Silencing the opposition

Buskers sometimes try to outshout each other, said Mr Rosman Zeilstra Grayham Anthony, 50, who has been playing the trumpet for three years.

'Those with amplifiers will turn them up to drown out those of us who don't have them. I try to tell them nicely to tone it down, but if they don't listen, there's nothing I can do,' he said.

Ignoring principles of fair play

Banhu player Lee Kian Chuan, 60, said he has been chased away from spots in the Orchard underpass by buskers who claimed that they had reserved these spots.

'If you're new, they'll try to convince you that it is a rule to give way to buskers who have been around longer,' he complained.

He has been busking for eight years and plays outside Tong building next to the Paragon.

Using gimmicks to draw attention

To stand out from the crowd, some buskers also do more than just play music. Erhu player Tony Loh, 50, decorates his speakers with patterned scarves.

'It's like putting on make-up; you must make it pretty, then they'll notice and donate,' said the man who has been playing for two years.