LesterOld
Member
I realise that busking isn't exactly a new concept, but I just started recently and as a beginner I'd strongly recommend it as a way to develop. In my experience so far, going out and playing in public is a very different kind of practice than I would do at home. I would say the benefits are:
My setup for those wondering is a powerful Bluetooth speaker (W-King 60w from Amazon @ £75 -- trust me you need more power than you think), and a tripod for my phone to control music and see chords if you want to do that. I try to use real backing tracks if they're on YouTube otherwise irealpro.
- You are practicing performance. I find performing quite nerve-wracking. But with busking the pressure is much lower. You can choose a quiet spot to start and work up to more crowded areas as your confidence grows. If you mess up don't worry your current audience won't even be there 2m from now!
- You play entire songs. In the practice room it's tempting to stop and go back when you mess up. This is a good thing in many cases, but playing through mistakes and recovering is itself a valuable skill.
- You meet people. I've had several musicians and jazz fans stop and talk to me. This is a great way to find people you might play with in future
- Your outside!
- You don't need anyone else. This is a big one because we all know how hard it is to get 4 musicians in a room.
My setup for those wondering is a powerful Bluetooth speaker (W-King 60w from Amazon @ £75 -- trust me you need more power than you think), and a tripod for my phone to control music and see chords if you want to do that. I try to use real backing tracks if they're on YouTube otherwise irealpro.