Tips for playing in Front of others !

[Danny G]

Don't be so hard on yourself Rich. We have watched you improve to the point where we enjoy listening to you.

[Grizzly]

Grizzzzzz, I need to send you my current address.  You have been missing me so I assume you gave my gifts to owners of my previous house. 
Use caution approaching my house because there are enough flying geese to feed all your elves for a long feast.
PS: I had my chimney removed so will leave my back door unlocked.  Never mind the cameras.  The dogs won’t bite if you give them treats.
Merry Christmas to all and to all a good jam.

I have a magic skeleton key that lets me into any house. As I say to the kids, whatever  bring you, you're gonna really like.

Santa

[smojoe]

Tips for playing in front of others?

1.... find some others
2.... get in front of them
3.... play something

problem solved lolol.
Buon Natale per tutti e per tutti un buona notte.

[Age]

Tips for playing in front of others?

1.... find some others
2.... get in front of them
3.... play something

problem solved lolol.
Buon Natale per tutti e per tutti un buona notte.

Bwaaaaahahaha!🤣

[elaect]

Tips for playing in front of others?

1.... find some others
2.... get in front of them
3.... play something

problem solved lolol.
Buon Natale per tutti e per tutti un buona notte.

Exactly as what he said, and something extra, play the music that you really like and start with some easy tones. There's no need to show off a lot if you don't feel comfortable.

But the most important thing is to enjoy it yourself! If you enjoy it, who cares what others would think?!

[Age]

Yeah, very true! The first ones we gotta please is ourselves, but IMO, we should also never forget to listen to ourselves at least as "Critically" as we listen to folks we're not all that crazy about.

A lot of our progress depends on our true goals and aspirations. If we just wanna play to amuse ourselves, that's fine. The other component is, if we ever want to play well enough to have folks put down their cellphones, stop what they're doing and listen to us and say: "Wow!" that's gunna take a whole 'nother step in our personal critique and subsequent dedication.

Don't get me "rong," either choice is great, but the few who actually aspire to be  "accepted professionally" some day, (which aren't that many, BTW) will soon discover that this particular musical road definitely has a fork in it. Whenever I critique, or try to help a player, the first thing I usually ask is where they wanna go with their music, then whatever that is; I try to help them get there.

[smojoe]

Word 

J.

[Gnarly He Man]

"accepted professionally"

Surely there are better choices for paid work.

[Age]

I dunno. Sounded good when I said it.

[Gnarly He Man]

The history of the harmonica reflects that the general public does not take it seriously.
Even other musicians are wary.
Much of what passes for professional musical entertainment these days is mostly show.
My personal experience is that playing chromatic routinely when I go out in public (because it is so portable) helps me be relaxed when I finally play it at a gig.
And at the gig, chrom works as a show piece—I play acoustic guitar over tracks, folks can’t always figure out what’s being played IRL, playing chromatic presents as “Real Life”. And that’s entertaining!

[Age]

And most folks aren't sure what you're playing if you aren't using the stereotypical, old time harmonica stance with the hand flapping and all that.   Several times, I've had folks ask me "Is that a harmonica?"

[Gnarly He Man]

Like when I play mandolin and they say, "Is that a ukulele?"

[Grizzly]

Worse (?) When I tell people I play dulcimer, they ask, "What's that?"

Tom

[Gnarly He Man]

“What is that thing?”

[Age]

Yeah, I know it sounds mean, but but when ya think about it, ya soon realize "non-musical" people tend to be "musically stupid."

[Gnarly He Man]

Which is why the answer to this question is the last line of Desiderata, “Strive to be happy.”

[Wendellfiddler]

Worse (?) When I tell people I play dulcimer, they ask, "What's that?"

Tom

Best dulcimer story I have:   When travelling across Europe in the late 70's with my girlfriend (now, wife), carrying a fiddle and a dulcimer, which we played together in town squares in Italy and Greece, we got up one morning and she said to me:  Did you put my dulcimer in upside down last night?   I said:  "I doubt it, I don't even think that would be possible, the case wouldn't close if it was upside down.  and she said:  did I say, "dulcimer"?.   Oy, I meant " diaphragm"!!!  Oh, to be young again (sigh).   Nice memory though.

And BTW, fiddle and dulcimer fit very well together for fiddle tunes and folk-like songs.   However, next time I won't bother to bring the fiddle, just a few chromatics.  Much easier to keep track of on trains (among other things)

doug tanner

[Age]

"Oh to be young again" 🤣


I must be too much of a ham, cuz I've never tried it yet, but there's always the old "Picture the audience naked" trick.  I can actually see where that might even work, as in "I could never play worse than most of those folks look." 

[Wendellfiddler]

haha, that's great!