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First time played my SG in Public Today


Jeepaddict

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I took up playing Guitar last November, or so, when I bought my Gibson Sg Standard.

Before I knew what was going on, I was to play rhythm in a quartet.

Our, "Set", would include: "Crystal Chandeliers", "You Ain't Woman Enough", and, "Move it on Over".

 

The Teacher put together enough acts with current and former students, to play and sing for over an hour.

She scheduled us to play today at a local Retirement home.

 

Over the last few weeks, I found practice with other musicians seems chaotic. It's more demanding than playing alone or to a drum track.

We all met up this morning to rehearse at the local Legion, and I wish I had warmed up.

(I had seen George Thorogood in concert last night and was up late).

 

After Lunch, We assembled our gear at the Retirement home.

I should have brought an extension cord, my Amp was on the other side of the stage, by the only outlet.

I was glad I brought my 20' instrument cable. I wished I had brought my digital recorder so I could have heard us later.

 

Our set was almost the last, so we waited almost an hour for everyone to play through.

Everyone sounded better that at practice.

 

When we were called, I was annoyed that I had to get my amp setup. It was a tight space and there wasn't room for everything to be left setup.

I was amused that there was a chandelier over us, I was very pleased with how the first song played out.

On, "You ain't Woman Enough", I stumbled a bit on two of the chord changes. Since there were two of us on rhythem, it wasn't so bad.

Our version of, "Move it on over", played out pretty solid. It wasn't perfect, but, it felt good and musical.

I think most of the audience enjoyed the music, and, there was a bit of Comedy.

 

To sum up, I think the stress leading up to a performance helped Me focus on practice.

I really enjoyed the day, it was great fun.

If you have not played, "out", I recommend you find a suitable venue and try. It is worth the effort.

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Congrats on your first gig going well and it looks like you were having fun at it too-which is the main thing.You may find that gigging gets in your blood and you keep on craving another "fix" of performing even more and more as time goes on.BTW lovely SG.

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The retirement home gig usually costs rather than pays, but I think there are times in a player's life when it's good for your heart. As a learning picker, it's actually pretty good to get used to practice and some of the same work you do for more paying gigs.

 

Good for the heart? Some of the older folks literally will come to life with live music. One local dixieland gathering does the nursing home gig kinda regularly - and several excellent players are as old as most of the older residents there.

 

Life is ... interesting.

 

m

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sounds like it was a good place to get your feet wet. Playing out is fun, but it's also got it's challenges. Extension cables, power strips extra guitar cables, (++ spare strings ++), and so on, eventually you just know you gotta pack along with you. ya live, ya learn! Good luck in your next outing.

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The retirement home gig usually costs rather than pays, but I think there are times in a player's life when it's good for your heart. As a learning picker, it's actually pretty good to get used to practice and some of the same work you do for more paying gigs.

 

Good for the heart? Some of the older folks literally will come to life with live music. One local dixieland gathering does the nursing home gig kinda regularly - and several excellent players are as old as most of the older residents there.

 

Life is ... interesting.

 

m

 

As a matter of fact, It was cool to see a resident that had sat in a corner, almost catatonic, get up and move accross into the room & eventually raise a hand to do some, "Hand Jive".

 

I also learned that its better to pick material the audience likes.

I couldn't pull off playing the, "Showman", but tried hard to project happy and upbeat to engage the audience.

I focused to support the Singers with rhythm, as they played lead & Bass.

With good singing, I could have been banging a pot & it sound Ok, but I think it was much better.

It didn't hurt the young students to see, "adults", outside their comfort zone.

 

Even though it cost me money to perform, I forgot all my troubles that day, and every time I practice.

If I ever get a paying gig & break even, I will rush the passport office and change my, "Occupation", to "Rock Star".

Until then, I think it has been a fair trade.

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Jeep...

 

Well, I wouldn't hold my breath about "breaking even" if you keep pickin' - unless something brings you into a full-time business as a musician. That latter doesn't define most of us here who may or may not be technically capable of a full time music performance business, but who have taken another life path.

 

Kinda funny, I was playing weekends for money and helping to promote a major regional old-time music event in the '70s when I had the opportunity to take my Dad's one-room rural school girlfriend out to dinner.

 

At the time, she was a violinist with the Minnesota symphony. Our main topic of conversation? Music as a job, music as a business and music as a joyful addiction. She was an exceptional violinist who had the ability also to give a big grin and fiddle old-time - but said that sometimes she wondered if I weren't the luckier one who could play what he wanted and more or less when he wanted...

 

m

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