Do you noodle on stage???

[LBS-bass]

Yes.

I turn my volume knob all the way down and I tend to run through scales on my instrument and finger warmups. I do this in rehearsal as well. I noodle while listening to my band mates or holding a conversation - I'm not head-in-the-fretboard, checked out or not talking or participating; it's almost just something to do with my hands. It's generally not obnoxious (no volume, and I don't slap so it's not super clacky) but I suppose I could probably do it less.

Volume off = not noodling.

 

[LBS-bass]

I do not noodle. I hate it more than anything. The most I can be said to be guilty of is tentatively playing a note very quietly to make sure I know my vocal cue.

 

[LBS-bass]

A little bit of "tweedle-tweedle" or "boom ba doom" to check volume or tone isn't bad and doesn't bother me,

That's what sound checks are for.

 

[Nephilymbass]

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.

Random noodling isn’t cool but neither is dead air between songs. I always have a few lines in reserve to fill dead air during guitar switches. But I wouldn’t consider it “noodling” at all. it’s actually very planned out with our drummer and I playing a recognizable songs The go
To being the verse of Rearranged by limp Bizkit as it gets the ladies dancing and lightens the mood and can get some giggles at the same time. We also jam lateralis and Disposition by Tool. Some old RATM like bullet in the head and settle for nothing. But yeah. I wouldn’t call that noodling. It’s really planned into the show as a way to fill dead time during guitar switches.

 

[Remoman]

Noodling is something you do at home when you practice. Never at a rehearsal with a band, and never, ever, ever on stage at a gig. It doesn't matter how good you are, or how important you think you are, or if you think you need to, or you think it's ok: it isn't. It's never, ever, ever, to be accepted or practiced. Period.

My jazz band director at UCLA taught us that right quick. Some people had to learn it the hard way.

 

[Pbassmanca]

Depends on the venue, and crowd. Occasionally just a wee bit....

 

[TigerInATrance]

This used to be a problem for us before we went with a mostly silent stage (still have acoustic drums). Guitar players like to noodle and our 2 were right up there with the noodliest.

Now, they can do it all they want because I will mute the mains (and guitar players in my monitors) until just before the count in. It also allows us to tune silently and have quiet discussions using the mics so as not to have to remove our in ears...

 

[lermgalieu]

Never at a performance. Sometimes for a couple of minutes in rehearsal if a member is in the bathroom or if we want to take a break from structured stuff. Sometimes song ideas come out of that. But no, not live ever, it's so annoying. Even if someone is amazingly proficient, I don't want to hear them noodle around.

 

[Ross W. Lovell]

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 one "noodles" on stage..............more than once.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

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.

Rarely.

 

[PWRL]

I do not. I go pretty serious when I'm onstage.

 

[MakoMan]

What do I look like... a guitarist?
I never noodle, not even in practice. I may play a riff now and then in practice before a song just to make sure I know it, but noodling is something I hate.
Our entire band is pretty good. They might noodle a bit at practice and Lord knows they'll keep playing while I'm taking a break, but it's practice and they don't overdo it, so it's fine. Sometimes they play something during a break and I go 'hey, we should do that song!'. So it's all good.
I'm the band leader and lead singer and the guys all know I have a 'no noodling' rule for shows. It doesn't mean we are stiff. We all know there is a big difference between noodling and maybe playing a riff when we're joking with the audience or just having some fun.

 

[ONYX]

That's what sound checks are for.

True.

But I've rarely played in a "shot-"n-beer" bar with a band that does sound checks. Most of the time it's "set up the gear-have a quick drink at the bar--let's rock".

But like I said, if you're playing a venue type gig, it's a no-no. In a bar situation, if I switch to guitar from bass ( and vice-versa) , I'm going to make sure I've got sound before the count off. And by that I mean a quick "plink-plink" on the strings and not practicing an entire song.

 

[beaglesandbass]

If the mains are muted I do. We use IEM so there's no stage volume.

 

[deste]

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

Amateurish. And irritating.
And idiot.

 

[Smooth_bass88]

I absolutely love noodling, especially in between songs on a gig, and really loud. I often get requests from young children asking me to noodle “Abc” or “wheels on the bus”. One time I was in the midst of a particularly inspired noodling episode when suddenly people started throwing roses at my feet. It was awesome!!!!!!!

 

[Spectrum]

"Do you noodle on stage???"

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

 

[Stewie]

I have to run up and down the neck of my upright to warm up the strings before I can tune. But I'll do that offstage if possible, and unplugged

 

[lbbc]

Absolutely no noodling from me...very unprofessional!!

 

[Biggbass]

It's irritating when noodlers noodle.