[krissovo]

Dear All

I discovered something last night that has left me feeling a bit hollow today and I am in a bit of a dilemma as to my guitar playing direction.

I was asked to play a song at friend’s engagement party and it was “your song” that was done by Elton John. I spent 2 weeks practicing for a couple of hours every night and I really nailed the song on the guitar. I even had to rapidly lean to incorporate a few extra fancy bits like hammer ons and slides. I also went to a voice coach to try and make my voice presentable.

So the song went well I put loads of emotion into it and they were happy and I got a cheer from the rest of the party goers. Then they wanted more so I played some simple strum along songs and they went wild singing along to Oasis and a couple of Beetles songs. I finished off with Neil Young’s Hey Hey My My that I can play really well. Well I nearly killed them off, they were not interested with my average ability they just wanted entertaining and wanted some snappy songs.

I think my question is that should I concentrate on practicing the entertaining side or my on improving my ability?

I would love to able to entertain with my ability but I am no where near good enough and to be honest with my self I am some way off becoming a very good guitar player or even if I can be a great guitar player.

[allthumbs]

Both, they go together. It sounds more like you need to customize a set lists to cater to what the audiences want.

[6string]

Are you sure they just wanted snappy songs, maybe they just didnt know the Neil Young song? if your talking about My My Hey Hey (the acoustic song) I think its a great song, and makes a great party song also.

[Lcjones]

Welcome to the quirky world of audiences.

Just remember, you can please some of the people some of the time but you can't please all the people all the time!

But it sounds like you yourself had a good time!

Les

[r1p32]

idk i think that non-guitar players are pretty easily amused. and if u play something u love well enough ppl will like it. lol even if they dont know wat it is

[krissovo]

Cheers guys

I have been doing a bit of study on this for a busking day that I am planning but my problem is now the less I concentrate on playing the bettter I will entertain be it sing or shake my body around trying to do a bit of a dance.

It a tough one until I can become really proficiant with the guitar I will have to strike up some form of balance and play basic parts of the song while I sing or whatever then really play during a break in the singing.

[6string]

Fake it Shake it

[Jim]

Originally Posted by krissovo

I finished off with Neil Young’s Hey Hey My My that I can play really well. Well I nearly killed them off, they were not interested with my average ability they just wanted entertaining and wanted some snappy songs.

I absolutely love that song (and just about anything by Neil Young) but I can see that a lot of people are probably not familiar with that song and if they don't know it and can't sing along with it, they may not enjoy it as much. I always practice what pleases me, but always have a number of very familiar "crowd pleasers" in the list just in case. People can be fickle and they may feel bored or even embarrassed if they don't know the song you're singing and playing, no matter how well you do it.

Hey hey, my my
Rock and roll can never die

It's better to burn out than it is to rust...


Jim

[Rockerbob]

Elvis once said, "All things being equal, people prefer an upbeat tune." (paraphrased from memory) He was right. People want to be entertained. The technical ability has much less to do with it. The hot guitar players are mostly only well known to other guitar players.

[LeeB]

I have no personal experience comments as my audience is usually my 8 mos old daughter and I am sure she will leave when she is able to crawl/walk
I do think its interesting that when brilliant guitar players such as Tommy Emanual are interviewed most will say "I play for myself" and I think songs you are passionate about playing will be the ones to play....???

[bluesguy]

WARNING: Wordy post



I think you have hit on an interesting issue for a lot of folks who play guitar. I know a bunch of technical players who can only play riffs, parts of songs, or songs that require a whole band to really sound like a song. They have smokin' technique but it doesn't go anywhere. I know a few folks with limited technical ability but they make the most of what they have got.

Think about it John Lee Hooker basically played a bunch of one chord type songs, odd signatures, and they were definitely not your typical 12 bar blues tunes. But somehow he made a career of playing the blues. He knew how to create a great rhythm and sound with his 'techinical ability'.

What are your goals for playing....

I try to have a set of modest goals for my playing. Right now I can play & sing:

1. House of the Rising Sun (original lyrics)
2. House of the Rising Sun while singing Amazing Grace
3. Feed Us Now (Christian Hymn)
4. Nothing but the Blood (Christian Hymn)
5. Oh! Sinner Man (Christian Hymn)
6. Hoochie Coochie Man (Muddy Water's song)
7. Yesterday (Beetles song)

I can play (but not sing or they don't have lyrics)

1. Do Lord (Christian Hymn - working on playing & singing it)
2. Canticle of the Turning (Christian Hymn - working on playing & singing it)
3. Greensleeves
4. Texas Blues (a blues rhythm)
5. True Blue (Out of a book for learning how to play the blues)
6. Delta Mood (Out of a book on learning how to play the blues)
7. A Mambo Rhythm
8. Knockin' On Heaven's Door (Dylan song - can't sing it at all)

I am working on about 4-10 other songs that I want to learn how to play & sing at the same time. I am always being asked at church "Can you learn this one?"

I think if I played everything I know how to play, mixed a bit of banter I could play for about 45 minutes. I want to have 60 minutes worth of music, 25% instrumental, in the future (next year or two). Once I have that I am seriously thinking about contacting the local nursing/retirement homes and asking if they would let me come in on a Sat. or Sun. afternoon to play. No $. Just a place for me to work on my chops in front of an audience.

I think it is important to have near term goal - 1 or 2 years out - and milestones to work yourself towards that goal. Five years ago I dreamed about playing in front of people besides my family. So I made that a goal. I am now playing in church. It is a safe place to play but not as safe as at home

[WernHalen]

Blues guy you nailed it...

I started playing in front of audiences at church... Now I have done an open air concert and played in some other venues as well... Not real big but worth a lot to me...

I am unfortunately one of those guys who can play a bit and i can play along well, but i cant do a solo gig for an hour playing songs and other doodads without the help of a band... I make a good accompanying player, I think... Maybe that is what i need to do... Learn a bunch of songs, get back tracks and start gigging as a solo artist until I can get a band to which I can commit... It will teach me things on how to read audiences and how to travel and arrange gigs. mmmhh... ponder ponder... Church band and Obedience aside.

[krissovo]

Bluesguy

You did hit the nail on the head, I went to festival a few weeks ago and a guitar came out as the night went on. On of the lads there was playing riffs like bullets coming out of a machine gun but he could not play one song on his own. He was quite humbled when I played a couple of non technical songs by strumming away, anyway we got hold of a second guitar and between us it was quite good.

[bluesguy]

I tell you what really is awesome is the guys who can play & sing on their own and do the fills when they are in a band. A friend of mine in Minnesota can do just that. He is in a folk band that ranges from 4 to 7 people - sometimes with three guitar players, bass player, keyboardist, violin, and percussionist. He finds the perfect places to 'fill in'. He sometimes complains to the band leader "Hey what do you have me here for anyway?" The band leader tells him "for you perfect fills".

If I had stayed in the Twin Cities I would have suggested that my friend and I work up a couple hours of blues for the two of us to do. Oh well I had to move

[WernHalen]

I went and looked, and yes I can play a couple of songs on my own...

Maybe we should have a forum for posting tabs or chord charts to sing along songs which people can add to a set list for such occasions... I think most of us knows them but we cant think of them when the moment calls for it. (all depends what people listen to in your part of the world as well)

So how about it Clancy?

* Sweet Caroline - Neil Diamond
* Knocking on heavens door - Bob Dylan/Guns & Roses
* Lightning Crashes - Live
* Slide - Goo Goo Dolls
* Iris - Goo Goo Dolls
* Bad Day - Fuel
* Good Riddance - Greenday (not my fav but alot of people love it and it goes down well with people who doesnt know it)
*Breakfast at tiffany's - ???
*

Something like that... Your thoughts would be appreciated...