Feedback You Received that Made an Impression on You?
 

What's some feedback you received that made a lasting impression on you during your guitar journey? Positive or negative. Sometimes the most simple words make the biggest impression.

At open mics at always seem to get complements on how good my 000-18GE sounds. Not the guitar playing, just how good it sounds. At one open mic I sang two original songs and a young lady came running up to me afterwards and said “your a Harry Chapin story teller”. I’ll take that anytime.

In 1987 I was in the US Army stationed in Germany and playing in a touring rock band on the weekends. We landed a local gig at a large beer festival in the local town where we were stationed, so we got to play for a large group of fellow GIs that we knew.

It was just after dark and we were cranking out the metal tunes. Everyone was drinking and having a good time. I hear our lead singers voice cracking badly and he was suddenly struggling... visibly. He left the stage in the middle of the song so we wrapped that song up as best we could.

Since 'my other music life' was acoustics and folk songs, the lead guitarist suggested a play an impromptu set with my acoustic. There were a few hundred beer-guzzling metal heads in the crowd and a rock band that clearly had a problem.

I strapped on the acoustic, did a quick sound check, then started playing 'Margaritaville'. The crowd seemed to get into it. When I finished the lead guitarist let me know that John (the singer) had been throwing up and had lost his voice entirely (turned out he had strep). So, I played a bunch more songs. When I felt things were winding down and maybe we'd put in enough time to get paid, I told the crowd I was going to finish with a classic, and that I'd really like for them to sing along...

"A long, long time ago... I can still remember... how that music... used to make me smile..."

When I got to the chorus, the entire beer tent, Germans and Americans, were wailing... "Bye bye, miss American Pie..." - I was nailing everything - every chord and vocal nuance... just spot on and I knew it.

I got to the end (which I would slow down, dramatically), and after the final chorus I got a huge ovation... but that's not the coolest part!

There was an E8 Master Sgt that never much cared for me. He came up to me when I left the stage, put his hand on my shoulder and with teary eyes said, "Manning, I thought you were just a burnt out space case dud, but after hearing you play that song I know I was wrong."

He went on to describe how much that song meant to him, and a lot of other soldiers that were caught up in the final years in Viet Nam. He and I were friends for the rest of my tour...

That's awesome!

When the venue owner wants to book me again immediately after a gig.

After my last open mic someone told me “your lyrics are outstanding… just like Snow Patrol”. I’m still not sure what to make of this. :lol:

A church pastor as a teenager telling me I can't sing. Hasn't stopped me from trying, but I've been self-conscious about it ever since. I get so nervous singing in front of people live that it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

I would personally take that as a compliment.

When I’d been playing for a couple years my wife looked up and said, “You don’t suck as bad as you used to.” It was around that time that my dog quit leaving the room when I grabbed a guitar. I knew then I was destined for greatness. :D

yup
 

Couple weeks back an old friend from 'Nawlins' came to visit. She and my wife bonded 34 years ago with kids, family, etc. She knew I played acoustic, but had never heard me. Recently remarried, her husband is a G.A.S. addict and plays weekends in the French Quarter. She asked to hear me play and sing before she left, and I did a few originals. With her eyes wide open she exclaimed, "Wow, you can really sing...I mean really sing". Made my day;)

One of the great things about playing/singing is the story telling aspect of it. That's fantastic feedback. I would take that too.

Years ago, a co-worker won a national contest for autoharp. He plays many styles of music and was invited to play at Raleigh's "First Night" event (New Year's Eve). They gave him a budget and he hired me to do sound (I have a bunch of gear and used to do this for other small groups I played with).

He also asked me to sit in with him and his buddies, so we could do a few fiddle tunes (I flatpick those). We chose some well-known (by us) songs to do, e.g. Red-haired Boy, Whiskey Before Breakfast.

The first feedback was to myself: "A man cannot serve two masters". I found that trying to maintain good sound and play with some focus was difficult. We pulled it off but....... this led to a couple comments.

1. The banjo player's wife came up to me at one point to say I had dialed in the sound of mr. Banjo better than anyone she'd heard. That was a nice one b/c he did play around town a lot. I'm sure he'd been taken care of by others but I was glad I got that much right.

2. When we played Whiskey BB, I wasn't "concerned". I have played it so much I could play it in my sleep; in my coffin! Not a problem. Except, it was ha ha. Round 1 was no problem but you know you have to have your variations and I had mine. So we began round two and in A2, I was distracted by something and yikes! I'm no longer anywhere near the melody. But my approach is to "Just keep playing and smiling..... and make sure to end it right". So I did but it wasn't "WBB" really and I was pretty bummed about it. It was, to put it generously, a jazz version.

At halftime I went to the back of the room to check the sound again and a fellow comes up to me and says "I really liked your second variation on Whiskey Before Breakfast. Very jazzy....". I just said "Yeah, I had to practice a lot to remember it all.....".

Someone's trash is another's treasure....... just keep smiling.

John

Karaoke
 

I used to play in a free poker league when I lived in Pennsylvania. When I would bust out I would sing Karaoke (Tuesday night was also Karaoke night). I was told by many people that I had a "pleasant" voice or a "pleasant baritone voice." The lady who ran the karaoke always came to me to start things off or break the ice. She would request songs too- when I said that I didn't think I could pull it off she would say, "I'll bet you can." Gave me confidence in my singing. Now I'm trying to coordinate my singing with my playing. It's coming along.

I posted my effort at McGuire's Landing in show and tell and aside from a lot of other lovely comments one member said Pete would have liked it.

I felt I'd made real progress.

A few years back I bought a canoe at a large water-fest. Kind of brightish blue, it sure showed up on my even-brighter yellow Honda Fit. Lady comes up and tells me how much she likes that combination, the blue canoe and the green car. She was serious, too. Which I found funnier than people who compliment me on my voice (never sure if they are serious or not).