Since I am not your multi-artist whiz like most players, but a John Denver specialist, one of the strategies I use is to create set lists, three or four, that have a rhythm. I try to start light and happy, then do a somewhat slower tune and then a more emotive one and a faster high-energy song. This gives a kind of wave-like emotional flow to the set: bring them in with fun, give them a lively favorite, a more reflective ballad and then a feel-good song. But I do it from memory by memorizing my set list with mnemonic tricks. Here’s an example from one of my set lists on how to remember the song order. Here’s a sample set: The Music is You Today Leaving On a Jet Plane Sunshine On My shoulders Back Home Again Annie’s Song Fly Away Rocky Mountain High Grandma’s Feather Bed Poems, Prayers & Promises Take Me Home Country Roads This Old Guitar That’s a set. But how to memorize the order? I take a lead word from each song and make a story. An example for the first five songs would be: Music Today Leaves Sunshine Back Home. Each word in that sentence tells me the next song order. So I memorize the sentence. For the next three: Annie Flies Away to the Rocky Mountains. The last set would be something like; Grandma’s Poems of Calypso Take Me Home to a Guitar. Three sentences: a sort of story. Repeat until you memorized the story. See the story visually in your mind. “Music today leaves sunshine back home. Annie flies away to the Rocky Mountains. Grandma’s poems of calypso take me home to a guitar.” It’s stupid. It’s silly. It’s a dumb little story. But if you memorize that silly story, you’ve got your set list memorized. You don’t need a phone or a table or a pice of paper. The story is locked into your head. The sillier or more outlandish the story the better you will remember it. This method gives a song set mental order. It works best if you know your songs cold and don’t need to see chords or verses. If you do it is not as useful because you are still dependent on a page. If you don’t then that is something to focus one. It is also more difficult to memorize songs cold if you perform a wide variety of artists. I really have only focused primarily on one artist, but he has 300 or songs. Even so, the average person will only know a handfew. I’ve tried to be really good at John’s songs and onsey’s and twosey’s of song from other artists I like. Fortunately, a lot of assisted living know many of those songs

Thank you, Chris, but like anyone else, John’s range in parts of some songs is too high for me. Especially the yodels. He was incredible there. I have done two things to try to help myself. One is I play my guitars tuned down a full tone to DGCFAD. This is actually where John recorded Rhymes & Reasons. You play the chords the same and it’s easier on hour voice. Need to get back to standard pitch? Easy, just capo second fret and you’re there. So if you play a song normally at Capo 3 you’d Capo 5. The second thing for me was that I formerly saw myself as a guitarist. I’ve had to work on seeing myself as a singer. That wasn’t easy. But to that end I hired a local voice coach who gives me weekly lesson to stretch my projection and my range. My vocal range has increased about a half step so far, but she’s trying to get me into head voice. Still, a song like “The Eagle and the Hawk” is a bridge too far vocally. I’ll play it like crazy, but not quite there vocally yet. But I’m working on it. What you are teaching is the next part I’m really trying to learn: connection. Authentic interaction with individuals. Trying to focus on them and not me. To interact as a friend, not an act. I think that’s what they really need, not perfect music. What do you focus on when performing to engage with authenticity and love?

@Dee James i do something similar sometimes by putting off of my Drop-D tuning songs in the same block so I am not retuning the 6th string all the time between songs.

That was beautiful, Chris.

Indeed. I, too, own a Guild F-50R and that thing is a tank! It looks good and it is loud even unplugged. The only downside to F-50s is that it's heavy. I don't think you ever go wrong with a Guild F-50, but the Yamahas need amplification if you're in a large room. For unplugged in a large room I prefer either my Guild F-50R or my Taylor 815ce, as they're jumbos. But if you're plugged, you can adjust any acoustic-electric to wherever you like it. I think it all depends on the size of the venue and whether you're doing a show or a singalong.

In addition to my Guilds, I have three Taylors. One is an 815ce that is a big booming Jumbo. I also have a K224ce and more recently a K24ce. The 224ce has a Koa top and is made in Mexico. The K24ce is all Koa with maple binding. Both are beautiful guitars and fairly pricey and hooked to an amp they are awesome. Unplugged they are rather quiet, unlike the 815ce which is still loud unplugged. Those are my “high end” guitars that usually stay in their cases for “shows.” For daily practice and for campfires I play an old Alvarez Model 5865 which I use for “drive-by” playing of songs throughout the day. It’s a cedar top dreadnought. I’ve had it since 1979. Its old, banged up and less expensive but it is my version of “This Old Guitar.” We started together and still work together well.

I have suffered from similar thinking. I was a guitarist first. Then I’d watch someone like Tommy Emmanuel or Pete Huttlinger and go, man, I’ll never be that good. First I had to “see” myself as a real musician. When my duet partner passed away (he was the singer, I was a guitarist) I became the whole act. I had to learn to sing. Then I’d go see real singers like Celtic Woman and be totally awed…I will never be that good. But the truth is, I don’t have to be. Comparing yourself to the best gives you a perfect model, and it makes you better, but performance is a journey not a destination. People want entertainment not perfection. Sure, you should be as good as you can, but if you keep comparing yourself to the best you will never get out there and do it because you’ll never feel good enough. To help me I found a singing coach. I had to conceive of myself as a singer, which I had never done. I’m learning how to use my voice now and it’s a new thing. It’s the same. Based on nerves you’re never ready. But it’s action that makes a difference in these retirement communities, not musical perfection. Its interaction, kindness and authenticity they need. So you must ACT even if you don’t feel ready. Only by acting and doing will you gain confidence and relax. You sing and play and the world doesn’t end. Some people are ambivalent,, some enthusiastic. So what? It’s entertainment, not combat. What is there to fear? You are performing for people, bringing them joy and feelings they may not even express. Realize it is about THEM, not YOU. Bring joy, kindness and personal friendliness, not aloof stardom. They need a friend and for an hour that is you. The interaction is more important than the music. That’s how you make the difference: with love, not perfection. Focus on that and you’ll make a difference no matter how imperfect you are. But the only way to defeat stage fright is jump in and do your best and focus on them and not you. Taking action is how you do it. Study is fine, but you must get into the water to swim. All the study of swimming from shore won’t get you across the river. Jump in. Then it just gets easier with experience and you’ll come to have a great time yourself…and make new friends along the way. Your efforts matter to them in ways you may never know. Focus on the love and joy first, not the techniques of perfection. You’ll be performing and making a difference.