What things that guitar players do, really bugs you?

[JeepnDrummer]

What bugs me:
- When guitarists play too loud
- Use so much distortion that no one can distinguish the notes
- They think it's okay to mess around between songs
- Tune by ear and their guitar sounds like "suck"

[Steve Phelps (Shoeless)]

When they show up for gigs, bugs the crap out of me. ;)

[Dave Heim]

When they show up for gigs, bugs the crap out of me. ;)

You can always tell a guitar player. . .  but you can't tell him much.  :)

[Scott]

Even worse is when they play the opening line of the song before we start it..... Kind of like there giving themselves a warmup or a reminder before each song.  How would they like it if before each song I played a few bars of the tune?

This is definitely number 1 for me, although I've also played with a couple of sax players that do this, too.  If they just HAVE to do this, I wouldn't mind if they just turned down briefly to do it, and then they can turn back up when it's time to start the song.  

However, I find it interesting that if the guitar player/sax player, etc. is also the front person/lead vocalist, that this kind of thing practically NEVER happens!  

[Big Yummy]

Why don't we compile a list of pointers for guitarists?  Here's a first draft.

- It doesn't matter how loud your guitar is, if it's so distorted I can't hear it, I can't play along with it.

- If you break a string every set, get heavier strings.

- Turn your amp volume to "off", or stop playing COMPLETELY between songs.

- Get an electronic tuner.

- Sink your money into a good, powerful amp before buying even one pedal.

- For every layer of effects you add to the guitar, you need to step up your amp one size to compensate for those things sucking the life out of your sound.

- If I can't hear the drums, I can't play them.

- I like music, I don't want to go deaf.

- I'll lift your amp, since it's too heavy for you, AFTER you bring in my drums.  (I'll carry the hardware.)

- Hit my cymbals during the set and I'll practice paradiddles on your guitar.

[DRWM]

What gets me is when they blame every timing issue on the drummer.  I get so sick of all heads turning my way when the bass player is rushing or dragging.  

Or, if the guitar player counts off his guitar intro 10 bpm too slow and it's my fault the tune is not fast enough?!?! Sheesh, I can only play the tune as fast or slow as you start it, buddy.  :(

[Donald Mcnany (boomerweps)]

Echoing many:
1. Noodling between songs.
2. Tuning between songs. Figure it out, if a certain song knocks the tuning out EVERY TIME, put it LAST in the set! OR PLAN a swap to a TUNED guitar.
3. Oh yeah, swapping out electric guitars for different songs that DON"T have an altered tuning (without a tech).
4. Failing to check the tuning on spare guitars UNTIL you break a string on the main one and swap them out! (and not replacing the string on the next break or not having spares)
5. Playing the hook of a song PRIOR to the song (if you can't remember it, PRACTICE elsewhere).
6. The pedal dancers. If more than 2 FX and one volume pedal are used, GET A COMBO FX UNIT! LEARN to program it. This also avoids the mass/mess of taping down wires. I know they'll miss the circle of servants surrounding them.
7. Teaching the subbing bassist the song's main lines right before the song in the middle of a set.

Basically, I hate wasting the audience's time. Any time REQUIRED between songs should be planned for. Otherwise, it's non-professional behaviour.

Boomerweps

[Jon E]

How about the ever-popular--

Trying out new gear for the first time ON STAGE!!

or--

Doing a complete string change 10 minutes before the first set!!

[smoggrocks]

hee-hee, these are funny.

i actually don't mind the tuning, as i'd rather have an in-tune guitar than out-of-tune. but too much noodling between tunes is annoying. kills the set pacing.

what really bugs me is overly-reverbed gtrs and solos that go nowhere. i'm one of the few that actually gets into solos...but they gotta be good!

also don't like when a guitarist doesn't watch me while playing. we're all playing the same dang tune, so why not, er... tune in??

[SheldonWhite]

what are some of the things that guitar players do that makes you nuts.

They play guitars. Really loud guitars. I hate that...

[DougB]

I can't stand guys who constantly fiddle.  I've worked with one who is forever pushing his effects pedal switches, [plays power chord], switches cables, [plays power chord], turns some knobs, [plays power chord], then its back to the pedal switches and the process starts over again.  Although frustrating, its actually kind of entertaining to watch.  

that's funny - just last week in practice the bass player seemed to spend half the time fooling with his amp settings, while leaving me twisting in the wind with no bottom line.....

[Mark Counts]

I don't have any problem with the guy's that I am playing with now.  They all understand balance and most of the time we have to tell the lead guitar player to turn up a little bit but we use a sound meter to balance the band.  The gadget thing of fiddle and stomping can sometimes get old.  Simple is better. I guess what bothers me the most is we practice for 45 min. and then they have to smoke 4 or 5 cigarettes outside and then 45 min and then 4 or 5 cigarettes.  If we could pipe the nicotine into them we would get more done. My wife has asthma so the cigs need to stay outside.  Even in Kentucky we are passing no smoking laws.
Restaurants are mostly smoke free in Lexington and Louisville.
I am really glad it past.
                                Nutty

[DRWM]

You know Nutty, the no smoking in public buildings law has been around here (Southern California) for about 10 years now I think.  It's a great thing to play a bar and not feel like I smoked a pack of cigs the next day.  I love it.  

Sorry for the near hijack everyone.  ;)

Back to topic,

I thought of another guitar player annoyance.  Not really a live thing, but when they get all weird about recording solos.  I think we sat through about 34 takes of a 12 bar solo last time we recorded, luckily it is my dad's home studio, so the time was free, but dang man, I thought it was a good solo 33 takes ago.  :)

[marker]

The big problem I have with guitar players is their attitude.

You're the guitar player.  You're not the band director.  Your solos are not going to make or break the band.  If they would, I'd follow you anywhere.  But, they won't.  You just imagine they will.

I know you can't hear yourself.  It's because you aimed your speakers at your knees.  Your ears are 3-4 feet up from there.  Aim your speakers at your ears.

Being a guitar player in no way qualifies you to direct the drummer.

If the guitar player has timing issues, I suggest he acquaint himself with a metronome.  Then, talk to me about timing issues.

Unless you really are a music god, you cannot play well when you're stoned and/or drunk.  I'm still waiting for the music god.

Other musicians in the room have ideas and opinions.

[Dave Heim]

The big problem I have with guitar players is their attitude.

You're the guitar player.  You're not the band director.  Your solos are not going to make or break the band.  If they would, I'd follow you anywhere.  But, they won't.  You just imagine they will.

I know you can't hear yourself.  It's because you aimed your speakers at your knees.  Your ears are 3-4 feet up from there.  Aim your speakers at your ears.

Being a guitar player in no way qualifies you to direct the drummer.

If the guitar player has timing issues, I suggest he acquaint himself with a metronome.  Then, talk to me about timing issues.

Unless you really are a music god, you cannot play well when you're stoned and/or drunk.  I'm still waiting for the music god.

Other musicians in the room have ideas and opinions.

What the guitar player hears:

You're the guitar player.  You're not the band director.  Your solos are not going to make or break the band.  If they would, I'd follow you anywhere.  But, they won't.  You just imagine they will.

I know you can't hear yourself.  It's because you aimed your speakers at your knees.  Your ears are 3-4 feet up from there.  Aim your speakers at your ears.

Being a guitar player in no way qualifies you to direct the drummer.

If the guitar player has timing issues, I suggest he acquaint himself with a metronome.  Then, talk to me about timing issues.

Unless you really are a music god, you cannot play well when you're stoned and/or drunk.  I'm still waiting for the music god.

Other musicians in the room have ideas and opinions.

[Mark Counts]

DRWM,
They can still smoke in bars in Louisville but all public buildings in Lexington.  The rest of the state doesn't have any smoking laws.  We are 10 years behind the times here.  When I play a bar you can hear the cigs in my voice the next day.
 
Back to the thread,  it really bothers me that there are no musicians that don't smoke in Kentucky.  I am one of the few that don't. Everyone I have played music with in 10 years smoked except the church musicians. I sure there are some but not many.
                                 Nutty

[chillman4130]

I am really lucky that pretty much no one in my band has these bad habits.
There's one thing though, when they think of a beat they want me to play they beatbox it.
Listen--boom-chikka BAP chikka boom-a-chikka BAP always sounds the same if it's coming out of your mouth. I'll listen to your suggestions if they are discernable, but otherwise, I am the drummer and I'll come up with the beats.

[somebodyelse]

I'm glad this thread exists. I have alot to get off my chest.

- Acting suprised that it takes more than 3 minutes to set up my kit.

- Tuning every 5 seconds.

- Trying to play too fast and messing up.

- Trying to do beat shifts/time signature changes on their own during jams, expecting me to just realize instantaneously and follow right in.

- Too many effects

- Standing on my kick drum

- Getting patch chords under my cymbal stands somehow

- Losing set lists and asking me "What song comes next"

- Trying to set up my kit on their own

- Trying to play my kit on their own

- Treating sticks like they cost 25 cents each

- Bumping into cymbals, knocking them into my torso

- Changing my set up before a show while they are trying to play my kit

[Chip Donaho]

You've all pretty much covered my gripes....But our leader knows better than to put his junk in front of my bass drum. That's the only good thing he's learned not to do to me. He quit drinking several years ago and goes to AA meetings. Then he thinks everyone should be "a woose" like him.... I could never stand myself if I done all the BS between songs that guitar players do. It's pretty rare you ever meet a "real" pro anymore who doesn't do any of that stuff....    ::)   :-X

[JamesC]

Oh man, I forgot my absolute favorite:

"Hey man, can you play fast?"

Note: this is primarily from the 25 & under crowd.  I used to have a practice space near a bunch of these guys who would ask those kinds of questions.