Playing for others.....or.....Feelng like a Rock Star

How do you play in public.

I played a little acoustic guitar before coming to the ukulele. That was a solitary indeavour, never played out and only played in front of my wife if she happened to come down into the basement while I was practicing.

The ukulele has been a very social instrument for me as I attend three regular uke jams. But that is playing with others, not in front of or for others. One of my goals is to do open Mike performances. I am taking baby steps to get comfortable playing and singing in front of others. I have done that for my wife, my son, two friends, "sam13" and Tim, you know who you are, lol.

Last night was a big step forward as I was at the kitchen table playing away when my wife and three of her friends walked in. They heard me playing came to the kitchen and I swallowed hard and continued to play. They were very complimentary, asked if I knew "Over the Rainbow", I do so I played it for them. I was neverous but got through it. I felt like a Rock Star, now I get why boys take up the guitar in school. A Day Late and a Dollar Short in my case

For those of you that have been playing in front of people for either a short or long time how do you get started. What advice can you give me and others who would like to play in front of real live people instead of our cats, dogs and kitchen chairs.

DownUpDave said:

For those of you that have been playing in front of people for a long time how do you get started. What advice can you give me and others who would like to play in front of real live people instead of our cats, dogs and kitchen chairs.

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Open Mic is your best bet really. I used to do some performance stuff in school, I was awful, suffered from massive stage fright, but once I got on and started singing I got this buzz that I've never been able to replicate elsewhere. It took a few years after leaving school to go again but a few years ago I went to an open mic. Just decided to go for it, and predictably, it was horrible. The normal guys there had all been playing guitar since well before I was born, and as a result not only was my playing woefully lacking but the songs I was playing failed to make an impression. One guy asked me if I'd written the three I played because he'd never heard them before.

It took a few months but I ended up moving to a flat halfway between two of the pubs that one particular open mic group used, so I just started going, and kept on going. I wasn't exactly getting standing ovations but I was getting polite applause and people seemed pleased to see me back. Then I picked up a uke and my performances weren't as obnoxious, plus I'd sort of worked out what worked and what didn't. But I've made some good muso friends there and even had the opportunity to do a couple little gigs here and there.

My advice if you're not confident though is to go to a local open mic and get a feel for the crowd. Have three or four songs that you can play strongly pretty much all the time. You don't necessarily have to play first up, just go and watch, at the very least it should be an evening of good free live music. And then maybe talk to the organisers. Chances are you'll get encouragement. But definitely just go for it if you've got the songs ready. The adrenaline rush from live performance is an amazing high in my opinion.

From the beginning, I would practice out on my front stoop. People would walk by, say hi, nod, smile, one kid gave me a thumbs up one day. Then it was a ukulele festival, where I got to jam with some other musicians, and people watched, but it was a group endeavor, so I felt like the rest covered me up. Then I went to a Paranda here in PR, and got put on the spot, because a friend of ours who is the band leader, invited me up to play Bailala with the rest of the band. That was a little stressful, but after I got going, it went well. Then came the San Sebastian Festival, which is a huge street festival here in San Juan, and I live on San Sebastian street. So I went out every day, sat in front of the condo, and played away to the people passing by.

I have to say, that after a while, I couldn't get enough of it. It was addicting. My neighbor brought out an amp and a microphone one afternoon, and we blasted it down the street, singing and playing both. Now I play on the beach a lot. People seem to like it. In the evenings during the festival, I played a pandereta, which is a drum, with the Plena Band. That was a lot of fun and we really drew a crowd at times, but during the day, it was ukulele all the way. But I've pretty much lost that performance anxiety, even to start with. Didn't take long either. I'm getting real close to putting out the uke case with a little seed money and going for it. Not quite there yet, but close.

The short version: people *want* to root for you, cheer you on, see you do well. They want to like you! I think if you keep this in mind, the nervousness will go away, or at least become increasingly less.

I'm basing that assertion on my own experience as a little kid. I was a tremendously shy brainiac, incredibly unpopular with my classmates, and on top of that, 2 years younger than the rest of my grade since I had skipped two grades. In second grade, my teacher singled me out to sing a solo in our Christmas concert. I was terrified and didn't want to do it but couldn't see any way out - and I did it, and had a fabulous time, and learned the above lesson. Despite the fact that my classmates tended to torment me on a day to day basis, they applauded! So from that experience on, I took every opportunity I could to perform and can think of only one single incident in which I got jeered. The orange satin pants might have had something to do with that; hey, it was the disco era! But even that taught me another valuable lesson: no matter what happens, nobody will remember it two days later.

DownUpDave said:

For those of you that have been playing in front of people for either a short or long time how do you get started? What advice can you give me and others who would like to play in front of real live people...?

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The answer is in your own words. Swallow hard and continue to play. You've already done everything. You just feel a little less queezy each time you get in front of an audience. (Wait till the audiences start getting bigger!)

i sang in "public" for the first time last Sunday, by volunteering to lead my local uke jam through learning a song. Not really a true public performance -- the room was full of sympathetic uke players. But maybe that's a first step?

I second the open-jam option. If there are other players in a circle, taking turns singing or instrumental leads, you can participate as much as you want. I found an open acoustic jam at a local pub, which had some really good players, and I was the only ukulele player there. Mostly guitars, but a couple harmonicas, a flute, cello, bass, even some drums, and now and then, a keyboard. Chords on a whiteboard and try and keep up. After a couple of sessions and most of a dark stout, I offered to lead a song. Easy, three-chord blues pattern, and I got through it without screwing up too much. Nobody booed or hissed.

If you pick one that most folks might know, ask them to sing along. More voices help your nerves. Couple times we've had newbies who were obviously rattled who led songs, and if somebody joined in on the lyrics, it seemed to make it easier for them.

An open mike, at which you are the sole player in front of an audience is a little more pressure, but in a group with other players, any flubs or clams don't stand out so much. After a few times leading songs like this, the idea of an open mike didn't seem so scary to me. Pick one you can play, practice it until you can do it in your sleep, take a deep breath and go for it. (Remember the the 7-P principle: Proper planning and practice prevents piss-poor performance ...)

So glad I started this thread and asked the question. Some really inspiring stuff, thanks to everyone for chiming in so far. Keep them coming as my courage has not been buoyed enough yet.

I haven't preformed on anything but inking the human body for quite awhile now. When I was a wee lad I did a few organ recitals which were very stressful as they were a competition as well as a performance. You did get to play with your back to the audience though. I'm still working on breaking out with a video for YouTube and joining the seasons here.

Be careful busking without a permit. Its all fun until the tip jar comes out.

I have a background in public speaking, improvisational acting, and spent years coordinating events for a local non-profit. Crowds don't intimidate me. I actually enjoy playing in groups at public venues. However...

When I play alone in front of people I get extremely nervous, and that stems from being insecure about my ukulele playing. I've found a few things that have been helpful:

* What I play in public is always much less complicated than what I play in private. My setlists are all simple, really hard to screw up songs. I play these songs a lot, and if I start feeling comfortable with the audience I'll fancy them up a bit.
* I never actually look at people while I play. Early on I noticed that I make more mistakes if I do. I pick out spots around the venue behind people and scan those.
* Since I am quite comfortable with public speaking, I work the crowd between songs. You know... "How is everyone tonight?" and "Let's have a big hand for the waitresses!" sort of stuff. That's the only time I allow myself to make eye contact with anyone.

It's getting easier, but it still ultimately comes down to forcing myself to just do it.

Phluffy the Destroyer said:

I have a background in public speaking, improvisational acting, and spent years coordinating events for a local non-profit. Crowds don't intimidate me. I actually enjoy playing in groups at public venues. However...

When I play alone in front of people I get extremely nervous, and that stems from being insecure about my ukulele playing. I've found a few things that have been helpful:

* What I play in public is always much less complicated than what I play in private. My setlists are all simple, really hard to screw up songs. I play these songs a lot, and if I start feeling comfortable with the audience I'll fancy them up a bit.
* I never actually look at people while I play. Early on I noticed that I make more mistakes if I do. I pick out spots around the venue behind people and scan those.
* Since I am quite comfortable with public speaking, I work the crowd between songs. You know... "How is everyone tonight?" and "Let's have a big hand for the waitresses!" sort of stuff. That's the only time I allow myself to make eye contact with anyone.

It's getting easier, but it still ultimately comes down to forcing myself to just do it.

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Thank you so much. This is very helpful, especially about keeping the songs simple and looking at spots around the room and not the people. Specific items like this can really make a difference for us newbie wanabee performers.

ubulele said:

In line with that, play songs people can sing along with. Their singing will mask any flubs you make.

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Good suggestion. How about playing something nobody knows so if you do flubbed it up nobody can tell

I second the notion of leading a group of jammers. I've found the group I join very supportive. The experienced players are always eager to make suggestions if some chord changes give you trouble. Also, the few times I've brought new songs to play, the others really appreciate it.

Another possibility: see if you can get together a few of your local players and offer to play a few songs at a senior center. Talk about an appreciative audience!

What I've found as a ukulele player playing in guitar-heavy open mics is that rather than hindering you, playing the ukulele gives you a boost. People expect a lot of guitar players. They've seen it all, and to be anything special, you're going to have to be really good. Most people at open mics haven't seen a lot of competent ukulele players, so if you're halfway decent, you'll already be shattering expectations. Let that boost your confidence!

I've also found that people at open mics are incredibly encouraging. They WANT you to do well. They came to listen to and share music, and you're part of the party. They won't be hard on you. You aren't asking for money, and you aren't asking for criticism as if you're a professional. You're just there to contribute to the "great conversation" of music that's going on. With that understanding, people are very open to hearing new things and giving you support.

Final point that is more subjective than the other two: unless requested, try to avoid the SUPER cliche songs. My very first open mic, the guy running it gave me a warm handshake as I got offstage and said "man, I LOVED that you played X song... and I LOVED that you DIDN'T play Somewhere Over the Rainbow. Everybody who comes in here with a uke plays that, we're sick of it." I don't mean to discourage you from playing songs you love, just keep in mind that certain songs might be fairly common. This piece of advice you can take or leave, up to you. You might just as easily find an open mic where SOtR gets you a standing ovation. YMMV.

I don't play in front of people, not yet anyhow, but in my job I have to present science shows to families/school groups. Public speaking was never my thing, and I was incredibly nervous, but now it's actually quite enjoyable.

One thing that helps is knowing your stuff really well. So if you're going to play in front of people, stick to the songs you know best.
Don't worry if you screw up, everyone does it. Ignore it if you can, if you draw attention to it it becomes bigger than it needs to be. Unless it's a huge mistake, then make a joke out of it.

Maybe try doing it in groups/jams first too. I went to a ukulele group that was in a cafe, and plenty of people walking past would stop and listen, and it tends to put a smile on people's faces.

I do attend regular uke jams and they have open mike sessions part way through the night. This will be the venue I step up and do my first performance at. As most have said in this post these uke jams, meet ups will be the easiest stage with the friendliest crowd. I have sat in attendance and listened to others perform and you are always pulling for them and ignore any flubs.

The end of March will make it one year since I first picked up the ukulele. We have a uke jam scheduled for March 23rd. that is when I will make my first performance. There.........I have now made it public so I can't chicken out

DownUpDave said:

Good suggestion. How about playing something nobody knows so if you do flubbed it up nobody can tell

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Ha ha, you just outed me - I'll admit in part this is one thing I love about playing mostly classical!

DownUpDave posted:'Good suggestion. How about playing something nobody knows so if you do flubbed it up nobody can tell '
Well I have always used the idea that if you flub a chord on verse one,flub it again on every other verse,and call it jazz!

Manalishi said:

DownUpDave posted:'Good suggestion. How about playing something nobody knows so if you do flubbed it up nobody can tell '
Well I have always used the idea that if you flub a chord on verse one,flub it again on every other verse,and call it jazz!

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Oh that is such a good line. A friend is a huge jazz guy, me not so much. I enjoy stuff like Neil Young, Gordon Lightfoot, country, folk, classic rock etc. He, good naturedly makes fun of my tastes and says the term "Country Music" is an oxymoron.

Next time I hear him playing jazz I will say " You are getting real good at flubbing every second verse" . Thanks :shaka: