Sitting to play

[Tim2723]

All my life I've stood up to play. But the years have taken their toll and now I find I must sit on a tall stool to make it though even one set. I've shortened my strap to keep the mandolin up higher, but it's still not very comfortable. Any advise from those who sit down to play?

[Dick Hutchings]

I have the same problem. I'd love to find a collapsible stool that has a back on it but no arms. I think that might work.

[roscoestring]

It's hard to teach and old dog new tricks, no?
I used to have trouble playing while standing. Odd huh? Now I split the time that I play between standing and sitting. I am getting more and more comfortable doing both. When I sit, I rest my mando on my leg most of the time. I also used to let the mandolin ride high with a short strap. Almost right up under my chin. I'm conditioning myself to let it hang lower now though. So I guess my advice would be to just keep doing it and it will eventually become more comfortable. But don't stop standing completely because that may become foreign to you too. Also, when I sit, I use a short stool or a chair.

[catmandu2]

Any advise from those who sit down to play?

Relax, and enjoy it!

But, what's the issue? Back pain? Leg pain? Without any more info, I'd say work with a PT to find the best position of comfort.

It's not as visually interesting for the audience I'm sure, but I MUCH prefer sitting to standing.

[Dick Hutchings]

I think you missed the point. Some of us just can't stand for long periods of time. At least that was my problem when playing banjo. Now with the mandolin I could be probably stand longer. It would depend on the gig. One of our gigs is an hour and a half straight. By the end of that my back is killing me.

[Rob Gerety]

Patience. This is why I try to spend time playing both standing and sitting. But, you will adjust. After a while it will feel strange to stand.

[tcapps]

I have the same problem. I'd love to find a collapsible stool that has a back on it but no arms. I think that might work.
We found just what you describe at Gander Mountain online. Also Bass Pro Shop has them. Nice case and arm sling. they sell it as a ice fishing chair. the triangle shaped seat works well. Great for Jams. Hard to find even a folding lawn chair without arms these days. so we grabbed two of these. Some of the Dulcimer vendors sell a similar chair, but more expensive. We paid $20 with free shipping.

[OldSausage]

This must be a message from H.M. The Queen.

[Clement Barrera-Ng]

I have the exact opposite problem. I've always played sitting down, even in past performances, but now I'm in a band where everyone plays standing up. It has not been a very comfortable change for me, and I constantly resist it. But I think it's just old habit, and it takes a special effort to break it. So - just keep trying to play sitting down and I'm sure it will all feel very natural to you in time.

[JeffD]

I sit to play about 90% of the time. Even at BG jams, if there is a way to sit, I will find it. I much prefer sitting.

And because I am sitting, I usually play strapless. The mandolin on my lap, much as Mike Marshall describes in that now fameous video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmagoBQunZI)

Sometimes I find, if the music is absorbing, that I will put my right foot high, and hold the mandolin on my right lap, at a more extreme vertical angle.

I have always preferred to sit while I play, and even when I perform, I prefer a high bar stool to standing.

[journeybear]

When I play sitting, I still usually use a strap. I just feel safer that way. I would definitely do that if I were playing an Ovation; they tend to slip around. I also try to balance my mandolin on the back binding, keeping the dampening to a minimum. I prefer tall stools, and sometimes stand or lean with my butt on the stool. Sometimes though, my decision is based more on what the other players are using, so as to maintain consistency in height.

What most concerns me, though, Tim, in your particular situation, now that you have embraced the durable Ovation, and have switched to sitting down, is that you are running the risk of losing the title of Destroyer of Mandolins. You earned this sobriquet through dedication and hard work, and with no small sacrifice to your mandolin collection. I would hate for your reputation to suffer just because you are acting more responsibly. Perhaps you should play without a strap so your instrument can slip to the floor once in a while. You have to keep an eye on the big picture. ;)

[foldedpath]

What most concerns me, though, Tim, in your particular situation, now that you have embraced the durable Ovation, and have switched to sitting down, is that you are running the risk of losing the title of Destroyer of Mandolins.

I agree, although never underestimate the damage that can be done by falling off a stool with an instrument in hand.
;)

And Ovations aren't invulnerable either. I once had an Ovation guitar fall off a not-very-well-attached wall hook. It dropped straight down to the floor. The fiberglass flexed on the bounce, and the wood top didn't. Instant crack in the top. If Tim was using a carbon fiber axe, we might be worried.

On the sitting vs. standing thing, I think it's important to find the right stool or chair for performing, which can take a while because we all have different aches, pains, and preferences as we get older. The band I play in is always seated ("Celtic tradition"), but I think the presentation to the audience would be better if we were a little higher, on stools. I just haven't found exactly the right musician's stool that's A) comfortable (preferably with a backrest), and B) lightweight and portable, and C) doesn't cost a fortune. Some of the best candidates out there are drummer's stools, since that's a developed market.

[tcapps]

I have the same problem. I'd love to find a collapsible stool that has a back on it but no arms. I think that might work.

Dick, here is the link (http://www.gandermountain.com/modperl/product/details.cgi?i=419824&pdesc=Gander_Mountain_Folding_Fish_House_Chair&aID=504C8&merchID=4006) to the stool I was discussing earlier.

[pglasse]

For sitting gigs, where one may need a higher stool, I've had good results with a chair similar to this one from Ikea. http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/40059300Note: there are two different heights available. Mine is the taller of the two.

Paul Glasse
Austin Texas
http://paulglasse.com

[jim_n_virginia]

If it is just like one 45 min set like a festival or something I can stand. But if our band is doing an afternoon/evening of music 2-3 hrs like at a cafe, restaurant, private party etc. I sit on a folding stool.

[Mandolin Mick]

After I read the original thread I sat with my mandolin which is the way I work out my Italian tremolo songs. I sit on the couch with my feet up with the point of my F-5 between my legs. I wear a strap at the same length as when I stand up for Bluegrass.

I find this more comfortable than standing up, and I have serious back problems. But, I realize you can't do this at a gig.

[Ivan Kelsall]

The vast majority of the time i sit down to play,mainly because i don't need to stand up. I use my PC for a lot of my practicing & i sit when i'm playing (noodling) downstairs as well & i use a strap every time. I can play fine standing,but as i suffer from severe & chronic lower back pain as well as Sciatica,if i stand up too long,then the pain does kick in.
I have a similar problem when playing at my local Folk club,but the other way around. The have stools in the room where we play for the customers & us & after sitting on one of those for an hour or more,you'd think your a** had fallen off, it's so numb ! :grin:.I then get the urge to stand up & usually do,only to get myself a drink from the bar or to talk to somebody just to get some respite from the blasted stool torture.
For those with bad lower back pain,sitting bolt upright or leaning forward is a killer,as is standing up for long periods.Sitting down & leaning back at an angle of 12 deg. is the best way of preventing back pain. That's one of the reasons i took early retirement due to chronic back pain,leaning forward to work on my computer darn near crippled me.
For me,if you can play either sitting or standing,if you have a choice, why not sit ?. That's my pickin' chair - the catalog style name is 'Monroe' what else could it be !,
Ivan:mandosmiley:

[frankenstein]

Yep ! You could find a drummers stool with a back rest, drummers sit down to play, been doin' it for years..

[journeybear]

Ummm ... thanks for the nice photo of your lovely living room, but this is not the "Where you at man?" thread. :grin:

Ohhh ... that's your picking chair. I thought you were talking about a stool. Never mind ... :whistling:

[Dan Hoover]

i sit,strapless..i should really use the strap,but i just noodle around and practice..i don't play out,just at home,for fun,relaxation..
Tim,if your strapped in a chair playing the mando,how do you plan on destroying it?..you could start throwing them at people?sort of a Gallagher type thing...people might come from miles away to see that??:grin:

[Tim2723]

Thanks for all the ideas everyone. For about three weeks now I've been using a folding bar stool with a cushioned seat and back, but the folding mechanism is already starting to loosen (for some guys it's Doritos, for me it's Guinness). I feel too precariously perched and wobbly on it, so I'm off today in search of a better model. I have a drummer's throne, but it doesn't extend high enough. Maybe there are other models of those too. Since I change instruments and am constantly turning around to reach for something, I think I need a stool that is high, but where I still have my feet on the floor. Constantly climbing up and down off this very high stool has weakened it and it's starting to feel dangerous. I expect I would fall sooner or later.

The problem, at the risk of TMI, is nerve pain in my feet. I suffer from a physical handicap that was corrected as an infant, but fifty years later there's nothing much I can do about it.

And don't forget guys, this is my second Ovation. The first one bit the dust three mandolins ago! I doubt I'm in any danger of losing my moniker any time soon. :))

[journeybear]

Good, because you have fans here, the Pete Townshend of the mandolin. :mandosmiley:

Do you think a stool with a swiveling seat (like from a retro diner) would help, with the turning and reaching part?

[Tim2723]

It might, but I haven't found one. I just got back from the local WM where I found a 29" solid stool. I used to carry one of these years ago. They're clumsy to carry in the car, but at least they're a sturdy support.

As an aside, I also found those Velcro cable ties at Lowe's, 30 for $5. Way better than anything at a music store.

[catmandu2]

When I said I'm more comfortable sitting, I might have mentioned that this in a chair with my kness roughly at a 90 degree angle and my feet on the ground, or legs crossed--in a relaxed position. If the option were instead balancing perched on a high stool with a wooden seat, I'd just as well stand I think.

Also, cheap drum thrones are uncomfortable, but good ones are very comfortable--such as this one which extends to 30":

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000EELHEK/ref=asc_df_B000EELHEK1220728?smid=A14L2MX88GSRVI&tag=shopzilla_mp_1285-20&linkCode=asn&creative=395105&creativeASIN=B000EELHEK

If there's too much pressure on your "seat" the edge of the seat may cause discomfort for your legs. Maybe try one with a "motorcycle" style seat, which shifts the pressure away from the top of your legs and hips.


A quality, sturdy, reliable chair will cost some money--but it's a very important piece of gear, no? I've found that it's worth it, but I'm sitting for four and five sets a night, so... But if you need special accomodations, I would think that it would be worth the expediture as well.

[Tim2723]

That's very similar to the one I have, but mine doesn't go up that high. Thanks, I'll check that out more.

Like you, I would prefer to stand given the choice. But the best all my doctors can give me at this point is 15 minutes of 'treadmill time', their fancy term for standing up. So I either sit or give up performing. I think you were right too when you said that sitting isn't as visually interesting to the audience. Then again, I'm not all that visually interesting to begin with.

[catmandu2]

That's very similar to the one I have, but mine doesn't go up that high. Thanks, I'll check that out more.

Like you, I would prefer to stand given the choice. But the best all my doctors can give me at this point is 15 minutes of 'treadmill time', their fancy term for standing up. So I either sit or give up performing. I think you were right too when you said that sitting isn't as visually interesting to the audience. Then again, I'm not all that visually interesting to begin with.

I think the higher you go (with your legs/hips consequently at lesser angles), the seat platform may become more significant. I think I'd be more comfortable with a motorcycle-style seat design if I were sitting high with my feet on the ground: this provides greater range of motion for your hips instead of kind of leaning against the seat with your trochanter right on the front edge of the seat, which can put presssure right on the backside of your hip joint.

Check out all the options--there's some pretty good gear available: http://www.drumsoloartist.com/drumstore/Drum_Throne.php?q=category%3ADrum+Thrones&page=1&sort=relevance&st=d

[Dick Hutchings]

Thanks Tommy. That one looks a little low to me. I really want something higher.
Dick, here is the link (http://www.gandermountain.com/modperl/product/details.cgi?i=419824&pdesc=Gander_Mountain_Folding_Fish_House_Chair&aID=504C8&merchID=4006) to the stool I was discussing earlier.

[Dick Hutchings]

Thanks Paul. Now that looks a little better. Kind of cheesy but I don't play out that much. It might stand up for my use.

For sitting gigs, where one may need a higher stool, I've had good results with a chair similar to this one from Ikea. http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/40059300Note: there are two different heights available. Mine is the taller of the two.

Paul Glasse
Austin Texas
http://paulglasse.com

[foldedpath]

Drum stools can be very comfy, although they also tend to be heavy. If you need more height, there are a few specialized "bass chairs" out there. Here's one that looks nice (http://kolstein.cybrhost.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=KMI&Product_Code=CH-B&Category_Code=chair), although it's probably heavy, and bulkier to pack than a flat-folding Ikea bar stool. Also it ain't cheap. If I got one of those, I know the other two guys in the trio would want one too, and there goes any profit we'd make on gigs in the near future!

I've seen this folding design (http://www.gollihurmusic.com/product_details.cfm?ProdID=1930) in person; a friend has one. It's lightweight and easy to pack, but it's kinda flimsy and tippy-feeling. I wouldn't trust myself on it. Here's another interesting design (http://www.whitebox3.com/chair_stools.htm), although it would be even harder to pack for a gig than the one in the first link above. The design looks solid and safe, and I like being able to customize the foot positions. There's a "travel" version but I don't think it folds up. It's probably better for a classroom or home use than gigging out, unless you have lots of room in your rig to haul stuff.

[300win]

Most of the time whenever the bands I play in hoave practise, we sit down to play. It usually is in one of our homes. Out of the two bands I play with I rank 3rd in one, and 2nd in the other as being the oldest. I'm 55. there is a 57, and a 59 year old. The rest of the guys are in thier 30's. Due to my bad health { bad heart} I tire very easily. And whenever we do a show of a couple one our sets, I am totally wore out when it is over. But I won't quit until I just cannot do it anymore, then I'll get a stool to sit on while on stage.

[catmandu2]

A good throne is heavy, but collapses for easy transport.

[mandroid]

At our regular jam afternoons, Saturdays, I grab the arm less Office chair, adjustable back rest and height.

Snared a Dead one without a back, from near a dumpster .. its height adjustment was dead,
so I put a radiator hose clamp around the shaft, and re placed the seat rotated it on the 4 screws
to have a slight down in front angle.
and its decent, put a foot on the mandolin case and it raises the left leg.

3rd idea.. wooden stool at a yard sale had a vinyl cover, avec some tears,
then I found a Black plush toilet lid cover.. cheap, close out, at the Big Box Dark Side store,
and stapled it on top of the stool .

a buddy uses a folding step stool for his drum throne ,
particularly if its just the snare and High Hat kit
pads the back rail and the top step.

[Tim2723]

Thanks again everyone. I hadn't even heard of a bass chair. Interesting.

I guess it's like what they say about photographic tripods:

* Lightwieght
* Sturdy
* Inexpensive

Pick any two, but only two.

[Mandolin Mick]

Journeybear-

The Pete Townshend of the mandolin???:disbelief:

Does he play power chords in a windmill motion before he smashes his Gibson to pieces on stage???:confused:

[catmandu2]

One would think that destroying mandolins would be more easily accomplished standing.


I mean, Paul Simonon doesn't sit while playing..

[Tim2723]

At our regular jam afternoons, Saturdays, I grab the arm less Office chair, adjustable back rest and height.

Snared a Dead one without a back, from near a dumpster .. its height adjustment was dead,
so I put a radiator hose clamp around the shaft, and re placed the seat rotated it on the 4 screws
to have a slight down in front angle.
and its decent, put a foot on the mandolin case and it raises the left leg.

3rd idea.. wooden stool at a yard sale had a vinyl cover, avec some tears,
then I found a Black plush toilet lid cover.. cheap, close out, at the Big Box Dark Side store,
and stapled it on top of the stool .

a buddy uses a folding step stool for his drum throne ,
particularly if its just the snare and High Hat kit
pads the back rail and the top step.

'Droid, you know I luv ya buddy, but that has to be the most rag-tag assembly ever! You guys really need to book a couple of paying jobs! :)) :)) :))

[catmandu2]

'Droid, you know I luv ya buddy, but that has to be the most rag-tag assembly ever! You guys really need to book a couple of paying jobs! :)) :)) :))

Yeah, but it sounds handy in case someone needs to change a lightbulb, or read a magazine... ;)

(However, it does introduce the complication of remembering to put the lid down when, say, company comes over to hear the band...)

[Rush Burkhardt]

As a bad back guy, not quite at the sitting point yet, I dialed up google and found this stool which seems to be portable and innocuous enough to work...don't think you have to buy it with wheels, but...maybe someday you'll need to be wheeled to pick! ; )

http://www.doubletrolley.com/?v=how-it-works/sitting.htm

[journeybear]

Mick - Reports are sketchy, as most audience members at Tim's gigs tend to be inebriated. This forces us to rely on Tim's accounts of events, and his reliability in these matters may also be compromised. ;) However, I admit that I may have overstated the case - I believe Tim's trail of destruction is the result of accidents, not willful acts. It's not really fair to make Townshend the poster boy for instrument wrecking, regardless of his trail of destruction. ;)

rbvintage - That is indeed a nice looking apparatus, and the wheels make it a useful equipment mover. Nice find. And welcome to the Café!

[Tim2723]

Well, hopefully all that's behind me now. We don't play the place where all those accidents happened. It did cost me three mandolins though. But it got me a new moniker and I invented a religion.

Side effects of playing seated: I can now play my banjo for hours, and I may take up my uilleann pipes again.

[journeybear]

Oh no!!! I log in, only to see this? Why, oh why? :crying: :crying: :crying:

Well, the pipes are all right, but ... :mad:

[catmandu2]

Side effects of playing seated: I can now play my banjo for hours, and I may take up my uilleann pipes again.

There's a lot to be said for sitting. Enjoy!

[Ivan Kelsall]

From Tim2723 -"sitting isn't as visually interesting to the audience". I'm not disagreeing Tim,but it's not always the case. I've seen many bands sit during performing & it didn't bother me one bit,in fact (i think) that most of the 'Old Timey' bands used to sit rather than stand. The standing bit came along when they were performing on stage to an audience. Playing amongst themselves,they'd sit - they were Old Timey,not stupid !.
Many years back i saw Clarence(Tom) Ashley & Tex Isley over here in the UK. They sat down to play,seeing as they were both in their '70's i'd have been amazed if they hadn't. It's the music folk want to hear,& if they don't like the sitting down approach,tell 'em to close their eyes :grin:,
Ivan~:>

[Tim2723]

Yeah, I guess you're right Ivan. But still, when you're sitting down it's hard to run across the stage and kick an amp over, let alone lay on your back and pick with your teeth. And whack some drunk upside the head with a mandolin? Forget about it. You just lose so much of the visual excitement.

[journeybear]

This is Irish music, right? :confused: Seventeen verses of whack-a-diddly-i-dee-o and another-round-for-me-boy-o's, right? Have I been missing something all these years? :confused: Timi Hendrix? :disbelief:

Maybe you could figure out some way to sit upside down ...

[Ed Goist]

From Tim2723 -"sitting isn't as visually interesting to the audience". I'm not disagreeing Tim,but it's not always the case. I've seen many bands sit during performing & it didn't bother me one bit,in fact (i think) that most of the 'Old Timey' bands used to sit rather than stand. The standing bit came along when they were performing on stage to an audience. Playing amongst themselves,they'd sit - they were Old Timey,not stupid !.
Many years back i saw Clarence(Tom) Ashley & Tex Isley over here in the UK. They sat down to play,seeing as they were both in their '70's i'd have been amazed if they hadn't. It's the music folk want to hear,& if they don't like the sitting down approach,tell 'em to close their eyes :grin:,
Ivan~:>

I've been thinking about this, and I'd have to say that three of the five best guitar performances I have seen live were by guitarists who were seated for either all, or most, of the concert. The performers were:
Robert Fripp - Sat for the entire concert.
Muddy Waters - Near the end of this career, sat for all by the encore (Mannish Boy).
Manuel Barrueco - Sat for entire performance.

Speaking of Barrueco, it's probably telling that classical players (often the most technically skilled) almost always perform seated...Isn't Mike Marshall usually sitting during his performances?

[journeybear]

Add to that list B.B. King, who may stand for the first and last number but sits for the rest of the show. He's earned it, a long time ago.

[Tim2723]

This is Irish music, right? :confused: Seventeen verses of whack-a-diddly-i-dee-o and another-round-for-me-boy-o's, right? Have I been missing something all these years? :confused: Timi Hendrix? :disbelief:

Maybe you could figure out some way to sit upside down ...

No, it's more like this (typical of the calm part of our act, but not us playing, of course):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORifieiZiP4

These songs plus a belly full of stupid juice usually equals broken mandolins. We do Wolfe Tones tunes with a Flogging Molly edge. Normally about three-quarters through the show somebody yells "The IRA are terrorists!", then all begorra breaks loose.

Our version of Danny Boy has led to arrests. It was kind of cool. A group of forty wedding guests were gathered in the hotel pub, while another forty from another party were kept outside. They got in a brawl over it. Eighty drunken Irishmen fighting in the lobby. The poor brides were in the corners crying while police from two neighboring towns were called in. Eighty sets of fists, 25 cops, and us hiding in the kitchen.

For those interested in the more lively part of our show, go to YouTube and search "Bugger Off". Out of respect for Ted and the forum I won't post the link, but you're free to search the Web at your own discretion.

[Ed Goist]

...snip...a belly full of stupid juice...Eighty drunken Irishmen fighting...snip...

Now there's two album titles just waiting to be used!

[Tim2723]

Actually, A Belly Full of Stupid Juice is going to be our next CD.

The cool part was when they brought in the bus that says "Police" on the side to take them away. I always thought that was just in the movies.

[Paul Kotapish]

It's pretty common for traditional Irish bands to play sitting down, and plenty of old-time string bands, jazz groups, blues acts, rembetiko ensembles, trad French groups, solo pianists, string quartets and most chamber-music ensembles perform that way, too. Some of the fiercest and most exciting music I've ever heard came from groups of players sitting in a semicircle and not doing much at all in the way of hopping around. Riveting stage presence isn't limited to those players who perform standing up.

Think about Doc Watson, David Lindley, Katrina Lichtenburg, Joe Pass, Marla Fibish & Three Mile Stone, Martin, Bogen & Armstrong, Libba Cotten, John Hartford, Norman Blake, Uncle Dave Macon, De Danann, Kevin Burke & Mícheál Ó Domhnaill, Sonny Terry & Brownie McGee, Mississippi Fred McDowell, et al--all of whom create(d) really exciting music and magical stage energy while sitting down.

And it is possible to mix and match. I've never seen this in a bluegrass band, but you'll see plenty of bands at Irish festivals where some members stand and others sit. FWIW, I play in a couple of bands where some of us stand and others--uillean piper, harp player, accordionist, etc.--sit, and it doesn't create any problems.

In some venues the sightlines make that a drawback, but don't let that stop you. If you play better in chair, go for the chair. It's all about the music. Stools are an OK compromise, but I agree that under the best of circumstances they aren't as comfortable as a really good straight-back chair.

[catmandu2]

It's not as visually interesting for the audience I'm sure, but I MUCH prefer sitting to standing.
I think we all understand that wonderful music is often performed seated. My point is that it is typically less visually interesting.I would generally prefer to listen to Manuel Barrueca, but I would rather watch Pete Townsend...especially from the back row. In fact, I'm not a big bluegrass guy, but I would rather watch any bluegrass performance over any seated ITM performance. I notice more post-punk aesthetic Irish-style bands are giving a rousing standing performance--e.g., the New Dubliners, et al. Steve Tibbets wasn't talking about the optic perspective when he said, "Would you rather listen to Earl Klugh, or Motorhead?"... (but I think this can apply some to the ears as well).

[journeybear]

The cool part was when they brought in the bus that says "Police" on the side to take them away. I always thought that was just in the movies.

I'll bet that was a fun ride. Especially if they put both sides of the donnybrook in the same paddywagon. :))

[TonyP]

I didn't see if you saw what Paul Glasse wrote on the first page Tim, but I picked up a couple of those Ikea chairs used, and they are the stuff. You can stand with one cheek on them, or sit on them, and it doesn't have the effect that sitting down on stage with a regular chair does.

I'm firmly in the camp of standing and playing. I even do it at practice. I sing and play better standing up. And being a mechanic for most of my life, I've always stood at work, and on cement. But I bought the chairs because almost every banjo player I've ever played with has a bad back.

I have no problem with those that can't stand. I'm sorry that playing is so painful. I hope you find the right chair, and can keep pickin' that plastic gourd :)

[JeffD]

Standing? Thats for fishing.

Sitting is for playing.

[Bertram Henze]

Standing? Thats for fishing.

Sitting is for playing.

Are you sure? (http://www.welterbe-atlas.de/uploads/pics/angeln-am-rhein.JPG) :grin:

[Ed Goist]

Are you sure? (http://www.welterbe-atlas.de/uploads/pics/angeln-am-rhein.JPG) :grin:

Bertram, to steal a line from comedian Steve Harvey, "That ain't fishin', that's hopin'!"

[journeybear]

Hmmm ... I see the swan is sitting down too ...

[Gary Watkins]

Since I've been sick, two years now, this is how I have to do it.
62278
62279

[Tim2723]

Hi Gary. I forgot about this thread. Thanks for bring it back.

That looks just like what I'm doing now. My stool might be a little higher (29"), or maybe you're taller than me. I'm a little 5' 6" Irishman and my hat is flatter.

[Jack Roberts]

I did a gig last night and I forgot my strap. Playing while standing without a strap made for a tough night.

[roscoestring]

I had sugery on my stomach a few weeks ago. I still have a tube coming out to drain the fluid. Tonight I went to a church as a sort of emergency thrown together band because the original band had a member to be put in the hospital and they couldn't make it. The other two guys (one played guitar and the other mandolin) wanted to do a sit down thingy. I was playing (electric) bass. I have been wearing my overalls almost exclusively since the surgery. Tonight I dressed a little nicer. But because of the sore stomach and the tight pants around my waistline it made it difficult to sit and not be in pain. I did manage. We played for about an hour. I was much relieved when it was over. Hopefully I get that drain hose removed on Wednesday.

[journeybear]

Gary, you've got your bandmates beat in one respect - you don't need cheat sheets and a music stand! :))

[JeffD]

I think its important to practice in your band the way you play on stage. So if you stand in a line on stage, practice standing in a line. If you sit on stage, sit in practice.

I rememer practicing sitting in a circle, and we had the arrangements really tight. But on stage standing in a line, we did not have the eye contact and visual cues that we had in practice and we were sloppy in our entrances.