Stand-Up Comedy
Stand-up comedy takes the things you have noticed over a lifetime and turns them into laughter you can share with a whole room. It costs almost nothing to start, rewards your years of experience rather than a young body, and gives you the deep satisfaction of making strangers smile. It is creativity, confidence, and connection all at once.
What you need to start
- A notebook or phone to capture jokes and ideas
- A way to record your sets (your phone works fine)
- A local open mic to sign up for
- A willingness to try, bomb sometimes, and come back
At a glance
Your learning path
Three stages, taken at your own pace. Start at the top, get comfortable, then move down as you grow. There is no rush, and no wrong place to begin.
Everyone has to start somewhere, and these first videos walk you through it gently: what stand-up actually is, how to write your first jokes, the simple setup-and-punchline shape a joke takes, and exactly what to expect at your first open mic.
How to start doing stand-up comedy (3 steps for beginners)
Markus PresentsHow To Write Stand Up Comedy - 20 TIPS AND TECHNIQUES
Let's Talk ComedyCrush Your Joke Writing Using Compare & Contrast Structure
Jerry Corley aka The Joke DoctorYour first open mic: How to do stand up comedy
Markus PresentsOnce you have a few sets under your belt, these help you grow: developing your ideas into real bits, handling the microphone with ease, sharpening your timing and delivery, staying calm with hecklers and bad nights, and shaping a tight, dependable set.
How to Do Comedy | Comedy Masterclass with Jerry Corley, Part 2
Hot Breath! Comedy NetworkMicrophone Technique - How To Perform Stand Up Comedy. Tips and Tricks!!
Mark BennettYou’re Rushing Your Laughs
Let's Talk ComedyHow to Handle a Heckler
Comedy Without ErrorsHow to Create a Tight 5 Minute Set (in 5 Steps)
Hot Breath! Comedy NetworkWhen the basics feel natural, these push you toward mastery: discovering your own comedic voice and persona, polishing a clean five-minute set, getting booked at clubs and showcases, writing a little every day, and adding act-outs and other advanced techniques.
How to Find Your Comedic Voice in Stand-Up Comedy
All Things CoveredHow To Write Your First Stand-Up Comedy Set
Let's Talk ComedyHOW TO GET STAGE TIME AT A COMEDY CLUB
briankimcomedyA Secret Approach to Writing Jokes that Audiences Love
Jerry Corley aka The Joke DoctorHow to Do Act-Outs (Without Being an Actor)
Hot Breath! Comedy NetworkWhy stand-up comedy is wonderful after 50
Stand-up comedy is a joyful creative challenge that has almost nothing to do with age and everything to do with what you notice. After fifty you carry a lifetime of material: jobs, marriages, grandkids, doctors' offices, and all the small absurdities you have quietly filed away for decades. That perspective is pure gold on a stage, and younger comics simply cannot fake it. Learning to shape those observations into jokes builds real confidence, and stepping up to a microphone proves to yourself that you are still growing. Best of all, comedy is connection. You make a room full of strangers laugh together, you meet warm and welcoming people at open mics, and you get to be the reason others feel lighter for a few minutes. Few hobbies give back that much laughter.
Your first month, week by week
Just watch and listen. View the beginner videos above, then go to a local open mic as an audience member. Notice how comics hold the mic, how they wait for the laugh, and what kinds of jokes land. Start a notebook or phone note and jot down anything funny that happens in your day.
Write your first jokes. Pick three things that genuinely annoy or delight you and write a simple setup and punchline for each. Do not aim for perfect. Say them out loud, record yourself on your phone, and trim every word that is not needed.
Build a rough two to three minutes from your best jokes. Practice it out loud until you know it well enough to look up from your notes. Time it. Read your setups slowly and let the punchlines snap.
Sign up for an open mic and perform your set. Record it if you can. Afterward, listen back and mark exactly where the laughs came and where they did not. You are now a comedian, and the notes from this one set will teach you more than a month of theory.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Long, wandering setups. Get to the funny part faster; every extra sentence before the punchline drains the energy out of the joke.
- Apologizing or announcing that you are new. The audience takes you at your own valuation, so walk up, plant your feet, and simply begin.
- Rushing the punchline and talking over the laugh. Say the punch word clearly, then stop and let the room respond before you move on.
- Stealing jokes, even by accident. Write from your own life; borrowed material is the fastest way to lose respect in a comedy community.
- Not recording your sets. Your memory of what happened is unreliable, and a simple phone recording shows you exactly what worked and what did not.
- Giving up after one bad night. Every comic bombs, especially early on; the ones who make it are simply the ones who came back the next week.
Make it easier on your body
関節炎、弱視、または運動制限のある人でもスタンドアップコメディを快適かつ安全に保つための簡単な方法。 |||9月||| スタンドアップは椅子に座って行うことができ、肉体的な運動を必要としないため、腰が悪い、膝が痛い、体力が足りないなどの理由でステージから降りる必要はありません。 |||9月||| 執筆はすべて、自宅の快適な椅子に座って、自分に合ったペースで、好きなだけ休憩しながら行われます。 |||9月||| 大きな活字のメモや携帯電話の画面上の簡単な概要が記憶力をサポートするので、明かりの下で思い出すことだけを頼りにする必要はありません。 |||9月||| オープンマイクは歓迎的でプレッシャーが少ないことで有名で、他の初心者もたくさんいるので、始めるときに怖がる必要はありません。 |||9月||| マイクはあなたの声を部屋全体に届けます。つまり、緊張したり叫んだりする必要がなく、優しく快適に話すことができます。 |||9月||| 地元の協力的なコメディ コミュニティは、新人をすぐに励まし、フィードバックを提供し、自分のスピードで成長できるようサポートします。 |||9月||| 聞こえてくる言葉 |||9月||| セットアップ |||9月||| ジョークの最初の部分は、聴衆に状況を伝え、あることを期待させ、その後のサプライズを準備します。 |||9月||| パンチライン |||9月||| 設定を予想外の方向にひねって笑いをもたらすペイオフライン。 |||9月||| ビット |||9月||| 1 つのトピックに関する 1 つの自己完結型の素材で、通常はセットアップ、オチ、およびいくつかのフォローアップの笑いから構築されます。 |||9月||| タイトファイブ |||9月||| 最も信頼できるジョークの洗練された 5 分間のセット。コメディアンの標準的なオーディションおよびショーケースの長さです。 |||9月||| オープンマイク |||9月||| 誰でも数分間のステージ時間に登録して新しいネタをテストできる非公式のショーであり、あらゆる漫画の練習場です。 |||9月||| コールバック |||9月||| セットの以前の部分を振り返るジョークで、注意を払ってセットを結びつけた聴衆に褒美を与えます。 |||9月||| アクトアウト |||9月||| 登場人物や瞬間をただ説明するのではなく短く演じ、声と体を使ってシーンを語るのではなく見せること。 |||9月||| 仲間を見つける場所 |||9月||| 地元のオープンマイクやコメディクラブには、あらゆるレベルのコメディアンが毎週集まり、初心者も心から歓迎されます。 |||9月||| コミュニティ センター、成人教育プログラム、コメディ クラブでのコメディ クラスやワークショップ。フレンドリーな仲間と最初の協力的な聴衆を提供します。 |||9月||| コメディーのサブレディットや r/Standup などのフォーラム。脚本家がフィードバック、オープンマイクのヒント、激励を交換します。 |||9月||| シニアのユーモア グループやコミュニティ センターの笑いサークルやストーリーテリング サークルでは、仲間が自分の考え方を共有し、一緒に笑うのが大好きです。 |||9月||| 新しいコミックに関するオンライン コメディ コミュニティと Facebook グループでは、クリップを共有したり、質問したり、近くのオープン マイクを見つけることができます。 |||9月||| スタンドアップコメディを学び始める |||9月||| 無料のフレンドリーなレッスンに登録して、最初の一歩を踏み出すお手伝いをします。どこから出発するかをお知らせください。そこでお会いいたします。 |||9月||| 試したことはありません |||9月||| 少し手を出しました |||9月||| 私はそれに戻ります |||9月||| メールでの無料レッスン
- Stand-up can be performed sitting on a stool and requires no physical exertion, so a bad back, sore knees, or limited stamina need never keep you off the stage.
- All of the writing is done from a comfortable chair at home, at whatever pace suits you, with as many breaks as you like.
- Large-print notes or a simple outline on your phone screen support your memory, so you are never relying on recall alone under the lights.
- Open mics are famously welcoming and low-pressure, filled with other beginners, so there is no need to feel intimidated as you start out.
- A microphone carries your voice to the whole room, which means you can speak softly and comfortably and never have to strain or shout.
- A supportive local comedy community is quick to encourage newcomers, offer feedback, and help you grow at your own speed.
Words you'll hear
- Setup
- The first part of a joke that gives the audience the situation and leads them to expect one thing, setting up the surprise to come.
- Punchline
- The payoff line that lands the laugh by twisting the setup in an unexpected direction.
- Bit
- A single self-contained chunk of material about one topic, usually built from a setup, a punchline, and a few follow-up laughs.
- Tight five
- A polished five-minute set of your most reliable jokes, the standard audition and showcase length for a comedian.
- Open mic
- An informal show where anyone can sign up for a few minutes of stage time to test new material, the training ground for every comic.
- Callback
- A joke that refers back to an earlier bit in your set, rewarding the audience for paying attention and tying the set together.
- Act-out
- Briefly acting out a character or moment instead of just describing it, using your voice and body to show the scene rather than tell it.
Where to find your people
- Local open mics and comedy clubs, where comedians of every level gather weekly and newcomers are genuinely welcomed.
- Comedy classes and workshops at community centers, adult-education programs, and comedy clubs, which give you a friendly cohort and a first supportive audience.
- Comedy subreddits and forums such as r/Standup, where writers swap feedback, open-mic tips, and encouragement.
- Senior humor groups and community-center laughter or storytelling circles, where your peers share your outlook and love to laugh together.
- Online comedy communities and Facebook groups for new comics, where you can share clips, ask questions, and find open mics near you.
Start learning Stand-Up Comedy
Sign up for our free, friendly lessons and we will help you take the first step. Tell us where you are starting from and we will meet you there.
