I think you're putting too much stock into what other people think of you. From the short impression I get from your post, you aren't a douche, and rather a nice and considerate person, so that shouldn't come through just because you're playing the guitar.
Douchebags are douchey when they do everything, I don't think the action itself so much makes the person in question a douche. Here in Asheville, NC, the city kinda prides itself on being the "San Francisco of the East", so there's lots of spontaneous drum circles, prayer/chanting/meditation circles, and of course busking involving instruments of every type. I even saw a dude with a full Neil Peart setup drumset on the sidewalk going nuts with solos and he was actually making money doing it.
I'd say give it a shot, the action itself won't make you a douche, and feel out your surroundings. If people go out of their way to avoid walking near/past you, or if someone tells you that it's bothering them, find out whether it was what you were playing or if the location wasn't well suited to any kind of playing.
Either way, if you'll never be asked to be on Jersey Shore, and your friends have never told you you're a douche, and you've never looked in the mirror and thought you were seeing a douche, I have trouble imagining that simply playing the guitar is gonna go ahead and make that a reality.
For the record, I don't see anything wrong with keeping the guitar case open. It's not like you're begging, and a lot of people end up delighted to encounter some live entertainment on their travels, and even a dollar shows they appreciated it, and that it funds new strings/capos and stuff like that. It doesn't make you a panhandler because you're offering a service.
Douchebags are douchey when they do everything, I don't think the action itself so much makes the person in question a douche. Here in Asheville, NC, the city kinda prides itself on being the "San Francisco of the East", so there's lots of spontaneous drum circles, prayer/chanting/meditation circles, and of course busking involving instruments of every type. I even saw a dude with a full Neil Peart setup drumset on the sidewalk going nuts with solos and he was actually making money doing it.
I'd say give it a shot, the action itself won't make you a douche, and feel out your surroundings. If people go out of their way to avoid walking near/past you, or if someone tells you that it's bothering them, find out whether it was what you were playing or if the location wasn't well suited to any kind of playing.
Either way, if you'll never be asked to be on Jersey Shore, and your friends have never told you you're a douche, and you've never looked in the mirror and thought you were seeing a douche, I have trouble imagining that simply playing the guitar is gonna go ahead and make that a reality.
For the record, I don't see anything wrong with keeping the guitar case open. It's not like you're begging, and a lot of people end up delighted to encounter some live entertainment on their travels, and even a dollar shows they appreciated it, and that it funds new strings/capos and stuff like that. It doesn't make you a panhandler because you're offering a service.
[/footnote], or Brit-pop[footnote]Although, of course Brit-pop is rife with songs that are attractive for sing along purposes... this doesn't mean they should be played or sung along to![/footnote]! Also, any song that was written as an accoustic track is fair game... Also the guitarist should also be able to sing as s/he plays, and actually be a good singer! Oh, and songs should be kept, on average, to less popular, more unknown songs, as then you can't hear if they go wrong at any point!
