Oops, I forgot to tune up

NewGuy · #1 07-30-2008, 11:38 PM

That's what I felt like doing, hiding!! Played at a church service tonight and forgot to tune up. But I figure, no big deal because usually my D string gets a little flat in the gig bag.

So what do I do...in the middle of the song I realize it and begin to fix it. Problem was I kept tightening the A string. So now we're into the 3rd song with my A string super sharp, my D string stupid flat and me playing with this huge grin on my face because it was just so funny to me.

I must admit, if I had gotten paid for this service I would have quickly given the money back!!

All_¥our_Bass · #2 07-31-2008, 01:13 AM

LOL!!

man that is too funny.

Deacon_Blues · #3 07-31-2008, 02:17 AM

Oops... those things happen sometimes. Makes it easier to remember it next time.

I sometimes forget to tune up as well because my basses generally stay very well in tune. Anyway if it obvious that it is too flat, I try to bend the notes a bit when I play in an attempt to compensate it. If I is too sharp, I avoid to play that string or try to do a quick re-tune.

Luckily, it is often not a very big deal if the bass is just slightly out of tune live. It is generally much worse if the guitars are out of tune...

BryanM · #4 07-31-2008, 02:30 AM

This is why I miss my fretless so much. I used to be able to just take care of being out of tune by adjusting my position. On the plus side, the reason it's out of commission is because it's awaiting some Fralin split jazz pups, so I suppose worth the wait.

**BullHorn** · #5 07-31-2008, 08:49 AM

I nearly fell off my watchtower when i read this. Hahaha.

dave64o · #6 07-31-2008, 09:23 AM

I wouldn't sweat it unless they complemented you on how much better you sounded that night.

Chad Michael · #7 07-31-2008, 09:32 AM

Saying "I had a live performance and oops, I forgot to tune up"

- is like saying -

"I'm an adult, felt the urge to defecate, and oops, I forgot to find a toilet"

Brittain · #8 07-31-2008, 10:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bimplizkit

Saying "I had a live performance and oops, I forgot to tune up"

- is like saying -

"I'm an adult, felt the urge to defecate, and oops, I forgot to find a toilet"

Oh Bimplizkit, you so crazy!

I do that all the time... defecate I mean, not forget to tune up, that's just WRONG.

Buskman · #9 07-31-2008, 11:30 AM

This topic reminded me of an excerpt from an old Sting interview (from Bass Player, 4/92):

The following interview with Vic Garbarini appeared in the April 1992 issue of Bass Player magazine...

"...Fast forward about a dozen years to the last night of the American leg of Sting's 'Soul Cages' tour. He's backstage in Richmond, California, double-checking the tuning of his Ibanez fretless. "Last week in Nashville I knocked the tuning pegs while going on stage," he relates in a raspy whisper. "So I'm sliding up to the first note on the opening tune, going for the gliss, and this bizarre sound comes out. Ever try to re-tune a fretless in the middle of a song?""

Happens to the best of us, I guess...

Brittain · #10 07-31-2008, 11:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buskman

Happens to the best of us, I guess...

...and Sting.

O/J

fretlessman71 · #11 07-31-2008, 11:44 AM

There's a humility in the OP's comments that I really dig. It's an OOPS. And one that he'll remember the next time he's running late to a gig and pulls his bass out of the bag.

And Bimplizkit... when we were growing up, we ALL did the exact same thing as you mentioned while in diapers. Could the same be said of our new bass brethren?

Michelob_64 · #12 07-31-2008, 12:11 PM

Similar situation. A band that I had auditioned for asked me to come out & play some songs with them at a Saturday night gig. I brought my bass but was using the exiting bassist's amp. A nice Line 6 with a built in tuner, etc.

I got the instructions from the dude, yellow light on the left or right means tune up or down. Two green LEDs means I'm in tune. Sweet I'm good to go ... or so I thought. There is no LED read out that tells you exactly what you are in tune to exactly ... hence trouble begins.

The night before I had been jamming with some dudes that play dropped C. So I start tuning the bass, the tuner locks on with 2 green lights, E string, A string, D string, G and I'm golden. What I didn't know was that the tuner had me locked in at a full step below standard tuning.

Luckily for me I asked the Rhythm guitar player to give me an open A & quickly figured out that I was a little off. Avoided disaster and embarassment to myself. The good news is that I did so well that they offered me the job later that night as we sat a Waffle House for the post gig food run.

Can't imagine what would have happened otherwise, lol.

dj150888 · #13 07-31-2008, 12:19 PM

....ouch!

My first gig I was supposed to have a tuning change for the last song....in my nervous panic, I completely forgot! Luckily I managed to improvise most of the song around my bad tuning but.....it was pretty grim

SBassman · #14 07-31-2008, 12:21 PM

This thread delivers!

Bassenstien · #15 07-31-2008, 12:29 PM

I kind of have a story like this. A few weeks ago we had a gig in Hattisburg MS. We tend to get a little crazy on stage (my singer and myself), and I saw him swing his arm and his mic cable landed all over my headstock. I saw it happen and tried to pull it off but alas he pulled again as I watched all my keys turn. So for the rest of the song I was playing with hammer ons with my left hand and tuning with my right. best ear training ive ever had ha. At least it didnt hurt my bass, but what can you do metal will be metal \m/

fretlessman71 · #16 07-31-2008, 12:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SBassman

This thread delivers!

Sane · #17 07-31-2008, 12:34 PM

Same thing happened to me 2 gigs ago. That "new" Ozzy song , I don't want to stop... I was supposed to be in drop C... Was in D

noticed on like the first note lol. Grabbed the oversized tuning peg of my Peavey, went down, prayed ... and back up. Got lucky

NewGuy · #18 07-31-2008, 02:17 PM

I asked one of the keyboards players how it sounded and he said it wasn't that bad. I was playing through a black & green rig (you should be able to figure out the name) that someone eq'd horribly so everything sounded like MUD anyway.

But I have never had this happen before. I arrived 45 ins before service started so I can't even use running late as my excuse. Oh well, I hope this event brought a smile to any of you who were having a bad day!

Stingray_EB · #19 07-31-2008, 02:20 PM

God, Ive done this too, I find it easier just too mover everything up a fret than try and tune during a song.

loend68 · #20 07-31-2008, 02:26 PM

We started tuning to Eb at one point and I accidentally tuned my A string to standard pitch.......it makes the song quite interesting to play once you've figured out what happened....