never see them again. I’ve been told many so times that my 100-watt Marshall stack is “way too loud for this venue.” You wanna know what that makes me think? That if you don’t like a tinnitus-inducing rock show, you shouldn’t have come to see the G.O.A.M.F.T. Your show should be as loud as you can possibly make it. If your amp sounds good in your practice space, it’ll sound good anywhere!
9. Forget Your Filter Onstage
What I love to do onstage is tease the other bands a bit and point out what I didn’t like about their sets. It’s good for them because it shows them how they need to improve. It’s all in good fun, and they always understand. It’s a win-win because it not only improves their act, but it also makes us look great to the audience. If someone in your band (it’s always the bass player) messes up his or her part, feel free to yell at him or her onstage. If you don’t call that person out, how is he gonna learn, right?
10. Don’t Tip the Bartender
Everyone knows you’re a struggling musician, so if you decide you don’t want to tip your bartenders, I’m sure they’ll understand. They got to see your band for free, so they kind of owe you when you really think about it.
Alright, that’s all the knowledge I’m going to let you in on for now. You do all these things, and you won’t even need to practice to become an enormous international megastar. Oh, and you’re welcome
by harlowmedia | Oct 20, 2020 | Pro Tips
By Sam Wilder
At a live show, music lovers get to taste music in a whole different way. It is an epic experience for both the musicians and the fans which allow them to connect through the performance. Whether you are an amateur or you have done it so many times before, it is vital to learn how you can make your performance even more epic. Here are the top tips on how to give your fans a mind blowing show.
Keep Your Sound In Check
When it comes to a live performance, sound is everything. Doing sound checks is vital if you want everything to go smoothly. Try not to choke the microphone while performing. It may look cool but it will affect the quality of your sound. For the same reason, do not point it to the monitor either (feedback). Also, ensure that your sound is good by having a sound guy at the far back to let you know when you are not loud enough (or too loud).
Forget About The Small Mishaps
Your performance does not have to be perfect. At some point, someone in the band might hit the wrong note or go off beat for a second or two. The probability of your audience noticing the mistake is pretty slim unless you choose to make a big deal out of it. Avoid trying to fix it on stage or fussing over it.
Don’t Stop The Music
While the audience is having a good time at the performance, nothing kills the mood like getting confused between songs. Avoid the extended periods of silence by planning your performance before hand. This will definitely avoid the awkward pauses while you and your band members discuss which song to play next.
Tune silently
Tuning your instruments on stage with the volume up screams inexperienced or unprofessional. It’s annoying and completely takes all momentum out of the show while folks listen to various tones of dissonance coming from your instrument. Grab a tuner that allows you to mute your instrument and have the vocalist talk to the crowd while you tune silently.
Don’t Skip Rehearsals
Practice definitely makes perfect. Rehearsing enables you to create a good act. This then gives you the confidence to perform on stage. What’s more, going over your performance allows you to be ready for any surprises and ensures a well-coordinated concert with your band.
Engage With Your Audience
A live performance is a chance for your fans to connect with you. For this reason, when performing live, ensure that you make eye contact. This is as opposed to focusing too much on your music instrument. Some musicians will also choose to say a few words before a song which is also a good idea. Try smiling more at your audience as it will generate positive energy.
Be Unique
Give your audience a memorable performance by finding a way to be exclusive. Create an act in your performance that sets you aside from all the other live bands. Do not be afraid to go to the extreme as long as it makes your fans happy.
Always Aim To Give The Best Performance
Have someone record a video performance and analyze it. This will allow you to identify areas that will need an upgrade. You can also have a professional evaluate your performance and let you know what you can change. Take criticism from your fans and non-fans positively and use it to improve your live shows.
Be Confident And Let Loose
Let yourself go on stage and give your audience all you got. Your confidence and enthusiasm will be felt by the crowd, making your performance very lively. Also, keep in mind that every show is equally important. For this reason, be lively at every show, and you will definitely gain more followers. Confidence will get people to love your show whether or not you thought you were good enough.
Be Yourself
Do not be afraid to let everyone know who you are and how you feel through your music performance. Being honest on stage with yourself and with your audience and they will love you for it. Be proud of your work and deliver your message clearly to your audience through the music and you will get lost in the music.
And finally, don’t forget to relax before going out on stage. While some musicians will choose to have a drink before the show, it might help with the stage fright but not guaranteed to make you sound good. A lot of performers will experience fear before going on stages which is completely normal. Try to move past this and embrace whatever fear you have while on stage. In many cases despite being really nervous, musicians will still give a great show.
by harlowmedia | Oct 4, 2020 | Pro Tips
By Sam Wilder
Engaging with your audience while you are performing live will allow you to connect with them on a deeper level. It’s like giving them an open invitation to your world while performing on stage. The more engaged your audience is with your performance, the more energy there is from the crowd. You and your band can work off this energy to give an even more incredible performance. It can also make the environment less stressful, allowing you and your band to enjoy the overall performance while you’re on stage.
How to Engage with your Audience? Glad you asked! When performing live on stage, it’s easy to get lost in your music. When this happens, you might forget about the audience entirely. Here’s what you can do so that doesn’t happen:
1. Make Eye Contact with your Audience
Now I’m not saying that you have to make eye contact with every individual person in the crowd, which is practically impossible depending how big of an audience you have watching. What I’m trying to say is don’t forget to look away from your instrument and look at the crowd once in a while. To the people in the crowd, that would be enough engagement to reconnect them with your performance because you are acknowledging the fact that they are there. From their point of view, it may also look like you’re looking straight at them. Create the illusion that you can see every single person in the crowd even if you can’t.
2. Communicate with your Audience
Before you perform, introduce yourselves right in the beginning and start engaging with the crowd. When transitioning to your next songs, don’t just go straight in and start playing, conversate with the audience. I’ll talk about this more in the next section, but don’t forget to use those small breaks in between songs to engage with your audience and reconnect with them.
Find ways to allow your audience to perform with you. Maybe invite them to sing along if you are performing a song that everyone in the crowd knows. Even as simple as having your audience clapping along to the beat will make them feel like they are a part of the magic that is happening on stage. And the last thing you should never forget is to thank your audience for coming to your show at the end of your performance. They could’ve spent their time anywhere else, but they chose to watch you perform so the least you can do is thank them for their support. Now, this leads us to our next tip, the Art of Stage Banter.
Stage Banter is when you talk to your audience whether it be at the beginning of your performance, in between songs during transitions, or even at the closing of your performance. Having good stage banter when performing live can really set you apart from different performers. It helps establish a relationship with your audience while also building a level of trust with them. You will also show your audience that you care about them.
When you stage banter, here are some things you should keep in mind:
1. Have a Solid Introduction
Make sure you introduce yourself and your band right from the beginning so everyone in the crowd knows who you are.
Let them know where you’re from and give them some background information about you and your band. Try to talk about something that is relatable to everyone in the crowd. Maybe something about the city that you’re all in or something about the venue that you’re performing at.
Being able to relate to the crowd, in the beginning, can set your performance on the right track.
2. Be Confident
This will all come with experience, but try your best to sound confident. Whenever you stage banter, don’t be hesitant. The more hesitant you sound, the less natural you sound and you may find yourself in a very uncomfortable situation, for both your band and the audience. If appropriate, think about using big body movements to get the crowd’s attention.
Don’t forget to make eye contact with the crowd and have good posture while you speak. Remember that what you say while you’re on stage is just as important as the music you perform. Choose your words carefully and be confident when you talk.
And don’t forget to be yourself. Don’t try to be anyone else and learn how to be confident in the person you are. This will overall help you look more confident during your stage bantering while making you sound natural and unforced.
3. Keep it Nice and Short
Talking and engaging with the crowd can be very effective at making your performance more entertaining for everyone. However, it can be a problem if you let it go on for too long. Instead of telling the entire backstory of your band or songs in between transitions, just bring up important key details.
For your Band:
Where your band is from
How long you’ve been together
A “short” funny story
Other “short” stories that are relatable
For your Songs (Transitioning in between songs)
A “short” description of what your song is about
Who or what the song is dedicated to
The reason why you wrote the song
If covering a song, talk about the reasons why you like the song
Try to not to let it drag on for too long. If you can get your message across in fewer words, then go for it. people want to know about your entire backstory, you can save it for after the performance when you mingle.
by harlowmedia | Sep 10, 2020 | Pro Tips
By Sam Wilder
Practicing and rehearsing are not at all the same thing. When a rehearsal doesn’t go well or when it seems to drag on with very little being accomplished, it’s usually because someone went to the rehearsal expecting to practice…
So what’s the difference? Practice is what you do at home on your own time, by yourself. Practicing is not only studying things like theory, scales, fingerings, technique, etc., but also learning the material for a gig. Practicing songs involves a lot of starting and stopping and a ton of repetition; it’s a very individual, solitary task and when done correctly it’s typically not very entertaining to hear someone practice.
Rehearsal on the other hand is not individual, it’s a group exercise. It’s important to emphasize that rehearsals are not social gatherings, they’re work first, play later. Noodling around on your instrument or having side conversations between songs has no place in a rehearsal. A rehearsal is for focusing on things that will benefit the group as a whole.
You don’t go to a rehearsal to sight-read charts or to use other people’s time to learn your parts. You go to a rehearsal with your parts learned, ready to play as if it was the day of the show. At a rehearsal, the band runs through all the songs one after another, ideally never having to stop mid-way through a song because everyone has already caught anything strange or especially difficult while working on the material at home. There is nothing more frustrating and infuriating than having to stop every ten seconds to allow someone to learn their parts.
Apart from individual practice and group rehearsals, a band may also choose or need to have occasional sectionals in addition to full-band rehearsals. Going prepared to a sectional is just as important. Like rehearsals, sectionals are not for learning individual parts, they’re for hearing parts together and working on details that benefit the whole section. Running a percussion sectional during a full-band rehearsal is disrespectful to rhythm section players’ time and working out rhythm-section-specific aspects of a show during a full-band rehearsal is a very poor use of percussionists time.
Besides working through the set list and putting all the parts together, full-band rehearsals are also for working on transitions, minimizing downtime, polishing intros and endings as a group and collaborating on all the creative details and improvements that the band wants to make. When someone shows up to a rehearsal unprepared not only do they waste everyone’s time while the rest of the band waits for them to learn what they should have practiced at home, but they completely sabotage the creative potential of the rehearsal. The most productive rehearsals happen when someone is clearly in charge and the rest of the band can rely on that person to make good decisions. A strong leader is therefore vital to having a productive rehearsal.
A good bandleader keeps everyone positive and engaged while running things as efficiently as possible and without coming across as a militant jerk. It can be challenging to set an orderly pace when band members show up to a rehearsal as if it was a social gathering and forget that they’re there to work. It can be uncomfortable to have to call people out when they’re making mistakes or habitually showing up under-prepared. Consequently, the experience and preparation of the leader can make or break a rehearsal, and a rehearsal can make or break a show.
As I mentioned, when a rehearsal doesn’t go well or when musicians leave feeling less than stellar about it, it’s often because someone went to the rehearsal intending to practice. That can be an indication that everyone wasn’t on the same page concerning expectations. Sometimes people just need a gentle reminder, even if it feels like you’re only stating the obvious. Either way, be constructive, not critical.
To sum it all up practice is what you do on your own time including learning the material for a gig and it involves a lot of repetition. Once you’ve learned the material well enough to play it with confidence as if it was the day of the show, then and only then are you ready for a sectional. At the sectional, you work as a small group to make the section as tight and great as it can be. When all the various sectionals are complete, you then proceed with a full-band rehearsal to run through all the songs and focus on things that benefit the group as a whole.
