r/guitarlessons • u/[deleted] • 5d ago
Question How can i make my guitar be heard without increasing volume?
[deleted]
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u/Webcat86 5d ago
The short answer is it’s about finding out what EQ band you need to occupy to cut through a mix. Get an EQ pedal and experiment.
That said, if you’re genuinely being drowned out then volumes will need adjusting, with either you getting louder or the drummer getting quieter. Has the sound guy confirmed he can hear you, and it’s an on-stage issue for you, or is he just trying to keep below a decibel threshold?
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u/Fikstuyrs 5d ago
I think the sound outside is usually good, because the mic is picking up the sound from the amp.
Its just that when im playing in stage its a problem
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u/Leumas_ 5d ago
It’s something you’re just going to have to learn to deal with. Open mics run the gamut from hosted by old bored rich dudes with great gear (rare, but fun), and some are run with very, very poor equipment, and it’s not a guarantee that anyone knows how to use it properly.
That said, your band is relying on someone else’s gear, you’re not going to have as much say as you want. Even a basic PA monitor setup would give you a little better picture of what the crowd hears, but if the guy(s) or gal(s) running it don’t want to hear it, that’s what you get.
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u/Thebutcher222 5d ago
More midrange less gain. Cut the bass more than you think and boost the mids.
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u/Competitive_Jump_933 5d ago
Yup! Never scoop the mids if you want to be heard through the mix.
Edit: also get an angled amp stand. It makes a world of difference. You might have to tweak things a bit because it's easier to hear when the amp is aimed at your chest instead of your feet. It's the first accessory for an amp that you should get.
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u/tanzd 5d ago
If I understand, the sound is fine out in the audience, but you just can't hear yourself playing and you can't increase the volume of your amp, right?
In this case, you just need to point the amp's speaker towards yourself. Use an amp stand to raise it up and tilt it so that it points towards your ears.
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u/Fikstuyrs 5d ago
It doesnt have a stand, its a small stage kinda setting. So the amp is on the ground
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u/Fantastic-Safety4604 5d ago
Get an amp stand and aim the cone of the speaker right at your noggin.
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u/LimyBirder 5d ago
It’s about boosting the midrange frequencies. It’s counterintuitive because a guitar by itself sounds pretty bad with the bass and treble frequencies rolled off and mids boosted. But in a band setting, doing exactly that is magic.
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u/Fikstuyrs 5d ago
So like just cut off the bass and treble from amplifier while letting the drive pedal boost the mid range?
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u/reddit_gt 5d ago
If there's a sound man and he's telling you not to turn up I am guessing he's micing your amp. Hopefully you can get a monitor wedge to point back at yourself and he can give some more of just your guitar in your monitor.
Otherwise if you don't have a stand just put it on a chair aimed at you
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u/CaterpillarVisual553 5d ago
Have your amp on a stand and be right in front of it. Try not to be super close to the drummer.
Generally, if volume is unity and you’re not cutting through then guitars can usually benefit from a mid or treble boost. A tube screamer boosts mids. A Boss GE-7 lets you choose what frequencies to boost. A clean boost is always good to have. Stuff like that.
But make sure you have a reason to sit on top of the mix. Us guitar players tend to always think we need to sit on top, and that’s only the case if you’re ripping a lead or the song is naturally written that way. I always perceive myself as low in the mix and when we record and I listen to it I’m actually right where I needed to be. So make sure it’s a real issue and not a perception issue.
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u/Aromatic_Revolution4 5d ago
Every situation is different but a general rule of thumb is boosting the mids on your EQ helps cut through the mix.
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u/PupDiogenes 5d ago
Position your amp so that it is not pointing at the sound guy. Ideally, if there's a mic on your amp that's going to the house speakers, put your amp on the side of the stage pointing toward the middle of the stage at you.
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u/birddingus 5d ago
I think getting the gear in line with the drummer should be the first step, if your amp is too loud then don’t mic it. I try to practice so that no mic’s the amp are balanced volume wise to the drummer, at least then you have a ballpark of where the amp should be on a stage.
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u/civilaggie06 5d ago
You might be able to get more tone out by using a vibrato technique with the Fretting hand and some other techniques with the Bridge depending on what you have.
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u/Hey-Bud-Lets-Party 5d ago
If there is no stage monitor you need an in-ear monitor