I'd like to start busking when it gets warmer. I'm wondering what are the necessary steps to begin busking.

1. How many songs do you need normally?
2. Do you need a busking permit?
3. What kind of amp do you use?

I might have more questions in time.

NEVER DONE IT MYSELF. Ooops, bloody caps lock.

I think that you could get away with quite a small repertoire, most people only hang around for one or two songs, so you could repeat a fair bit.

Permits - definitely in some areas of the UK (don't know about over there!) so check up first locally!

I have a small Vox DA5 that runs on batteries. on 5w it sounds quite loud at home, but I don't know how it would be outside. David Parr probably has a better idea on that amp as he has one and he plays live.


Personally, I'm not sure I'd ever have the confidence to play live. even after a couple of years I rarely play pieces 'mistake-free'.

I took some comfort from the statement acoustic guitar master Pierre Bensusan made in that article Andy posted, in the context of live performance vs. recording: "Onstage, I start a tune, play it, and finish it. It’s never perfect, but the tune has a life in that realm and benefits from the enthusiasm of the audience."

Self-confessed 'Pierre superfan' here...

Pierre talks about 'serving the music' a lot: being a conduit and such-like.
He's not afraid to let a tune live a little and evolve (re-recording and amalgamating as required). He certainly pushes it in a live setting too: no going through the motions!

n.b. I think more people know of Pierre here than any guitar forum that I've been on ('cept the Lowden mailing list)

That's a good quote from Pierre, but you have to admit that his technical ability is on a different world to many of us!

I don't know Pierre's work, I'll have to look him up. I do know live performance ... (I haven't done much on the Stick right now but I'll get there) Remember that people "in general" know NOTHING about music and further more they don't CARE! They know if a tune catches their ear, they know what they like and what they don't like, but for the most part they have NO IDEA if you're good or bad. If you approch your performance with a little attitude, a little confidance (even if it's fake) and a lot of personality people will think you're GREAT! I know lots of middle of the road musicians (and poor musicians) who work every single weekend. Not because they don't screw up, not because they're even good, but because they are "entertainers" and have good stage personality. I'm sure my thoughts are very superficial compaired to Pierre's however I do believe them to be true.

Don't worry about your performance ... have fun ... people recognize that too!

Good answer 88persuader!

I found out something useful about confidence in life - When I was a kid I was shy and with no confidence, but I realised at some point in my 20's that if you act confidently, people think that you are and they respond better to you. This is turn makes you more confident. At my grand old age of 44 I can appear very confident to people, use positive body language and really appear to know what I'm doing, but secretly I'm still the same nervous guy deep down!

I wish that I'd have figure this out in my early teens. I'd have got a lot more girls!

Amish proverb: "We get too soon olt and too late schmart."

The Central Scrutinizer

There's a website for everything now! I did some busking here in Seattle about ten years back with great response. Go to http://www.performers.net/
It's a hub for busking. You'll find lot's of info there.
Sean Rhys Stirling

I played the first time ever in a 'real' (ok, so it was at an annual talent show at work) show, and it was actually a lot easier than I thought it would be... you should give it a shot if the opportunity presents itself... the applause can be quite motivating