#16
|
|||
|
|||
Quote:
I think it's because it's not only easy to sing along with, even in one's head. It's because those songs bring back good memories, too.
__________________
GROK Taylor 414ce Taylor GS5 Taylor 150E Taylor Limited Edition 326ce 8-string baritone Various other instruments |
#17
|
|||
|
|||
"You will NEVER overpower a noisy room with MORE VOLUME!"
Have a watch with you that is set to the same time as the establishment's clocks... I always research the venue, beforehand, to see if there's a "clock on the wall" that will be visible to me when I'm playing... I don't like wearing a watch, so I just set it next to my tuner and music books, where I can see it easily... Whenever possible, GO OUT IN THE ROOM and listen to your guitar and voice mic, so you are sure of the sound that the audience is hearing... ALWAYS be on time, ready to go at the agreed upon starting point... Just because two people at the bar are laughing and talking, DO NOT ASSUME that they are laughing/talking about YOU!
__________________
"He's one of those who knows that life is just a leap of faith. Spread your arms and hold your breath, always trust your cape..." "The Cape" (Guy Clark/Jim Janowsky/Susanna Clark) |
#18
|
|||
|
|||
If you think you´re not doing well, just forget about it and do your job anyway. The best you can. I have had times when I thought the crowd was not liking my work and I managed to keep myself from feeling discouraged. Then I go on break and folks say how good I sound.
Some crowds just listen quietly so don´t sweat it. |
#19
|
||||
|
||||
Looking around: I always remind people that when you get in front of an audience, your #1 job shifts from musician to entertainer. If you engage them, they will probably like you. This applies directly to the simple songs idea too.
Case in point: I went to hear Johnny A a while back. Fantastic player, but it was obvious that he didn't care if there was an audience or not. He tried doing some song intros, but didn't present them well. The feeling of his isolation from the audience was palpable while he was playing. Bottom line for me: I'll buy his albums but I won't go see him again. Always, always, always be professional. Even when others are not. If you've got your own act together, it's a lot easier to work around problems.
__________________
Jim Dorman - The Acoustic Pedestrian www.jimdorman.com "I'd think learning to play the guitar would be very confusing for sighted people." -- Doc Watson |
#20
|
|||
|
|||
Quote:
Even great musicians can suffer from it. I once saw Buddy Guy stop in the middle of a cool funk groove he'd set up, because he sensed some restlessness in the audience - a few people were calling out for some straightahead blues shuffles. So he changed tack and gave them what they wanted, whereas the majority of the crowd were probably quite happy with the funk groove (I certainly was); we just weren't whistling or cheering enough, apparently. Stay confident in what you're doing. You may not win them all over, but you'll certainly lose them if it seems like you're not sure what you should be doing. You're in charge, not them. |
#21
|
|||
|
|||
Your mother was right: sit up straight! (unless you're moving some other way for effect)
People in bars and coffeehouses don't care about numbers of chords, difficulty of fingerings, or other matters of musicianship. They do care about groove--don't lose your groove. Even more, they care about your evoking emotion for them. Have sad songs ready if it's a quiet crowd. Have funny songs. Have celebratory songs. I have good luck with songs that sound a bit goofy when I list them for musicians, but they get people of a certain age engaged: Secret Agent Man, These Boots are Made for Walking, I Will Survive. For a younger crowd, perhaps a TV theme or two would work well. Don't worry about seeming sophisticated. It's about them, not about you. Last edited by oldhippiegal; 08-15-2012 at 06:52 AM. |
#22
|
|||
|
|||
Don't pay any attention to the drunk guy yelling FREEBIRD!
|
#23
|
|||
|
|||
Play simple songs, simple songs and simple songs.
'I wrote this song..."..nobody cares. don't! (unless you are Bob Dylan) They want to hear the familiar...something they can sing or hum along to. Always have a couple of 'pick me up' crowd pleasers you can play anytime. Get that crowd noise on your side. Know 10 songs with the same 4 chord pattern. If that's all you played all evening nobody would notice. Nobody gives a hoot about your guitar ability. It's all about tempo and rhythm. I will get more positive response playing 'fake' Spanish sound than any 'proper' Spanish classical guitarist...again, nobody cares about 'technique' Super advice about not trying to play above the crowd chatter....they will just talk louder. If i haven't been in a crowd for a while I will practice playing with the tv turned up, random traffic going by. Little light. |
#24
|
|||
|
|||
Great stuff, Sci/Gold, every bit of it the truth.
Another thing no one ever told me was about set structure. In addition to knowing when you're supposed to start and stop, find out how the boss wants the sets divided - 45 on/15 off, 60 on/20 off, whatever. It's also good to have a clock where you can glance at it. Don't look at your wristwatch on stage. |
#25
|
||||
|
||||
Never make them happy twice.
Happy when you're starting, Happy when you're done.
__________________
Fingerpicking Acoustic Blues/Rag/Folk/Slide Lessons https://www.tobywalkerslessons.com/ |
#26
|
|||
|
|||
I'm bookmarking this thread... thanks everyone for the responses!
Yeah, and I'll echo be ready to play in pretty much darkness or bring a small, clip-on reading light. Couldn't see the lyric sheet last Sunday. Fortunately, it was a short "set" (five songs), and I had the lyrics memorized. Thom |
#27
|
||||
|
||||
Quote:
Great movie, great advice... Phil (just found it on YouTube) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mh0nmrOSFHw |
#28
|
|||
|
|||
Especially if you ARE playing Freebird at the time...
I once did a gig where we were churning out the usual good time rock'n'roll, soul, Chuck Berry, etc, and a woman came up and asked if we could play something they could dance to.... "We're playing it, madam, but don't worry, you don't have to dance if you don't want to." (is what I was too polite to say.) (I guess she may have wanted a foxtrot, or some banging techno, it was hard to tell.) |
#29
|
|||
|
|||
Quote:
At a more intimate gig like a folk club or open mic, people expect - and usually appreciate - original material, even amateur quality. At the same time, don't explain at length how you wrote the song, or what it means, or who it's for. "This is one of mine" is plenty - let the song speak for itself. You need to avoid the "I've suffered for my art - now it's your turn" vibe. Quote:
Quote:
Sometimes the opposite strategy works. Play quieter, and eventually they will quieten down as they wonder what happened to that background music noise... At least, you will get those at the front (who do want to hear you) shushing those at the back. |
#30
|
|||
|
|||
Quote:
So yeah. tempo and rhythm connect.
__________________
my music |