Iāve yet to do an open mic. Would a simple campfire song with simple strumming suffice or would the audience expect something more advanced?
Would much appreciate any experiences ppl could share.
Best wishes on your guitar journeys!
Bruno from New Zealand
The audience doesnāt carry how complicated a song is, theyād rather hear a well played campfire song than a poorly played advanced song.
It would really help if you sing as well. Just simple strumming gets boring very quickly.
I have a friend who has made a living for over 50 years playing well played simple songs that people know and love to hear.
Iām trying to sing, working my way up to average!
And just chords, very little individual string picking.
I assume you are talking about actaul in-person Open Mics, Bruno.
Worth keeping in mind is our Community Open Mic and sharing recordings in AVOYP. I, and many others, have found regular recoring to be beneficial. Initially the hitting record induces all kinds of stress and pressure, which one learns to handle over time.
And then playing at a Community OM on Zoom is again another learning situation. For me the Community OM has never been as stressful as the initial in-person OMs were. A big part of that is the audience. I think the Community audience can often be far more understanding and supportive (though where I played OMs the people were equally encouraging which helps)
So keep practicing and working on the singing. I agree with Rick, unless you are playing music more like classical instrumentals or modern percussive acoustic guitar, strumming chord progressions without the melody provided by the singing gets a bit boring for a listener.
Wish you well!
Hi Bruno,
I wouldnāt be concerned about needing to play complicated songs mate. Maybe have a look back through the archive JGOMs and youāll see the best thing is to just play or play and sing whatever you are comfortable with at your level.
If you play something nice and easy (for whatever level you are at) then youāll definately find it easier and a lot more fun.
You can always ramp it at future events.
Good luck mate 
Good advice already - I think Rick nailed it.
I would add that when youāre playing in front of any audience your skill level will drop (sometimes dramatically!) this is normal and everyone experiences it - so itās another reason to keep it simple. If you attempt something thatās on the edge of your ability when playing on your own, the chances of pulling it off āliveā are slim. Keep it simple and well within your abilities. I think on my first live OM I played Knocking on Heavenās Door and Stand by Me - a couple of simple 4 cowboy chord strummers 
It depends on the kind of open mic, but more importantly on your motivation for wanting to play 
If itās a bar full of strangers wanting to be entertained, Iād leave it till you were playing/singing at a decent level. On the other hand, if there are a bunch of friends cheering you on and happy to see you doing what you like in public, that can be great fun. Iām pretty much āthe worstā guitar player at our local open mic, but I tell myself Iām just as enjoyable to listen to 
You mentioned in a different thread that you used to play bass in a couple of bands. That is of course another reason for goingā¦ to try and meet up with like-minded musicians who might want to play with you. Whatever you decide will of course be the right decision 
Good luck!
Iāve been to a few different open mics (as audience, not as a player) and generally speaking, the typical signups are more or less expected to be strumming and singing. The host/house band is a different story. Thatās been a mix. The one I go to most often (and the one my wife prefers performing at), even the host is a strummer/singer (and does so professionally, sometimes solo and sometimes with his band).
There are a few exceptions, but most of the open mics in my area tend to be on āslow nightsā and they bring a different crowd than tends to show up on the busier nights. Often, the whole place is full of participants and friends/family of participants and the vibe is VERY supportive. And the regulars often become friends.
Iām probably a good enough guitar player to do sing/strum songs at an open mic. Except I donāt sing. Iām probably going to play with my wife at first, since she is the singer. It just takes me awhile to learn a new song so itās hard to commit to performing on a specific dateā¦ It doesnāt help that it seems like my wife and I tend to gravitate towards different music for our playing.
Quite a few of the recent Open mics organised by the Justin community are available as you tube links. Actually, I watched the recording go the most recent OM last night.
In the Justin community OMs, some people play and sing, as well, and some people play along to a backing track and then you donāt have to sing.
Best, Ian
I did my first ever in person open mic in New Zealand, at the Rose Cafe in Clive, near Napier / Hastings. My songs would just barely qualify as campfire songs, in that I was quite green and it showed. The audience was kind and applauded my efforts. My guess is it matters on the open mic. Iām actively involved in a music club where we have regular open mics. Everyone, and I mean everyone gets enthusiasm and encouragement from the audience.
Pub open mics can be a bit more brutal. Depends on the pub and on the drunks.
One idea is to go to the open mic first to see what the standard is like. That could discourage you, please donāt let it. Every open mic, especially the first few, is a fantastic learning exercise.
Whatās the main think I learned from my first open mic at the Rose cafe? That the vocal mics are directional and if you turn your head to look at the fretboard while singing, your voice through the mic will fade unless you first position the mic better. (I didnāt)