Those are rules I can agree with... and yeah, I break 'em occasionally too. Sometimes deliberately, sometimes accidentally. Rule #1 is the key, as you say... but it's hard for a person to be self-critical enough to know if they qualify. I might think I'm good enough... but the majority of the circle might disagree once they hear me. There have occasionally been people in circles I've been in who I didn't feel were good enough. But hey, I'm a snob.
Rule #3: Unless the song's expressly a sing-along, I want to hear the lead person sing the song. Not anyone else. Sing along at the chorus if you must, preferably in harmony, and definitely at a lower volume than the lead person.
Rule #6: I've yet to hear anyone at the circles I've been in sing a cappella who didn't drift in pitch, and badly. None of them have as yet exhibited the phenomenal voice required for unaccompanied singing. None of them have as yet failed to destroy the energy of the circle with their choice of song. Someone who wants to take an a cappella turn should instead eat some pastries.
Rule #7's another important one, and difficult to do in practice (especially for me, since I rarely perform as a solo and don't have a huge array of material). That's why (at the last Mpls circle I was in) you saw me frantically scanning my list when the person before me in the circle was in the middle of their song -- searching for something that would work as a follow-up... I'd prefer to skip my lead turn than to kill the synergy.
I'd also prefer to play bass than guitar when it's not my lead turn ('cause I'm a better bass player than guitarist), but that's Rule #11: only one person is allowed to play bass during a given song. There are other instruments to which that rule could apply, as well. :-)
Thanks for posting these... as I've said before, I'm fascinated by the social etiquette of the Mpls-style music circle, and I love your take on the 'rules.' (Though I suspect there's a Dire Reason for the post. *sigh*)
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Date: 2006-03-19 09:58 pm (UTC)Rule #3: Unless the song's expressly a sing-along, I want to hear the lead person sing the song. Not anyone else. Sing along at the chorus if you must, preferably in harmony, and definitely at a lower volume than the lead person.
Rule #6: I've yet to hear anyone at the circles I've been in sing a cappella who didn't drift in pitch, and badly. None of them have as yet exhibited the phenomenal voice required for unaccompanied singing. None of them have as yet failed to destroy the energy of the circle with their choice of song. Someone who wants to take an a cappella turn should instead eat some pastries.
Rule #7's another important one, and difficult to do in practice (especially for me, since I rarely perform as a solo and don't have a huge array of material). That's why (at the last Mpls circle I was in) you saw me frantically scanning my list when the person before me in the circle was in the middle of their song -- searching for something that would work as a follow-up... I'd prefer to skip my lead turn than to kill the synergy.
I'd also prefer to play bass than guitar when it's not my lead turn ('cause I'm a better bass player than guitarist), but that's Rule #11: only one person is allowed to play bass during a given song. There are other instruments to which that rule could apply, as well. :-)
Thanks for posting these... as I've said before, I'm fascinated by the social etiquette of the Mpls-style music circle, and I love your take on the 'rules.' (Though I suspect there's a Dire Reason for the post. *sigh*)