For classical guitarists who have worked hard learning pieces and honing their technique, the next stage of development can only be reached with the help of an audience. Insights about performing are not gained in the practice room. For those wanting to play publicly but who aren't ready for the concert stage yet, playing at weddings and restaurants can be an intermediary step. Knowing that the people in these places didn't come specifically to appreciate your instrumental prowess may be disappointing on the one hand, but on the other, this realization can greatly reduce performance anxiety. View these jobs as opportunities to test your abilities and repertoire while earning your rent money.

By their very nature, these situations are very different from the hushed recital hall where appreciative audience members hang on every note. In my experience, the professional playing situation that comes closest to a recital is a wedding ceremony. The majority of weddings take place in a church where you might encounter pleasing acoustics that can inspire your performance. Depending on the size of the chapel and the number of guests attending, you may be able to play unplugged. In a large church where there are more than 100 guests, bring a mic to plug in the house PA system to give the guitar more power while maintaining its natural sound.

If the wedding will be held in a carpeted hotel ballroom or another place with no natural ambiance, bring an amp and a guitar equipped with a pickup to help tame the hostile acoustic environment. Only in your dreams will you find a nice house system in a hotel ballroom, so bring the proper equipment to make sure that you will be heard.

Typically, a guitarist will be asked to play some prelude music of his or her choosing before the service while guests are being seated and perhaps a featured musical number or two during the ceremony. These are times when your audience will listen quietly. As in a concert setting, this is your chance to make an emotional connection with your listeners. For the prelude music, choose pieces that you know will appeal to a general audience. It's not the time or place for a brash, pyrotechnic flamenco-inflected piece or a dissonant modern work requiring that you coax disturbing sounds from your instrument. Never lose sight of the fact that this event isn't about you and your guitarist ability. It is a very special day in the lives of those in attendance and you have been hired to add to the spirit of the event.

In the very rare case that the bride and groom are guitar aficionados, you may be able to accommodate their musical requests and all parties will be thrilled with the ceremony. Reality is different though, and most clients need you to provide some direction. When those hiring me aren't familiar with the guitar repertoire, I am likely to be asked to play Pachelbel's Canon in D or another popular orchestral or piano piece that is murder to attempt on guitar. If I can't steer them away from the bride's father's favorite piece (let's say Tschaikowsky's 1812 Overture), I may work out an arrangement of the melody with a simple accompaniment lasting a minute or so (carefully timed to end before the cannons volleys). Console yourself by remembering that you are not playing Carnegie Hall and most in the audience will never understand the violence you have just done to a warhorse of the classical repertoire.

You may be called upon to play "Here Comes the Bride" for the processional and possibly the Mendelssohn "Wedding March" for the recessional. There are numerous music books in print that contain these traditional wedding selections and other music that you can offer as alternate choices. Owning these books makes these gigs very easy. Playing background music at wedding receptions or in restaurants is a very different sort of gig. For restaurant work, here are some practical upsides: 1. You could net a steady gig that pays well. 2. A kindly restaurant owner may include dinner as part of your compensation. 3. Other engagements frequently come from playing in an upscale establishment with a wealthy clientele. On the downside, these gigs require industrial strength guitarists. Understand going in that 1. the acoustics will be bad and the room will be noisy, 2. it will be rare when anyone pays much attention to you, and 3. you will be required to play somewhere between two and four hours a night.

To be heard at these gigs, you must be amplified. In an ideal world, the restaurant would be able to patch you into the house system and your sound would carry to all corners of the room. That's a pipe dream, so bring a system that will enable you get louder and softer as the number of patrons ebbs and flows. I recommend using a guitar with a pickup and an amp rather than trying to mic your guitar. Using a mic can be problematic in tight spaces where someone might knock the mic into your guitar. As well, you will encounter feedback issues when you raise the volume as the room gets louder.

For me, the first set in a restaurant setting is the best one. Typically, there are few customers and the room is reasonably quiet. This is the time to play both your sensitive numbers and some showpieces. Play those beloved chestnuts from the Segovia repertoire that you might not deem esoteric enough for your recital program. Typically, I play music from Christopher Parkening's repertoire too, including selections from the published editions of Parkening Plays Bach, Romanza, Parkening and the Guitar, and etc. These pieces really appeal to general audiences. To many, this music will be a revelation and a positive introduction to the sound of classical guitar.

As the noise of conversation, dishes banging, and silverware clattering rises, it becomes almost impossible to put the subtleties of your interpretations across. At this point, your job becomes less about performing and more about being a pleasing component of the ambient sound in the room. This is when I may indulge a little bit by sight reading some simple pieces in between those I know. I also throw in some good etudes. Playing pieces from Matteo Carcassi's 25 Estudios, Fernando Sor's 20 Studies, or the Villa Lobos Douze Etudes will get your hands working and push your technique. No one will notice if you are struggling to play your arpeggios evenly or that you muffed a scale passage in the Villa Lobos Etude 7.

Overall, a certain amount of humility is required for both restaurant and wedding gigs. Understand that the you are not the main attraction, but rather a part of the ambiance. Don't cop an attitude because the people aren't listening as they would in a concert hall. As you polish your skills, you will be able to attract a listening audience. Recognize the the opportunities these gigs afford. In many instances they present the chance for you to play for people, expand your repertoire and technique, receive money for playing music, and get a break from eating your own cooking.