A question for all y'all buskers out there? How tacky is it to have a cheat sheet with chords/lyrics when you are busking. I am still building my set list but I could play a bunch more songs if I had cheat sheets until I memorize them. 

What are your thoughts on this?

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Comment by Fomhorach on June 12, 2016 at 12:45pm

My friend used one taped on the back of his guitar. A quick little tilt forwards and he had " song - chords - tempo - additional info" . Just those 4 things were enough to jog his head. He had a list of about 20 on there.

Comment by Alan Hergert on June 9, 2016 at 7:42am

I do Open Mic and a lot of the kids use their cell phones for lyrics.  They may surf the net for all I know which would give you unlimited resources.

One trick my old guitar teacher taught me was to tape your lyrics/cords to your guitar.  The audience won't see it and you look like a genius!  Only good for a song or two.

Comment by Jim Morris on June 9, 2016 at 5:22am

Back when I used to busk I knew about 400 songs but not all the verses (or chords) to them by heart. That way if a listener made a request I could usually do some of it and then maybe repeat the 1st verse. That was often enough to satisfy get a couple of bucks tossed in the case. Whenever I tried using cheat sheets it would always guarantee a windy day and it's tough chasing down paper with instrument in hand! I don't think it's tacky to use them - just troublesome sometimes.

Sometimes I'd make up lyrics on the spot to fit listeners - "I look at your face and I notice you're sunburned. While my guitar gently weeps" Stuff along those lines.

Comment by Ron "Oily" Sprague on June 8, 2016 at 3:56pm
Do what you need to do, man. I use lyric / chord sheets at almost every gig I do nowadays. Beats fumbling around, trying to remember the umpteenth verse to "Amejkrican Pie"

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