Do you noodle on stage???

[lfmn16]

I played with a drummer that got fired for noodling at rehearsal. It was a while coming, but in the last rehearsal he just wouldn't stop playing. We started a song wrong and I stopped playing and signaled everyone to stop. He just kept playing and said, "Just come in." I refused and he said, "Why not." I said "Because this is rehearsal where we rehearse the songs like we will play them live and when we play live we all start together." He's continuing to play during this entire exchange. He finally stopped, but by the end of the rehearsal I was ready to choke him. I got home and called the BL and said, "I'll make this easy for you; I quit and I'll never step foot in a room or on stage with that #@# hole again." The BL said, "How about if I fire him" It turned out everyone was tired of his BS. It's too bad because he was an incredible drummer, just impossible to play with.

 

[cnltb]

Do you noodle on stage???
Never.

 

[arbiterusa]

Am I the only one that thinks this is unbearably amateurish.

Firing offense in my band. Seriously. I'm always floored when people I see do it. You don't see anyone pulling that crap in a symphony, right?

 

[arbiterusa]

How do you know they weren't actually playing a song?

Dead covers, right? You really might not know.

 

[Element Zero]

In all my 22 years gigging, never once. I despise noodling on stage.

 

[5StringBlues]

 

[PapaBred]

Sorry for my lack of knowledge but... What is noodling?

 

[JRA]

drummers, at least in my area, are the biggest offenders

What is noodling?

here's one version of the 'concept':

 

[ForestFriend]

Firing offense in my band. Seriously. I'm always floored when people I see do it. You don't see anyone pulling that crap in a symphony, right?

Since a lot of people are bringing up noodling before the set actually starts, I should point out that symphonies totally do that. They'll slowly trickle onto the stage, one by one, warming up on their instruments until you have about 50 people on stage playing completely unrelated things. Of course, they'll shut up once the conductor gets on stage, tune together, and spend the rest of the night playing only what they're supposed to play.

 

[tmw]

No

 

[lz4005]

Sorry for my lack of knowledge but... What is noodling?

It's when people in the south catch fish with their bare hands.

Also, I play random things for about 30 seconds during sound check while they're getting my levels. I never play random stuff during the gig proper.

 

[No Malarky]

No noodling on stage for me or our outfit. We are consummate professionals.

 

[gln1955]

Since a lot of people are bringing up noodling before the set actually starts, I should point out that symphonies totally do that. They'll slowly trickle onto the stage, one by one, warming up on their instruments until you have about 50 people on stage playing completely unrelated things. Of course, they'll shut up once the conductor gets on stage, tune together, and spend the rest of the night playing only what they're supposed to play.

Worse than that. They tune without muting thier instruments.

 

[2112]

You don't see anyone pulling that crap in a symphony, right?

Lol just LOL at equating poverty bar bands to symphony orchestras.

 

[lauregami]

I have never been in a band, but I used to sing in church and other choirs. The way I see it noodling would be like if there was someone holding a conversation while our conductor was trying to address another section. Which happened far too often in my HS madrigals choir. Whether the noise is coming from a mouth or an instrument, it's unacceptable.

 

[BassGeekJack]

During the set? Definitely not. During sound check if we are the headliners and there is lots of time between checks? Yeah maybe a bit.

 

[pbassnut]

I watched a band this week where the guitarist and drummer noodled full vilume like they were in Guitar Center for 15 minutes after the appointed start time.

Am I the only one that thinks this is unbearably amateurish.


On a job, i get my sound settings in under 30 seconds. Not a sound further comes from my instrument until the first song. No noodling between numbers.

At jam sessions, I might make some groove or play along with the house sound at low volume. Or mimic what the guitarist plays.

I'm with you all the way on this issue. Noodling on stage before/after/between songs is one of the quickest ways to demonstrate to the audience how amateur you are. Most of my gigs are in bars where there is rarely an opportunity to do an extensive "private" soundcheck. I typically employ "plug & play" Fender P/Ampeg stuff that I know well and can get a good'nuff to get started with volume/tone in less than a minute and I warm up silently. In an ideal world, all the audience should ever hear is ensemble music.

 

[easyj]

I wanted to add: How is this even a question?

For all people that “noodle” on stage:

Stop doing it. It is inappropriate, unprofessional, undesirable, and unacceptable. Nobody wants to hear it. It takes away from your show.

 

[InhumanResource]

I watched a band this week where the guitarist and drummer noodled full vilume like they were in Guitar Center for 15 minutes after the appointed start time.

Am I the only one that thinks this is unbearably amateurish.


On a job, i get my sound settings in under 30 seconds. Not a sound further comes from my instrument until the first song. No noodling between numbers.

At jam sessions, I might make some groove or play along with the house sound at low volume. Or mimic what the guitarist plays.

No, not at gigs and I can't stand it when others do it either. I have a guitarist who insists on playing the opening chords to whatever the next song is while he adjusts his tone. Because everyone cares what the guitar sounds like, of course. Drives me nuts.

 

[klejst]

You mean fight with pool noodles on stage for 15 minutes??? ...Maybe I do...maybe I don't...