onewilyfool Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 OK......it's do or die now....lol.....Today I pulled out my acoustic amp and microphone to gear up for an open mic. Each player has two songs or 10 minutes, whichever come first I guess....lol.....but the reason I'm posting it to acknowledge the hump I'm experiencing moving from a "hobby" player to an "open mic" player. It is actually a big move from lazing around on the sofa, playing the guitar almost laying flat across my chest, singing to myself, listening to the guitar acousticall....to sitting or standing, playing upright, singing into the mic, hearing the guitar and voice from the amp, and may I add, NOT looking down at the fretboard...lol. Anyway, another good thing about this kind of practice, is that EVERY and I mean EVERY mistake or sloppy note playing on the guitar, every buzz, every dead note....lol...everything.....so in effect it is a GREAT way to practice!!!! Here is my potential song list, well at least these songs I know by heart, and am getting them ready.....tell me what you think.... Steam Roller Blues, James Taylor Love in Vain, Robert Johnson Malted Milk, Robert Johnson Yesterday, Beatles Here, there and everywhere, Beatles In my Life, Beatles Fire (Bruce Springsteen version) Girl from the North Country, Bob Dylan Knocking on Heaven's Door, Bob Dylan I can't help falling in love with you, Elvis Are you lonesome tonight, Elvis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 Looks good. All those songs would sound great on a Gibson. Make sure you enjoy yourself. That feeling of being nervous will somehow be part of the "fun" in retrospect. And fwiw, no one notices buzzes and dead notes, really, except you. Best of luck, Doc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onewilyfool Posted January 15, 2009 Author Share Posted January 15, 2009 Doc....thanks for the advice......I tend to sometimes lose the words if I lock eyes with anyone in the audiance, and when I do goof up on the guitar playing, I tend to forget the entire song.....lol.....Here is the AXE of choice for the night..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidbg63 Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 I agree with doc....even if you should happen to make a little mistake or hear a buzz or dead note no one will notice it....Unless you acknowledge it!!! Even if you should make a mistake, pretend it never happened. Don't slightly shake your head or grin and never stop and start again. I forgot a verse once while playing Turn The Page by Bob Seger. I just kept playing a minute or two the chords and adding in some riffs and it came to me. Everyone probably thought it was supposed to be like that. Just keep on playing. Good Luck=d> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
albertjohn Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 Mistakes are your friends. They keep you honest. So take no notice of the voices in your head. Everyone makes the odd mistake. My old brass band master Jerry Bolton taught me a lesson I'll never forget. "Just keep going" he'd say if anyone made a mistake. I must admit, I take the words on a conductors stand when I'm doing these things otherwise I forget words and start to panic. Hardly ever look at them but it's nice to know they are there if I need them. Learn all of your songs. If it were me I'd choose them a week in advance but others would get a feel for the place on the night and then choose. Go with what you think is right. Good luck OWF and have a great time. We'll need your objective and unbiased report afterwards. I have another on monday night myself and have grown to love them. I'm no pro but have done about a dozen or so over the last couple of years. Great fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nodehopper Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 Well.....Break a leg !!! so the saying goes. I wish I could be in the audience to whoop and cheer you on. Very impressive and way beyond anything I could do. I get nervous when my Wife stops and listens to what I am playing. I can't imagine a room full of people looking at me in the spot light. You will love the spot light and the applause that follows your songs. Knock'em dead !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-200 Koa Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 I am impressed. Coming from someone what can make paint curl with his voice and dogs howl with his guitar, I am always amazed at how others can step up to a microphone and actually make MUSIC! Give us a full report when the debut is done and the applause finally dies down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drathbun Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 I am gearing up for my first open mic too. I've played in public before but never at an open mic. I am in the performance business (I'm a professor of theatre) and the advice you've just received here is good... just keep going. Don't acknowledge the mistakes... most of them will only be noticed and/or remembered by you anyway. An audience is an interesting thing. They have very short memories. If you flub something and move on, they will not remember the flub a nanosecond later. Also, most audiences, especially at open mics, WANT you to succeed! It is almost more uncomfortable for the audience if you don't succeed. So they generally cut you a LOT of slack! Of course, I'm saying a lot of this not just because it is true, but also to steel myself for the experience too. Whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Here are my choices for my two song set: Canadian Railroad Trilogy - Gordon Lightfoot and either Taxi - Harry Chapin or Peaceful Easy Feeling - The Eagles Good luck to you! ](*,)/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rambler Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 A good way to start a set is with a tune you feel real at home with. Save out on the limb stuff for later. In any case, have a ball. J Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JOESTONE Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 Be sure to introduce your guitar to the audience. Be confident. Have fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWilson Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 Lots of luck, Wiley. That's a brave move on your part. I've thought about giving that a try but then I just didn't feel comfortable wearing a diaper! Maybe some day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nodehopper Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 OWF.... How big of a crowd does this place draw? I would suggest Malted Milk to start with if that is one of your songs you feel comfortable with. Like has been said start with a really familiar song. Then end with Elvis "I can't help falling in love with you," You will walk off stage and everyone will have the warm and fuzzy feeling that song leaves. I think that is a good mix of Old Blues that your L-20 would sound good playing and then a great romantic finish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pmg Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 Go for it man!! Enjoy yourself but don't acknowledge any mistakes as mentioned. Play Here, There and Everywhere too. Such a beautiful song... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rigormortis Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 Bring lots of friends. It helps if they are already loosened up too and a little bit loud. (I guess I'm assuming it's a bar.) Generally, if you have a good sense of fun about you, even the strangers want you to succeed, and the heckling is good natured. The really good songs to play at a bar are upbeat and match the mood of the place. Quiet ones don't get appreciated unless the mood is right. Did I say "heckling" ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhininBoy Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 I have been doing open mic for a couple of years now and know what your going through right now. Don't worry about the audience. You will not hear them at all. Your focus will be on yourself and I would recommend playing the songs you are MOST comfortable with irregardless whether the audience knows the songs. Mistakes.....I had a few, but I always got over it (it helps when the crowd is not familar with the song).javascript:insertsmiley('[-o<%20','/images/emoticons/eusa_pray.gif') Good Luck and keep on pickin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onewilyfool Posted January 17, 2009 Author Share Posted January 17, 2009 Thanks for the support......open mic is in two weeks......I'm also considering the song...."All you need is love" , the audience can sing along.....lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Honky Dog Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 Hey, wily, good luck, man. You'll be fine. Easier for me to say now than when I give it go sometime this year. lol I doubt I could do it without a couple of cold beers beforehand. :-) On another thread, Jinder put it best when he said something like "don't get hung up on yourself" Great advice. I've played in front of small groups of friends and find it goes way better than I thought it would. Usually my first song is rough and then I settle down. So hang in there, since I believe it just gets better. Oh, and even though I thought that first song was rough, the listeners thought it was perfectly fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brundaddy Posted January 18, 2009 Share Posted January 18, 2009 Good for you! I've done a bunch... open mics are generally sort of somber, almost joyless events with serious faces in the audience and musicians who take the whole event way too seriously. Do yourself & the audience a favor and be amusing (like a muse), don't take yourself or your material too seriously, and focus more on your singing & less on "correctly" playing the song. It's better to hear solid singing accompanied by a dumbed-down guitar part than to hear solid guitar/"off" singing. Just have fun and don't make your set a serious experience... everybody does and it becomes tiresome. Enjoy it, open mics can be fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onewilyfool Posted January 18, 2009 Author Share Posted January 18, 2009 BRUNDADDY......THAT was great advice....lol.....I will try to keep it light...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onewilyfool Posted January 19, 2009 Author Share Posted January 19, 2009 OK.....have chosen my two songs to play.... "Girl from the North Country" Bob Dylan "Here, there and everywhere" L/M These are two songs I know fairly well.....so this is a big step....lol....Now practice them till I have a good arrangement....send your positive vibes guys......thanks.....WILY Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glorbon Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 Great choice Girl of the north country really sounds sweet on a Gibson. Great choice, a beutifull love song! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt the Cat Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 Good luck with it OWF! Once you've done it you'll want more. Playing live is addictive. I'd be lost without it, I never get comfortable with it though but the nerves/excitement/enjoyment are the best thing ever! Keep going, you'll soon be playing a couple of 2 hour gigs every week just to feed your addiction! All the best, Matt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onewilyfool Posted January 30, 2009 Author Share Posted January 30, 2009 Hi Guys and Gals....Had the open mic last night.....lol.....it was fun. First of all I would like to thanks Rar and Anne for being there and letting me know about it. It was great to have some friendly faces in the crowd. Also, my wife tagged along so I sang one of the songs to her. First song was "Yesterday" by the Beatles. I had trouble hearing the sound system (no monitors) so I just winged it. Made the rookie mistake of speeding up after my first mistake, lol.....but made it through alright. The second song was "Here, There and Everywhere" by the Beatles. I dedicated the song to my wife, (which got me big brownie points) and sang this one from the heart with only some minor flubs. All in all, a wonderful evening. I throughly enjoyed listening to the other players and I REALLY learned a lot about playing in public. A worthwhile experience, I recommend it to one and all...Thanks for all the forum support, great advice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onewilyfool Posted January 30, 2009 Author Share Posted January 30, 2009 Hi Guys and Gals....Had the open mic last night.....lol.....it was fun. First of all I would like to thanks Rar and Anne for being there and letting me know about it. It was great to have some friendly faces in the crowd. Also, my wife tagged along so I sang one of the songs to her. First song was "Yesterday" by the Beatles. I had trouble hearing the sound system (no monitors) so I just winged it. Made the rookie mistake of speeding up after my first mistake, lol.....but made it through alright. The second song was "Here, There and Everywhere" by the Beatles. I dedicated the song to my wife, (which got me big brownie points) and sang this one from the heart with only some minor flubs. All in all, a wonderful evening. I throughly enjoyed listening to the other players and I REALLY learned a lot about playing in public. A worthwhile experience, I recommend it to one and all...Thanks for all the forum support, great advice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nodehopper Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 OWF....... Wish I could have been there! Sounds like you did great and smart job in tugging on the audiences heart strings to win them over. I am sure no one even noticed the mistakes but you. When do you hire some Roadies ??? Did the sappy "public display of affection" love song to your Wife give you enough brownie points with her to open the door to a new guitar ? LOL !!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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