Favorite soundcheck licks?

[Hawkguy]

I admit it, I love to noodle during soundcheck and between songs during a gig. My favorite is the slap intro to Level 42's "Something About You", and Toto's "Roseanna". I've also been known to blast out Geddy's solo from "La Villa Strangiato".

So, what is YOUR favorite lick/riff/trick to noodle at soundcheck and between songs???

[Aaron]

To eq and set level on my amp, I just hit a few random notes in different registers to get a good idea of the balance and what freqs need to go down or up. I generally check the treble and the intonation with a chord with harmonics across all four strings (i.e. the C Maj 9 from Portrait of Tracy). That saves time.

For the soundman/woman, I like to play something consistent. It might just be the same note over again or just root fifth root fifth.

I like there to be as little space as possible between tunes, so I greatly prefer silence to noodling.

[Spector_Ray]

Intro to Doobie Brothers - Slow Burn

[msquared]

Led Zep - The Ocean
The Meters - Just Kissed My Baby

[20db pad]

Between songs, noodling on bass drives everybody crazy and sounds thoroughly unprofessional.

For soundchecks where they're just trying to get a sound, proper gain structure and levels, I play simple stuff that is roughly similar to the material to be played at during the show. Slap riffs and speed demon playing aren't really appropriate at that time and don't impress anybody behind a mixing board.

[BassChuck]

Mustang Sally. I play a little bit down low and then take it up an octave. Be sure to play the same way and at the same stage volume that you'll use for the show.

[dancehallclasher]

"Barbarism Begins at Home" by the Smiths.

[ElectrAcoustic]

I tend to play fingerstyle, muted thumb & slap throughout the show plus I've usually got an electric upright with me for hiphop/salsa etc.. so I try and give the soundguy/gal a small sample of each.. a Stanley Clark riff slappin, a bit of "I Wish" on upright, a generic dub line using my thumb and some fingerstyle Jaco/Rocco licks..

[Mitchell Royce]

If I have to hear the Schism lick one more time during soundcheck I'm gonna maim someone. Guitards that tune to drop D have caught on as well. Worst of all, very few of them get it right(the triplet, more specifically).

[Jeff Martinez]

When I'm soundchecking my distorted patches, I love to play the intro riff from "Take On Me" by Ah-Ha. Otherwise, I just play something that I'll be playing during the set.

[iamthebassman]

Originally Posted by 20db pad

Between songs, noodling on bass drives everybody crazy and sounds thoroughly unprofessional.

+1000

[McHack]

Black Sabbath - NIB
Rush - Cygnus X-1
Limp Bizkit - Re-Arranged

[Diggler]

I do everything silently. Check gain levels with muted channels, etc. I don't noodle between songs because that's noob level.

Lately we've been soundchecking (as a band) with GnR's Nightrain. Sounds good without vocals and we can extend it while we get the levels set, then add vocals for a verse and we're done.

[The Golden Boy]

Lady Madonna

[theshadow2001]

A simple bass line from what I'm going to be playing a the gig.

[tZer]

I find that Queen's "Dragon Attack" (including the riffy 'solo' part) and "Another One Bites the Dust" work quite well.

[Spoiled Grape]

I play my bands bass lines since that's what I'm trying to check anyways.

[Mayers]

I usually play arpeggio all over the fingerboard starting à the 22th fret on the E strings to the 24th fret on the G strings and come back and then I play the same arpeggio one fret ower until I reach the 1st fret.

between song , I cut my volume to play something , keeping me warm.

[nemo]

Dee Lite - Groove Is In The Heart

[Spector_Ray]

Originally Posted by tZer

I find that Queen's "Dragon Attack" (including the riffy 'solo' part)

That is a great tune. I haven't played that one in a good 15 years. I think we'll resurrect that one for a show!