# 8 Laws of Guitar Etiquette



## hardasmum (Apr 23, 2008)

http://reverb.com/blog/the-8-laws-o...m=email&utm_campaign=rn011715&_aid=newsletter

Numbers 5 and 6 hit home for me. 

Working as a guitar tech years ago for a major touring act I learnt the importance of striking the stage quickly so the next act can setup. Nothing annoys me more than watching the band before you coil up their cables centre stage and talking to their buddies in the audience while you wait to setup. Get your shite off the stage!!

I don't know if it was a "punk ethic" or a 90's thing but when I first started playing gigs all the bands would hang out and watch each others sets. This was especially cool if you were the opening act playing to no one or you were the last band on a slow night. 

Now it seems that a lot of bands load in and then piss off until moments before their set. Then they load out all their gear during the next bands' set.

Bollocks I say. Support each other. This means standing up by the stage by the way, not outside smoking jazz cigarettes with your buddies.


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

One of the first things a touring pro told me when i asked "what do I need to know for tour?" Was fast setup and tear down. Im the first one ready to start and ready to load out haha (didnt even know i was that fast - i hadnt gigged in a year).

I will check out the list.


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## Krelf (Jul 3, 2012)

Maybe other posters can add other rules of etiquette not included in the first eight.

I'll add one: Don't leave instruments draped over furniture or cables strewn around the floor when you are not planning to play for a while. (My wife likes that rule.)


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

All very good points. "Do to others as you would want them to do to you", sums it all up.


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## Electraglide (Jan 24, 2010)

'nother rule that I didn't see, "If it ain't yours, ask.". Don't just pick up someone guitar and start playing. Works for everything. My wife likes the, 'You have your space in the basement, the shop etc. it stays there and not upstairs.'. That goes for musical equipment, electronics, motorcycle parts etc..


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## ezcomes (Jul 28, 2008)

I have bandmtes that fit into #5...show up after the has started and leave after our set...one will sometimes be gone before the rest of us have finished getting our stuff off the stage...

ive played shows with bands like that before too...it sucks when not toomany ppl show up...but if we watch your set...the least you can do is watch the remaining sets

also...just because you are an out of town band doesnt mean you can screw off with the door money either...that should be a rule...always ensure someone has the job of door cover taker...dont share duty with the other bands...elsewise see above

i agree with guitars being tuned...but also ensuring your gear is ready for a gig...we played an outdoor gig last february...one bandmate decided to grab his guitar and get to the show...didnt let it climitize, it wouldnt stay in tune for two minutes let alone a full song

i can also agree with volume...im in a rock band, i get it...but use a proper volume level for the room size youre in...if glasses are walking on tables...theres a good chance youre too loud

this turned into a rant...sorry...

- - - Updated - - -

Thought of another...if you borrow and you break...pay for it...be respectable...dont toss it to the side, finish your set, complain that it mustve been junk, and then toss off into the night...


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## Rumble_b (Feb 14, 2006)

I don't get why some people don't stick around to watch the other bands?!?! I haven't played that many gigs but I (we) would always watch the other bands. Not just out of respect and support, but I wanted to hear some live music!


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

I like #1-
_Stores are for checking out gear, not showcasing your shred.

_I have played guitars or tried out amps when I know I wasn't going to buy that day--and I have told the salesmen hat as well--but I am saving up for one or checking out what is out there or seeing what something new is like or seeing if I like something, etc. (or some combination of those)

But I find it annoying when people think they have to play so the whole store can hear them and nobody else can hear themselves or it's difficult to think.
I've had people compliment my playing in a store when I was just playing stuff to let me hear what a guitar can do or sounds like--or an amp or a pedal.
I wasn't showing off--sometimes someone else was and I get the compliments.
One salesman asked me if I wanted to teach for the as they were looking for new teachers. But I didn't have the time then so I never applied.

But the key is I wasn't showing off--I didn't care what other people thought.
And often I'm not into letting others hear me, because I'm sure a lot of people in the store are better than I am.


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## bw66 (Dec 17, 2009)

ezcomes said:


> but also ensuring your gear is ready for a gig...


YES!!!!

Including cables, stings, batteries, etc. When I worked as a sound tech I couldn't believe the number of people who would show up with an intermittent cable or a dodgy jack. "Yeah... it does that... I just have to hold it like... this... can I borrow some tape... "


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## Lola (Nov 16, 2014)

That one guy who comes into my local music store and thinks he's Eddie Van Halen! He cranks up the amp and man he's certainly not impressing me. He's just pissing everyone off. He puts down the guitar and picks up another one trying to impress anyone in the store. 

My husband gets upset when I don't turn my amp off. I usually will take a break for 10 or 15 and leave it on. He's always telling me to turn the damned thing off. It wastes electricity don't ya know! lol


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

When growing up, my friends had a very hard time with "guitar faces" - not the faces you make when you're into your groove, but the weird looks you give someone when you ask them to listen to what you just learned.


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## Chito (Feb 17, 2006)

Lola said:


> My husband gets upset when I don't turn my amp off. I usually will take a break for 10 or 15 and leave it on. He's always telling me to turn the damned thing off. It wastes electricity don't ya know! lol


It's actually better for your amp to stay on than turning it off and on. At least that's what I know. Also the money you save from leaving it on for 10-15 minutes is not even worth it.


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## Chito (Feb 17, 2006)

I've encountered each and every one of those scenarios. Most from kids who are just starting to play guitar. One I don't get is the tuning. I've seen guys tune with each other onstage. LOL I almost said, whatever money you get from the gig, buy yourselves a tuner! Oh wait, most of them don't get paid. LOL


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## bluesguitar1972 (Jul 16, 2011)

Main one he's missing and one of my personal pet peeves. 
Don't hijack someone's gig. If I'm on stage, and I invite you up, that's cool. But having some drunk tool come up and tell me he wants to play some Zep tune on my (rather expensive) Les Paul is NOT cool. And no, I don't care if some chick you're trying to bang wants to sing Mustang Sally and you mistakenly think that pounding away on C to accompany her will somehow aid in that quest. Random guy, you are not playing my guitar. (_also, related, but not specific to guitar: Random drunk Girl singer, we're not backing your drunken train wreck of Bobby McGee_) We're paid to play for the crowd. Kareoke is Wed night, and open Mic down at the local pub is Thrusday. Have at it.

To put a fine enough point on it, if you're good enough to play my guitar at a gig, you would be smart enough to know it's not cool to ask.


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## sulphur (Jun 2, 2011)

Chito said:


> It's actually better for your amp to stay on than turning it off and on. At least that's what I know. Also the money you save from leaving it on for 10-15 minutes is not even worth it.


A tube amp, yes, good point.

Playing in tune is a quirk of mine too.
It's not just about tuning the guitar though, it has to be intonated also.
As mentioned earlier, I check the guitars I'm taking to a jam.
There's only a few that I actually gig with and they might need a slight tweak after a string change pre-gig.

Fiddling/noodling between songs at a gig, especially the riff to the upcoming song is a no-no, imo.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

bluesguitar1972 said:


> Main one he's missing and one of my personal pet peeves.
> Don't hijack someone's gig. If I'm on stage, and I invite you up, that's cool. But having some drunk tool come up and tell me he wants to play some Zep tune on my (rather expensive) Les Paul is NOT cool. And no, I don't care if some chick you're trying to bang wants to sing Mustang Sally and you mistakenly think that pounding away on C to accompany her will somehow aid in that quest. Random guy, you are not playing my guitar. (_also, related, but not specific to guitar: Random drunk Girl singer, we're not backing your drunken train wreck of Bobby McGee_) We're paid to play for the crowd. Kareoke is Wed night, and open Mic down at the local pub is Thrusday. Have at it.
> 
> To put a fine enough point on it, if you're good enough to play my guitar at a gig, you would be smart enough to know it's not cool to ask.



Most of the guys you would really _want _to get up with your band, would have to be asked, probably more like convinced, to get up.

I can't imagine asking someone if I could play a song in their set.

I really got tired very quickly of the drunk chicks wanting to get on stage to dance or yell into a mic. That stuff get's old fast when you're not also loaded.

Tuning.....If ever there was an argument for robo tuners....

In a trouble shooting flow chart for guitar, the first box should be "In Tune" Yes / No. If no, get the F$%k off stage and tune up.


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## cheezyridr (Jun 8, 2009)

alot of those are just simple, common courtesy. however, i disagree with the one about watching the other bands. my time is mine. if i want to hear your 25 yr old self playing ONLY octave chord screamo on every 3rd song you do, then i would. but i don't want to hear that anymore than you want to hear me playing old blues every 3rd song. i don't have the giant ego that will crumble if it's not propped up by other musicians. it ain't gonna hurt my feelings if you go burn one during my set.


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## butterknucket (Feb 5, 2006)

Number 3 is lost on a lot of people.


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## hardasmum (Apr 23, 2008)

cheezyridr said:


> alot of those are just simple, common courtesy. however, i disagree with the one about watching the other bands. my time is mine. if i want to hear your 25 yr old self playing ONLY octave chord screamo on every 3rd song you do, then i would. but i don't want to hear that anymore than you want to hear me playing old blues every 3rd song. i don't have the giant ego that will crumble if it's not propped up by other musicians. it ain't gonna hurt my feelings if you go burn one during my set.


I would hope the promoter would know better than to book you and the Screamo band on the same night.

I don't think this point is referring to casual jam nights but directed at actual shows that have 3 or more bands on the bill. 

I have found it's a very Canadian thing for people (patrons and other musicians) to hover around at the back of the room by the bar and talk over a band's set.

When I played gigs in England for a couple of years the concept of "supporting" a band was actually a thing people did. 

A friend suggested we go up to the stage and watch the band playing. I said I wasn't crazy about them and he replied, 

"Who cares, they've made an effort to be here tonight we should support them."

It makes such a huge difference to the band on stage. They've possibly taken the afternoon off work and driven a few hours to play to an empty room. That really sucks. It's inspiring to look out and see at least a couple of people paying attention to your music.

It's not about ego, it's about respecting your peers.


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## Sketchy Jeff (Jan 12, 2019)

Electraglide said:


> 'nother rule that I didn't see, "If it ain't yours, ask.". Don't just pick up someone guitar and start playing.


I've had people play my guitar without asking at shows. Once a guy I didn't know snagged my guitar out of a backstage prep room without asking and played his set with it. I was sitting at a table in the audience thinking hey look at that the guy's got a guitar just like mine. Stage manager yelled at him and he left but it was sweaty and beat up and out of tune played hard. I was in a rush to get it ready and mad as hell and played probably the worst live set I've ever played. But I did learn to keep track of my own stuff after that. I know some people claim they don't mind when other players use their gear and not a big deal if they ask or not. I hate it. I'll briefly swap guitars with another player to try out a sound or setup - you can play mine if I can play yours - but not for a performance

it took me a long time to learn #2 i am a chronic noodler while talking or between songs. i've gotten better but still a ways to go

j


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