Warm up time

Tim Whitlock · From: Colorado, USA

At 69 years old I find that I need more time to warm up for live performance. I play out infrequently nowadays, maybe six to eight shows a year. I don't seem to hit my stride until 30 - 40 minutes into the set. Same with my practice sessions at home. I'm curious to learn what warm up process other steel players employ. Some guys seem to be able to sit down and play brilliantly with no apparent warm up. Thoughts?

Dave Hopping · From: Aurora, Colorado

Hi Tim-
Not sure how helpful it is for those of us "of a certain age", but what worked for me was a country praise band I've been playing with for the last ten years, although far less frequently than I'd have liked. They're down from about a dozen services a year to about four or five. It was a really good fit musically, the atmosphere was always so calm and benign and the congregants so accepting (and often applauding Winking

) that it's always been a matter of getting right in the pocket by halfway through the second song, and it would just go up from there.

Best of all, the ease of getting into things quickly translated to the bar gigs and critter club gigs I do, so that shortly into first set it all goes fine. I don't worry about getting all warmed up when I'm practicing at home; that's just for learning parts and it isn't really necessary to get in the zone unless it's for live performance or recording material that people will be listening to.

JMVHO-YMMV.

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

If you're playing regularly at home, IMHO, you shouldn't need an extended warm up period. Playing the night before or earlier in the day should be sufficient. Of course, of you're not getting enough "woodshed time" at home, your playing may be somewhat sketchy when you start. Oh Well

Been there, done that...pretty regularly, too! Laughing

Fred Treece · From: California, USA

Keep in mind that your band mates might not be so hot right out of the chute either. That can have an effect on how confident you feel with your place in the groove. Not trying to toot my horn and pass off my own foibles, but I am a pretty good listener and I know this to have been true in most of the club bands I have played in, including some fairly decent ones. It is practically inevitable in a group that plays out as little as yours (and mine) do.

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