Warm up!

Hey hey hey!

Wow, what a night and day difference from last gig. This one was good. Ha!

I found something out that just might help your playing. I like to treat a gig like it's a sporting event, and I'm an athlete. In a way, I am. Tightness and discipline are keys for me. So is warming up. Try this experiment: Next time you pick up your guitar, clock your top speed using a metronome. Play for an hour or so, and clock it again. I bet you'll see a big difference. It's the only way I can hit my top speeds consistently. And for me, consistency is next to godliness. Rock godliness!

I spent Saturday morning teaching, so I was warmed up already...And then, I got to use a back room at the venue as a dressing room! Nifty! I felt like a rockstar. I threw a metronome in my gig bag, and ran a bunch of scales before I went on.

There's always a nagging question in the back of my mind before a gig, and perhaps it's stuck in your brain, too. "If I'm not as good as (your favorite guitar player's name goes here), how can I have a super good gig? Won't it still be second class?"

Here's a thought that just popped into my head.

Your music is like a car, and the gig is a car show. You might not have the mint '53 Vette. (Say, the chops of Eddie, or the soul of Stevie.)

But you apply discipline to your car. You work on it. You wax it. It's consistent. No shiny parts, and rusty parts. The finish is a perfect Pinto Green. Sure, it's a pinto, but it is a clean and good as you can possibly make it.

Chops and Soul come with time. Putting the shine on your playing by warming up before a gig, staying sober (duh!), changing your strings the day prior, having your guitar in tune...These all add up. When you get that '53 Vette, you'll be a pro, and you'll know what to do with it.

Rock on!

Pssst...if you don't own a metronome, either use metronomeonline.com, or even better, buy one!

Qwik Time QT-5 Metronome Packed with professional features, the QT5 offers functions not seen on metronomes that cost twice the price. Credit card-sized, it features over 200 tempo settings, distinctive click sound, A440 tuning tone, low-battery indicator, and earphone jack.A very small metronome, it will fit in your pocket or any instrument case. Size: 2"W x 3"H x 1/4"D. The screen displays the tempo with a black dot that swings from side to side with the beat and shows accenting of the beats on 2/4, 3/4, and 4/4. Tempos can be chosen from 40 to 250BPM in one-beat increments. The sound is a beep that can be turned off. The metronome is held upright with a stand that swings out from the back. Tempo markings are on the face. Watch-type battery and an instruction sheet are included. One year warranty.