Do you warm up before playing?.......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91Byb28Cp50&feature=related

Brandy in the winter, tequila in the summer..

Seriously, though, most days don't go by without me having played a bit at home before I leave for the gig, so the hands are loosened up already. But, in the winter, after a cold load-in, I'll run them under some warm water in the bathroom before I play... Cold hands are way worse than 'un-scaled' hands, for me!

I don't get as much from those octave chromatic exercises, they're pretty much automatic, these days, but starting on different intervals, where each hand is doing different fingering at the same time, and contrary motion chromatics definitely help to get my brain started, even if my fingers are loose...

Home from 3 gigs. I don't have to warm up. I need to take a break

Do you play a bit before the first, zuki?

Never. I get enough playing time daily and equally as much in my studio working on new material. I might do a few runs to check out sound, but that's about it.

For a normal gig that happens in the afternoon or evening, no. I'm usually in great shape by then. However, I am a church music director, and I do warm up on Sunday mornings because they come very early and also after some late Saturday nights. Also for things like funerals. For instance, I had to sing the Ave Maria yesterday morning at 10 AM so you bet your bippy I warmed up.

Joe

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Songman55
Joe Ayala

[This message has been edited by Songman55 (edited 07-15-2008).]

No.
DonM

I warm up my voice with some tools I learned from a vocal coach; i.e. Yawning exercises, scales, etc.

For keys, I do scales and exercises from the Hannon book.

For Drums, I stretch my Thumb and Wrist ligaments, glutes, back, shoulders, then do rudiments.


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Al Giordano
http://www.arrangerworld.com


Korg Pa2xpro, Roland VK8-M, DW Collectors Series Drums, Roland TD-12 Vdrums, Roland SPD-S.

No.
Chico

Other than playing my P85 piano before I leave for a gig, I don't really do warm-ups.

I do like to use hand cleaner/sanitizer, like Purell, to make the hands feel smoother and dryer.

Ian

For the most part no warm ups. I do work out of the Hannon book too, but nearly as much as I should.

Steve,

Those Hannon exercises are probably the most boring things you can do at a keyboard and they bring back horrible memories of lessons gone by. However, they do help warm up the ole knuckles pretty good!

Al

No.

Gary

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Travlin' Easy

Warm up? What do you think we are, serious musicians?

Yes, I do move my fingers around and play some chords, but no real exercises. I've been lucky that my voice doesn't really need a warm up - yet.

Al, You got that right BORING. I find that my left had gets real lazy just playing chords on an arranger the 4th and 5th fingers get real weak. All it takes is about 7 nights of playing the first 20 exercises the the strength starts coming back.

It depends on how much playing I've been doing the days before the gig ...
However, I will warm up the vocal chords on the way to the gig ...
t.

No warming up here, either...

I think for those of us who are gigging almost daily, sometimes more...we're pretty able to hit the ground running...

If the venue is unfamiliar to me, I'll usually do a sound check of some kind, but that's more for getting the PA right as opposed to me "warming up."



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Bill in Dayton

I'm not a big fan of Hanon or anything else like that for a warm up, but I definitely feel I play better to start with if I've played for a few minutes on the piano before I go to the gig, and if it is more than a regular gig (something for the industry people or such), a little warming up doesn't hurt!

But usually, it's more just a piece or two, sometimes some classical, sometimes a pop tune, sometimes just a passage that gives me a challenge. And, honestly, it's not really done as a warm-up... I just love playing! At least I have an excuse for it in the morning

In the studio, though, it's essential... If something magic happens on that first take, you don't want to lose it by running out of steam or stupid simple fingering errors!

But the thought of NOT warming up because we are 'working professionals' and gig two or three times a day? Tell that to any professional classical pianist, the guys with possibly the most technically demanding gig out there... you won't see THEM playing a concert without a warm-up very often!

I guess I do find myself "unconsciously" warming up at the keyboard during a soundcheck. It also has the side effect of mentally preparing me to play at that particular venue if you know what I mean.

Vocally, (seeing as that's been mentioned) we warm up for at least 30 minutes using a strict warm up regimen (a specialised Vocal CD in the car)on the way to every gig.

More to the point - and something that's often forgotten - you also need to warm DOWN after a gig, which we do.

The improvement to my voice has been (overall) dramatic!
It will also help preserve my voice for many years to come.