O.K. Solomon Burke, BB King. When you're body can't sustain the upright position. To see so many fit muso's just planted on their bums. Blues is becoming more and more sedentary? Thanks for listening. cheers, Mark. ---------- King Casey's Web site
I can go either way. My partner must sit as she can't hold a guitar up due to a neck/shoulder injury she got from playing with a strap. So we both sit, but even so we deliver. In earlier days I was pretty active all over a stage. Having just hit 60 and always been a working man, I feel my exertions like, well, a 60 year old! ---------- http://www.reverbnation.com/jawboneandjolene
But it's a great position for "Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay."
(Bonus question: who co-wrote that tune with Otis? No fair Googling. I only know because he's from a tiny, very off-the-path Ozark town. A buddy of mine used to live there). ---------- Marr's Guitars
Offering custom-built Cigar Box Guitars for the discriminating player of obscure musical unstruments
I'm a 59 yr old construction worker. The only thing that doesn't hurt, is my hair! I always stand, sway, dance, groove, tap a toe, stomp one foot...move. I can't move air efficiently when sitting...BN
With band, I stand. Solo, I vary based on whether I want to create a laid back porch vibe or a grab the audience performance vibe.
(Edit: Hmm, was that laid-back porch vibe OR laid back-porch vibe?; if the latter, maybe play laying down! -- don't feel like sleepin, but...whoa, that tangent went seriously OT)
Last Edited by TetonJohn on Feb 12, 2015 9:55 AM
Stand,sit I only care what comes out of the instrument. When you listen to a cd do you think oh when he played that lick he must standing. LOL ----------
Let's get real here for a second. Cotton is closing in on nearly 80 years of age and BB King is several years older than that and when you get up there in years, standing on a bandstand becomes much tougher, like it or not. I remember seeing Cotton back in the 70's while he was still in his 30's turning somersaults while blowing harp, and when I saw Muddy and Wolf, they were always seated on the bandstand, and they were up there in their years.
I've seen musicians seated on the bandstand who had a clearly commanding stage presence while there were those who stood on the bandstand had the stage presence of a wet dish rag.
Back in the 30's and 40's, most performers were seated on the bandstand rather than standing, especially in the hey day of the big band jazz era, and often those bands had as many as 42 pieces on the bandstand.
Rod Piazza is in his 60's and still stands on the bandstand and walks the bar using his wireless set up, but these days, he does need a hand getting off from the bar wheras back 10-15 years ago, he could easily leap from the bandstand and not even think about the possibility of a serious injury.
I've done plenty of gigs where I stood up all night on the bandstand as well as being seated.
@King Casey, you may be looking at it from a younger person's standpoint (don't know what your age demographic is as it isn't listed on this site at all), but I think you're making too much of a big deal about it.
When I gigged with the late, great Jimmy Rogers, he always stood on the bandstand, but he was in his mid 50's back then and seeing him in later years, it began to be tougher for him to be standing for longer periods of time due to advancing age.
I've done recording sessions also both seated as well as standing.
Even when any of these guys were seated, their feet were always moving/tapping and they never lost the groove and even more so, they NEVER lost the time and I've seen plenty of musicians who stood and screwed up the time badly as well as the same going for those seated.
Again, if you're screwing up the groove, it don't matter one damned bit if you're standing or seated. ---------- Sincerely, Barbeque Bob Maglinte Boston, MA http://www.barbequebob.com CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
Historically speaking, many bluesman have played sitting down. Son House, Johnny Shines, Sonny Terry & Brownie McGee, John Hammond, the list is extensive.
I usually try to keep my comments to myself but as I listen to and watch various music styles it occurred to me that the blues guys required a chair. Not a big deal though. I do have one busking spot that is more amenable to sitting rather than standing. On a second thought I don't do quite so well there either. I'll keep my observations to myself from now on. cheers, Mark. ---------- King Casey's Web site
@King Casey -- Seeing people perform seated is NOT limited to blues because I've seen it in plenty of other genres of music so your assumption is simply short sighted. I've personally played in non blues context where everyone is seated as well as standing, so it sounds like your experiences musically are much more limited than you'd like to admit. Heck, I've seen guys like Tony Bennett, who is FAR from being a blues musician, seated on the bandstand, so name a genre, I can recall seeing a performer playing seated on the bandstand, whether its blues, rock, mariachi, reggae, you name it, so your assumption is totally off base. ---------- Sincerely, Barbeque Bob Maglinte Boston, MA http://www.barbequebob.com CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
Well thanks for that Bob. I've been short sighted since I was ten. If you click on my site you'll see that I aint a spring chicken. Clicked on your site and it's expired. Time to stop sitting on that wallet eh? :) cheers, Mark. ---------- King Casey's Web site
I began sitting playing with Louisiana Red, Lightning Hopkins, Sonny Terry, Champion Jack Dupree, and standing with my band and more electric guys like Albert Collins, Sonny Rhodes, Cool Papa, and such. To me I could care less as long as the groove is there. Now I do the 1 man band and have to sit. Thanks for that compliment 2chops. Walter ---------- walter tore's spontobeat - a real one man band and over 1 million spontaneously created songs and growing. I record about 300 full length cds a year in the Tunnel of Dreams Studio. " life is a daring adventure or nothing at all" - helen keller
Danny were you the Daniel who signed up at the Auckland Blues Club Jam on Wednesday night? If so apologies for the volume of the other players..I could see you were having problems hearing yourself. If not please ignore this message ;-)
In my electric blues band everyone stands but the drummer. When I do an acoustic duo with a local guitar legend he sits (in his electric band he stands). I will usually sit in the acoustic duo/sometimes trio, though just last month I stood during a one hour charity lunch buffet for Habitat for Humanity. Either is fine, though singing and playing is a little easier standing. Whatever...
More important, though is the effect of sitting or standing on harmonica tone. When you stand, the sound source is higher off the floor, which emphasizes the higher frequencies. When you sit, you are closer to the floor, which will give you better lows...
The standing drummer video is interesting, I hadn't seen that. Many stand to play keys and occasionally you will see someone stand at the grand piano.
I can't recall ever seeing anyone stand and play the cello, or sit to play the timpani or vibraphone though. As a trombonist I have been seated much more often than standing when performing.
@dougharps, I thought when I saw section of the band in a big band stand up on a soli, it was just for show,or to project over the heads of the seated musicians, now I realize it was to bring out the high tones!
indigo - yah that was me! Sorry I wasn't more up with the play - I'd only been busking with a wee little amp. I need to get used to the different gear for stage stuff!
---------- My YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ2_8CnjaiNLcPke4gWQ65A
It's easier to do the foot percussion thing sitting down...one gig I stood and tapped my foot tambourine as I often do, and ended up with some annoying foot cramps.....oh, and I think it looks bad if some of the band sits and some stand....(aside from drummers)...... ---------- Old Man Rubes at Reverbnation Dads in Space at Reverbnation
I'm sittin here, thinkin about what clever thing I could say. I haven't given it this much consideration til now. Wait let me stand up and see if I come up with something....nope. It appears, one can play quite well from either position. And to the layman ear, no difference will be detected... My first impression when I see someone sitting...? I'm gonna be listening to something that might sound better standing up. Especially if I know they can. I'll sit when I'm sittin in with someone who sits. Sitting connotates a more laid back vibe... Standing, to me, connotates a high energy, more physical level of performing... ...hmmm, why do they call it sittin in? ----------
I have to do a little of both. I have lower back issues, so I have problems sitting or standing for very log so I stand for a few and sit for a few. I try to stand for the upbeat songs and sit thru the slower ones.
Last Edited by paulbunyn on Feb 25, 2015 7:22 AM
siting is fine for playing so long as you have good posture when playing and do full body breathing. I play standing up because I find it easier to keep my posture straight.
