When setting up the PA for a gig with an unfamiliar sound guy using their PA what do you play when he is setting you up.
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What do you play
- Thread starter gazzatriumph
- Start date
Nothing special these days, just bits and pieces of the setlist.
But in my old band 35 years ago I've made a special arrangement of Sergei Prokofiev's "Dance of the Knights" that we used exclusively for soundchecks. It started from bass and then gradually added other instruments and then lead voice.
But in my old band 35 years ago I've made a special arrangement of Sergei Prokofiev's "Dance of the Knights" that we used exclusively for soundchecks. It started from bass and then gradually added other instruments and then lead voice.
For just the bass: I play open strings, do slow scales or arpeggios across the strings. I never play anything remotely musical.
For the whole band: whatever the BL calls.
For the whole band: whatever the BL calls.
I usually play a slow walking bass line using all four strings, in the back of my mind I'm thinking I should do something more flashy 
As above whatever the BL calls for all the band.
As above whatever the BL calls for all the band.
I hit the low B hard until the sound guy gets the gain dialed in. That usually concludes the sound check for bass. Otherwise, I go up and down the bottom octave for a bit, then play something from the set.
Boring stuff.
A steady beat of open strings plucked and a middle neck steps with my volume and settings at gig volume. I'm deliberate in intensity so it is as close to gig play as possible. I'm not auditioning to be the sound guy's bass player. I'm making sure she/he has the range they can expect in the mix.
A steady beat of open strings plucked and a middle neck steps with my volume and settings at gig volume. I'm deliberate in intensity so it is as close to gig play as possible. I'm not auditioning to be the sound guy's bass player. I'm making sure she/he has the range they can expect in the mix.
For just me, some walking lines.
For the band, something to a) get vocals blended nicely, and b) to adjust overall balance. I've always played with people who adjust quickly to a good balance, so no big deal.
For the band, something to a) get vocals blended nicely, and b) to adjust overall balance. I've always played with people who adjust quickly to a good balance, so no big deal.
I play some strong low notes, maybe a line or two from a song, go through any pedal settings that might throw them, and most importantly, I play at the top level of intensity and volume that I use during a show so I don't end up overloading the channel.
Full band? Come Together, by the Beatles or Just what I needed, by the cars
Just bass? Parts of Plowed, by Sponge, or Ziggy Stardust, by David Bowie.
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The breakdown part to "Sir Duke," which is a great way to give the soundguy a pretty wide range from the bass. Or just open strings, I guess.
I just run a scale up and down near the nut. If he is trying to ring the room I'll go slowly until we get the sympathetic resonance or whatever it's called and then keep hitting that over and over until he tweaks it how he wants it
I've played about 1000 gigs at this point, and I still don't have a good answer - it's either some part I'm trying to drill into my brain at the last minute, or random mindless noodling. One of the curses of playing a support instrument is we don't end up playing nice solo-ish parts, so our vocabulary when asked to play alone is often awkward.
I used to pay in a blues band, and once in a while I break out the bass part to a slow version of "i Just Wanna Make Love to YOU" that we used to do. It's fairly recognizable and often gets a sly smile or a laugh when I do that (you can tell who knows the song by that), as I now do church gigs.
I used to pay in a blues band, and once in a while I break out the bass part to a slow version of "i Just Wanna Make Love to YOU" that we used to do. It's fairly recognizable and often gets a sly smile or a laugh when I do that (you can tell who knows the song by that), as I now do church gigs.
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that lick from "All Blues" by Miles Davis
Regards
Mark
Regards
Mark
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As a sound engineer all i want is the musicians to play the way they're gonna play during their set, at the intensity/volume they're gonna play during their set, in the style they're gonna play during their set so i can set the proper gain and maybe tweak the EQ a bit for the PA/Room combination. It can be sections of songs from your setlist or just some pedaled quart-notes in the range where you play. But it's not time to show off or play different fun things. If you're playing in a rock band, chugging through rock tunes with a pick, it's not the time to show off with Jaco phrases, tapping, or slapping/popping. You gain staging will be all effed up.
For the full band, ideally, play a song from your set the way you're gonna play it, get to the chorus (aka the loudest part of the tune) relatively quickly (don't pick your 10 minute long art-piece song), and if there's a solo section, maybe get to that quickly too. (The solo section is less important because that instrument's channel can usually be pushed a little during their solo during the set.) If you want to check a loud song and a ballad, or songs in your set with two different vibes, like the keys play a Rhodes sound and then a Clav sound, ask the sound engineer if it's cool to check two songs because they have different vibes. You don't have to play full songs. And, sound check is not rehearsal time. It's not time to "just go over a few things." That was for rehearsal.
And please please please, don't play when the sound engineer is setting up the other instruments. (Honestly, it's usually the drummer or lead guitarist who are guilty of this, in my anecdotal experience doing live sound.)
All that said, i stopped doing live sound and if i never do live sound again i'll be a happy person.
Side story: Was in a band playing bass once, and we did a verse/chorus of two songs for sound check. The sound engineer said, "Cool. Got it. We're good." And the keyboard player/BL asked if we could go over a few things. I yelled across stage and yelled, "No! Now's not the time. We got it. We're good." And i put down my bass and turned off my amp. The engineer came over and discreetly thanked me. I was like, "i do sound too. I know the deal. I got your back."
For the full band, ideally, play a song from your set the way you're gonna play it, get to the chorus (aka the loudest part of the tune) relatively quickly (don't pick your 10 minute long art-piece song), and if there's a solo section, maybe get to that quickly too. (The solo section is less important because that instrument's channel can usually be pushed a little during their solo during the set.) If you want to check a loud song and a ballad, or songs in your set with two different vibes, like the keys play a Rhodes sound and then a Clav sound, ask the sound engineer if it's cool to check two songs because they have different vibes. You don't have to play full songs. And, sound check is not rehearsal time. It's not time to "just go over a few things." That was for rehearsal.
And please please please, don't play when the sound engineer is setting up the other instruments. (Honestly, it's usually the drummer or lead guitarist who are guilty of this, in my anecdotal experience doing live sound.)
All that said, i stopped doing live sound and if i never do live sound again i'll be a happy person.
Side story: Was in a band playing bass once, and we did a verse/chorus of two songs for sound check. The sound engineer said, "Cool. Got it. We're good." And the keyboard player/BL asked if we could go over a few things. I yelled across stage and yelled, "No! Now's not the time. We got it. We're good." And i put down my bass and turned off my amp. The engineer came over and discreetly thanked me. I was like, "i do sound too. I know the deal. I got your back."
This. ^
If there's some kind of "audience" around, like a more festival style show where you run a quick line check, I'll do something familiar that people know and like. Bass lines from something like "Don't Stop Believing", "Billie Jean", "Sweet Emotion", etc. You get the idea.
I play authoritative evenly spaced notes low then high, or 3rd fret E string to 5th fret D string. I give each note a little die off time.
Or I play something very similar to what I play on the gig. Maybe use a pick if I am going to use one.
Or I play something very similar to what I play on the gig. Maybe use a pick if I am going to use one.
Purple Rain
but, for some reason, I can never hear myself well enough...
but, for some reason, I can never hear myself well enough...
Up until now, I've just made up some pattern on the fly. Trying to be busy enough to assist with level setting. But next time, I think I'll play "Hopelessly Devoted" 
When I run sound (same place, same people, over & over) I'll have each player give me ~5 seconds of signal to set an initial trim. I always leave headroom. I know each vocalist and have their trim levels pretty much memorized. Then I have the full band play some chorus they're familiar with where they're all in and I'll refine my trims. Then I release them to do their rehearsal via IEM while I work on dialing in FOH
And of course the biggest problem is the players who play soft during sound check because they feel all exposed then explode when the full band is in. No how may times you tell them. Play loud. Hit it like it owes you money. Forte, please (for my classically trained pianists).
When I run sound (same place, same people, over & over) I'll have each player give me ~5 seconds of signal to set an initial trim. I always leave headroom. I know each vocalist and have their trim levels pretty much memorized. Then I have the full band play some chorus they're familiar with where they're all in and I'll refine my trims. Then I release them to do their rehearsal via IEM while I work on dialing in FOH
And of course the biggest problem is the players who play soft during sound check because they feel all exposed then explode when the full band is in. No how may times you tell them. Play loud. Hit it like it owes you money. Forte, please (for my classically trained pianists).
