IMO, When you can play 24 songs from memory comfortably. R/

Time each tune on your list.
Rehearse standing. If one needs a coat, rehearse wearing it.
Does one require a bottle of water? Where's that go?
Rehearsal means one already knows the music, it's the other stuff one needs to adjust.

Initially, I was so shy, I started in a huge empty park. Then graduated to the far end of a grocery store parking lot.
Also, if one can find a friend, accompanist or another fiddler, it's nice but not necessary.

When you finally get up enough nerve to do it.

I had played banjo at a couple of church barbecues, just for friends. When strangers began asking me if I could play certain songs. I knew I was ready.

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Originally posted by UsuallyPickin

IMO, When you can play 24 songs from memory comfortably. R/

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I have a friend who used to busk in a subway station.  He said the advantage of busking there was the rapid turnover of  listeners, so he only had to know five or six songs really well. 

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Originally posted by doryman

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Originally posted by UsuallyPickin

IMO, When you can play 24 songs from memory comfortably. R/

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I have a friend who used to busk in a subway station.  He said the advantage of busking there was the rapid turnover of  listeners, so he only had to know five or six songs really well. 

 

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That's a very good one!!

Tony 'nailed' it.. It is up to YOU when you are ready to busk. A busker has a new audience every several seconds so generally, Generally, one not need to know a lot of tunes.. Passersby are not as impressed by your ability as they are with your nerve to be busking at all!!! Yep.. They are very forgiving. Pick a tune or three and go ...go.... Ask people here.. Some will tell you one thing and some will tell you another.. YOUR experience the first time out will tell you all you need to know and I predict, you will go home planning your next busking experience.. I've heard you play.. You are ready enough......( HAVE SOMEONE MAKE A VIDEO.. I also predict that you HANGOUT friends would LOVE to see you in 'action'..)  If needed, get the permit and follow all local rules.  I, for one, will be sitting on the edge of my chair to hear back from you.. You can do this and You are good enough.

From my own experience I can relate that busking will make you play harder, have more fun, improve your fiddling skill, and add to your  general sense of well being because you are doing something you love to do.  

You’re good enough when people you don’t know personally ask you to play again after having heard you.

If you can play in the corner of a bookshop or winery, (in other words persuade the owner) you don't need a license or permit. You can have a real live gig! Oh yes, you are ready. Keep a nice steady rhythm. You would be surprised how not complicated this can be. Give yourself credit. You can play the fiddle! They cannot.

Thanks for the great response and great encouragement! I think I am going to start with a list of AEAE or GDGD tunes I really like to play or would like to be able to play and continue to work on these tunes until I can dream them out loud and play with them.
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Go with a list of your most solid tunes. Focus on steady, strong beat and having fun. Look up once in a while, that sort of thing. If you can play for half an hour or so, you have something to start with. And if you are asking the question now, the answer is "as soon as you find the nearest sidewalk." :)

OK working on a few tunes in AEAE:

1) Shove that pig's foot a little further in the fire
2) Sailaway Ladies - Anissa Burnett version
3) Gone to the Free State - Rayna Gellert version
4) Bull at the Wagon - Chris Carney version
5) PeakFiddler's Jack of Diamond
6) Shady Grove at least the basic first sentences are possible in AEAE
7) Oh Susanna - just the way I like to play it
8) My own version of the old Dutch sea shanty Al die willen ter kaap'ren varen
9) Bonaparte's Retreat - dunno yet which version (must rewatch the Chris Haigh video on this one)

That is enough for now!

I find it a great list and I know if I can handle all of these tunes well I have something to show to the world!

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Originally posted by Quincy

OK working on a few tunes in AEAE:

1) Shove that pig's foot a little further in the fire
2) Sailaway Ladies - Anissa Burnett version
3) Gone to the Free State - Rayna Gellert version
4) Bull at the Wagon - Chris Carney version
5) PeakFiddler's Jack of Diamond
6) Shady Grove at least the basic first sentences are possible in AEAE
7) Oh Susanna - just the way I like to play it
8) My own version of the old Dutch sea shanty Al die willen ter kaap'ren varen
9) Bonaparte's Retreat - dunno yet which version (must rewatch the Chris Haigh video on this one)

That is enough for now!

I find it a great list and I know if I can handle all of these tunes well I have something to show to the world!

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...... And show the world you will.....!!!

This is a strange side note…
but Anja, we lived in Leuven for three years! My husband was doing research at KU Leuven.

Lots of people sitting out at the cafes in the summer, we loved it…I will imagine you playing there! ( while sipping a cold Stella Artois).

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Originally posted by NCnotes

This is a strange side note…
but Anja, we lived in Leuven for three years! My husband was doing research at KU Leuven.

Lots of people sitting out at the cafes in the summer, we loved it…I will imagine you playing there! ( while sipping a cold Stella Artois).

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Oh, very nice , which area did you stay? I studied at the KULeuven as well. We had a student room in an old monastery called Zwartzusters (Black Sisters) for a couple of years, me and my sister, the building spoke to our imagination. Was a great period in my life. 

I was more thinking of starting off in the city park hehe.

I am going to add Drunken Sailor in AEAE, the way I like to play it.

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Originally posted by Quincy

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Originally posted by NCnotes

This is a strange side note…
but Anja, we lived in Leuven for three years! My husband was doing research at KU Leuven.

Lots of people sitting out at the cafes in the summer, we loved it…I will imagine you playing there! ( while sipping a cold Stella Artois).

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Oh, very nice , which area did you stay? I studied at the KULeuven as well. We had a student room in an old monastery called Zwartzusters (Black Sisters) for a couple of years, me and my sister, the building spoke to our imagination. Was a great period in my life. 

I was more thinking of starting off in the city park hehe.

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Wow that sounds like a cool place to live!! Nice that you studied at KU Leuven!

One of our friends did live in the Groot Begijnhof, an old historic part of the university ...but we lived in the Vismarkt ( on a little street called "Lei" ). We did not own a car and we went everywhere on our bicycles every day, even in rain! It was a carefree time in our life...heel gelukkig. :-)

Enjoy the busking, and maybe you will meet some other OT fans in the process! 

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Originally posted by NCnotes

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Originally posted by Quincy

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Originally posted by NCnotes

This is a strange side note…
but Anja, we lived in Leuven for three years! My husband was doing research at KU Leuven.

Lots of people sitting out at the cafes in the summer, we loved it…I will imagine you playing there! ( while sipping a cold Stella Artois).

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Oh, very nice , which area did you stay? I studied at the KULeuven as well. We had a student room in an old monastery called Zwartzusters (Black Sisters) for a couple of years, me and my sister, the building spoke to our imagination. Was a great period in my life. 

I was more thinking of starting off in the city park hehe.

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Wow that sounds like a cool place to live!! Nice that you studied at KU Leuven!

One of our friends did live in the Groot Begijnhof, an old historic part of the university ...but we lived in the Vismarkt ( on a little street called "Lei" ). We did not own a car and we went everywhere on our bicycles every day, even in rain! It was a carefree time in our life...heel gelukkig. :-)

Enjoy the busking, and maybe you will meet some other OT fans in the process! 

 

 

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I hope I will meet others some other string player would rock! First a long time to prepare myself.

The Vismarkt I mainly know as one of the stage places during Martrock, not sure if they still organize this.

And I believe there are some good restaurants in that area as well hehe. 

Not sure if I would find my way back in Leuven, it has been ages ago since I have been there.

Going to add Drunken Sailor in AEAE :

Nice playing!

I can not play in alternate tuning, it melts my brain!

We used to sing that song when hiking long trails…basically a song about different ways to punish the poor guy, hehe.