Who here eats because of bass?

[cheapbasslovin]

I have often wondered how many musicians are able to make a living doing what they do. I personally am in a band working to make some spare cash to buy gear, help with the bills, and buy gear. We're simply looking to get the gig to pay for itself and we would be happy with that.

If you are able to house yourself with skillzzzzzzz, do any of you do so with virtually no musical training? I've often thought about looking in the local area to see if there is a market for my skills. I can play fairly well, with decent intonation and a reasonably broad range of skills, but I have no musical training. I can't read music any more than a 1st grader can read a War and Peace. I have very little understanding of chord phrasings other than to listen to the chord and play until I have a sound for it that I like.

Obviously I probably have a lot of understanding of music that I have no terminology for (ignorant bastard!!!) but alot of good it does me when trying to understand what someone else is telling me.

So tell me, do I stand a shot at making enough extra money to make it worth my time to seek out freelance style gigs, or am I stuck in bar-band hell (which really ain't so bad )?

Oh, as a side note, I have a wife and kids and like them all so I don't want to get divorced.

[Pacman]

I eat because of bass. I have training, and I read music better than I read English.

If you can't read, you'll be severely limiting yourself. Learn now.

[alfredpunkjazz]

+1

It's never too late... it gets harder with time, but just that...

[bigfatbass]

Learn to read. I play for a living and almost never use it, but in the moments it's needed, I'd get fired if I couldn't do it.

[cheapbasslovin]

I was afraid of that. Thought that here was the best place to ask.

Thanks.

[SevenReasons]

+1 on reading! Two years ago I couldn't read a thing!! The key is getting a gig that requires some reading and you'll pick it up far faster than you think. Its amazing what you can do from the fear of embarrasment. I faked my way into a ship gig last year barely able to read half notes at 100bpm, and now a year later i'm reading flies of the page. Seriously never thought that would happen!!! So now I eat because of bass.

On the other side of that, there are tons of guys who make a great living playing and can't read a thing!! Reading just gives you one more tool on filling in on certain gigs last minute. Also most gigs that require reading pay. Thats my two cents.

Good luck!

[Munjibunga]

I eat because of bass. Hell, I eat because of pretty much anything.

[Phalex]

I don't eat because of the bass, but I do drink because of the drums.