Guitarist Live Performance Tips: How to Prepare for a Gig

How I wish somebody taught me how to prepare for a gig and gave me some live performance tips when I was just starting out to play guitar in a band. It's been 7 years since my first ever gig and I can't help but laugh at that sweet memory.

Just like many others, I too have experienced the anxiety of playing for the first time.
I’ve had the butterflies in the stomach, sweaty palms and hands, short shallow breath and so on. Name it and I’ll tell you I’ve been there.

A lot of my early gigs involved what I call backstage errors. Some were minor, but then there were times for grand daddy backstage errors - times where I wished that the stage curtain would just drop down.

It took me some time and punishments to realize that getting prepared for a gig is really important. I’ve experienced it the hard way and I don’t want you to be going through those shameful stage times.

So, just like what I think you’d do for a fellow guitarist, I’m sharing this live performance tips to you.

Here are the tips on how to prepare for a gig or playing in public.

I've divided them into two categories:
A) Long Term preparation - what to do as early as possible before a gig

1. Practice your repertoire - Properly - obviously, this are what you'd be playing in front of the crowd... practice 'til you get your songs right - and if ever you'd be playing with a band, you might want to appear professional to your mates as much as possible. Do this by learning your parts properly at your place...NOT on the spot during the band rehearsal proper.
2. Write Down an Arranged Set List - this is the particular chronological order of the songs you'll be playing. Will they be arranged according to genre or aura of the songs? or will they be arranged according to a 'story' in your mind? At what parts are you going to take a break - e.g to greet your audience, or take a little rest after a muscle burning guitar solo? There are no hard rules on this but let your imagination and artistry work. Write your list down and lay them where you can see them during the gig.
3. Work Out on a Performance Concept - great performers usually place 'gimiks' behind their acts. This could range from the simple 'how should I act and interact with my mates on stage' to 'where should I be standing to give maximum impact to my audience' up to extravagant concepts like how opera rock performances do it (check Pink Floyd). To make this simple, just ask yourself - if I were to watch my own (or my band's) performance, how should it look & 'fee' like?
4. Rehearse With Your Actual Gears - as much as possible, practice with the actual gears you'll be using for the gig - from the guitar, gadgets and power supplies, cables, and amplifiers etc. Create a scenario that would come closest to the actual gig. Again, this is not a hard rule but it will help you detect possible defects and limitations earlier.
5. Visualize - the mind is a powerful weapon - things you imagine may seem real to your bodily responses. To lessen anxiety, always visualize yourself being 'at the moment' already - even once a day visualization could help. By the time you're on stage, it'll feel like you've been there before giving you the feeling of familiarity and 'ease.'

Guitarist Live Performance Tips: How to Prepare for a Gig