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Post by delb0y on Apr 27, 2024 10:09:06 GMT
Subtitled "What are you working on, and why?"
Since I first started playing I've always considered myself a gigging musician. Not to say I've done loads of gigs - BB King used to do more in a year than I'd do in a couple of decades - but nevertheless, that was always the rationale. So I'd work on specific songs / solos / styles, with the idea that the learning would eventually be used at a gig. Covid came along and, as documented elsewhere, that sort of drew a line under the band work and I found myself with the space to really focus on solo acoustic playing. I've continued to do this, and now (also settled into retirement) I find myself spending several hours a day, most days, working on stuff. Which is great, and a few people have noticed the difference and I have been invited to do a few gigs on the back of these improvements.
I have some material for those gigs, and will work on some more (slipping back into old habits, as it were) but I find myself wondering how to plan the remainder of my guitar-playing improvements going forward. There seems to be so many things I want to be able to do (mostly for the sole reason that I want to be able to do them) that I simply don't know where to start, or at least, continue.
Hence the question, what are you working on, and why?
I'm hoping that understanding what drives you guys might give me some insight into formulating a plan out of the current chaos.
Cheers Derek
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ocarolan
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Post by ocarolan on Apr 27, 2024 10:34:39 GMT
Gig desert? Oh yes. no ceilidh band, no fiddle/guitar duo, no electric band, no pub trad sessions - all now defunct, and although I'm still alive I haven't played "out" properly (other than church band every Sunday) since late 2017 (as a duo with Glyn in support of Ben Morgan-Brown)! Crazy.
Recently Glyn and I have been meeting up a couple of times a month to remember old songs and work out new ones with a view to putting on our own gig in the village as a social event/possible fundraiser. Maybe we might even get it together this year! That's pretty much the only goal at present.
Other than that I've not especially been working on anything - very disorganised - like your "chaos" Derek, only possibly more so!.
Though I did start last week on a uke/vocal version of Strawberry Fields Forever - got the uke pretty much sorted, which was fun, but find a couple of the sung lines quite awkward to pitch. And then what do I see this week - a brilliant guitar/vocal version just out from Josh Turner, so my uke effort is on the back burner for now!
I'd like to do some more Youtube vids but never seem to get around to it - I now play almost entirely for my own amusement and as an escape. I think I need a good kick up the backside!
This probably isn't much encouragement, Derek, other than knowing that you aren't the only one!
Keith
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Post by delb0y on Apr 27, 2024 10:46:17 GMT
Thanks for the reply, Keith. Yes, I saw that Josh Turner video, too. I don't think any of us should let his brilliance put us off. He really is exceptional.
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juliant
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Post by juliant on Apr 27, 2024 13:43:57 GMT
You're definitely not the only one. I never played out that much - open mics and church on Sundays - but Covid put paid to those. We now go to a more traditional church, so there isn't much for me to do there, and I've found it difficult to muster up the energy (or, TBH, the enthusiasm) to get back into open mics. Traveling for anything up to an hour to sing three songs doesn't have the appeal that it used to!
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leoroberts
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Post by leoroberts on Apr 27, 2024 22:13:19 GMT
Apart from one weekend in September I only ever play for my own enjoyment.
I've not been paid to play since I was 22 - 40 years ago.
I'm okay with that.
I am in awe of anyone who has the chutzpah to play in front of strangers. I won't even play in front of a camera.
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Post by NikGnashers on Apr 28, 2024 5:13:24 GMT
Apart from one weekend in September I only ever play for my own enjoyment. I've not been paid to play since I was 22 - 40 years ago. I'm okay with that. I am in awe of anyone who has the chutzpah to play in front of strangers. I won't even play in front of a camera. I am very similar Leo, I get performance anxiety so badly that I can hear my own voice quivering. When I try to think about singing, I forget the guitar parts. I do keep forcing myself to play at open mics, in fact I am going tonight to 'the Horseshoes' at Silk Willougby near Sleaford in Lincs. I keep going in the hope that it will become normal to play in front of people, because when I play to myself alone, I seem to be reaching a decent (to my ears anyway) standard, and it's just a matter of doing the same thing in front of others. Having a camera recording me is just the same, I go to bits. I have never been paid to play (aside from a couple of rare times I went busking), and can only imagine people paying me to stop ! Some of the people who post on plucky duck are just amazing to me, I absolutely love visiting the forum to hear.
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Wild Violet
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Post by Wild Violet on Apr 28, 2024 16:03:29 GMT
I do keep forcing myself to play at open mics, in fact I am going tonight to 'the Horseshoes' at Silk Willougby near Sleaford in Lincs. I keep going in the hope that it will become normal to play in front of people, because when I play to myself alone, I seem to be reaching a decent (to my ears anyway) standard, and it's just a matter of doing the same thing in front of others. Busking regularly was the only thing that completely cured my horrendous stage fright. I can recommend the little doorway alcove on the side of the Magna Carta at the top of Steep Hill as a low-pressure place to play. I don't know if the Hub in Sleaford still does the open mic/acoustic nights, but that is/was another very friendly supportive place to play with a "gig-like" setting. I think Sleaford Live starts today, there will be loads of extra sessions etc. to take part in. I used to love the Sunday sessions at The Horseshoes! I hope it went well
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Post by NikGnashers on Apr 29, 2024 5:01:36 GMT
I do keep forcing myself to play at open mics, in fact I am going tonight to 'the Horseshoes' at Silk Willougby near Sleaford in Lincs. I keep going in the hope that it will become normal to play in front of people, because when I play to myself alone, I seem to be reaching a decent (to my ears anyway) standard, and it's just a matter of doing the same thing in front of others. Busking regularly was the only thing that completely cured my horrendous stage fright. I can recommend the little doorway alcove on the side of the Magna Carta at the top of Steep Hill as a low-pressure place to play. I don't know if the Hub in Sleaford still does the open mic/acoustic nights, but that is/was another very friendly supportive place to play with a "gig-like" setting. I think Sleaford Live starts today, there will be loads of extra sessions etc. to take part in. I used to love the Sunday sessions at The Horseshoes! I hope it went well Thank you for the reply, Some of the ppl who play at the Horseshoes are playing on stage at Sleaford live next weekend. I am going to try and get over to watch. Last night was great, I played 5 songs, the first two (Bert Jansch - On For Jo, and Noel Harrison - Windmills Of Your Mind) went very well only a couple of slight mistakes nobody would have really noticed. I messed the 3rd one up lol, Bert Jansch - Moonshine, but the 4th I absolutely nailed (Gordon Lightfoot - If You Could Read My Mind). I played Moon River at the end, and asked another lady to sing, which was great. It's difficult getting out to busk, as I work full time, so naturally weekends are a bit busy, but I am going to try my best this summer, thank you for the advice. When I listened to you a couple of times at the Drill Hall Cafe on a Saturday, you seemed very confident, and I admired that.
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