What’s the deal with homework?

It’s not like you are working on your home!

Kids: Boooooo

-Seinfeld

Using humor to connect with your audience is a great way to set yourself apart from the everyday guitar wizard. Hopefully your humor will go over a little bit better than when Jerry was speaking at a school full of punk kids in an episode of Seinfeld.

Keep reading to learn how to apply subtle, and not so subtle humor into your playing, live act, and musical identity…

Utilizing Humor in Your Musical Identity

Remember that one article I wrote about Personal Branding not too long ago? Of course you do!

Take a look at this video clip and see how George Pittaway utilizes humor to capture his audience’s attention:

He could have just recorded himself playing a bunch of sweet licks and songs, but now that wouldn’t have been as fun nor aseffective.

How many guitar videos are out there on YouTube? Millions upon Bajillions. And many of them are of excellent players. Can you remember any of them specifically? Probably not too many stand out in your mind.

By utilizing humor and making the audience smile, George gained the attention of the viewer, and his message and playing were transferred over to the viewer’s mind. I definitely bought his DVD after watching this. If his trailer is this entertaining, I can’t wait to watch the full DVD! And I even get to learn some great guitar skills! Compelling AND Entertaining. Nice!

If you don’t get anyone’s attention and if the delivery of your message isn’t compelling or entertaining, you won’t be remembered.

Using Humor in Your Playing

No, I’m not talking about people laughing at your playing because it is so horribly sad. I’m talking about using subtle humor in your playing to catch the listener’s ear and attention.

How do you do this?

Here are few ways to catch the listener’s ear and make them smile:

• Re-harmonize a familiar song, but make it very dissonant and with lots of tension. Almost as if it sounds like you are playing the familiar song very wrong. (This takes practice to do so effectively and well)
• Add a familiar melody into your solo or improv.
  • Add the Brady Bunch theme song while you are jamming out to the Blues
  • The Simpsons theme is always recognizable and is associated with smiling
  • The wolf whistle is always fun lick to play when a hot lady walks by.
  • Incorporate some of your favorite show themes into your playing. It’s fun!

The most important aspect of humor in your playing is just to make sure that you are having a great time. Make sure there is a smile on your face. If you make a mistake, laugh it off.

A while ago I was playing a cover gig at the college bar. There were tons of inebriated students rockin’ out to “Buddy Holly,” made famous by Weezer. I was wailing through the guitar solo, adding my own personal flavor. The crowd was impressed. I had their attention. But then for no apparent reason I completely butchered the climax of the guitar solo, ya know the part where the whole band drops out and it’s just guitar. Yeah, well everyone was anticipating that familiar melody, and when it came time, all you could hear were fart noises coming from my guitar. Needless to say everyone laughed, including my band-mates and myself. It was pretty damn funny! I lived through it, and we still joke about the funny memory today.

Have any funny stories of your own? Want to share examples of how you use humor in your music? Share them with us!

If you are interested in learning more about how to take your musical career and guitar playing to the next level, visit Want Help With Your Music Career? to find out how.

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