Why I Generally Don't Enjoy Playing In Front Of Others? What About You?

[Robin, Wales]

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

I enjoy playing for audiences, which is good, since I made my living as a professional musician for years. I find that I actually play my best in front of a crowd. For me it’s energizing, and the better the crowd the better I play.

Wade Hampton Miller

Wade, I've never been a professional musician but I do enjoy the challenge of playing for an audience - it is energising. And I do love to play/sing with others, because you can create something that's greater than the sum of its parts.

I'm not sure if I play better when playing for an audience but the whole process of practicing and rehearsing for live performance certainly makes me a better player.

Playing for and with others is my entire motivation for playing guitar. If I was playing for just self entertainment at home then I would pick up one of my other instruments, not a guitar.

[pvfederico]

In my opinion, the greatest art is created by artists who strive to satisfy themselves -- not to satisfy others.

[Robin, Wales]

Originally Posted by pvfederico

In my opinion, the greatest art is created by artists who strive to satisfy themselves -- not to satisfy others.

That's the sort of question that you would pose to philosophy students. It applies equally to those who gig as to those who don't.

If you are implying that those who see playing guitar as a performance art are inferior to those who just play privately for themselves, then, in my opinion, your thesis does not hold up.

[A Scot in Otley]

Originally Posted by Puddleglum

When one starts playing guitar, there seems to be an innate belief that the whole point of playing is to eventually entertain others. I held this belief for a number of years before I realized that playing guitar can be like reading. A person reads alone and some people prefer to play guitar alone in the privacy of home.

I've heard of people who actually see no point in playing if there's no gig. I cannot relate to this.

One of the great things about getting older is that one starts to figure out life along the way. Something I noticed about playing guitar in front of others was this: I'd get out my guitar and someone would ask to hear a certain song. If by chance I knew the song and began to play it, I'd notice that in most cases, the person would seem to immediately lose interest, and often call out another song. When the intro bits were done to the next song, same thing: a loss of interest.

Most of all, though, I noticed that if I didn't know the song the person wanted to hear, I got the idea that I was being viewed as a lesser musician. All of this combined served to take away the joy of playing for others. Yes, there have been good experiences as well, but for the most part I just enjoy playing at home alone. I would love to find someone to jam with, but musical compatibility is a whole other challenge.

Has anyone else experienced any of this?

Had a guitar for about 40 years, but only played it at home for a couple of months every two or three years or so.

After i retired, I was badgered into going to a local music social club thingy where I met a few other like minded guitar playing folk (and grew an aversion to the tyranny of Ukes ) and formed a wee band where we did open mics and some gigs. I learned an awful lot from that experience, and grew as a guitarist and a singer (I always was a bit of a singer, so thankfully I've still got some of it left: can belt it out (just about) with or without a mic).

Group broke up .. clashing egos drowned out the music .... and I continued on my own. Had to develop a new (for me) guitar style but also started writing my own songs too. I have since done very very many open mics, and I'm now getting individual gigs (I'm not searching for them, they just fall me way, but I do need to push myself more). I'm lucky I live where I can walk to a few open mics and a folk club, and there are other open mics and venues within a short drive. Barring a few exceptions, most of my songs are my own, or lesser known covers (not lesser known to the musical cognoscenti). The well known songs, such as Stuck in the Middle, are there to catch attention if the open mic starts to get a bit noisy

All the above is hunky dory and fine for me .. BUT the most important thing for me is to continue developing skill with the guitar (sorry, banjo & electric guitar, for neglecting you) and the social interaction with other musicians. Making new friends is just fab. If I didn't think I could sing, or for some reason couldn't, I'd still do it - just more guitar.

Nuff said. All the best.

[JKA]

Music, like any other form of art should be shared with others. Can you imagine a world without ever having seen the Mona Lisa, David, Venus de Milo, Sunflowers or heard the great works from Beethoven, Lennon and McCartney, Carole King...to name just a few?

It's also fine to keep it to yourself if that's what you want to do but for me I'm extremely grateful to the artists who share their wonderful works. It makes the world a better place and helps us understand the human condition much more clearly.

[Tycobb73]

I love music and I play for me. I'll play shows but the crowd really doesn't matter. I find in a lot of cases the hassle isn't worth it. I'd rant just like to find a group of people to get together with that don't want to gig.

I don't understand people that don't play at home if they don't have gigs. Do they truly love music or do they just want to show off for people?

[PapaLobo]

While I've been a lifelong musician , I've always been in support roles ( drums , viola , classical guitar, sideman.

I play for my own pleasure, love to jam but don't really enjoy performing as a solo artist .

As an Open Mic host , the other Artists and my boss frequently ask me to play, and I do a bit at sound check , or after the show. I'll give in next month as it is our 1 year anniversary .

[Dave Hicks]

I like to play out at open mics and such. I figure since nobody's paying me, it's not my job to entertain anybody other than myself.

D.H.

[rmp]

I can probably adequately cover about 150 ~ 175 songs

If I don't know the one that was just requested, so what?

And if I hear a particular tune pop up enough times, well maybe that's a hint!

I'll add it to the list.

[Pickcity]

Originally Posted by Goat Mick

I was drawn to guitar by watching my dad play and sing in front of friends and family at gatherings when I was very young. I was mesmerized at how he held the attention of the room and how happy it made everyone in attendance. I do play a lot for my own enjoyment, but performing is my first true love. When I decide to hang up my gigging hat, I'll keep playing but probably not as much. I love making people happy with music and that's the main reason I play.

Agree 100%.

It seems to me we should want to share the music with the world.

I do understand the joy of playing alone and at home. To each their own. I do enjoy playing for others.

[Mandobart]

I started violin at 10, got into bluegrass fiddle, acoustic guitar and electric bass around 13. I played in school orchestra, jazz band and a typical teen garage band until I left for the navy. Lots of public performances growing up in all those endeavors.

In my 40's I took up mandolin and started attending a weekly jam. That led to open mics, which led to joining a few bands and doing a few albums and a bunch of gigs. The bands tended to fizzle out, but I continued getting solo and duo gigs.

Meanwhile I got involved in more acoustic music organizations and festivals. I found I really enjoy playing with other people a whole lot more than playing for an audience. I also just love the sound and feel of my stringed instruments and play for an hour or more by myself at home every day.

I now play around a dozen actual gigs a year - mostly farmers markets, art shows, festivals, private parties and dances with a bluegrass band and an old time/contra dance band. These are ok, but my musical passion is jams/song circles. I attend 3 or more jams a week in my local area. I had an incredible time last weekend at Wintergrass jamming several hours each day till 03:00 with people of all ages and styles. Some of the folks from the nationally/internationally known bands came by to join in as the joy and energy was palpable.

I still play some fiddle, mandolin and guitar, but double bass is my instrument of choice for the past year.

[catdaddy]

I started performing for audiences in my early teens. Gigged professionally during my college years. Stopped playing altogether in my 30s and then started gigging again in my 40s and continued up until about 5 years ago. Now, in my intractably grumpy 70s I find I have no desire to perform for an audience, and simply enjoy playing for my own enjoyment, rather than cast my pearls before swine.

[musicman1951]

Originally Posted by Puddleglum

When one starts playing guitar, there seems to be an innate belief that the whole point of playing is to eventually entertain others. I held this belief for a number of years before I realized that playing guitar can be like reading. A person reads alone and some people prefer to play guitar alone in the privacy of home.

One of the great things about getting older is that one starts to figure out life along the way.

Has anyone else experienced any of this?

We all have different experiences. There are many mandated performances in a college music program and those performances quickly become part of the norm. My high school ensembles had many concerts as well.

But as "normal" as performances are for most musicians, they are a small part of musical life. With the exception of the time I spent playing 6 nights a week, I have always practiced way more hours than I performed. My school wind ensemble rehearsed every day and only performed 6 times a year.

If you don't enjoy the hours of playing alone you're going to have an extremely difficult time becoming a good player. And I believe that once you get past the first handful of years on an instrument a good part of your practice time should be spent making great music - not just preparing to make great music, but actually making it (both for yourself and as the goal of playing in the first place).

Entertainment is a different skill, and an important one if you want to make money. But making beautiful music is a wonderful gift - if you're alone or on stage.

My wind ensemble earned a gold rating on the highest level of music in NY, but we never did a trained seal kind of preparation, we played 75 new songs every year in rehearsal and sometimes made music so beautiful it would make me tear up a bit. So I am with you 100% on enjoying playing just for myself, but I would personally miss performing if I ever stopped. But I think playing beautiful music for yourself is a fine way to spend your time.

[J Buck]

I got into the guitar when I was 19 way back. Had a buddy who played and we got together and played for fun and a couple of barbecues. Then got married and had a family and all that comes with that, so I would play for a month and put I'd it down for a couple of years. Just awful...Now that I'm 60, I finally get to play with some other musicians that can tolerate my mediocre skills. It's fun for me just to play with somebody else. We have a little combo at church and play a couple of songs. I suffer stage fright and all that too, but really enjoy our little group. I don't want to play for money, just the fellowship in a little room somewhere.

[Puddleglum]

Originally Posted by Tycobb73

I don't understand people that don't play at home if they don't have gigs. Do they truly love music or do they just want to show off for people?

I understand, and I've known people that seem to crave being in front of an audience more than playing music. I've also heard people who say, If there is no gig, there's no point in playing.

Sharing art, etc. with the world has been mentioned. I understand the point. Imagine a world where everyone hid his own paintings away and never showed them to anyone. There would be no art galleries, and that would be strange. But those paintings were not created in the first place for the sole purpose of showing others. That part naturally came later.

As the OP, it's been fun reading all this and seeing both sides a bit better. I try and think of a world where I'd never heard my favorite musicians' songs, and that would be the world if everyone was like me and just played at home.