I have been playing guitar for…let’s see…carry the one…27 years.
That is a long time.
I thought that after closing in on three decades, I had a pretty good grasp on all things guitar.
Sure, I’m far from a professional, but as a solid intermediate player with experience, I can handle whatever comes my way, right?
Well, yes and no.
Fulfilling a bucket-list dream
One aspect of guitar I had never done in all my years of playing was being in a band. Sure, I’ve played countless times in church, but I’ve never been in a legit rock-and-roll band.
It was, in fact, a bucket-list item for me—something I thought I would not be able to do until my kids were grown. But then my friend Donn invited me to join his band. They needed a second/lead guitarist, and he wanted me.
And so one day I was a nobody, and the next I was a full-fledged member of a local cover band, playing for upwards of 80 people at a small bar the next town over! (Super impressive, isn’t it?)
While this has been a dream come true for me, I also found out quickly that there are still gaping holes in my knowledge and abilities as a guitarist. To that end, I want to share with you five things I learned preparing for and playing our first show — ideas you can put into practice too.
Don’t neglect stage presence
When I watched some video clips of the show, I noticed my body language — or lack thereof. To be fair, the stage was tiny and I had almost no space to move, but I still looked like a mannequin. None of the emotion in my soul made an appearance on my face or in my body.
I’d never really considered my stage presence before. At church, it was never that big of a deal, since the goal of music in a religious service is to worship God, not rock out. Standing still is okay; roaming about the stage or jumping off things would be an irreverent distraction.
But when I transferred my “church” playing style to a bar, I just looked dead and uninterested in what I was doing.
I’m still learning on this front, but even something as simple as adopting a wider stance (a little past your comfort level) does wonders for stage presence. I’ve already learned that for myself, keeping my feet further apart, with one foot forward, not only enhances my look but helps me play with more emotion too.
Use earplugs!
I played my first show without earplugs. (The thought didn’t even enter into my mind.)
This is a bad idea.
I probably didn’t do any lasting damage to my hearing, but because of the stage setup, I was standing right next to two cranked guitar amps and a drum set. It was LOUD (Jim Marshall would have been proud). I can imagine that a steady diet of gigs would have a major impact on my ears.
The next day I immediately bought some affordable, reusable earplugs. They came in a carrying case that I then attached to the handle of my amp with a carabiner, which ensures I will never forget them.
My plan moving forward is to wear hearing protection at all future shows, whether I’m in the band or the audience.
You don’t have to be an amazing musician to play for people
When I joined my band, I didn’t exactly know what I’d be walking into.
Would I be as good as the rest of the band, or would I be dragging them down with my (perceived) relative lack of musical ability? After all, I’d never been in a band before; how good was I really?
As it turns out, I am totally good enough to be in a band — and likely so are you.
The other guys in my band are at a similar level as I am. We all love playing and do our best, but we also all have day jobs, families, and other commitments. As a solidly intermediate player, I fit right in.
So while I can’t reproduce or embody Yngwie, EVH, or Tim Henson, I can still play chords and licks and dabble in soloing, which is more than enough to be in a band. No expertise required!
It turns out practice makes you better
In the lead-up to joining the band, I had to learn a lot of songs quickly. I ended up carving out about an hour per day for practicing. (I usually spend 15 minutes per day if I’m lucky.)
This extra practice time paid off in spades. Not only did I learn the setlist, but I almost immediately noticed an improvement in my overall playing. After just a month of concentrated effort, I was able to play things I previously couldn’t. I had a lot fewer “bad” playing days and a lot more “one with the guitar” experiences. I even think my ability to dial in a guitar tone has improved.
Now that I’ve gotten up to speed on band material, I’m not spending quite as much time practicing, but I am still at a higher baseline than previously, which means I’m playing better than ever. I just needed a bit of external pressure to get me there.
I should have done this a long time ago
I always thought being in a band would be too much of a time commitment. I felt it would negatively impact my family life. That’s why I placed it in the “future dream” category.
But then I joined a band where three of the four of us are dads. We all have family and work commitments. And you know what? We just work around them.
So sure, we don’t practice together as much as we ought to, and we don’t play a ton of shows, but the tradeoff is this is what allows us to be a band at all. And honestly, it’s not that much of a scheduling issue anyway, especially since I’m now my own boss.
Had I known how manageable being in a local band can be, I’d have done it a long time ago. The idea that you are “too busy” is likely an excuse, because the truth is we all find time for the things we prioritize in life.
Joining a band has been a super rewarding experience for me, and if you have the chance, I’d say jump on it! Even so, you can still improve your own playing by learning from my example. Which one of these five things resonates with you? What else have you learned in a band setting that might help our community out? Let us know in the comments!
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