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How to start making money as a bass player?

witward

witward

Feb 7, 2008
28
1
Louisville, KY
#1
A little back story first...I have been playing bass since i was 15, im 33 now. I have always played in church and have done an event every now and then but have only been payed for just a handful of small jazz gigs. I love the bass. Its apart of me. I can read and also play by ear. I can play most genres but i lean heavy on Jazz, R&B, Gospel and Funk. I've finally decided i would like to do what i love and get paid for it. This leads me to my question...

Where do i even start? The only scene I've ever been apart of is the church scene and the churches I've played at don't pay. Really, i just need a starting point. I understand networking is a pretty big part but even then i'm not sure where to locate musicians in my city. What are some crucial steps to get me on my way. I really do appreciate the feedback. Thanks.
 
#2
I've lived in two towns where I've broken into the paid gig scene: Once when I was in graduate school, and most recently in Madison WI where I live right now. In both cases, I just started introducing myself to musicians. It's kind of awkward, but it's possible to meet players at their gigs and let it be known that you're looking, without seeming to threaten their existing bassist. Attending gigs is also a good way to make a mental note of what genres and tunes are the local favorites. Likewise for attending jam sessions and similar events. In one case, a bandleader found out about me because he was a friend of my office mate at my day job.

Then, one day, I got a random call, played the gig, and got onto a bandleader's sub list. This led to a trickle of gigs. Some of the players on those gigs were subs themselves, or had their own bands, so I gradually built a reputation. I took whatever came along, with the intent of just being heard by other musicians, and proving that I'm easy to work with.

Now, in my case, I never got up to the level of playing enough to quit my day job, and I wouldn't have wanted that. When it got up to 2+ gigs a week, that was too much, but things kind of tapered off naturally due to the ebb and flow of the local scene.

Then I became a dad, which rearranged my schedule a bit. ;) Today, I play with a non commercial band that performs monthly, a jazz originals band, and other odd gigs as they come along. It's as much as I can manage without detracting from my family and my day job.

There are certainly bassists in Madison who gig more frequently than I do. Bass seems to be somewhat of a meritocracy. The A-list upright players all have music degrees. I don't, but I'm still gigging. On the other hand, there's work that I won't get called for, such as professional pit gigs, famous players coming through town, etc. Many of the A-list players teach, either in the schools or privately.
 
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#4
Hello,

in my opinion there's not a "formula" on how to get payed or get money out from your talent.
I suggest you read some columns on notreble (here's an example: Life as a Working Bassist: Where Does the Money Come From?).
Damian Erskine has some really great tips on how to get money out of beying a bass player.

Once again, there's no formula... some found the "job" by introducing themselves to musician directly, some by youtube videos, some by raccomendation, ecc ecc...

I think that bottom line is the fact that you should be "noticed" somehow. How you achieve that is on your side.

Good luck
 
#5
Plug into the scene. Go to open mic nights and get up and jam with some guys.

Go see a couple of local covers bands to see what they are playing. Start now learning any songs that all bands play. Go up and talk to them during a set break.

CraigsList ad couldn't hurt, but you'll have to weed through a lot of flakes. Keep the ad short. Details in an ad become like a filter. You want more people to contact you, even if they aren't a good fit. You're still making contacts.
 
#7
Go to auditions, open mic nights, go to auditions, go to local gigs to get a feel for the music scene and introduce yourself maybe pass out come cards, go to auditions, test some basses in the local stick and strings (I got my longest lasting gig doing that), go to auditions, check craigslist.

Did I mention auditions?
 
#8
tangentmusic said:
If you want to make money being a bass player:
Get a day job...
Click to expand...

Yep, that's where I was going with this one :).

Otherwise (since you say you can already read) learn as many covers as you possibly can inside out, show up on time, always be prepared, never complain, play with as many people as possible, smile lots, don't be an eye sore on stage, and make sure everyone thinks you're the greatest person in the world to be around.

And when you go on auditions make absolutely certain you get the gig. You do that by learning the material as though you were learning it for a a show that was paying $10,000, and the audition WAS that show. The biggest complaint I hear about people auditioning bass players is that nowadays they all show up thinking they're great and can wing the gig no problem, but don't bother to learn the material they're asked to learn. That's not limited to bass players. I've auditioned lots of drummers and guitar players who do the same. They're proficient players, and therefore think the band is going to be wowwed by what they can do. Doesn't work that way. If ya want the gig, know the material they're doing better than the band themselves do. That gives you the confidence edge over anyone else auditioning. There's a HUGE difference when someone is playing with the mindset of "I hope I don't mess this up" as opposed to "I got this, it's great to be playing it with other musicians, and it's sounding freaking awesome!"
 
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#10
Thanks everyone for the incredible feedback. So what I gather from the comments so far is it's going to take a lot of discipline, patience, and networking to get where I want to go. I'm up for that challenge. @Joe Nerve I really appreciate your extremely detailed reply. That kind of information is great to have for someone just getting into this.
 
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#14
Joe Nerve said:
Yep, that's where I was going with this one :).

Otherwise (since you say you can already read) learn as many covers as you possibly can inside out, show up on time, always be prepared, never complain, play with as many people as possible, smile lots, don't be an eye sore on stage, and make sure everyone thinks you're the greatest person in the world to be around.

And when you go on auditions make absolutely certain you get the gig. You do that by learning the material as though you were learning it for a a show that was paying $10,000, and the audition WAS that show. The biggest complaint I hear about people auditioning bass players is that nowadays they all show up thinking they're great and can wing the gig no problem, but don't bother to learn the material they're asked to learn. That's not limited to bass players. I've auditioned lots of drummers and guitar players who do the same. They're proficient players, and therefore think the band is going to be wowwed by what they can do. Doesn't work that way. If ya want the gig, know the material they're doing better than the band themselves do. That gives you the confidence edge over anyone else auditioning. There's a HUGE difference when someone is playing with the mindset of "I hope I don't mess this up" as opposed to "I got this, it's great to be playing it with other musicians, and it's sounding freaking awesome!"
Click to expand...

Lots of great advice here! Once you get to know local musicians and start getting fill-in calls, you'll be under scope, so:
1. Start with genres you are familiar with, but expand as soon as you can. Jazz, Funk, Gospel are great, but RnR, Soul, Pop are even better (in financial terms, of course). Allways be expanding.
2. Don't shy away from micro-gigs, i.e. duo with guitarist/singer. No reason to stay at home Tuesday evening.
3. Get a mic and practise backing vocals. You don't need much, just add your voice for the chorus. Even better if you can sing lead.
4. Have reliable equipment and keep it working. I've seen people show up as a temp. replacement with faulty instrument. Needless to say, they won't get called again. Important: you don't need anything fancy, just reliable working horse and backup.
5. Be organized - have all your repertoars and set lists (also lyrics if you sing) on your tablet, ready to play anything and everything.
6. Kind and friendly attitude helps a lot.

Good luck!
 
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