TIPS FOR PERFORMING YOUR SONGS
- Have the words before you of the songs in your play list.
- Pick the musical key and write that immediately after the title of each song.
- If you are going to play a lead guitar solo, write the number of the first note after the key of the song, like C3, meaning your first note of your solo is the #3 note of the C scale.
- If there are any jumps in the melody that give you trouble, write the number of the scale over the word you are jumping to.
- The best way to have your music with you at a gig is to have them on an iPad. Here is how to do that. Take a picture of the words and chords of your song. If you did not take the picture with the iPad, e-mail the picture to an iPad. Go to Notes. Go to your Performance Folder. Touch the square with a check mark in it. Type in the name of the current song. Go to Photo icon. Hit Chose Photo. Touch the picture of the words of the song. Hit Add. To delete, hit the circle with three dots.
- A stand to hold the iPad is available from Sweetwater Music.
Mistakes on the picture on the left are microphone too big; mic blocks face; lose mic volume when turns head down; music double folder blocks playing of guitar; am sitting on a kitchen chair; and distracting shadow on wall.
All mistakes are corrected in the picture on the right. You can barely see iPad with music and its stand; iPad is directly in line of where player looks at strings (can see music and strings in same look); microphone attached to head is barely seen; get same volume when moves head; and sitting on a guitar stool that provides a right foot rest which helps cradling the guitar.
- A microphone that is head mounted is nice. Mine is made by Acacia Audio and is called the LIZ Roadster from Sweetwater Music.
- You may need a small amp with three inputs and controls like PA 50 made by Kustom. 18 x 6 x 6 inches. Three speakers. It is available from Sweetwater Music.
- When playing lead, your sound needs to cut through the sound of the band. Most lead guitarists also have a foot switch to increase their volume when switching from rhythm guitar to lead guitar and to decrease it when they revert to playing rhythm guitar. I use an EP booster switch made by Xotic available from Sweetwater Music. It has a 9 volt battery inside, has an input and output socket, a volume knob, and a pilot light when the boost is in use, as well as a foot switch. It can be run off the battery or a 9 volt AC power supply.
- Lead guitar is typically played with an electric guitar because it has more sustain, the notes within a slide are louder, bending notes is easier, and it can be played to large audiences with no feedback. But, with an electric guitar you need an amp to practice, and lead guitars and amps are heavy. An acoustic guitar is thicker than an electric guitar, so when you cradle it, the strings are farther from your abdomen, and if you tilt the guitar slightly, you see the strings better than with an electric guitar.
