Busking is a great way to make a little extra money. It’s not just for students, but anyone who wants to supplement their income or simply try something new. It’s also good fun and will give you a great sense of achievement, especially if you’re a novice musician or street performer.
You don’t need huge amounts of experience to get started, but there are some tricks of the trade that are worth knowing about before you put your hat out on the pavement. Here are five busking tips to get you started.
1. Where to Busk
2. What to Wear
3. What to Play and Sing
4. Get Permission
5. Practise Makes Perfect
5 Tips to Get You Started
1. Choose your location wisely.
2. Have a variety of songs that you can play on the fly.
3. Learn as many songs as possible, so you can tailor your set list to the crowd in front of you.
4. Learn how to play covers or originals with a loop pedal, they are great fun and usually get more attention and money than just playing them unaided.
5. Be confident, smile and have fun!
Preface:
Busking is a great way to meet people, make money, and just have fun. I love it and I recommend it for any musician or performer. You can play anywhere from coffee shops to subways to parks to the streets of New York. This blog is a list of five tips on how to get started.
Tip
1. Choosing a location
The big secret to busking is having the right location. A good location will make all the difference in whether you are going to make some money or not. You need to find a place that is visible and has a lot of foot traffic. It should also be easy to hear you and a place where people won’t be afraid to stop and give you their attention. Make sure that your location is legal, otherwise you’ll just end up getting kicked out by angry cops.
2. Asking for money
You might find it awkward at first to ask for money, but once you get into the groove of it, it becomes second nature. You can either hold out your hat or instrument case, pass around a hat or instrument case, or simply ask people directly for money by saying something like “Any donations would be much appreciated”.
3. Setting goals
When you’re busking you can either play for fun or for profit. Usually these two goals don’t mix well together because if you have expectations about how much money you should be making then it’s going to affect your performance and the atmosphere around you. If your goal is to make some cash then the best thing to do is set some small realistic goals such as 1 hour
Busking is the practice of performing in public places for tips and gratuities. The word busking was first noted in the English language around the middle 1860s and is derived from the Spanish root word buscar, which means “to seek”.
Many buskers are street performers or buskers who perform for tips. Busking is practiced all over the world and dates back to antiquity. People engaging in this practice are called street performers or buskers. Performances are anything that people find entertaining.
Busking is a form of art in itself, because it requires talent to be able to make money by performing in public. It can also help aspiring singers and musicians gain experience by performing live and meeting members of the public. Busking is also a very important source of income for many artists.[3] Buskers vary in type from performance artists to acrobats to comedians to clowns.
Buskers are common sights on streets around the world, but only certain places allow busking (e.g., New Orleans). Cities such as London, Milan, Tokyo, Toronto and Paris have specific regulations on how much a performer can earn before they must pay tax or secure a permit.[4]
Busking is the act of performing in public places for gratuities. In many countries the rewards are generally in the form of money but other gratuities such as food, drink or gifts may be given.
There is no certain origin for the term busking. One theory is that it comes from the Spanish root word buscar, which means “to seek”; another theory says that it is a derivative of the word business. The word busking was first noted in 1884 and its etymology was noted by Gershon Legman.
Some believe that busking was born sometime during the Middle Ages when wandering minstrels would entertain with music, poetry, or story-telling for food and coin allowing them to travel on to spread their craft to other villages, towns, and cities. This custom continued through to the middle of the 19th century and although some street entertainment continued through these years, it was not until late Victorian times that buskers were seen again in London.
Busking is common among some Romani people (Gypsies), who are called “buskers” in the English language.
Romani are known throughout Europe for their busking skills and musical tradition; their repertoire includes a wide range of musical styles from classical to
1. Practice, practice, practice!
2. Location, location, location!
3. Be creative and original with your act.
4. Use a hat or case to collect money.
5. Smile, be polite and have fun!