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Guitar chord forum - chordie → Acoustic → was your first time ok?
Hi guys, a few days ago I posted about my first time playing guitar in front of people.
I thought it would be interesting if some of you shared your first time as well.
If this has already been done before, sorry, ignore this.
Jamie R
Good grief, yes I DO remember...
I remember as a green beginner being persuaded along with a couple of other chaps to play a few bits and pieces at a BBQ, one of the players decides to take over the whole thing and, in his own words, jam! He wasn't even very good.
I was a beginner, I didn't do jamming. It sounded poo, it was poo and it definitely went down as a disaster. Never again.
I have to admit I didn't take up the guitar to play for other people, it's purely for me. So when people ask me to play, I smile then tell them that I'd rather hack off my own feet and throw them on a bonfire.
Cheers
I was a trumpet player in a jazz rock band. We had one song with no horn lines. I heard a second guitar line in my head that I believed could go well with the arrangement. My guitar playing was just barely adequate to do a decent job on my new line. I practiced until I had it down cold. The next band rehearsal, I brought my guitar.
My band mates complained loudly that I was trying to showboat by doubling. They did like my guitar line in that one song but next gig they hid my guitar to teach me a lesson. They told me to shut up and blow the trumpet.
I play in
church- which is where I started. I mainly play for myself too, but I feel like its something I can give. Anyhoo, the first time they talked me into playing I could barely even strum anything. I jad a sheet with higlighted chords over the words, and I would just hit the one chord on the one beat everytime we got to it lol.... It was a good experience really, even though I was embarassed. People were nice and tried to encourage me, and I got better. I've never been able tp decide if its harder to play for atrangers are people you know.
Go figure, I could strum along all day long for strangers or family... it's the singing that I get nervous about, and I've been doing that my whole life including voice lessons as well as in front of judges.
I guess the first time for REAL (not just in the bedroom in front of the hubby or in front of a video camera or recorder) was at a local bar, open mic. I made my Dad come along and he played and encouraged me. It actually went pretty well, although Dad's a pretty tough act to follow as I believe he's a born performer and had been strumming and singing in front of people for a LONG time!
As the guys at the July Jam can attest, I STILL get nervous and have a hard time opening up my voice for a couple songs in front of people. I have no good excuse or reason for it, but it's there.
my first time was in high school,it was scary! but there were others playing with me and I did not have too sing.( I spared thier ears ).Amy you have got a great voice,I would not say it unless I belived it.
Dreading my first time but there was a time I was nervous just walking into a guitar shop. Now I will play quietly as long as the crowd is not too big. Heck, on two occasions, someone actually recognized the song from the lick or bit I was playing. That made me feel good.
I've played at my youth group. It was quite fun actually. We started handing the guitar around, and everybody had a go.
My first time playing guitar with a group was when I was camping. There were these great campfire sessions every night that I did not participate in. However, I did have my guitar along to practice and so I was sitting outside my tent practicing and getting a lesson from a friend who was camping with me when a couple of the other campfire pickers showed up with their guitars (Dirty Ed among them) and started playing. And so it was not my intention to be in the campfire circle that night, but there was a "matinee" campfire circle that formed around me. When it broke up, Dirty Ed said, "Remember your guitar tonight Big D." (Big D is one of my nicknames) And so I went and I played "My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys" and I messed it up six ways until Sunday, but Dirty Ed kicked in an sang along and took the pressure off of remembering the lyrics, which freed me up to remember the chords and it all worked out. Later I did "Country Roads" by John Denver and one of the fellow's wives who was a tall and beautiful blonde woman started singing along and she had a beautiful voice. After she started in, then my friend Al Pugh did too and the two of them sang so beautifully that I almost forgot that I was the one "leading" the tune. It made me feel really good that other people would recognize what I was playing and felt comfortable to join in. For me, that's what campfire music is all about - anybody and everybody who knows the song kicking in and having a good time. It's one of the reasons I enjoy jamming with Detman101 so much. Even if he's never heard the song before, he'll pick up on it and play some bluesy licks and fills that really makes the song that much better and more fun.
- Zurf
First time I played in public, with the exception of family and friends that is, was at a folk club... I was terrible, but most people were well into their drink and didn't seem to notice! 
We have already established in other posts that drinking makes us better players, to a point. Whether we are drinking or the audience is.
I remember being very nervous but I want to do it for personal progression. I played the song too fast and stopped at one stage, then on a second attempt through nerves I forgot the words to the song which I know backwards and on top of that I gave myself a friction burn on my strumm fingers when I hit the strings. Would I do it again... absolutely.
Since then I have had several opportunities to step up but have declined and afterward I have been disappointed in myself. I know I can play, I'm not so confident about my voice but my friends have said I sing fine but I am getting in my own way.
My advice is to go for it, you only live once and we all make errors but thats how we learn [I'm going to read this and follow my own advice next time the opportunity arises]... Best of luck all.
First time I played in public, with the exception of family and friends that is, was at a folk club... I was terrible, but most people were well into their drink and didn't seem to notice!
"The more you drink, the better I sound." :-)
- Zurf
I used to have HORRIBLE nerves...nausea, vomiting, the whole nine yards. Not so much when I was just playing guitar in jazz band or whatever, more when I was singing lead and playing.
Repetition got me more comfortable with it (as did a pre show shot of Jameson's). I still get nerves but they are good now - excitement rather than anxiety.
Well, my first public performance was forced upon me last week and no booze allowed! My 5-year-old dobbed me in to entertain at her kindergarten!!! So, using country strums I made up a song about a toothy, hairy, scary troll with lots of animation and audience participation and everyone was happy
Wooohooooo!!! Cool story MeganJane. That sounds like a blast.
- Zurf
I went from playing for/ with groups of friends to playing for tips on the street and finally playing in bars. And for me, when I started playing in bars for a pre-negotiated sum of cash is when I started to get nervous. Numerous years later, I've learned that almost no one cares who is on the stage or whether anyone is on the stage at all. Its more fun now. People that like you will tip you. Or they won't. Every time is different and very much the same. Its funny, but you can say almost any crazy thing into a microphone between songs and everyone will cheer or no one will notice. Or no one will care.. It's all very odd and I'm the one that ends up being entertained..
Well, my first public performance was forced upon me last week and no booze allowed! My 5-year-old dobbed me in to entertain at her kindergarten!!! So, using country strums I made up a song about a toothy, hairy, scary troll with lots of animation and audience participation and everyone was happy
It sounds like fun so I would love to hear a recording of this, or at the very least, see the lyrics and chords in the Songwriting section. 
Roger
I remember it very well. A good friend of mine was getting married and he asked me to be the entertainment at the reception. Although every one there was a friend of mine I was scared speechless. I had only been playing a few months and only really knew about two or three songs, although I had probably around a hundred copied into a notebook. This was about thirty years ago, long before you could print from a computer on the internet. I stumbled through a couple songs and then started drinking. As the beer went down,I loosened up and made it through the reception and amazingly everyone seemed to enjoy it. Thank God for drunken audiences and people that wouldn't have known a good player from a bad one. Since then I've played in front of many people and many different venues but always will remember my first time
My first time was playing chords as backup for my daughters first recital. My first time singing was playing a tune I wrote for my teacher. I am always nervous doing things in front of people. So I just focused on what I was doing and not letting minor flubs knock me off the pace.
my first public "outing" was in a local working mens club. i played with a drummer and organist. the organist went hell for leather at the free beer, and at the start of each song i'd never played before i'd ask what key were we in? a reasonable request if we expected to start in the same key? by the 5th or 6th pint of buckleys best bitter ale, i'd get answers like "monkey, doorkey, ohkey-dohkey!" i learned to pick out the key by the bass pedals he was playing. and i learned many a standard song! it was a steep learning curve, and i got to play backing to many artistes, and how to please an audience...sort of!
ah the good old days....
phill
Kind of a long story, but many years ago, I played bass in a Rock n Roll band (mid-60's) I was about 15 years old, fresh from the backwoods of northern Ontario, and playing my first paid gig. Just before our first break, I did my first solo singing, a song called "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying", a real torcher.
We did it acoustictly, no amps, just a guitar, acoustic bass and tamla/bongos. A nice arrangement. The audience consisted of nursing school graduates, celebrating their completion of training, about 150 nurses.
So, there I was, under a blue spot, emoting like mad with the song. When it ended, we bowed and got some great applause, but mixed with the applause, there were little plastic thingies pelting the stage. I looked back to see our drummer on his hands and knees, scooping up the plastic and filling his shirt pockets.
I turned to the lead guiarist, and asked why they were pelting the stage. I was told that I would find out during the break. The little plastic thingies were room keys, and I didn't get it at all. When it was explained to me, I was mortified; after the break we were to perform "Yesterday", same set up. I was unable to make eye contact with the audience, and was really embarrassed at the "attention". I was truly a babe in the woods.
Two years and about 1000 gigs later, I had lost my "shyness".
I can still remember my flushed cheeks that night, though.
Thanks Roger and Zurf - I would be happy to put song on Chordie except it was totally make it up as you go along, with the kids suggesting words! I have promised to return for a CHristmas special, so I'll try and do things more properly then and post
My firt time, other than in front of family members, was at a pig picking (or barbeque for those of you not from the south). This set up was always good because there were several other players and singers there to take the heat off, and of course there was drinking. The first time in front of an audience that actually expected me to be good was scary! It was a benifit concert and I forgot songs I've known for years. I beat myself up pretty good for that one! open mics are always a blast too!
I went to a Halloween party that my sister hosted and sat around a campfire with a guy that I thought was pretty good; not a great singer but a very reasonable guitar player. When he decided to take a bathroom break, he handed me his Washburn guitar and said, "Here, play something you know." I managed to do my rendition of Bobby Bare's Detroit City and was really suprised at the reaction of those sitting around. I politely thanked everyone and handed the guy back his guitar, but it made me feel like I could do it. I went to an open mic a couple friends of mine ran and did a three song turn and while being extremely nervous, the crowd was very supportive and so I thought I could continue doing this. Multiple trips back later and a couple of campfire rounds and I am still with it; even to the point that I purchased my own amp and mic's and have started to do a set for a local nursing home. Those folks are very appreciative that somebody comes and takes the time to "entertain" them. I still see myself as a very raw newbie; one who is just enjoying what I am doing, but yet it seems I am not horrible because I get reasonable feedback. I was so worried about messing up until a friend of mine (Dirty Ed) said to me one night; "That is the reason I do my own songs, because if I mess up nobody knows it." Dirty Ed was being very modest as he is an accomplished musician and a great songwriter! However, since then I have actually written a few songs and have received pretty good responses to them when I played and sang them in public. I guess you could say I have been "hooked." I am really enjoying it as long as others tolerate my efforts I will continue. If not, I will resort to continuing to play for myself as was my original intent.
Guitar chord forum - chordie → Acoustic → was your first time ok?
