Best way to warm up before a gig?

Hey guys. I was wondering what you use to warm-up before a gig, especially one that involves some fast fret-work. I find that no matter how much I warm up during the day, if I get to the venue and spend half an hour warming up, my hands are still not that fast when I perform. I guess the whole nerves thing will slow it down a little, but truthfully I don't get that nervous. It seems that I usually need about half an hour (at least) of warming up before I can get my speed to the place I want it to be, and when I'm performing this half hour isn't quite adequate. My hands aren't cold, but they almost feel weaker. What do you guys use to warm-up?

I warm up, but I have the same problem, so I choose songs that are easier in the first half hour...
I've seen Steve VAI use some sort of warm round stuff that he puts around his arms to loosen up, you might want to check sports stores to see what players use for their legs!!

I like to get all the gear set up, then I go wash my hands and run hot water over them for a few minutes (not so hot that you burn yourself). The hot water seems to help my fingers loosen up some.

as far as i am concerned i follow this before a show
i start warming up 3 hrs before the show ie. i practice movements for around an hour next hour is i play with the band and discuss and everthing and finally 1/2 hour before the show i soak my hands in warm water with salt added for around 5 mins so that all the stress in your finger vanishes and i practice a lil say around 10 mins again
then the show works great

why salt?

because salt has a quality of absorbing excess moisture in your fingers, shreds dead skin from your fingers which you devoloped while playing for long hours and soothes the swells or blisters if any devoloped

I guess it all depends on what style I will be playing. I usually always run throyugh the scales a few hundred times, but I always move very slowly atr first and gradually build up in speed. For the love of God, I wouldn't want to strain myself, and sometimes when you're nervous before a show, **** happens.

Just remember that it's important to realize that mistakes happen, and that you're not perfect. All we can do is try our best once we get up on stage, and there is such a thing as overpreparing. Just be sure that you have the confidence to truly absorb what the audience is feeling, and still at the same trime have enough strength to express yourself properly and in an honest manner.

-Joseph

I keep Midi copies of all the songs and go through the whole show quickly during the afternoon. (ie, set the bpm about 10 higher than usual so when showtime comes, everything seems real slow and easy to play) If there's trouble spots I set em on repeat until I get em right.
I don't warm up at all before a show but I schedule the first five songs to warm me up while I'm playing... the first couple get my left hand fingers warmed up, then the next couple are chunkers that warm up my right wrist... then there's a real tough one followed by a simple one for a breather. I keep those pocket hand warmer things handy too in case the place is freezing.

cool... all good advice

well one of the bands in our local town had done a few shows and the rythem guitarist (my best friend) was finding the pace to be a little to fast for him. i seen him on stage and he was really trying to get those fingers going but then he comes up to my house and we jam and he runs through his part with ease. Then i say why cant you do it that easy on stage. He goes i find to much pressures on me to do it pefectly and i have to think twice about everything instead of letting it flow. Then i talked to there lead guitarists and he said he was going to slow so we sat there for ages thinkin how we could fastin things up.......then he said wait right here. He came back with a 2 litre red fanta and skulled the WHOLE thing!!!!
When they played they where tight as and they sounded SICK
but after they finished he dropped his guitar and raced to the toilet ahahaha

I play some scales really fast, and do some easy songs to get me going.

I play my solos, some chords, nothing big.
Usually the adrenalin is what gives me my speed. I cant half improvise a solo I'm going to play later at a gig while warming up, but the rush of being on stage in front of a couple hundred kids is what does it.

Meditate, stretch, and a cold shower ending hot. Go over songs one or two times and anything I know I'm shakey on I go through maybe 5-20 times.

I always bring my little Marshal stack practice amp (You know the cheap 8 to 10 inch one) with a rockman hooked up to it for killer distortion and clean tones. I also down about 2 millers (MGD's) during my warmup. ...works for me :-)

Satriani soaks his hands in warm water in a pretzel jar.

I like pretzels.

hmmm...i like satriani's idea...itll get your hands relaxed great and fast:)

i dont know about warming up for 2 hours tho...theres a big chance of hurting your hands or simply getting too tired after a while during the show...unless there is a solo that you want to get perfect...all i do is go thro all my scales/exercises stretch your hands and now imma try puttin my hands in warm water:)

I'd be too afraid of soaking my hands in warm water...Don't want to lose my hard earned callouses.

if youve been playing long enough the chances of you loseing your callases is not at all...never, none they wont go away EVER!heheheheh

Hmmmmmmm I started playing when I was 13. I'm now 30. Long enough??