What Do You Need To Play Blues Guitar On The City Street (Apart From Bravery!)

Blues Man Takes It To The City Streets!

It always sounds incredibly romantic. Picture the scene - the travelling blues guitar man playing on the street corners in the old tradition.

Find out what it's really like and additionally what you need to make it work. Jim Bruce relates something about his life as a blues singer on the street in France. Everything you need can be found below - the equipment, where to play, practical advice and that essential ingredient - attitude!

Before We Begin To Play , Important Basics!

I remember reading somewhere about the way of life of the musicians who moved around to play the blues on street corners and in parking lots near tobacco storehouses to scrape a living together. They would also perform at 'house rent' parties and bars, where often the reward was a meal, a few drinks and a place to sleep for one night.

As they moved around from town to town , their playing styles developed and evolved according to the needs of their audience . A street guitarist was just a distraction from a difficult, monotonous way of living and for many, a beggar, who needed to be pitied and ignored .

In the folk boom in the 1960s , the life of a street blues man was romanticized too much maybe. What is the actuality of playing blues guitar on the street , and what do we need to make it a success ? (I'll take it that you can already play great blues guitar, or at least knock out an hour's worth of decent tunes! .)

Is It important What I Wear?

Of course! Try to put yourself in the position of a man or woman passing through a busy thoroughfare, presented with a performer playing an instrument on the street. The first look they cast your way is really vital, no matter how great the sound. That being said, the music itself has to be top quality - just because it's street music doesn't signify it can be a lower standard. Quite the reverse, the music ought to be very best quality, in order that listeners are attracted to the sound.

Your visual impression at first glance speaks volumes. You're not a bum, but a musician, so give respect to yourself and this gives respect to the people listening. Additionally helps a lot if you are a little different from the rest of the crowd. I favor a black suit, white shirt, black tie finished off with a wide brimmed black hat.

This way of presenting 'my blues man' is like a copy of the old standard record company photographs of legendary blues men, and also looks somewhat different in our modern world. Give yourself a name ( possibly make up another identity for yourself ) and write your new name on a poster taped to your amp, for example. Have fun!

The Hardware

This is a list of some things I consider to be necessary for playing blues guitar on the street:

Guitar (duuuh!) - Something To Sit On - Amplifier and microphone - Tuner - Something with wheels to carry everything - Sunglasses!

Of course, you can add other items you figure you could need, but remember that you'll need to carry it all. I use a sturdy trolley and fasten everything to it with elasticated bungie ropes. I can pack it all away in less than 5 minutes ( if necessar !)

What Kind Of Amplifier Should I Use ?

A basic amplifier with 2 channels, which assumes that you are going to sing. I started out with a mic on a stand, but it's a bit heavy and cumbersome. Nowadays I use a microphone attached to my head, which comes in at around 50 dollars for an acceptable voice reproduction .

My current amplifier is a 30 watt job purchased from Thomann. It has a lead acid battery inside which takes about six hours to charge, which gives an operating time (using two channels ) of between six to eight hours, which also depends on the volume use . It's a bit heavy at ten kilo, hence the trolley.

Channel one has basic tone and volume controls - this is for the voice, and the other has volume, gain, low, medium, and high gain controls. This second channel is great for balancing the string sounds of an acoustic guitar. The cost is excellent value at $120.

The Instrument

Bear in mind where you will be playing this guitar. For example, could it get damaged? It's quite likely! Could someone steal it? Of course - all is possible. One day I left a favourite guitar on the metro in error, because I was tired and not paying attentio . Needless to say that I never saw it again.

Happily, it's possible to buy a reasonably good guitar nowadays without it costing an arm and a leg. For a long time I played a Vintage parlor acoustic guitar, complete with integral Shadow equalizer and tuner unit, which cost around $200!

My current street guitar is a Martin 000X1AE, which has a braided strip bug under the saddle and volume/tone knobs inside the sound hole. The spruce top is not varnished (or hardly at all ) and could be prone to marks, but the neck, and rest of the body is some kind of man made material - not wood at all!

Martin won't say what the material is, except that it's not plastic or a wood based product. Whatever it is, it's really resistant. I've knocked it several times without any evident marking. I transport it in a soft case strapped to my back.

The sound is definitely Martin no doubt about it, with very nice bass notes . This small bodied guitar is great for picking the blues, which is what I play. Current price is under $500 - go for it ! (No, I'm not trying to sell them!)

Great Places To Play

This is a tough one, as it depends on you and your town. Let me tell you how I do it. First, if you see a some folks playing in the street, then you can assume that it's at least tolerated by the police . After this initial assessment, there's nothing left to do except try it out!

I move around a good deal and observe people as they cross roads, etc, or walk near to a pedestrian shopping centre. It'll help your cause a lot if people can stand around without getting in the way of the movement of pedestrians, or cars .

I often position myself near market areas in the centre of a city - this is a perfect spot for a street musician.

OK - Now We're Ready!

I prefer to have something solid behind me (there's always the chance of an indiviual doing something suspect without you seeing it, or trying to steal something while you perform. Stay vigilant, it's the city the city!)

You will probably get some attention while setting up, as folks are naturally curious. It may require some courage the first few times, but gets easier over time. It helps if you take some attitude to your activity. When setting up, I'm generally smiling and talking to folks passing by and give the impression that I belong there.

It's my street, it's where I make my living and I have every right to go there. In truth, you don't have any right at all , but if you put out some good sounds , and not oppressively loud, the authorities might (probably ) leave you alone as it adds a little interest to the community and to the overall ambiance.

Begin with a tune that's simple and attractive - it won't help much if you try and play to your maximum ability and mess it up! Play to 75 per cent of your capabilities until you get into it. In this way, your playing will be confident .

Can I Make A living?

Making a living playing blues guitar is always tricky and can only be achieved by making rather small amounts from several related activities. In my case, playing in the street has really delivered an important portion of my total income .

However, performing outside just for donations will not make much. It's best to offer something else, such as CD at a very reasonable price. This option improves the earnings made by street singing.

My other activities may include live gigging and teaching, and I get many contacts from the street. More often than not people enquire about blues guitar lessons and others offer me gigs at private events, parties and in their bars or cafes. I'm pleased to say that music is my living .