Do you have any bass rituals?

[soulman969]

Yeah I'm really obsessive about tuning before I play, LOL. There's really not much to fuss over when you're just the "bassist" so I let the lead guitarist go through all his rituals and I just watch.

[NKBassman]

I usually grab two beers and a shot from the bar and put them on stage, then empty EVERYTHING out of my pockets, and tune. At that point I'm good to go... and if I'm lucky the shot hasn't spilled by the time I get to it half way through the set.

[NKBassman]

Originally Posted by RonniePudding

Make sure my beer is more than half full, and my bladder more than half empty. If not, address either/both before the show starts. =)

I like that.

[Deedubs]

check to make sure all cable and power connections are all tight.

when sound checking my bass i play very simple. usually rotating between an open A and the A on my E string. i would rather let it rip in the show.

[throughthefire]

Originally Posted by MD

Before I put my truck in gear, I check the back...

"Bass, amp, cab, gig bag, stand, stool"

On Friday. I commented to my wife, "We have a lot less to schlep around when it's only the two of us playing".

Got to the gig. Unloaded, and wife asked "Where's the amp?"

Doh!

It was a Fools on Stools gig, and wife had to do it with just her and her acoustic guitar. She did OK, I died of embarrassment..

[ntenny]

Originally Posted by MD

Before I put my truck in gear, I check the back...

"Bass, amp, cab, gig bag, stand, stool"

OK.

A friend's band just failed to do that. There was an irreplaceable acoustic guitar sitting on the running board. :-(

I find it physically difficult not to play the harmonic run at the beginning of "Portrait Of Tracy" when I pick up a bass. I'm not particularly a Jaco obsessive, it's got to sound pretentious as hell to any listeners who recognize it, but my hands just *go* there.

-NT

[HolmeBass]

One different thing than those mentioned: wash my hands, preferably with hot water. Suggested by Lane Baldwin, I love it. Warms up the hands a bit, gets the blood flowing, and I just prefer addressing the strings with clean hands. It's at this time that my bladder usually figures out if it needs to be emptied, too.

Then I tune silently, then I do a line check, which can be involved if I have the full pedal board b/c I check that each pedal / FX loop is working, and I may adjust some gain staging given the room. Then silent again and I play some scales for warm-up, slowly and quietly first, then faster and louder.

I usually don't EQ much until the band starts, and then I try to be gentle with EQ adjustments. Usually also some gain-staging goes on here, too.

[Duuuuuuuuuude]

Without TMI: I always use the commode at home before I leave for a gig. Stomach problems are the last thing I want when I go on stage

[Deedubs]

i'll need to try the warm water thing!

[GM60466]

I tune high to low before I start playing

[Russell L]

Uh...

No.

[cbyrd2200]

"then empty EVERYTHING out of my pockets"

Things in my pockets hinder my playing. I start thinking, "Why is all this **** in my pockets?" Oops. Just missed a chord change.

[MD]

Originally Posted by cbyrd2200

"then empty EVERYTHING out of my pockets"

Things in my pockets hinder my playing. I start thinking, "Why is all this **** in my pockets?" Oops. Just missed a chord change.

I always put my truck keys and anything in my pockets in my gig bag. No ritual or affect to my playing, just don't like stuff in my pockets.

[DeadHeadSF]

Originally Posted by sumgruuvz

hmmm. i stretch my fingers, hands, and wrists to where people probably think im warming up for a kung fu fight.

Same here, except I include the neck and shoulders as well. Less kung-fu and more yoga, I guess, but if it helps prevent RSI, I'll do it.

Once I have the axe in hand, there's a few routine finger exercises I do *always* if I haven't played yet that day.

[Rockbassist4]

The only thing I do is make sure that my basses are tuned and everything works.

[Ewo]

Before: the "spider" finger exercise, both on adjacent strings and skipping a string. Sounds kinda weird, if you're listening for key centers, but it gets my fingers halfway limber.

After: the neck flexion exercises in Robin McKenzie's book. Looks pretty weird, but it get any kinks out of my neck.

[jeffbrown]

Before band rehearsal and gigs: warm water wash the hands (yes, +1!), tune all basses, finger exercises and chromatic exercises up and down the neck on all strings on the bass I'm using first for my left hand while doing 1 - 2, 2 - 3, 1 - 3 finger exercises for the right hand. Check levels on pedals. Double check levels on pedals. If there's time, double check tuning before playing to make sure room temp hasn't messed with the original tune effort. Hit the head, PLAY!

Afterwards, wipe down basses w/clean cloth. One day I'm going to try those cleaner thingies...

YMMV

[Jeff Scott]

Bass-Ritual!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhMAlHTZFzI

[Kmonk]

Originally Posted by Rockbassist4

The only thing I do is make sure that my basses are tuned and everything works.

+1

Pretty much all I do too.

[Baird6869]

Get a nice cold pint of beer. Always just after I bring my stuff in and before I play a note.