Thanks for the encouragement. I did an open mic at the Garten bar a few weeks ago playing along side of people that could easily have record deals and earned their respect. It was a huge crowd and they sang along with my songs and applauded my performance. One minor victory. With practice and consistency Iāll keep improving and build that stage confidence.
1 Like
I really love this. Being on stage and all eyes on me is honestly my favorite thing. Iām looking at the comments here like a huge learning opportunity. Iāll be performing at the Justin guitar open mic here in a couple weeks and Iāll be at several local open mics here in town within the next month. Memorizing songs and chords is just a small part of the big picture. Thanks for the kind advice and motivation.
Thanks for the tip. I do need to engage more and not just jump from song to song.
That was great! I seem to remember a few years ago when you were thinking about giving up this whole guitar thing. Really impressive how far youāve come!
The only feedback I would have is: Try to smile. I have a tendency to get āconcentration faceā when I play. If I can get myself to smile, I usually relax a bit and play/sing better. Added bonus: your audience will probably smile back.
1 Like
so you know what you need to work on : Dealing with mistakes and Mishaps on Stage!
and Lieven has great lessons on that theme 
I dont think you were whining in the original post . It helped understand your issue
Jeff youāre doing really well, I much enjoyed the performance you posted here.
Justin gave precious adviceā¦and it is as simple as that! Youāre making it , keep on going, working hard on learning, improving and most of all having fun all the way through. I donāt think I would ever be brave enough to go out there just me and my acoustic guitar; I play in front of a lot of people, itās true, but thatās completely different. You have all my admiration for keep going, trying and aiming to improve! Only one thingā¦smile a bit moreā¦you look so serious! Nevertheless you sounded great! 
Hi Silvia,
Great to hear from you. Never did say congratulations for moving up to become a moderator. It makes perfect sense knowing youāre already a teacher. I appreciate the kind words of encouragement. Iāve had plenty of ups and downs here, but think public performance takes the journey to a new level. Iāll keep on trying new things and enjoy the ride.
Jeff
1 Like
Hi Rob,
Thanks for the words of encouragement. I am glad I gave playing music another chance. The secret was connecting with new friends that are like minded musicians and stepping outside of my comfort zone. Back then I just needed to step back and find my basic rhythm and timing. Now people say thatās my greatest strength. Hopefully one day public performances will be a great strength too.
1 Like
Lieven posted a link to his videos and they have been very helpful so far. Iām in the process of watching the one about mishaps on stage, about halfway through. Really not too worried about what I would have, should have, or could have done in the past. Just trying to takeaway tips for future performances that will avoid the same mistakes.
1 Like
I donāt know if Iām going to do a good job of explaining it, but Iāll give it a shot. Not that Iām anywhere near where you are on performing (Iāve only done a single open mic event with 3 songs), but Iāve been having conversations about this with my wife because itās something sheās working on and Iāve begun noticing that her effort is showing results.
I think a lot of peopleās comments can be distilled to say āshow personality on stageā. Smiling is part of that (but may not necessarily fit with some songs). Dynamic facial expressions, holding your body ālooselyā and relaxed, grooving with your music, etc. Some of the songs my wife has been working on convey more āattitudeā so smiling isnāt necessarily appropriate for those, so sheās been working out how to handle them.
I appreciate the advice my friend and like how you said smiling isnāt always appropriate based on song choice. I pictured Chester Bennington angrily jumping around stage screaming,ā¦ā and Iām about to breakā. No smile but plenty of attitude to get the crowd into it. My next open mic is next Frida at a local bar and grill Iāve never been to. My seasoned friend played there before and suggested it. Iāll have 3 songs to play. Need to think of what emotions will be good to add. Iāll likely be playing ballad type songs because thatās my comfort zone with memorized songs anyways. Wish me luckš
input from a 67yo non-performer, about what I like to see
- Almost the top of the list is that the artist appears to be enjoying themselves
- Engaging with the audience (this is entertainment, not a symphony performance)
[lead by example to get those audience mirror neurons firing!]- Humanity,
- Gracious acknowledgement of previous players
- Why this song?
- Intuiting when to talk, and when to play
- I do prefer smiling performers
- Competent, at least, performance.
Extra pluses for superior ability - Vocals.
Harmony++ - Good novel songs interspersed with old favorites (or vice versa, depending on the vibe)
- New takes on old favorites
- Variation (in style, emotion, dynamics, instruments, ā¦ )
- Well prepared, and flowing with the goofs as they happen (come on stage already tuned)
- Few, if any, technical glitches
- An arc to the performance.
Keep it up, and weāll keep coming out to imbibe deeply of live music!
Cheers,
Bruce
1 Like
Hi there Bruce,
I appreciate the timely tips as I am expecting to perform later tonight at an open mic here in San Diego at a venue Iāve never been to. I was hesitant at first but think Iām going to add an Oasis song because I heard they just made it to the rock and roll hall of fame. Iāll likely do Every Rose has its thorn and one more time by blink. It will take time to be a true performer but with repetition I will get there. Hopefully my voice carries me until I can relax enough to add in my sense of humor and showmanship. Love the suggestions either way. Thank you.
Jeff
To quote Justin
āPractice Makes Permanentā
So you really need to pay attention to your playing. Listen to your recordings with and open mind and be honest with yourself.
Repeating the same mistakes over and over wonāt get better over time, it will just make those mistake part of your playing to the point where you wonāt even realize your making them. But everyone listening to you will.
2 Likes
The repetition I mean is keep showing up to the open mics and give it my all. Iāve been practicing a lot more lately. I appreciate the pep talk.
Hey Jeff,
This is a very delayed response, but hopefully some of my advice can be helpful to you! Iāve only been able to briefly scan the responses you got, so I apologize if Iām repeating anything thatās already been said.
I come from a theater background, so I spent years up on stages before I ever picked up a guitar. In my opinion, a lot of what I learned in theater crosses over to playing music live.
Your audience tends to pick up on your energy/enthusiasm and reflects that back at you. If you are tired/nervous/unsure, your audience will be too. Do your best to give a confident performance even if you feel like a ball of nerves.
Also, if you make a mistake- just keep going. Itās likely your audience wonāt even notice if you keep playing like normal.
Lastly, I know this is going to be cliche, but be yourself. I like to try and be the best, most authentic version of myself during a performance. Donāt try too hard to be funny if that is not something that comes naturally to you. Take what you are good at and amp it up a few degrees for the stage 
3 Likes
Thanks Jenn.
I definitely respect your advice knowing you perform with a band regularly. I didnāt know you did theater. Thatās really cool. My daughters both. Did acting here and in Hollywood when they were younger. Never made it big but I also learned a lot being there. So I did my open mic again last night. It was not perfect because my arthritis got the best of me and by the end of song three I had a death grip on the pick to not lose it and embarrass myself. The positive is an old woman came up to me and said you had the most interesting and amazing set of anyone here and please come back. Also the group of younger crowd were all talking in the back during first few performances and immediately stopped to listen once I started playing. Worth more than the dollar in a tip jar. Thanks for the advice.?
3 Likes
Sorry Jeff I canāt open your TikTok video. Whenever I try, I get a load of often unsavoury/obscure videos. Couldnāt you just post your stuff on YouTube?
Hi Gordon,
Thank you for stopping by to listen so often. I surely can post to you tube instead. Tik tok is just my attempt to stay youthful with the timesš. Hope all is well with you .