Going to first blues jam tomorrow (won't be playing)

Great! I got a good feeling about this, have fun

 

Good
God
Damn
For
You
Really...
Really...
REally....

 

That sounds like one of those things that can get you to forget others are listening to you. I just watched a JustinGuitar YouTube video about confidence and relaxation when performing. One thing he suggested was when you practice, concentrate on the feel of the strings on your fingers, and other sensations like that, and when you get in front of others, do the same. It gives you something to think about besides terror.

Your idea kind of goes along in a similar way, I think. Thinking about smiling would distract you from thinking about the listeners, and also probably tends to tell your brain that you feel happy.

 

If it's a small mistake that no one would notice then I blow through, but I always smile or laugh at major clams. Smiling helps you get on with the performance and let it go, a reminder not to take yourself too seriously, and a shout out to others that you don't either. Even better if someone in the band or audience notices the gaffe, sees you smiling and laughing, you see them smiling too and you have an "Oh #$%@ it!" moment together. It's a Blues Jam, not brain surgery.

And if you get really lost, just stop playing until you find your way back in, no big deal. I'll even strum on muted strings or whatever to make it look like I'm playing when I'm really just waiting to jump back in.

 

Get some egg on your face! Let the chain come off! Nobody dies, nobody gets hurt....but you have fun!

 

I,IV,V
Now you know a bunch o dem

 

Hey @Cerb, I played one of these a couple of weeks ago. I'd barely played guitar in six months, because I've been working on recording other people's music. My fingers were soft, and it seemed strange to be playing in front of a room full of strangers after so many years (about 30 ). But the audience seemed to like it.

As long as you know your major from your minor, and the secret chord sequence revealed to you by @Bob the builder, there's nothing stopping you.

You really should take your guitar along, join in, relax and have fun.

 

If you wait until the last one, and you have the best time ever, you will regret not having played at more of them.

 

I/IV/V
i/iv/v
I/vi/ii/V
i/vi/ii/v

Now you know 90% of them.

 

Hey! It will mainly all be around 3 chords. What could go wrong?

 

If the guys/gals are allright, and the crowd is allright, you'll probably even join for a song today...
That's how it goes over here...
You'll get a someone's guitar pushed in your hands and you'll be happy to join and jam... Have fun!

 

I just took a screenshot of this. It's going on the wall of the jam space .

 

Go get 'em!
And when you make it BIG, don't forget us little people!

 

Just add the ii-V-i and now you have TWO genres!

 

Its all there in the I/vi/ii/V. And the minor equivalent.
You have to return to the i/I.

And Cerb...take your guitar and play. Life is to short not to.