In order to play guitar on the street, you'll need talent, courtesy and in many cases a permit. Busking, also known as street performing, is an art, and playing guitar has its own rules apart from other performance types like juggling and caricatures. Be mindful of your location, play it loud and provide pedestrians with a thrilling show.
Instructions
1. Inquire to local government authorities, such as a city council, as to whether or not you need a permit to play guitar on the street in your area. If the answer is yes, apply for a permit and pay any necessary fee.
2. Locate a spot on the street that gets a lot of foot traffic and won't disrupt the flow of passersby. Give people room to walk by without bothering them and don't get too close to businesses.
3. Communicate with other street performers. Don't encroach on another performer's area. Wait your turn for a great busking location. Because playing guitar involves a certain noise level, be sure to be a good distance away from other performers.
4. Set up a receptacle for any money that people might want to give you. This could be an open guitar case, a hat, bottle, and so on.
5. Play guitar at a level audible to people passing by. If no one turns their head or notices you, play louder. Don't hold back; you're competing with conversations, cell phones, car horns and other noises on the street. If you are using an acoustic/electric or electric guitar, bring along a small battery-powered amplifier and plug into that.
6. Play a variety of songs in your own unique style. If the other street guitarists in your area are playing the blues, consider playing power chords and singing some modern pop songs that people passing by will be familiar with.
7. Announce yourself and involve people on the street in your performance. Consider taking requests, writing impromptu songs about strangers or starting a sing-along. Learn as many songs and riffs as possible to be able to accommodate whoever makes up your audience at any given time.
