Category: 3. Improve Your Live Band Skills

Become a better player, singer, showman and Live Band.

Keeping Your Band Together – The Weakest Link

Ringo – The Weak Link?

One of the biggest challenges you face in any band is keeping the band from falling apart. I’ve already talked about having a band leader but the fact of the matter is, the members are still there by choice. There are a lot of different things that can pull a band apart.

One thing that’s inevitable in a band is what I call the “Weakest Link” syndrome. I don’t care how good everyone is, someone in the group will be the weakest link. Let me give you a few names and just think about their role as the “weakest link”.

(more…)
Band Communication, Have A Meeting

The Who Need A Meeting

One of the things I’ve encountered in my career playing in bands is the importance of keeping everybody on the same page. One thing that is constant is the fact that things constantly change. The band may have started out with one vision, one goal and a clear path to get there. As time goes on and people grow and the band gets out playing in front of people those things will most likely change. Before long, the band that started out as a rock-n-roll roadhouse band is playing a bunch of country music and not everyone in the band is happy about that. Another thing that happens to bands is personality conflicts. They’re inevitable and unavoidable. Sometimes there are hurt feelings because of things that have been said or done in the heat of the moment. You can make it through these things as long as the band keeps the ability to talk to each other openly and honestly.

(more…)
Learn Songs The Easy Way, Tascam MP-GT1

Tascam MP-GT1 Portable MP3 Guitar Trainer

When I was first learning how to play songs by ear from the original recordings it was a huge struggle for me. I was trained to read music from a young age and playing by ear was a whole new world for me. I remember sitting on my bed and working on a song for several hours before I finally had it down. The hardest thing of all was learining how to play the guitar solos. The notes flew by so fast that I couldn’t begin to pick them out.

(more…)
Can I Play Your Guitar?

No you can't use my microphone!

Man if I had $5 for every time I’ve been asked “Can I Play Your Guitar?” I’d be rich! I’ve had people stumble up to me at gigs drunk out of their mind and ask if they can sit in with the band, and of course play my guitar to do it. I once had a guy grab my 2nd guitar off the stage while I was playing and play air guitar with it. Lucky for that guy he was a visiting Japanese dignitary at a marketing convention that didn’t speak any english. I think he knew enough from my reaction to quickly put my guitar back. I guess some words are universal. So when somebody asks me “Can I Play Your Guitar?” my policy is to simply say “No”. There are several reasons I’ve learned to just say no over the years.

(more…)
A Happy Crowd Means A Happy Band

One Happy Fan!

The greatest thing about playing live music is the interaction you have with the audience. There is no better feeling than to see the audience completely taken by what you’re doing onstage. It’s a very symbiotic relationship in the fact that the audience feeds off the bands energy and stage presence and the band feeds off the energy and appreciation they feel from the audience.

I remember at one particular gig, we had a fan that was completely into the music we were playing. I mean the guy was completely lost in the music. We’re talking borderline out of control.

(more…)
Weekend Album Recommendations – 6-14-2008

Here are the best new releases on iTunes this week. If you want your band to stay current and relevant, then pick the new hits, learn them and stay ahead of the game.
(more…)
Live Musician Central Dance Set List 5, iTunes iMix

This is number 5 in our series of Dance Set Lists for your band to learn. These lists have been compiled from the Mobile Beat Top 200 Dance Songs Of All Time. These songs are proven to keep the dance floor filled all night long. You should be able to pick the songs you want your band to learn from these set lists and have the rest on your iPod. They’re a great way to keep the party going while your band is taking a break. So please download and enjoy Live Musician Central Dance Set List 5. (more…)
The Quest For Good Tone

Pink Floyd – Capturing Good Tone at Live 8

What is good tone? Well, the dictionary defines it as “The distinctive property of a complex sound.” I define tone as “The sound that brings me the most pleasure to listen to.” As a guitarist, I’m especially tuned in to the tone of my guitar. My guitar’s tone is the result of my guitar, amp and player’s touch working together to create that “distinctive property” that is the most pleasurable for me to listen to.

(more…)
Weekend Album Recommendations 6-07-2008

Here are the album recommendations for the weekend of 6-07-2008. Live Musician Central brings you this list so your band can stay current with new music. If you predict the next huge hit, your band can be ahead of the game by learning it. (and the games link is just for fun!)
(more…)
How Many Instruments Should I Run Through The P.A.?

$Mike Portnoy\'s Drumset$
Somebody, Mic That Drumset!

This is a great question and the answer is easy. You should run as many of the instruments as you can through the P.A.. It’s the best way to get an even live sound when your band plays. There are a lot of advantages to having everything running through the P.A. and it’s a must if you have a live soundman.

The biggest advantage of running everything through the P.A. is the fact that you have a central location to control the overall mix of your band. Your soundman can’t do much if all the guitar amps are running louder on the stage than the singer coming through the P.A. and the soundman can’t control them. (more…)