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Do professional musicians intimidate you?
- Thread starter IamGroot
- Start date
One thing to remember is that being a professional musician is not a uniform title. There are hip hop artists who are paid more than most of us will ever see in our lives who can't read music, play an instrument, sing or write songs. They are professional musicians. There are amateur musicians who never got the breaks who could blow away many of the acts filling the bills at gigs. When you have to choose between eating, living in a building, and wearing clothes or playing music, most of us find ourselves becoming amateurs or semi-pros (weekend warriors). Unlike other blue collar jobs, musicians aren't always in demand or paid well. Few can eke out a living through music alone. For those fortunate to have done so, it isn't always the case of the best qualified getting the job. KISS probably aren't the first call you'd hire as studio musicians, unless their notoriety was a perk for sales. All of us are human and are playing music, so getting along, finding common ground, putting on the best show possible (where KISS may be the first ones you'd call), putting our differences aside (especially egos), and concentrating on the task at hand is the primary goal. How you treat your coworkers onstage is just like you would at any other job: with courtesy, respect and kindness. Now all of you, GET OFF MY LAWN!!!
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Smooth_bass88
vaxx!
- Oct 31, 2006
- 12,122
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- have been on nationally released albums, charting on the Billboard 200
It's what we do. I'm doing one tomorrow afternoon with José Feliciano's drummer.
I'd be handing out business cards like a madman and whoring myself out! Sounds like a dream gig.
Most of the “pro” musicians I know are snarky, cynical weaklings.
I love it when the music starts, playing with them is s joy, but afterwards I am gone.
I love it when the music starts, playing with them is s joy, but afterwards I am gone.
I'm a perfectionist who's not into surprises. If I don't know what's going to be played, I won't like it. My repertoire isn't that big. But give me some sheet music and I'm good.
I don't even visit jam sessions for that reason. I like my controlled environments, thus I'm far more comfortable composing music than I am playing it.
These types of random call gigs are exceptionally rare over here though, even the handful of jazz combos don't do that.
I don't even visit jam sessions for that reason. I like my controlled environments, thus I'm far more comfortable composing music than I am playing it.
These types of random call gigs are exceptionally rare over here though, even the handful of jazz combos don't do that.
I'd be able to handle some simpler tunes on a gig like that I think, but I'd be out of my element unfortunately.
Also, quite honestly I like to be prepared. Not having a set list and calling tunes out a trandom largely causes me a lot of stress.
The "pros" who play that kind of gig - in the UK at least - fall into two distinct categories. The group who are totally comfortable with the material and the personnel and just doing it for fun, and another group who do it for reasons of, shall we say, personal growth....
In my experience, as an ex-pro session player and with touring bands, as well as as a DB player in the classical world, all the really good pros I have worked with want to rehearse. Maybe not more than once, and maybe not for long, but it's a common theme. I've never depped in a band without at least a quick run through. If you go out for a paying gig without rehearsing, you should examine your life choices. It's unprofessional, in my opinion.
Having said that, YMMV. Peace
Neil
In my experience, as an ex-pro session player and with touring bands, as well as as a DB player in the classical world, all the really good pros I have worked with want to rehearse. Maybe not more than once, and maybe not for long, but it's a common theme. I've never depped in a band without at least a quick run through. If you go out for a paying gig without rehearsing, you should examine your life choices. It's unprofessional, in my opinion.
Having said that, YMMV. Peace
Neil
Good post. Not to get off topic, but in my area and genre, rehearsal is very much a four letter word. Everyone wants to gig and no one wants to rehearse and work out the songs. These gigs generally pay anywhere from $50-$100.00 and considering the drive time involved and the time commitment no one is putting dinner on their table with that little money no matter what they say. I really just think it's nothing more than Attention W____ing at it's finest.
It's frankly something that is really starting to irritate me as a lot of the people I work with just quite frankly don't know the songs as well as they think they do, myself included. There are parts in some of these tunes I'd rather play in rehearsal so I can hear how they sound first before we hit the stage.
I am sure some places are like that with venues drying up. It would be as if basketball courts started getting torn out and the community is only left with a few which are dominated by players who got a hard looking at by the professional leagues and big time college recruiters. The guys playing for fun would be laughed off of the court and community pressure would stop them from putting their I got next hat onto the court
I'm not a heavy jazz player in my city, but I think this view comes from a different place from snobbery. Those guys probably play fairly boring rep to pay the bills, and they're there at the jam to stretch out.
Its more like: if you haven't commited enough time to music to memorise some standards, then that is not the right jam for you.
It's selfish to turn up to a jam, be that far out of your depth, wearing floaties (a real book) and expect everyone to indulge you.
Just IMO
No, not intimidating. I think it's good to play with musicians that are professionals because you will learn something. For many years I gigged as a professional player and in the beginning I found myself among some really great musicians that helped me develop my craft.
When I sit in on a jam session regardless of who is playing what style I'll manage to fit in even if I don't know the material, many years behind the bass has taught me to be versatile and listen closely.
These days I try to get some younger players to join us for some shows or a tour, they are grateful for the experience and look at us a the elders of the local scene now, we're the guys that have been there and done that and survived to tell the tales.
When I sit in on a jam session regardless of who is playing what style I'll manage to fit in even if I don't know the material, many years behind the bass has taught me to be versatile and listen closely.
These days I try to get some younger players to join us for some shows or a tour, they are grateful for the experience and look at us a the elders of the local scene now, we're the guys that have been there and done that and survived to tell the tales.
I work with pros all the time - church gigs; we all show up prepared, it works.
Sometimes, there’s a lull in the action at a rehearsal, and someone will break out into a jam. No problem; I taught myself to play be playing along with whatever came on the radio; I can hang with that all day.
Sometimes, there’s a lull in the action at a rehearsal, and someone will break out into a jam. No problem; I taught myself to play be playing along with whatever came on the radio; I can hang with that all day.
Everybody has limitations, whether imposed by themselves due to lack of time /dedication or whether they are simply physical/mental limitations. I will never be a pro at music because I'm not good enough and I'm pretty sure I would never want to be a pro even if I could. Once it becomes a job, it's work to me. I enjoy music as a release, an escape from the day to day. But I don't have it in me to woodshed and work hard at music. It would defeat the point for me. Amateur? Hobbyist? I guess guilty as charged, although I do gig a couple times a month. While by some definition that makes me a pro because I occasionally get paid to play, I don't view myself as a professional musician. Pros love it enough to eat, sleep and breathe it to a much greater extent than I do.
Not all who enjoy basketball aspire to be or are able to be Larry Bird. It takes all skill levels to make the world go round.
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Meh. This sounds like an exercise in trying to make someone look bad/embarass in a live situation (kinda like the house band switching the key up on a musician in an open jam so they sound out of key). Like others mentioned, not my kind of gig...but also I dont play covers. I'd be fine and make decent music but I would miss the changes and certainly not play any lines that are true to the actual song unless by sheer luck I choose the same notes or general groove as the actual song.
To me, playing covers is not the measure of being a musician...its the measure of woodshedding on lots of cover songs. The measure of a real musician is someone who can play and have a musical conversation by just listening and responding.
For me...
Its a show up and play job for a crowded bar you have only talked to the drummer online. He has a guitar player friend who is supposedly really good coming and he is bringing a trombone player. There is also a keyboardist that the drummer just met but has never played together. No one is pro, but everyone has the chops and abilities of pro players...they just all have families and day gigs. Nothing planned, no set list, no discussion...fully improv, use your ears, listen for the tonic center. 2 60 - 90 minute sets
How do you feel about that?
This is the gig I LOVE and look for. IMO, this is what being a musician means. Its the difference between knowing how to play an instrument vs knowing how to play some songs.
