Playing guitars with new people while camping?

We would love it as long as you don't mind us pulling up a couple of chairs to listen.

This thread reminds me of a co-worker's comment about how when she and her husband camp, he'll bring out his guitar and play and sing in the evenings. She always insists that he is quiet and you can't hear it beyond their campsite. Yet, she also always claims that other campers constantly come up to their campsite because they think it's a radio playing...

Now, I have camped with musicians, I have spent nights around the campfire singing, etc. The one thing I can say is that if someone comes up because they think you have the radio on, it's not a compliment to your talents. They are coming to tell you to turn the darn thing off. (And I've heard him play and he does NOT know how to temper his playing for a quiet setting - he plays as if he's in a beer joint regardless of when or where he is. And, because he let his teeth rot out, you just hear toothless rumbling.)

I love music, but I don't want to hear American Idol rejects when I'm camping... actually, I don't want to hear American Idol winners when I'm camping. And I REALLY don't want to hear dueling banjos.

I like music too, but I prefer the sounds of nature when camping - camping in the woods that is, not as much of an issue in a commercial RV park. There is enough going on in an RV park that a little impromptu music wouldn't be that much of a distraction as long as it was kept within reason.

I always bring a ukulele. I am fond of the Outdoor Ukulele and Martin OXK as they do well in heat and humidity.

Johno02 wrote:
I think its great, but like others said, there is too much of "too loud, and too late" Personally, I could sit and listen to a good acoustic and a good singer all night. Might even add in a bit of background myself. If its good music, and not just a lot of noise like most of the music you hear nowadays.

Double ditto. Acoustic instruments, nonelectric are fine and in the right hands enjoyable, before nine pm. After that it's treading in the realm of irritating.

My experience in 45+ years of camping:
Most folks camping on weekends are looking for nature's sounds as an antidote to human noise where they live.

We were camping in Indiana last spring, and someone had a bass, electric bass. Thought about bringing my drums but didn't think it would go over too well.

the DW is a singer/songwriter and brings her backpack guitar when camping.
she only does when camping with family or friends. she came from a camping family where she played and sang for them, all her life. so it's expected when camping with her family, even after 50 years.

when it's just us, she doesn't bring it.

You need to follow bluegrass. Festivals in CGs are all over & the best part of them is the late night picking which can carry on till the sun comes up. Everyone is there for the same purpose so there is no complaining about noise though those who like to jam do tend to camp in certain areas.

qtla9111 wrote:
I've always wanted to bring along my didgeridoo but it takes up way too much room in the rv. :)

Now that's funny. I was traveling through the Northern California Redwood country on one of our many trips through that area and stopped to stretch our legs at one of the Grooves. While walking through the quiet grooves we suddenly heard the most God awful noises coming from some where up ahead. Upon investigating we found a fella that was trying to learn to play his Didgeridoo. He said he came out here to do it so he wouldn't bother anybody, I informed him he was going to have to get a whole lot farther off the road if that was his intent:)
Tinbender

My stand-up bass fiddle will not fit into the door of my trailer! And my blues harmonicas were hijacked by my son, who plays them a lot better than I do. I have built several pentatonic bass xylophones (in different keys) but rarely get a chance to play them. They are not easy to transport.

We boondock precisely because we search out silence. But if I could play guitar well, I would bring it and strum it by the campfire. My wife would sing, except that she refuses to do so.

I'm not sure where I am going with these comments. I think I mean to say to the OP that if you want to jam with folks you meet in campgrounds, it might happen once in a while, and I envy your ability to play well on a portable instrument. Go for it!