Do You Play In Public, But Not Performing?

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seenoevil II
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Do You Play In Public, But Not Performing?

Post by seenoevil II » Sun Mar 13, 2022 9:27 pm

I don't mean shows or busking or anything like that. I mean sitting in a park, or your stoop, or some other public place with an acoustic and playing.

Around where I live, I couldn't fathom doing such a thing. Driving to some suburban park and busting out an acoustic feels like the very definition of douche-bagery. I feel I would encore the righteous glares of indignation from the tactful and just of the community as well as the fascinated interest of the dim-witted and obnoxious.

However, I've spent a tiny bit of time in Seattle and I can imagine bringing an acoustic out to Gas Works Park, finding an isolated patch of one of the hills facing Lake Union and quietly strumming and singing without garnering too much interest or hatred. In a city that large and anonymous and a setting that vast yet lively, I feel I could get away with such a brazen act.

But why do I even bring this up?

I'm at this weird spot with my new album where I desperately need to "workshop" or "wear in" my lyrics. Shows are too precious to waste on stream of consciousness improvising of lyrics (believe me, I've done it lots). Open mics just suck. I say that as somebody who's hosted and attended years and years of them. Sitting at home is fine, but home isn't always the best environment for work. I have a million times more luck focusing on a given task if I do it away from home. Writing lyrics especially is something I can do at a bar or cafe or park bench, but hardly at all at my desk or kitchen table.

I need a third space, but one that can accommodate some quiet musicality. If I lived in the country-country, I could go sing to some cows... but I don't.

Anyway. Do any of you play/sing out in the world? Does it feel as fundamentally immoral to you as it does to me? If you saw somebody else doing this, would you automatically hate them? Just curious.
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Re: Do You Play In Public, But Not Performing?

Post by marqueemoon » Sun Mar 13, 2022 10:31 pm

I’ve done this before. It’s not that weird.

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Re: Do You Play In Public, But Not Performing?

Post by seenoevil II » Sun Mar 13, 2022 10:47 pm

Oh and by the way. If this is something you do on the regular, please don't take my characterizations of it too seriously or personally. I have deeply ingrained issues with shame.
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Re: Do You Play In Public, But Not Performing?

Post by eggwheat » Mon Mar 14, 2022 4:00 am

Ive done it on the beach on my own or by the lake..again on my own..I was just interested in the acoustics to be honest. Especially by the beach when the sea is flat like a mirror and quiet...get some really unique acoustics. I'd like to record it someday.

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Re: Do You Play In Public, But Not Performing?

Post by UlricvonCatalyst » Mon Mar 14, 2022 5:05 am

If you're talking about working on song lyrics, I've often done this on the hoof (or on my bike or in my car) without the need for an accompaniment. The melody gets to develop that way too, perhaps changing subtly from your original idea, possibly in a way it wouldn't with a fixed rhytmic and musical element keeping it fenced in. I've spent the best part of whole days developing a song to the point where it's so fixed in your head you're unlikely to forget it, then written down the lyric once it's been satisfactorily fleshed out.

If home is too distracting, try workshopping your germ of an idea while going out for groceries or taking a long walk off (or on) the beaten track. Works for me, anyway.

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Re: Do You Play In Public, But Not Performing?

Post by PorkyPrimeCut » Mon Mar 14, 2022 5:07 am

I have no problems with this, although I'd be acutely aware of annoying anyone near me.

There's a park nearby that always has one or two people sat strumming away, alone or in a group just chilling out. It's a nice thing to cycle past & I've even sat nearby a few times when the playing's been good.

I'm actually on the lookout for a cheap "campfire" guitar, in case I feel like doing the same thing.
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Re: Do You Play In Public, But Not Performing?

Post by rumfoord » Mon Mar 14, 2022 5:19 am

I've done this before, but I totally get what you're feeling. It can be very hard to find a spot at the right level of anonymous.

It seems like there's got to be a spot you could find. If it helps, to me, no matter how bad the playing, it wouldn't seem obnoxious at all if someone was in a corner of the park was obvious they're just playing to themselves and not looking for attention. If they're looking for attention, even then it doesn't seem all that bad—but maybe stepping towards the direction you're talking about.

As far as options...sounds like you need a place to be a least a little loud. Maybe rent a practice space by the hour? If nothing else, you could find a secluded parking lot and work in the back seat.

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Re: Do You Play In Public, But Not Performing?

Post by marqueemoon » Mon Mar 14, 2022 6:21 am

UlricvonCatalyst wrote:
Mon Mar 14, 2022 5:05 am
If home is too distracting, try workshopping your germ of an idea while going out for groceries or taking a long walk off (or on) the beaten track. Works for me, anyway.
I’ve written lyrics for a few songs while walking the dog. For some reason that helps suppress the self-critical part of my brain a bit.

I tend to work on music and lyrics in parallel, so there’s usually an awkward point of putting it all together. Often the words need to be adjusted to fit a melody, or adjustments need to be made to the overall structure. Maybe it needs an intro or a bridge or whatever.

That’s where a change of venue can be helpful for me.

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Re: Do You Play In Public, But Not Performing?

Post by UlricvonCatalyst » Mon Mar 14, 2022 6:40 am

To return to the OP I've played sitting on a few top steps on sunny days and in parks too, and never thought of it as an obnoxious thing to do. And apparently Kirsty Wark dug my picking. :derp:

One time the choir I accompanied practiced out in the park and, while some passers-by stopped and listened for a bit, it didn't feel too obtrusive or attention-seeking, just a nice place to have a rehearsal rather than being cooped up in a room when it was pleasant outside.

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Re: Do You Play In Public, But Not Performing?

Post by Caddy65 » Mon Mar 14, 2022 7:23 am

We have a wrought iron bench in front of the house and I often, in good weather of course, sit out there any play one of my acoustics. People walking, jogging or walking their dogs will often stop and listen for a few minutes. I’ve met some nice people doing that.

The park along the lake is just a couple blocks away. That is where the town has a bandshell for summer concerts and where the farmer’s market is held one evening a week during the summer. I have walked over there with an acoustic a few times during the daytime, sat on a bench or picnic table and played, but not often.

I would never do either with an electric even with a small battery operated amp, even at very low volume. Just wouldn’t seem to be in good taste somehow. Besides an acoustic makes for a much better solo instrument.

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Re: Do You Play In Public, But Not Performing?

Post by seenoevil II » Mon Mar 14, 2022 8:34 am

Caddy65 wrote:
Mon Mar 14, 2022 7:23 am
We have a wrought iron bench in front of the house and I often, in good weather of course, sit out there any play one of my acoustics. People walking, jogging or walking their dogs will often stop and listen for a few minutes. I’ve met some nice people doing that.

The park along the lake is just a couple blocks away. That is where the town has a bandshell for summer concerts and where the farmer’s market is held one evening a week during the summer. I have walked over there with an acoustic a few times during the daytime, sat on a bench or picnic table and played, but not often.

I would never do either with an electric even with a small battery operated amp, even at very low volume. Just wouldn’t seem to be in good taste somehow. Besides an acoustic makes for a much better solo instrument.
What a lovely sounding town. My "town" has some of these kinds of spots, but they're spread over distances as it's the frontier where the northeast metro sputters into trees and farms.
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Re: Do You Play In Public, But Not Performing?

Post by seenoevil II » Mon Mar 14, 2022 8:39 am

UlricvonCatalyst wrote:
Mon Mar 14, 2022 5:05 am
If you're talking about working on song lyrics, I've often done this on the hoof (or on my bike or in my car) without the need for an accompaniment. The melody gets to develop that way too, perhaps changing subtly from your original idea, possibly in a way it wouldn't with a fixed rhytmic and musical element keeping it fenced in. I've spent the best part of whole days developing a song to the point where it's so fixed in your head you're unlikely to forget it, then written down the lyric once it's been satisfactorily fleshed out.

If home is too distracting, try workshopping your germ of an idea while going out for groceries or taking a long walk off (or on) the beaten track. Works for me, anyway.
I've written and composed entire tunes on a jaunt. It's a fun thing.

For my situation, I kinda need the accompaniment at this stage. I've got a notebook of lyrics and options, but I need to see if they true fit and are what the song "wants." Often I'll have a written line that I'll even count the feet and meter of (degree finally coming in handy), but once it's in the song, it's just awkward.
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Re: Do You Play In Public, But Not Performing?

Post by s_mcsleazy » Mon Mar 14, 2022 8:48 am

kinda. as someone with really bad anxiety, it can often help to carry my guitar as a "grounding" device. so sometimes i'll be feeling anxious and decide "i'm feeling anxious, this cafe is quiet, if i ask the staff if i can play my electric guitar unplugged in the corner of the room because i'm feeling anxious and they say yes, i'll order a cup of coffee and do that" i've actually considered getting a vox amplug or something to better hear myself but might not be a good idea. honestly, just noodling can be enough. there's a lot of photos of me hanging out with friends where i've got a guitar as a grounding device and even a few where i'm playing it while chatting because social situations make me anxious and it levels me out.

edit. i found a photo of me hanging out with my friends and one of then snapped a photo of me playing guitar to ground myself
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Re: Do You Play In Public, But Not Performing?

Post by mcbrandt » Mon Mar 14, 2022 10:41 am

I'll play my acoustic in the front or backyard when given the opportunity, but I highly doubt my neighbors can hear it since it's just finger strumming on a nylon string. So, I don't know if that really counts, but I do love sitting in the shade and playing somewhat aimlessly.

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Re: Do You Play In Public, But Not Performing?

Post by UlricvonCatalyst » Tue Mar 15, 2022 1:47 am

s_mcsleazy wrote:
Mon Mar 14, 2022 8:48 am
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Nice B&B neck, Sean. Where did that come from?

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