Where do you stand on stage?

[SunnBass]

Where you least expect me.

[4dog]

High-hat side ,so i can tell him how bad he just screwed up and he can zing sticks at me whem im not singin.

[TigerInATrance]

Originally Posted by two fingers

Leave your amp where it is. Turn it up. Go over by the guitar player to play. Problem solved.

This is what I was considering. That would also get me to the hi hat side of the drums, which seems to be the preferred side.

All good info and suggestions here, and I appreciate it. To go a little deeper into it, I was having a discussion with the drummer where he said that, since changing venues, I seem to lose tempo from time to time in addition to not being able to hear the cues for upcoming changes.

The more I think about it, the more I think it may just be getting out from in front of my amp. Now it's time to figure out how to get a bunch more feet of cable between me and the amp... Maybe it's time to go wireless??? We'll see how it goes net week.

[two fingers]

The rule of thumb is no more than 20 feet for a cable. But, of course, that statement will start a crap storm so I'll just leave it right here on the table and run out the door quickly. Best of luck either way.

[Shakin-Slim]

Thurr:

[Flounder102Bass]

Originally Posted by SubNoizeRat3691

I have always been told to stand on the Hi-hat side of the drummer, because it is the most consistent with the rhythm.

+1 thats my favorite position

[tomnomnom91]

There:


Honestly, anywhere else feels wrong.

[dannylectro]

I'm in a five piece cover band, playing small-medium clubs. When possible, I stand on the drummer's left (to hear hi-hat & snare, NOT toms), and I never get further than a couple of feet from my (pretty small) amp. I share stage left with the rhythm guitarist and it usually works out pretty well for me. We all are a very careful with volume, and send everything through the PA. Monitors are vox only.

I'm also in an eight piece acoustic band. We stand, basically, in two semi-circular ranks. I'm between the drummer & guitarist, stage left when possible, and that works well too.

[dreads311]

Originally Posted by TigerInATrance

My current band has moved from a rehearsal studio to a sound stage in the effort to rehearse "as if we were playing a show" and I'm having trouble figuring out where I need to be. It was easy in the past because I was doing trios, but now I'm in a 5 piece that is all about nuance and dynamics and melody and I'm having a hard time figuring out where to position myself so that I'm hearing the right things.

Currently, I stand sort of next to the drummer on the opposite side of the stage from the rhythm guitar and I feel like I'm missing the kick and rhythm guitar which seems to be getting me lost in the more improvisational sections of the music.

I've also been told to turn up, but where I'm at I already feel like I'm dominating the mix. When I get to a volume level that seems to please the rest of the band, I can barely hear the rest of the band.

I'm in a 5 piece. I stand front stage left. Drummer and keys split the back row. In-ears would help ALOT if you have trouble hearing your band mates in certain stage positions. Sorry if I repeated anyone's advice. Didn't read all other responses.

[Steve Dallman]

I stand on the drummer's right. I mix from stage and the mixer is to my right. We're a three piece. I have no trouble hearing the guitar or drums. We trigger an Alesis drum module for the kick drum, and besides being in the PA, the kick goes to a small head and a small, car-type sub which sits right in front of the drums, between the guitar player and me. I have liked hearing the kick clearly onstage since the early 80's. I used to send the PA a line with the bass and kick already mixed. It guaranteed the audience wouldn't hear the kick above the bass. It drove soundmen (not ours) nuts, but it worked and worked well.

[FleadomFighter]

+1 to all the hi-hat side replies, beyond that just not falling off the stage counts as a good day at the office

[Floyd Eye]

Personal preference. You should have monitors. In a 5 piece I'm going to say you probably want to be hanging back by the drummer.

[roden]

Hi-hat side
i had a very bad experience with standing other side;
Stood abit to close to the drum kit and the drummer
hit part of the headstock when he was doing crashes, no damage but it put us out off sync abit laughing

[Rip Topaz]

Since I've been thrust into the frontman spot in my new project, I'll be in the front now. I'll be sitting, though, since this is an acoustic project and a back injury makes it impossible for me to stand and play.

[JamesGoodall]

Drums are in the back, vocalist is front center, rhythm guitar is on the left lead guitar is on the right And I'm in between lead and the singer. That's my typical area. If its just a 4 or 3 piece, I always take right. Hearing myself is no problem though. We always have stage monitors that let us hear the other parts respectably.

[chaosMK]

I prefer hi hat side, but was stuck on ride side for a while (like 5 years!). With one of my current projects (3 piece hip hop... drums, me, vox/keys) I just go wherever... we play small funky stages sometimes and I don't have to worry about a guitarist+guitar rig.

[rtslinger]

Right hand side works best for me good view of the kick as most of mention is important to stay locked in. Our lead guitarist is on my side of the stage but it doesn't make a difference where he is we are using two Bose systems stereo so no matter where you are you hear the full band

[viper4000]

I'll chime in with another vote to be on the drummer's left. I feel more comfortable on this side for a few reasons. This is only my experience, so yours may be different.

The first, with a right handed drummer, the high-hat is usually on his left. Then consider most drummers cheat slightly to the side the high-hat is on. So they will have a natural tendency to notice you more if you are on that side. Reverse if they are left handed.

Second, when I am on the left, I can turn to the right without a lot of worry about what I am going to hit with the neck of my bass. Obviously with bigger stages this is less of an issue. When I stand on the drummer's right, I tend to hit the cymbals, which I am not a big fan of.

I don't move around a lot, but I like to twist and turn to make eye contact with the rest of the band.

When I play without a PA, I have a very hard time hearing all of the parts too. Sometimes that is just par for the course, and you have to learn to adjust.

[phillybass101]

For me I play best and hear best and pay attention to the drummer best when I'm on his left (hi-hat/snare side) assuming the drummer is right handed. I've been in situations where I 'had' to be on the drummers right hand side but I don't like that as much. I like to see as well as hear what he's doing between the snare and hi-hat. I'll play somewhere between the snare/hi-hat/kick. To me it's easier for us to communicate when I'm on that side. I'll stand facing a lttle towards him but still mostly towards the crowd.

[baba]

Hi hat side. My right ear's hearing is noticeably diminished compared to the left.