Rafael Trujillo
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How I warm up before playing my songs live
🕑 Added 2023-11-01 01:38:33 +0000 UTCHey guys, I want to share something about my warm up. This clip was recorded during a workshop I gave in Salzburg.
Playing at a workshop is totally different than performing a whole set on stage, because it’s just one or two songs out of nowhere. On a full live set, I usually start with 2-3 easier songs before playing harder stuff. But in a workshop situation I only play 1-2 in between talking about certain topics or answering questions. So in order to make my warm up as efficient as possible I start with very slow but controlled movements right and left hand synchronization exercises. Could be a scale or just a difficult part from a song in slow-mo for 5-10 minutes. Then I go through the hardest parts of the songs I’m performing. Without any metronome or anything. Just playing it on my absolute limit. At the highest tempo I can possibly play clean. Also most of my warm up is without any amp because 99% of the time there is no opportunity to play through an amp. So it’s more a matter of feeling the instrument rather than checking the tone. And then I just try to keep my hands as warm as possible until I start performing.
Let me know if you are interested in more specific warm up exercises? How do you warm up before performing?
Comments
Norman Schmidt
Great thank you!
Rafael Trujillo
and for the one song in Drop D I use the same set of strings as for standard E
Rafael Trujillo
In my warmup room I usually just play dry, without amp and board.
Rafael Trujillo
I just put the string in a post.
Norman Schmidt
Nice! Which String gauge do you use and do you have a prefered company / product of strings? Its Standard E (and one song drop d) right? Are you using the Live Board for song in the warmup room?
Rafael Trujillo
yeah totally. It depends on a lot of different factors! The ideal situation would be; completely focused on warming up, being in a separated room for maybe 20-30 mins and starting with very slow movements and going through the hardest parts of the set just on my own without metronome or anything, just to get the muscles warmed up and get the right mindset. And after that, straight to the stage. Obviously in reality that's not almost never the case. So I try to be focused even with other people in the same room. One other thing (especially against stage fright) I do is focus on breathing slowly. That helps me to stay calm.
Thomas Helwig
I currently only perform at home :) In the past I never really warmed up, there was just too much to take care of before a gig. Sometimes I warm up when meeting with other players, usually with a sequence of riffs, not necessarily of one song, it can be five or six songs. I tend to play the easy riffs first. Honestly, it also depends on who and how many people are listening. When I had a room where I was by myself I would go through my typical practicing routines, well, at least if the stage fright wasn't too high. To be honest, I wouldn't even know how to warm up before a gig nowadays. And then of course it's all a matter of what you are about to play or what kind of performance it is: workshop, teaching, club show, whatever. And then it also depends a lot on WHAT you are going to play. I can imagine that warming up for an Obsidious show is different to warming up for a workshop (you described it...). Do you warm up for an Obsidious (Panzerballett or any other live show) the way you describe above? As far as I understand you practice on your own before a show? In a separated room if possible? Would be the ideal situation I guess.
