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
관절염, 저시력 또는 제한된 이동성으로 스탠드업 코미디를 편안하고 안전하게 유지하는 간단한 방법입니다. |||9월||| 스탠드업은 의자에 앉아 수행할 수 있으며 육체적인 노력이 필요하지 않으므로 허리가 아프거나 무릎이 아프거나 체력이 부족하더라도 무대에서 벗어날 필요가 없습니다. |||9월||| 모든 글쓰기는 집에 있는 편안한 의자에 앉아 원하는 속도로 진행되며 원하는 만큼 휴식을 취할 수 있습니다. |||9월||| 전화기 화면에 크게 인쇄된 메모나 간단한 개요가 기억력을 지원하므로 조명 아래서 혼자 회상하는 데 절대 의존하지 않습니다. |||9월||| 오픈 마이크는 환영받고 부담이 적으며 다른 초보자들로 가득 차 있기 때문에 시작할 때 겁을 먹을 필요가 없습니다. |||9월||| 마이크는 귀하의 목소리를 방 전체에 전달하므로 부드럽고 편안하게 말할 수 있으며 긴장하거나 소리칠 필요가 없습니다. |||9월||| 지원적인 지역 코미디 커뮤니티는 신규 이민자를 신속하게 격려하고 피드백을 제공하며 자신의 속도에 맞춰 성장할 수 있도록 도와줍니다. |||9월||| 당신이 듣게 될 말 |||9월||| 설정 |||9월||| 청중에게 상황을 알려주고 한 가지를 기대하게 만드는 농담의 첫 번째 부분으로, 앞으로 다가올 놀라움을 설정합니다. |||9월||| 펀치라인 |||9월||| 예상치 못한 방향으로 설정을 비틀어 웃음을 안겨주는 대가라인. |||9월||| 비트 |||9월||| 일반적으로 설정, 펀치라인 및 몇 가지 후속 웃음으로 구성된 하나의 주제에 대한 단일 독립형 자료입니다. |||9월||| 타이트 파이브 |||9월||| 가장 믿을 수 있는 농담, 코미디언을 위한 표준 오디션 및 쇼케이스 길이로 구성된 세련된 5분 세트입니다. |||9월||| 오픈 마이크 |||9월||| 모든 만화의 훈련장인 새로운 자료를 테스트하기 위해 누구나 몇 분 동안 무대에 등록할 수 있는 비공식 쇼입니다. |||9월||| 콜백 |||9월||| 세트의 이전 부분을 다시 언급하는 농담으로, 주의를 기울이고 세트를 하나로 묶어준 청중에게 보상을 줍니다. |||9월||| 액트아웃 |||9월||| 단순히 묘사하는 대신 캐릭터나 순간을 간략하게 연기하고, 장면을 말하기보다는 목소리와 몸을 사용하여 보여줍니다. |||9월||| 당신의 사람들을 찾을 수 있는 곳 |||9월||| 모든 수준의 코미디언들이 매주 모이고 새로 온 사람들을 진심으로 환영하는 지역 오픈 마이크 및 코미디 클럽입니다. |||9월||| 커뮤니티 센터, 성인 교육 프로그램, 코미디 클럽에서 진행되는 코미디 수업과 워크숍을 통해 친근한 집단과 첫 번째 지원 청중을 제공합니다. |||9월||| 작가들이 피드백, 오픈 마이크 팁, 격려를 교환하는 r/Standup과 같은 코미디 하위 레딧 및 포럼. |||9월||| 선배 유머 그룹과 커뮤니티 센터 웃음 또는 스토리텔링 서클에서는 동료들이 자신의 전망을 공유하고 함께 웃는 것을 좋아합니다. |||9월||| 새로운 만화를 위한 온라인 코미디 커뮤니티와 Facebook 그룹에서 클립을 공유하고, 질문하고, 가까운 오픈 마이크를 찾을 수 있습니다. |||9월||| 스탠드업 코미디 배우기 시작하기 |||9월||| 무료로 친절한 수업에 등록하시면 첫 걸음을 내딛을 수 있도록 도와드리겠습니다. 당신이 어디에서 출발하는지 알려주시면 그곳에서 만나겠습니다. |||9월||| 나는 그것을 시도한 적이 없다 |||9월||| 나는 조금 손을 댔다. |||9월||| 나는 그것으로 돌아가고있다 |||9월||| 이메일로 무료 수업
- 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.
