i appreciate the help. learning to be a front man at the age of 56. people that make it look it easy are usually standing on years of practice and training.
I wonder how many of the commenters can actually play music. Music is a constant evolution. If someone gets up to play, appreciate it or leave. You don’t have to stay and or complain online about something you know nothing about. Much respect to everyone who plays live, it’s not easy and it’s not for everyone.
@ElenalampI agree. I’m not interested in what other musicians think audiences will like or dislike. I need to know how I can make my performance more enjoyable for the audience.
I've been singing and playing in front of audience's for over 30 year's. I'm glad to know that over the year's I actually do all of this naturally now.
In my youth I was a pro cellist. In classical performance none of this was needed or expected. It was just about how you played. So now I have some important skills I need to develop on top of my technical work. Thank you.
Damn! That beard needs it's own channel! That's got to be the best looking beard on the internet. It just expands and contracts perfectly. You should definitely do a video on beard grooming. Is your beard seeing anyone?... Asking for a friend,
I was in a blues band for over 20 years here in SoCal that gigged most weekends. Our singer/harpist did many of the things you outlined here. He was very pro about that stuff. One thing that he never felt was important, and I disagreed with him on, was introducing the band members at the outset. That might happen but not until later in the evening. Also it was hard to move around on many stages as there was virtually no room whatsoever to move... plus the trad blues we did wasn't heavy on an up-tempo beat. I miss those days but at 72, life moves on. Great memories, for sure. 🙂🙃🙂
@@pathogeneration5138 If you’re Metallica, not introducing yourself might work. If your band is local and most people don’t know who you are, then at some point you will have to do it. First, impress them, then, introduce yourselves. I’d also add: have a cool simple recognizable Logo.
People talk way too much on stage imo. The audience is there to HEAR the MUSIC UNLESS it a MUSIC CLINIC or LECTURE and EVEN THEN , talking should be at a minimum.
*We used to stop at the thrift bakery and pick up imperfect cakes (lopsided). We also had plastic cutlery, napkins, & a sparkler for the cake. We celebrated anybody’s birthday and they loved it! The birthday boy/girl was also invited up on stage to shake the tambourine while we sang (The Beatles) Birthday! All the above only cost just a few dollars; a pittance, compared to what we were making (plus it often generated tips). It was fun for us and fun for them… That’s what it’s all about! ✌🏻😎🎹🌴🌞
I'm Taking it!!!!! I'm Big into Birthdays. I just posted an original bday short on another channel. I founded a Ukulele group that now has over 50 members and is getting gigs like crazy. I require everyone to memorize Happy Birthday in the key of C. Birthdays Matter!!!!! 🎂 ✌️❤️ ~ 🌺
When you’re talking to the audience, please, just be yourself! Imagine you’re jamming for a group of your friends. They’ll appreciate being allowed into your world.
9 дней назад
my motto is "we go on stage as a group of 4 but we become more than 4"... connection is the keyword, thanks for nice tips
This video is a great idea… I’ve only been a professional musician for about 35 years but I’ve seen a number of the things on this list of times. I do need to take Bridge with two of them though. Firstly, it’s not enough to just say move around.every performer should be aware of the performance space and use as much of it as is possible. If you’re on an actual stage use every inch of it… Unless you’re the drummer in which case nobody really cares Secondly, you do not need to introduce yourself before you play every time. You should introduce yourself early, but it doesn’t need to be before you play. I personally suffer from stage fright. The best thing for me to do is play a song that I can almost not ever mess up first… Then during the introduction to the next song introduce myself to the audience. talking to the audience before I even play sometimes just amp up stage fright. I found the other people suffer from the same problem. But what is more important, especially if you’re a new band or you’re playing an area that might not know you, is to introduce yourself more than just once. Remind the audience, maybe halfway through your set and again at the end who you are, where they can find you, how they can follow and support you.
I used to play in a band with a guitarist who lived in a bubble. In rehearsals he'd get lost in his own world and a solo would go on and on. I remember once our 3 minute song was still going on 20 minutes as he was soloing with his eyes closed. The guitarist and I (on bass) just kept looking at each other to see how long the song was going to last. He was like this on stage too. He was oblivious to anyone in the room. The problem was, while he would solo for 20 minutes in rehearsals, he would miss solos live cause he was lost in thought. So, essentially: be in the moment!
Absolutely agree! It’s tough to watch a performer miss that connection. I remember attending a show where the band just dove into their first song without any introduction, and it totally killed the vibe. Many performers struggle with banter, fearing silence will be awkward, but it’s often the small interactions that create the biggest laughs. Keep putting yourself out there-your humor and connection will shine through! After joining the Sense of Humor Improvement Program by Habit10x, I realized that engaging with the audience is like telling a good joke-timing and delivery matter.
1. Introduce your band - sets expectations, tunes in 2. Talk to audience. Talking points built in. Transition 3. Banter. Connect to personality and music 4. Move around. Visual aspect. 5. Ask questions - encourages response (audience participation) 6. Set list - see next video!
Wrong, mic spewage, excessive mouth running between tunes, ALWAYS had me walking out, even if I like the music. Along with many others I knew, but this was at the height of live bands and local gigs, now? who cares, its all contrived.
@@ekraszewski My opinion? Any mic spewage. Again tho, if your objective is to jack up the crowd, or liven them up with your music, then what is the best, Zero spewage. The only subjective part, is the TYPE of music you have created, if it isn't doing squat to jack the crowd, then spew on, its probably needed to fill the gaps between the weak songs. If the music style is Hard and Fast, like ours was, most everyone we saw like us was stopping for mic spewage, and dropping crowd, club, energy. Separate yourself, play through the pain barrier and it will vanish, be the ones jacking em up and keeping em jacked the whole set.
As a solo singer guitarist I appreciate and understand everything you said in this video. Unfortunately I knew most of the tips but don't really know how to do it! I don't have the gift of gab. I feel like I need improv training or something. I rarely know what to say. People usually appreciate my music but I know I could be a better overall entertainer and engage the audience better. Especially in public venues. Private parties are much easier.
Nice job, good info for those that are new, or certain groups/artists that need some good info for putting on a great show. Depending on the performer(s), I think the show is very important. No one wants to go out to see drunk uncle Pete play his beat up actitud guitar on the edge of his couch in his underwear. Engage with the audience and put on an entertaining performance! Thanks Terence!
I find most singers are too busy staring at the lyrics on their iPad to bother paying attention to the audience. I'm so old, I remember when we used to learn the songs.
It depends a lot when you are performing a set or when you are performing in a hotel or Cruise ship with 200 songs + requests. That requires you to sacrifice a bit of presence. But whenever I do a smaller set or a set of my songs I always wanna learn songs without having to look at the lyrics of course
@@robrobertson2661 so did you learn 200+ songs? Have you ever worked professionally for months playing and singing every single day without replaying the same songs?
I'm a subway busker. I begun sitting down, at 55 I can't stand the entire 2 to 3 hours you need to play. You can't "Engage" with people who are walking by and are about to hop on a train. I do try to bop back and forth on my chair. I also look around and try to make eye contact with folks.
That describes me.I busk at Sydney ,Australia,Central tunnel subway. Hi. I’m 68 .😮My chair is milk crate. Sometimes I stand ,mostly I sit but it’s much more powerful when you sit and stand up in the middle of a song at a dramatic point of the song.
Long time busker here. I can't stand sitting. I move while playing. I mostly play in parks where I can stand barefoot in the grass. I typically play and sing 4 hours without breaks. On Canada day I played 7.5 hours. I sometimes wonder if a seated busker makes more money. I'm 57, 6 feet tall. Perhaps while sitting a grown man is not intimidating to the insecure types.? Busking is all about psychology. I constantly read the people as they pass by. Proximity is key. The closer you are, the more tips you get. Always smile and say thanks. Engage the kids, and anyone who meets your gaze. Make people feel welcome. When the kids start dancing the parents get happy and you get tips.
I once was in a jazz forum by this guitarist. Online educational thing. I'd seen some videos he did and joined the forum. It was fine until I started seeing things that were off. He was teaching that a TRUE musician plays NOT looking at their instrument, looking straight on, and NOT MOVING. Literally NOT MOVING. It was uncouth for a musician to move around on stage, he said. Tapping your foot is fine, everything else showed that you didn't care. (I'm sure Louis Armstrong agreed ... NOT!). I caught on to this when a guitarist posted a video of him playing, and was all apologetic. He said he was uncomfortable in his pose, thus moved, and thus lost his confidence and in the video stopped and had to start over again. Outside of this he sat playing with nothing moving but his hands, a blank look staring forward. .... I commented that I felt so sorry for him, as there's no musician in the world who doesn't move, that was b.s. Musicians get into the music and audiences want to see someone enjoying the music.
I do understand your view point and I think you’re definitely helping people with your advice . But I would also say it’s very genre specific. I do like when a band talks to the crowd and they connect with the crowd . However I am also aware of how classical and jazz musicians perform . Usually they introduce themselves and then they perform until they have completed their set . The point is for the audience to enjoy the music and focus solely on that . In my experience I’ve been to see quite a few Progressive metal bands and while some of them do interact with the crowd , there are also bands who are focusing so much that they are not able to dance, make banter or connect by chatting to the crowd but that doesn’t make them awful bands . Anyway, I did want to say that I watched some other videos you made and they were really helpful ! Apologies if I come across as rude . :)
Great video! I was recently in a 3 piece instrumental band. We would go on stage, say literally nothing, play the set, and leave. If youre going to do that you need to be very slick with it! Instead, we had a guitarist who would frequently take two minutes or more to get ready for the next track. No matter how much I tried to get him to understand, he insisted that it didnt matter. But two minutes of complete silence in a set is awful. It became clear he just thought i was obsessing with nothing, but in my opinion he just didnt understand how to put on a performance. You can't have two minutes or more of dead air. This was only the tip of the iceberg, so when I realised I wasn't being listened to, I left. Im still sad because the guitarist was an old friend, but he didn't understand basic things and he also chose not to listen to me when he knows I'm an experienced musician.
These are good points, to which I would add: 1) learn your parts, whether it's guitar chords or lyrics, so you don't have to read them during the performance. It's ok to sneak a peek at your notes now and then, but a singer who's reading the lyrics from their phone just comes across as lazy, and is definitely not entertaining; 2) the most entertaining and engaging singers are those who convey the story in a song, rather than just reciting the words. To do this, they are like method actors, "becoming" the person telling the story, and making it believable.
Your thoughts about the singer being engaging are certainly noteworthy. Point 1 IMHO is strictly geared toward amateurs. If you've been gigging for any length of time and haven't committed your tunes to memory then get the f**k out... You have no business being on a stage. GHEESH!! 🙄🙄
Both the bands I play in follow all five of these rules. We have the audience engaged the whole night. We love making it an interactive environment. We don’t get up to play songs, we get up to put oh a show. 😃🙏🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻
Your videos are always extremely helpful for me. Lots of encouragement, correction. Yeah that too… But I love the way you come across and it never feels heavy .
I like #5 as long as they dont ask "How's everybody doing tonite?" What real answer could the crowd give back. Definitely like your choices which lead into songs.
Great video, man. Let me say nonetheless that in my long experience as music entertanier, point 1 always worked for me the other way around. I tend to open almost any gig with no presentation, vut choosing wisely the first song, that acts as a call for attention and a presentation in itself, a song that's recognizable, and represents the entire show
Very good advice for sure. I would love to be able to connect with the audience as easily as you seem to be able to. I wonder why the old big bands could get away with sitting behind their music and the dance floors were packed? Was it because the music was just so damned good?
Memorize your repertoire, so there can be more focus on performance. I don't talk to my audience so I stand to learn, but at least I'm always moving on stage and connecting to the band. So, flexibility, with playing on autopilot somewhat
"Memorize your repertoire" is a phrase I'd like to see a lot more frequently. I'm gradually creeping up on 200 titles memorized (melodies and lyrics), with several hundred more on my to-learn list. This process is absolutely critical for me because I perform solo.
I sometimes have issues with asking the audience questions. To me there’s nothing more awkward than a frontman saying “How’s everybody doing tonight!” only to be met with crickets.
To sum audiences out, in a visual perspective, people in general hear with their eyes. Moat will understand this concept, and some may scratch their heads about it, but if you have been playing music long enough to audiences in general, you will get what I mean!
Once I was playing and somehow the power supply to my pedalboard got loose. I fixed it in seconds, and as I was restarting everything, I said "Anybody want to buy a used pedalboard?"
You're right on it Brother. Everything you're saying is proper! I'm a successful musician and learned this from watching the "Old Pros. Thanks for sharing.
Legit question. When you go to a stadium show, they just start playing and talk after the first song. Same with a lot of festivals. Is this advice for specific contexts or just in general?
I attended a world famous guitarist/singer’s world tour concert in my city, and he played the whole set and never said a word to the audience between songs. All we got was a ‘Thankyou and good night’ at the conclusion. He probably didn’t even know or care which city or country he was in! Sorry Eric but that was really flat!🥴
That’s an excellent point ! I could say the same thing for plenty of bands in different genres too. Shoegaze , Prog rock and prog metal are genres where the bands are usually more focused on performing properly than worry that the crowd is bored. I have been to see bands who didn’t talk a lot but they put on a wonderful performance. I think we all enjoy different music and different performers :)
I agree with your point about banter with the audience. And movement is very good when you're feeling what you're performing. But I disagree that a musician or a singer who stands still is not entertaining, or cannot hold an audience. I also disagree with your first two points. A band being introduced by someone else before beginning their show is one thing. But a band that introduces itself before beginning the show is like throwing a wet blanket on audience anticipation. Plus, it's like tooting your own horn. Knock their socks off with a hot opening number followed back to back with two more songs before stopping to speak to the audience. Then, remind the audience of your band name periodically at peak moments of the show. The audience paid to hear live music, not talking. I'd much rather hear an artist whose lyrics and performance alone move and entertain me than a performer who has to employ choreographed dancing to hold an audience when their music doesn't. And I MOST DEFINITELY don't want to hear a band talk between every song. I came to see a band, not a speech. And if you don't like how Van Morrison performs Brown Eyed Girl, don't go to the show. Belittling musicians who write and perform songs not written for dancing, but for listening, because you don't dig it, is pretty small.
Pro tip : Don’t play music you don’t believe in. If you have to have the tabs and lyrics on stage, you probably shouldn’t be covering the song. Or maybe you need to rehearse it more before performing it. If you truly believe in the message, you’ll know the song by heart. I’ve been performing over 20 yrs and I’ve never used a music stand or brought any paper/ipod/laptop to the stage other than the set list. It’s bad form and I personally don’t like watching artists learn songs when I’m out seeing live music. If you get a request for something crazy and you want to give it a stab, maybe. But performing tunes and learning tunes, there’s a place for each. There’s my 2 cents on the subject. Rock on..
If the one Eric Johnson gig I saw is representative of him as a live performer he's guilty of this. He's a wonderfully talented guitarist whose stage presence was that of someone playing alone in his room. He tuned out the audience. Eric's tone and technique are great. His stage presence was poor. Maybe he's shy, but so was Prince basically-and he had a phenomenal stage presence as well as great musical talent. I think there are exceptions to the stage presence requirement. Maybe people playing behind artists such as Marc Anthony, Beyoncé, Dolly Parton, Megan Thee Stallion, and others don't need so much stage presence. After all, Little Richards fired Jimi Hendrix from his backing group for his onstage theatrics that upstaged him.
This is the unfortunate reality, unless you want to be a background musician (the slot that I like, less responsibility to entertain an audience.) I think that there are some entertainers who don't do the movement, introduction, banter, etc. Bob Dylan comes to mind. Some of the 60's rock bands didn't do much of that either. I could see Dylan leading the audience in a question: Hey, how are yeeeeeew !!
Pro tip. Do not talk to your audience unless you really know what you are doing, and you are at a gig where it is expected of you. Unless you are already well-known to your audience, they could care less what you say. In many places they'll start yelling at you to "just play". Most musicians at the beginning level do not have any idea of what works in talking to an audience. Do not ask your audience questions unless you have a lot of experience dealing with what those questions might be. If you're playing in a bar, the alcohol may produce some questions that you don't want, and make a star out of an audience member while you stand there looking like an idiot. Let your music speak for you. After a few hundred hours in front of an audience you may learn how to talk to them. You are a musician, or a group of musicians. People exspect you to play music. Do so. Leave the talking to those who've spent a lifetime learning how that's done.
@@TheChangingStoic You've been lucky. However, my point remains. Talking to an audience is a learned skill. Most musicians learn how to play their instruments, something you can do at home. Learning how to talk to an audience is not something you an learn at home. What I would suggest for musicians is to present the best music they can, say thank you if the audience applauds, and leave it at that. If you want to learn how to talk to an audience, go to open mic comedy nights. The first thing you will learn is how difficult it is to capture an audience by talking. Like I said, it's a learned skill, and like playing an instruement some are better at it than others. Watch people who are really good at it, and learn from them the same way you would learn by listening to musicians you like. Telling a musicsian to go on stage and talk to the audience is like telling a comedian to go on stage and start playing a saxophone.
I find it's best to keep the attention on the music and the other players. Hot-dogging and interaction with an audience doesn't work in all cases. I prefer keeping it separate these days, like the band is playing in its own bubble and the audience is witnessing as outsiders looking in. Like Miles Davis. Introspective music isn't a party. The band is a mirror, not a juggling act.
Great stuff! Hear, hear! And, may add: stop wearing your sound check attire or all black on stage! It's not a garage or a funeral! All black clothing gear is meant for the stagehands to NOT be seen. People may think it's 'slimming' but it's uninspired and boring. Johnny Cash and Elvis made it an exception. When everybody does it, it's not unique anymore. Remember: folks come to hear AND see you!
This is just one way to start a set. No intro just start the first song with a chorus. 'Don't bore us get to the chorus'. Kind of like just barging into to room. No drummer tap in. Surprise MF'ers!!! Go to the verse and introduce the band. Segway into the 1st verse.
Depends on the style. For many styles none of this is necessary or wanted, it is even detrimental for more serious instrumental music such as jazz (real jazz, not smooth jazz.) I dont want any connection, just music...the players getting in the zone with themselves and each other, not w/ the audience. Jazz players usually barely interact or totally ignore the audience, and that's great. I dont expect or want talk. Steely Dan's Donald Fagan said it best "our idea of a good jazz show is a guy in a cheap suit with his back to the audience" ie getting deep into the instrument ala john coltrane etc.
@@musenw8834 It could be most any genre. There are many other styles besides jazz where the actual music and instruments come before the image and personality of the musicians. Mostly more instrumentally based versions of prog, fusion, groove funk, jam bands, and lots of more complex underground rock or metal, certain ethnic styles and classical styles. There are lots of styles that are not put on a show and connect with the audience type music, things are more loose, even better that way. in those it is the instruments doing the talking and communicating, not the players. So it all depends. There is also some instrumental pop that some people call jazz ie smooth jazz, which I dont consider jazz, but in that the presentation and personality matter more, so his advice would apply for smooth jazz, and certain other offshoots.
Certainly the most important thing about music is how the artist appears visually to an audience. Who cares about notes or tone….it about how you dance and dress and look at audience members. Remember that and we’ll have the pop music scene we have now with 3 artists doing the exact same things yay!
I'm learning to play guitar from a lot of guitar RUclipsrs who also perform live, but a consistent trend amongst them is their performances are just...boring. So while I don't see myself performing on stage, who knows? I want to make sure I can also put on a show rather than just play good.
Keep the band introduction brief, just the name of the band. The most boring part of any show is when the lead introduces the individual band members. It's for the bandmembers' benefit, not the audience's. I don't think Mr. Fisher is saying to do that up front, but just in case anyone watching this video thinks that's what "introduce the band" means: that would set a terrible start to the show. Also, pay attention to how the crowd responds to requests for participation. I've seen bands try to get audiences to sing or clap, and the audience just looks at them like they're observing animals in a science experiment ("Oh, this is a curious new behavior. I think they're trying to communicate with us.") I saw this happen at a club in Boston, a singer built the song up saying how important it was for the song that people participate, and nothing happened. I felt so bad for her, I sang along as loudly as I could, and people were looking at me like i was crazy. I'm pretty sure that was Alicia Keys when she was first starting out (!)
So many amateurs out there who think they so special because they have a following or are even signed with a deal. Note musicians, competency, is not art.
If I don't like your music, there's nothing you can do to fix that! Or I like the Grateful Dead I don't like dead & company. d&c plays the same songs that GD played. It gets stranger so lets get on with the show. I like most GD cover bands! Oh one thing I liked about GD, they never talked to their audience. They let the music do their talking for them!
![Noob To Max With DRAGON REWORK In Blox Fruits [FULL MOVIE]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/LnBMOinoOvA/mqdefault.jpg)
The entire band should look like they’re enjoying the music, not like they’re practicing.
Or writhing in pain.
i appreciate the help. learning to be a front man at the age of 56. people that make it look it easy are usually standing on years of practice and training.
... yes, and that's why people don't think that entertainers are working: They make it look so effortless.
I wonder how many of the commenters can actually play music. Music is a constant evolution. If someone gets up to play, appreciate it or leave. You don’t have to stay and or complain online about something you know nothing about. Much respect to everyone who plays live, it’s not easy and it’s not for everyone.
@ElenalampI agree. I’m not interested in what other musicians think audiences will like or dislike. I need to know how I can make my performance more enjoyable for the audience.
I've been singing and playing in front of audience's for over 30 year's. I'm glad to know that over the year's I actually do all of this naturally now.
In my youth I was a pro cellist. In classical performance none of this was needed or expected. It was just about how you played. So now I have some important skills I need to develop on top of my technical work. Thank you.
Oboe 50 years ago here. Yeah they never taught us how to have fun.
Damn! That beard needs it's own channel! That's got to be the best looking beard on the internet. It just expands and contracts perfectly. You should definitely do a video on beard grooming. Is your beard seeing anyone?... Asking for a friend,
I was in a blues band for over 20 years here in SoCal that gigged most weekends. Our singer/harpist did many of the things you outlined here. He was very pro about that stuff. One thing that he never felt was important, and I disagreed with him on, was introducing the band members at the outset. That might happen but not until later in the evening. Also it was hard to move around on many stages as there was virtually no room whatsoever to move... plus the trad blues we did wasn't heavy on an up-tempo beat. I miss those days but at 72, life moves on. Great memories, for sure. 🙂🙃🙂
Personally, introducing band members has always annoyed me. I don't really care who you are, especially when I'm waiting for you to play another song
Starting playing without talking can be incredibly powerful if it's done right. Plenty of big acts do it.
A good opening without talking followed by a formal presentation
@carl_anderson9315
And yet that's what I find "boring" and usually ham.
You can introduce yourself after the first song. It:s more dramatic.
@@pathogeneration5138 If you’re Metallica, not introducing yourself might work. If your band is local and most people don’t know who you are, then at some point you will have to do it. First, impress them, then, introduce yourselves. I’d also add: have a cool simple recognizable Logo.
People talk way too much on stage imo. The audience is there to HEAR the MUSIC UNLESS it a MUSIC CLINIC or LECTURE and EVEN THEN , talking should be at a minimum.
There's a clip of B.B. King actually telling a short story as he replaces a broken string--on stage!
*We used to stop at the thrift bakery and pick up imperfect cakes (lopsided). We also had plastic cutlery, napkins, & a sparkler for the cake. We celebrated anybody’s birthday and they loved it! The birthday boy/girl was also invited up on stage to shake the tambourine while we sang (The Beatles) Birthday! All the above only cost just a few dollars; a pittance, compared to what we were making (plus it often generated tips). It was fun for us and fun for them… That’s what it’s all about!
✌🏻😎🎹🌴🌞
That's one of the most creative ideas I've heard. My B day would be at EVERY show you have!
Brilliant idea!! Lopsided cake for everyone at every gig!!
I'm Taking it!!!!!
I'm Big into Birthdays.
I just posted an original bday short on another channel. I founded a Ukulele group that now has over 50 members and is getting gigs like crazy. I require everyone to memorize Happy Birthday in the key of C. Birthdays Matter!!!!! 🎂 ✌️❤️
~ 🌺
Love this. Simple yet brilliant.
The introduction is a really good point!
When you’re talking to the audience, please, just be yourself! Imagine you’re jamming for a group of your friends. They’ll appreciate being allowed into your world.
my motto is "we go on stage as a group of 4 but we become more than 4"... connection is the keyword, thanks for nice tips
This video is a great idea…
I’ve only been a professional musician for about 35 years but I’ve seen a number of the things on this list of times.
I do need to take Bridge with two of them though.
Firstly, it’s not enough to just say move around.every performer should be aware of the performance space and use as much of it as is possible. If you’re on an actual stage use every inch of it… Unless you’re the drummer in which case nobody really cares
Secondly, you do not need to introduce yourself before you play every time.
You should introduce yourself early, but it doesn’t need to be before you play.
I personally suffer from stage fright. The best thing for me to do is play a song that I can almost not ever mess up first… Then during the introduction to the next song introduce myself to the audience.
talking to the audience before I even play sometimes just amp up stage fright. I found the other people suffer from the same problem.
But what is more important, especially if you’re a new band or you’re playing an area that might not know you, is to introduce yourself more than just once. Remind the audience, maybe halfway through your set and again at the end who you are, where they can find you, how they can follow and support you.
Great tips thank you
Your beard alone is entertaining! A little smile and a beard like that man everybody will be on board🎉😂
I used to play in a band with a guitarist who lived in a bubble. In rehearsals he'd get lost in his own world and a solo would go on and on. I remember once our 3 minute song was still going on 20 minutes as he was soloing with his eyes closed. The guitarist and I (on bass) just kept looking at each other to see how long the song was going to last. He was like this on stage too. He was oblivious to anyone in the room. The problem was, while he would solo for 20 minutes in rehearsals, he would miss solos live cause he was lost in thought. So, essentially: be in the moment!
Uh, that sucks.
That's called "musical masturbation".
I wish I was that guy, seems like he really enjoyed playing
Sounds like me when I was 20. The only difference is that everyone was high and totally digging it!
I hope you sacked him. I am a guitarist and yet I don’t think solos always contribute much to a song.
Absolutely agree! It’s tough to watch a performer miss that connection. I remember attending a show where the band just dove into their first song without any introduction, and it totally killed the vibe.
Many performers struggle with banter, fearing silence will be awkward, but it’s often the small interactions that create the biggest laughs. Keep putting yourself out there-your humor and connection will shine through!
After joining the Sense of Humor Improvement Program by Habit10x, I realized that engaging with the audience is like telling a good joke-timing and delivery matter.
1. Introduce your band - sets expectations, tunes in
2. Talk to audience. Talking points built in. Transition
3. Banter. Connect to personality and music
4. Move around. Visual aspect.
5. Ask questions - encourages response (audience participation)
6. Set list - see next video!
Wrong, mic spewage, excessive mouth running between tunes, ALWAYS had me walking out, even if I like the music. Along with many others I knew, but this was at the height of live bands and local gigs, now? who cares, its all contrived.
@@sword-and-shieldWhat determines excess mic spewage? It’s subjective at best. An experienced frontman knows when to shut up.
@@ekraszewski My opinion? Any mic spewage. Again tho, if your objective is to jack up the crowd, or liven them up with your music, then what is the best, Zero spewage. The only subjective part, is the TYPE of music you have created, if it isn't doing squat to jack the crowd, then spew on, its probably needed to fill the gaps between the weak songs. If the music style is Hard and Fast, like ours was, most everyone we saw like us was stopping for mic spewage, and dropping crowd, club, energy. Separate yourself, play through the pain barrier and it will vanish, be the ones jacking em up and keeping em jacked the whole set.
And try to dress a little more interesting. Jeans and a t-shirt just don't do it.
As a solo singer guitarist I appreciate and understand everything you said in this video. Unfortunately I knew most of the tips but don't really know how to do it! I don't have the gift of gab. I feel like I need improv training or something. I rarely know what to say. People usually appreciate my music but I know I could be a better overall entertainer and engage the audience better. Especially in public venues. Private parties are much easier.
Nice job, good info for those that are new, or certain groups/artists that need some good info for putting on a great show.
Depending on the performer(s), I think the show is very important. No one wants to go out to see drunk uncle Pete play his beat up actitud guitar on the edge of his couch in his underwear. Engage with the audience and put on an entertaining performance! Thanks Terence!
I find most singers are too busy staring at the lyrics on their iPad to bother paying attention to the audience. I'm so old, I remember when we used to learn the songs.
We had one in our band, once.
It depends a lot when you are performing a set or when you are performing in a hotel or Cruise ship with 200 songs + requests. That requires you to sacrifice a bit of presence. But whenever I do a smaller set or a set of my songs I always wanna learn songs without having to look at the lyrics of course
@@TobaccoPancake my rule: learn the tunes or don't play the tunes.
@@robrobertson2661 so did you learn 200+ songs? Have you ever worked professionally for months playing and singing every single day without replaying the same songs?
Yeah, it's pretty gross
Good one sir! I always enjoy your RUclips. Blessings.
This is exactly what I was looking for! Thank you so much!
Making a entrance is important
I like rockstar’s
Pro forming and smashing guitars and head nodding is all crucial and kissing the beat ❤
I'm a subway busker. I begun sitting down, at 55 I can't stand the entire 2 to 3 hours you need to play. You can't "Engage" with people who are walking by and are about to hop on a train. I do try to bop back and forth on my chair. I also look around and try to make eye contact with folks.
i’m also a subway busker, but i’m 23. And I agree!
I can play for WAYYYYY longer when I have a chair. Doubles my money.
@@poelogan The longer you're out there the more money you make.
That describes me.I busk at Sydney ,Australia,Central tunnel subway. Hi. I’m 68 .😮My chair is milk crate. Sometimes I stand ,mostly I sit but it’s much more powerful when you sit and stand up in the middle of a song at a dramatic point of the song.
Long time busker here. I can't stand sitting. I move while playing. I mostly play in parks where I can stand barefoot in the grass. I typically play and sing 4 hours without breaks. On Canada day I played 7.5 hours.
I sometimes wonder if a seated busker makes more money. I'm 57, 6 feet tall. Perhaps while sitting a grown man is not intimidating to the insecure types.?
Busking is all about psychology. I constantly read the people as they pass by. Proximity is key. The closer you are, the more tips you get. Always smile and say thanks. Engage the kids, and anyone who meets your gaze. Make people feel welcome. When the kids start dancing the parents get happy and you get tips.
Busker here. I do one-man-band w/ foot drums so I am seated by default! 60+
We have a talented actor in our band. He's a great master of ceremonies and does what you say here.
I once was in a jazz forum by this guitarist. Online educational thing. I'd seen some videos he did and joined the forum. It was fine until I started seeing things that were off. He was teaching that a TRUE musician plays NOT looking at their instrument, looking straight on, and NOT MOVING. Literally NOT MOVING. It was uncouth for a musician to move around on stage, he said. Tapping your foot is fine, everything else showed that you didn't care. (I'm sure Louis Armstrong agreed ... NOT!). I caught on to this when a guitarist posted a video of him playing, and was all apologetic. He said he was uncomfortable in his pose, thus moved, and thus lost his confidence and in the video stopped and had to start over again. Outside of this he sat playing with nothing moving but his hands, a blank look staring forward. .... I commented that I felt so sorry for him, as there's no musician in the world who doesn't move, that was b.s. Musicians get into the music and audiences want to see someone enjoying the music.
Such great advice!!! Thanks man!!!
Terrance always great to review with you. Grateful. Great points you male
Preach it brother! Never be accused of loitering on stage. ;)
I do understand
your view point and I think you’re definitely helping people with your advice . But I would also say it’s very genre specific.
I do like when a band talks to the crowd and they connect with the crowd .
However I am also aware of how classical and jazz musicians perform . Usually they introduce themselves and then they perform until they have completed their set . The point is for the audience to enjoy the music and focus solely on that .
In my experience I’ve been to see quite a few
Progressive metal bands and while some of them do interact with the crowd , there are also bands who are focusing so much that they are not able to dance, make banter or connect by chatting to the crowd but that doesn’t make them awful bands .
Anyway, I did want to say that I watched some other videos you made and they were really helpful ! Apologies if I come across as rude . :)
as a music artist.. you preaching........................
I’m sold!!! You got yourself a subscriber!!!!!!
Great content. I corroborate with all these points. Thanx for the video.
Great video!
I was recently in a 3 piece instrumental band. We would go on stage, say literally nothing, play the set, and leave. If youre going to do that you need to be very slick with it!
Instead, we had a guitarist who would frequently take two minutes or more to get ready for the next track. No matter how much I tried to get him to understand, he insisted that it didnt matter. But two minutes of complete silence in a set is awful. It became clear he just thought i was obsessing with nothing, but in my opinion he just didnt understand how to put on a performance. You can't have two minutes or more of dead air.
This was only the tip of the iceberg, so when I realised I wasn't being listened to, I left. Im still sad because the guitarist was an old friend, but he didn't understand basic things and he also chose not to listen to me when he knows I'm an experienced musician.
These are good points, to which I would add: 1) learn your parts, whether it's guitar chords or lyrics, so you don't have to read them during the performance. It's ok to sneak a peek at your notes now and then, but a singer who's reading the lyrics from their phone just comes across as lazy, and is definitely not entertaining; 2) the most entertaining and engaging singers are those who convey the story in a song, rather than just reciting the words. To do this, they are like method actors, "becoming" the person telling the story, and making it believable.
Your thoughts about the singer being engaging are certainly noteworthy. Point 1 IMHO is strictly geared toward amateurs. If you've been gigging for any length of time and haven't committed your tunes to memory then get the f**k out... You have no business being on a stage. GHEESH!! 🙄🙄
Great Job Terence! I got some Major value from this video. Keep rockin' steady
Great tip about movement
Both the bands I play in follow all five of these rules.
We have the audience engaged the whole night.
We love making it an interactive environment.
We don’t get up to play songs, we get up to put oh a show. 😃🙏🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻
Your videos are always extremely helpful for me. Lots of encouragement, correction. Yeah that too… But I love the way you come across and it never feels heavy .
Saw the Pixies at the barrowlands, didn't do any of those things, they were fantastic the place was jumpin
They're known for that, but the crowd is there for the songs, a bunch of nobodies don't have that advantage.
Thank You, Mr. Fisher!
Your videos are a HUGE help to me and my little band.
I like #5 as long as they dont ask "How's everybody doing tonite?" What real answer could the crowd give back. Definitely like your choices which lead into songs.
First point is debatable
You gave me an idea I need to try,thanks
Great video, man. Let me say nonetheless that in my long experience as music entertanier, point 1 always worked for me the other way around. I tend to open almost any gig with no presentation, vut choosing wisely the first song, that acts as a call for attention and a presentation in itself, a song that's recognizable, and represents the entire show
Very informative vid now I know what to do next time
Dude I'm getting hypnotized by your beard.
Very good advice for sure. I would love to be able to connect with the audience as easily as you seem to be able to.
I wonder why the old big bands could get away with sitting behind their music and the dance floors were packed? Was it because the music was just so damned good?
These are very important points
Amen My Brother all Very good Points
How to lose viewers…take two minutes before getting to the actual content.
Memorize your repertoire, so there can be more focus on performance. I don't talk to my audience so I stand to learn, but at least I'm always moving on stage and connecting to the band. So, flexibility, with playing on autopilot somewhat
"Memorize your repertoire" is a phrase I'd like to see a lot more frequently. I'm gradually creeping up on 200 titles memorized (melodies and lyrics), with several hundred more on my to-learn list. This process is absolutely critical for me because I perform solo.
Great video. You can tell it’s good by all the comments from musicians providing their own insights (including those with crappy attitudes) 😂
It depends on the venue.
~ 🌺
Does it work in praise and worship leading?
Yeah! Gotta really shake your booty!
I have witnessed overuse of these points and the result is cheesy and annoying. Excersize discretion.
I sometimes have issues with asking the audience questions. To me there’s nothing more awkward than a frontman saying “How’s everybody doing tonight!” only to be met with crickets.
Perhaps just turn it into a rhetorical question? "Great to be here, hope you're all doing well? " Etc etc.
Always great advise!
To sum audiences out, in a visual perspective, people in general hear with their eyes. Moat will understand this concept, and some may scratch their heads about it, but if you have been playing music long enough to audiences in general, you will get what I mean!
Once I was playing and somehow the power supply to my pedalboard got loose. I fixed it in seconds, and as I was restarting everything, I said "Anybody want to buy a used pedalboard?"
Algorithm blessed me today 🙌🏻
Catch their attention with a song first before you speak and never speak over silence. Kick and bass can never stop
You're right on it Brother. Everything you're saying is proper! I'm a successful musician and learned this from watching the "Old Pros. Thanks for sharing.
I've found that if we make a mistake during a song, it's best to own it. "At least you know it's live haha..etc."
Legit question. When you go to a stadium show, they just start playing and talk after the first song. Same with a lot of festivals. Is this advice for specific contexts or just in general?
loool did this man just open with "there is nothing more DISTURBING and PITIFUL" great videos man
Yep..l this is a funny video if you actually are a "pro"
Hell of a beard my man! 👊😎
This is a great video
The fun part is- this doesn’t apply to every venue :)
Play a college party bar you can’t hear anything. Playing a restaurant is more intimate
his beard is fire
Solid advice
I attended a world famous guitarist/singer’s world tour concert in my city, and he played the whole set and never said a word to the audience between songs. All we got was a ‘Thankyou and good night’ at the conclusion. He probably didn’t even know or care which city or country he was in! Sorry Eric but that was really flat!🥴
I sing the songs from memory. No iPad for me.
Great video ..
Excellent Information! From an old singing telegram man.
what if i am making midwest emo stuff? should i smile to the audience permanently
That’s an excellent point ! I could say the same thing for plenty of bands in different genres too. Shoegaze , Prog rock and prog metal are genres where the bands are usually more focused on performing properly than worry that the crowd is bored.
I have been to see bands who didn’t talk a lot but they put on a wonderful performance. I think we all enjoy different music and different performers :)
You have to be a musician, entertainer, standup comic and psychologist. If that's a problem you're in the wrong in wrong job. Join an orchestra.
I agree with your point about banter with the audience.
And movement is very good when you're feeling what you're performing.
But I disagree that a musician or a singer who stands still is not entertaining, or cannot hold an audience.
I also disagree with your first two points.
A band being introduced by someone else before beginning their show is one thing. But a band that introduces itself before beginning the show is like throwing a wet blanket on audience anticipation. Plus, it's like tooting your own horn.
Knock their socks off with a hot opening number followed back to back with two more songs before stopping to speak to the audience. Then, remind the audience of your band name periodically at peak moments of the show.
The audience paid to hear live music, not talking.
I'd much rather hear an artist whose lyrics and performance alone move and entertain me than a performer who has to employ choreographed dancing to hold an audience when their music doesn't.
And I MOST DEFINITELY don't want to hear a band talk between every song. I came to see a band, not a speech.
And if you don't like how Van Morrison performs Brown Eyed Girl, don't go to the show. Belittling musicians who write and perform songs not written for dancing, but for listening, because you don't dig it, is pretty small.
Is anybody here from Oklahoma?
What's all that nouse in thabackground?
Pro tip :
Don’t play music you don’t believe in. If you have to have the tabs and lyrics on stage, you probably shouldn’t be covering the song. Or maybe you need to rehearse it more before performing it. If you truly believe in the message, you’ll know the song by heart. I’ve been performing over 20 yrs and I’ve never used a music stand or brought any paper/ipod/laptop to the stage other than the set list. It’s bad form and I personally don’t like watching artists learn songs when I’m out seeing live music. If you get a request for something crazy and you want to give it a stab, maybe. But performing tunes and learning tunes, there’s a place for each. There’s my 2 cents on the subject.
Rock on..
If the one Eric Johnson gig I saw is representative of him as a live performer he's guilty of this. He's a wonderfully talented guitarist whose stage presence was that of someone playing alone in his room. He tuned out the audience.
Eric's tone and technique are great. His stage presence was poor. Maybe he's shy, but so was Prince basically-and he had a phenomenal stage presence as well as great musical talent.
I think there are exceptions to the stage presence requirement. Maybe people playing behind artists such as Marc Anthony, Beyoncé, Dolly Parton, Megan Thee Stallion, and others don't need so much stage presence. After all, Little Richards fired Jimi Hendrix from his backing group for his onstage theatrics that upstaged him.
This is the unfortunate reality, unless you want to be a background musician (the slot that I like, less responsibility to entertain an audience.) I think that there are some entertainers who don't do the movement, introduction, banter, etc. Bob Dylan comes to mind. Some of the 60's rock bands didn't do much of that either. I could see Dylan leading the audience in a question: Hey, how are yeeeeeew !!
Good video. Thanks. Is the bear real?
It's not a bear, it's a poodle.
I've have everybody get on the floor and do pushups.
Pro tip. Do not talk to your audience unless you really know what you are doing, and you are at a gig where it is expected of you. Unless you are already well-known to your audience, they could care less what you say. In many places they'll start yelling at you to "just play". Most musicians at the beginning level do not have any idea of what works in talking to an audience. Do not ask your audience questions unless you have a lot of experience dealing with what those questions might be. If you're playing in a bar, the alcohol may produce some questions that you don't want, and make a star out of an audience member while you stand there looking like an idiot. Let your music speak for you. After a few hundred hours in front of an audience you may learn how to talk to them. You are a musician, or a group of musicians. People exspect you to play music. Do so. Leave the talking to those who've spent a lifetime learning how that's done.
I've never had an audience member say that 😂
@@TheChangingStoic You've been lucky. However, my point remains. Talking to an audience is a learned skill. Most musicians learn how to play their instruments, something you can do at home. Learning how to talk to an audience is not something you an learn at home. What I would suggest for musicians is to present the best music they can, say thank you if the audience applauds, and leave it at that. If you want to learn how to talk to an audience, go to open mic comedy nights. The first thing you will learn is how difficult it is to capture an audience by talking. Like I said, it's a learned skill, and like playing an instruement some are better at it than others. Watch people who are really good at it, and learn from them the same way you would learn by listening to musicians you like. Telling a musicsian to go on stage and talk to the audience is like telling a comedian to go on stage and start playing a saxophone.
I find it's best to keep the attention on the music and the other players. Hot-dogging and interaction with an audience doesn't work in all cases. I prefer keeping it separate these days, like the band is playing in its own bubble and the audience is witnessing as outsiders looking in. Like Miles Davis. Introspective music isn't a party. The band is a mirror, not a juggling act.
Neil Young stated that if it wasn't for Rick James and the Mina Birds, he probably would have not gotten to where is now.
Great stuff! Hear, hear! And, may add: stop wearing your sound check attire or all black on stage! It's not a garage or a funeral! All black clothing gear is meant for the stagehands to NOT be seen. People may think it's 'slimming' but it's uninspired and boring. Johnny Cash and Elvis made it an exception. When everybody does it, it's not unique anymore. Remember: folks come to hear AND see you!
You can't entertain people if their hard hearted,
This is just one way to start a set. No intro just start the first song with a chorus. 'Don't bore us get to the chorus'. Kind of like just barging into to room. No drummer tap in. Surprise MF'ers!!! Go to the verse and introduce the band. Segway into the 1st verse.
That's exactly why I go to be entertained to have people interduced to me. Really?
Depends on the style. For many styles none of this is necessary or wanted, it is even detrimental for more serious instrumental music such as jazz (real jazz, not smooth jazz.) I dont want any connection, just music...the players getting in the zone with themselves and each other, not w/ the audience. Jazz players usually barely interact or totally ignore the audience, and that's great. I dont expect or want talk. Steely Dan's Donald Fagan said it best "our idea of a good jazz show is a guy in a cheap suit with his back to the audience" ie getting deep into the instrument ala john coltrane etc.
i guess it's bc jazz tends to be a genre on its own?
@@musenw8834 It could be most any genre. There are many other styles besides jazz where the actual music and instruments come before the image and personality of the musicians. Mostly more instrumentally based versions of prog, fusion, groove funk, jam bands, and lots of more complex underground rock or metal, certain ethnic styles and classical styles. There are lots of styles that are not put on a show and connect with the audience type music, things are more loose, even better that way. in those it is the instruments doing the talking and communicating, not the players. So it all depends. There is also some instrumental pop that some people call jazz ie smooth jazz, which I dont consider jazz, but in that the presentation and personality matter more, so his advice would apply for smooth jazz, and certain other offshoots.
Certainly the most important thing about music is how the artist appears visually to an audience. Who cares about notes or tone….it about how you dance and dress and look at audience members. Remember that and we’ll have the pop music scene we have now with 3 artists doing the exact same things yay!
I'm learning to play guitar from a lot of guitar RUclipsrs who also perform live, but a consistent trend amongst them is their performances are just...boring.
So while I don't see myself performing on stage, who knows? I want to make sure I can also put on a show rather than just play good.
Keep the band introduction brief, just the name of the band. The most boring part of any show is when the lead introduces the individual band members. It's for the bandmembers' benefit, not the audience's. I don't think Mr. Fisher is saying to do that up front, but just in case anyone watching this video thinks that's what "introduce the band" means: that would set a terrible start to the show. Also, pay attention to how the crowd responds to requests for participation. I've seen bands try to get audiences to sing or clap, and the audience just looks at them like they're observing animals in a science experiment ("Oh, this is a curious new behavior. I think they're trying to communicate with us.") I saw this happen at a club in Boston, a singer built the song up saying how important it was for the song that people participate, and nothing happened. I felt so bad for her, I sang along as loudly as I could, and people were looking at me like i was crazy. I'm pretty sure that was Alicia Keys when she was first starting out (!)
Oh. I was not aware that i was there to keep YOU entertained! 😮
😂😂😂
Duh
So many amateurs out there who think they so special because they have a following or are even signed with a deal. Note musicians, competency, is not art.
If I don't like your music, there's nothing you can do to fix that! Or I like the Grateful Dead I don't like dead & company. d&c plays the same songs that GD played. It gets stranger so lets get on with the show. I like most GD cover bands! Oh one thing I liked about GD, they never talked to their audience. They let the music do their talking for them!
Forget that....&. Play Kick-Ass music