How you make your living as a pro

[twinjet]

Hey fellas and ladies,

I'm wondering a few things.

I'm wanting to pursue a musical career, mostly as a live/studio player. But I have no idea where to start or what to expect.

Tell me about your careers.

Include your musical background, where you came from, what you do, your skill set and education, how you got "in", hardships and benefits of the life, and any advice you might have to offer to a confused 24 year old looking to start a career in music.

Really hoping to hear from guys like @JimmyM and @Joe Nerve.

 

[JimmyM]

I got in by part right place right time, part doing a good job, part not being too difficult when bandleaders wanted me to do dumb stuff. And being able to sing got me gigs over better bassists. It was a struggle, though. Still is, too.

 

[twinjet]

I got in by part right place right time, part doing a good job, part not being too difficult when bandleaders wanted me to do dumb stuff. And being able to sing got me gigs over better bassists. It was a struggle, though. Still is, too.

A mentor of mine from long ago told me it was a tough way to make a living. He couldn't always pay rent!

 

[markoc]

I've carved out a niche for myself as an easy to work with side man. Even the band I've been in for 9 years, with few exceptions, what the BL wants is what he gets. Be true to your word, working with multiple acts will create schedule conflicts on occasion, doesn't matter if a better gig comes up, first come, first served. Be prepared as possible, between the groups I work with regularly, I have well over a 1000 songs that I need to have ready at my finger tips. I use a notebook for each band with my own style of crib notes. Song with key, if it starts on the 5, if there is a tricky section I may write it out. etc. Make sure you have the right gear for the job and it's in good working order. Expand your horizons, play pop, punk, blues, rock, jazz, country, etc. Push your envelope but don't accept a gig you know can't pull off. Have a beer or two, not 6 or 7, even if everyone else is. Don't get frustrated if you don't become a rock star, even at the top level, very few bass players are. Enjoy the moment.
Edit: oh yeah and you don't have to be the best, but don't suck.

 

[twinjet]

I've carved out a niche for myself as an easy to work with side man. Even the band I've been in for 9 years, with few exceptions, what the BL wants is what he gets. Be true to your word, working with multiple acts will create schedule conflicts on occasion, doesn't matter if a better gig comes up, first come, first served. Be prepared as possible, between the groups I work with regularly, I have well over a 1000 songs that I need to have ready at my finger tips. I use a notebook for each band with my own style of crib notes. Song with key, if it starts on the 5, if there is a tricky section I may write it out. etc. Make sure you have the right gear for the job and it's in good working order. Expand your horizons, play pop, punk, blues, rock, jazz, country, etc. Push your envelope but don't accept a gig you know can't pull off. Have a beer or two, not 6 or 7, even if everyone else is. Don't get frustrated if you don't become a rock star, even at the top level, very few bass players are. Enjoy the moment.
Edit: oh yeah and you don't have to be the best, but don't suck.

Wow, thanks - sound advice. How long have you done pro work? Any studio experience as a hired gun?

 

[markoc]

Wow, thanks - sound advice. How long have you done pro work? Any studio experience as a hired gun

Been playing 35 years, maybe 20 of those professionally, Lots of studio work in that time, but I'm mostly a live guy. Studio work is hard to break into nowadays because everyone was protools in their bedroom and those days of big budget session work are only for the elite guys. Doesn't mean you can't get there but it's a tough road.

 

[hrodbert696]

Been playing 35 years, maybe 20 of those professionally, Lots of studio work in that time, but I'm mostly a live guy. Studio work is hard to break into nowadays because everyone was protools in their bedroom and those days of big budget session work are only for the elite guys. Doesn't mean you can't get there but it's a tough road.

That's one thing that bugs me with this kind of issue (and speaking as someone who is not a pro and doesn't have any of this experience) - I value the perspective of people who have been playing pro for decades, but how many people can talk about going pro within the last five or ten years? Seems like the scene is really different now than when a lot of veterans got started. Do the same rules apply? Any new conditions, tricks, requirements that didn't used to exist? Or is it just do the same thing, but know the market is smaller and odds are longer?

 

[Pacman]

Read
Sing
Be as versatile as possible
Be easy to "hang" with
Be excellent at what you do
Know when to NOT show off
Read
Sing

 

[old spice]

I think almost every musician I know making their living at music is teaching, half of them in a university or high school, the other half giving lessons.
I know 4 here that play for a living without teaching.
I know 2 more that opened nightclubs.

 

[danosix]

That's one thing that bugs me with this kind of issue (and speaking as someone who is not a pro and doesn't have any of this experience) - I value the perspective of people who have been playing pro for decades, but how many people can talk about going pro within the last five or ten years? Seems like the scene is really different now than when a lot of veterans got started. Do the same rules apply? Any new conditions, tricks, requirements that didn't used to exist? Or is it just do the same thing, but know the market is smaller and odds are longer?

Given that most of the pros who replay are STILL working, I think you'd find the essentials are the same.
I suspect there is more expectation of having a large variety of equipment (ie. no 1 PBass, 1 amp guys like Jamerson anymore), I think the technical requirements to "get in" would be higher - the competitions is just that much greater now - especially with fewer jobs out there - ie I can play circles around most of the players on the records I get called to cover (old R&R, blues and country - note I said MOST), but am by no means what anyone would call world-class these days.
Having a "name" for yourself is likely more essential now too as producers/labels, etc. are far more conservative and don't want to "risk" unproven musicians or "waste time" auditioning them. (This is the same as how bands are unlikely to get label support anymore without having already made a splash with an independent release or two (unless of course they are put together by the labels - but that NEVER happens anymore *cough*one-direction*cough*).

 

[Joe Nerve]

Thanks for the inclusion in the OP, I feel honored. I don't currently earn my living as a bass player. Came close several times and could have lived on what I earned if I chose to, but I like to go out to eat a lot, buy lots of basses, and vacation at least couple of times a year . A roof over my head and reliable car are kinda neat too.

The 2 most important things I think one needs to earn a living as a bass player are the ability to read (along w/ an understanding of theory), and a rock solid work ethic. I'm lacking in the former, but put more work and commitment into all I do musically than most I've met. When I show up for an audition I know the songs better than the band auditioning me does, and can play them in my sleep. I do the same for rehearsals. I once had a vacation booked in LA that I had planned for a year... got a gig offer I really wanted right before leaving, and did everything I could to borrow a bass and all other things necessary to learn a CD's worth of fairly complex songs while on that vacation. It was the early days of the internet, so I couldn't simply download the songs. I needed a CD player, amp, etc. I spent many hours of that trip learning those tunes. And it was worth it. Got to do some fun tours with a band I was a big fan of and worshiped at the time.

The other important things for me are being agreeable, knowing when to open my mouth (and more importantly when to keep it shut), and being a happy confident guy - even when I was far from being a happy and confident guy. People like being around happy, confident, friendly people, and that pretty much goes for all areas of life.

I agree with Jimmy that there's luck involved, but I also have a belief in serendipity. I believe that if we're focused, hard working, and keep putting one foot in front of the other with faith that good things will happen, good things will happen. If we believe the opposite, the opposite will happen. That's at least been my experience.

 

[fdeck]

I'm not a pro either, but a lot of the players I work with are, so I've gotten to watch a few careers evolve over the span of more than a decade. Also, my gigs are a barometer of what the pro's are doing, because I sub for them and play in many of the same bands. This gives me visibility to some of the trends. I believe it has gotten harder. This is evident in the level of players who I meet at relatively low profile, low paying gigs. Some other observations:

1. The young players coming up on the scene are so talented! Holy cow. Most of them have music degrees. In addition to playing, they can also compose and arrange. We're in a golden age of music, even if we're not in a golden age of music careers.

2. They're versatile: Multiple instruments, genres, singing, etc.

3. Many of them teach. I've told people that everybody I know who's making a decent middle class living as a musician, teaches classical music to children. If they're not doing that, then they're working day jobs, preferably in occupations where it's possible to have flexible hours, like some kinds of IT work.

4. They are breaking free from genres. A lot of them are combining talents such as playing, composing, and singing, to create their own unique projects. Chances are they're trying to break out of competing with all of the rock bands, or even jazz combos, out there. It's exciting to see what happens when really good jazz players get sick of bebop and standards.

Now, there is no studio scene to speak of in my locale, so the players who have aspirations to be busy studio players, aren't going to stick around here. What I'm observing is a "regional" or even "local" music scene.

 

[twinjet]

@BassCliff , are you a professional or do you just gig a lot?

 

[BassCliff]

Hi,

@BassCliff , are you a professional or do you just gig a lot?

I thought everyone knew I'm a weekend warrior. I have a career but I've also been able to play up to 16 dates a month, sometimes more, when I get busy.

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

 

[Ubersheist]

I'm not a pro either, but a lot of the players I work with are, so I've gotten to watch a few careers evolve over the span of more than a decade. Also, my gigs are a barometer of what the pro's are doing, because I sub for them and play in many of the same bands. This gives me visibility to some of the trends. I believe it has gotten harder. This is evident in the level of players who I meet at relatively low profile, low paying gigs. Some other observations:

1. The young players coming up on the scene are so talented! Holy cow. Most of them have music degrees. In addition to playing, they can also compose and arrange. We're in a golden age of music, even if we're not in a golden age of music careers.

2. They're versatile: Multiple instruments, genres, singing, etc.

3. Many of them teach. I've told people that everybody I know who's making a decent middle class living as a musician, teaches classical music to children. If they're not doing that, then they're working day jobs, preferably in occupations where it's possible to have flexible hours, like some kinds of IT work.

4. They are breaking free from genres. A lot of them are combining talents such as playing, composing, and singing, to create their own unique projects. Chances are they're trying to break out of competing with all of the rock bands, or even jazz combos, out there. It's exciting to see what happens when really good jazz players get sick of bebop and standards.

Now, there is no studio scene to speak of in my locale, so the players who have aspirations to be busy studio players, aren't going to stick around here. What I'm observing is a "regional" or even "local" music scene.

Excellent post.

There's not much of a studio scene to speak of anywhere. It's still there, but it's vastly smaller than years ago, as the age of ProTools and Garage Band and home studios is here now.

Most of my pro friends have a home studio. Even friends who make more money off of songwriting still can work their own studio pretty well.

That reminds me, there's more money in home studio stuff than before, if you can do it well. There's anything from "stingers" (a 2 second clip or so that can be inserted in a TV show or something for dramatic or comedic effect) to full scoring of movies.

Sight reading gigs are always in demand. They pop up randomly, like a community play, or random cover gigs. They also get you gigs on cruise ships or resorts, if that's your thing.

 

[ThatLowEnd]

A wise man once told me, play music because you WANT to not because you HAVE too. In my experience, if you plan to have a family, own property (especially in Southern, CA) and want to be able to put your kids through college, do music on the side. I have friends who are Pro guys in various levels of the music industry, one of which has figured out how to do all of the above as a Pro musician. A friend plays in a band called LetLive, they tour Europe 6-9 months out of the year and he comes home to his mom's house with very little in his pockets. The second example is a friend who played with Korn as a hired gun for about 2 years, came home to his small apartment and unemployment checks. The only financially successful example I have is a childhood friend who went off to be Brent Kutzle of OneRepublic. Brent I am sure is making a great living but he is also in the .00001% of musicians with Grammy's, Disney licensing, etc.

 

[/\/\3phist0]

the days of making a living off music are, for the VAST majority a thing of the past.
Big names that i know from "back in the day" are selling real estate, cars, or even a friend that was part of three dog night, sadly in his 60's is still scratching out a living with artwork and primarily as a contractor, while living in a tiny condo in a so-cal suburb of questionable quality.
Unless your needs are meager, and love Top Ramen and roach infested hovels.
it can be done, to be sure but just there is little $$ left in "the biz" for 99.99999999999999% of us.
as much as people bemoaned the greed of the record companies, record sales and radio royalties were a way to make a living.

Who listens to the radio anymore? how many people BUY the music on their iPods? How many Skrillex types are there out there?
Grim for the current state of "actual" musicians these days, too much "music" can be produced by one guy and a "band in a box" software and the consumers are none the wiser. (Lorde)

the tide WILL shift, but i'll be too old to take advantage of it. the 80's and 90's were the last hurrah for "live" bands and music the 00's napster, youtube, Digital home recording and iTunes turned music as a monetary product into disposable bits and bytes with no cache heart or soul....

It is now "Art" for the sake of making art and performing for the love of entertainment... again the tide WILL turn, but not soon.

too much talentless, bland, rehashed, pieced together on a computer, flash in the pan, stuff out there---- tough to get genuine talent heard above the cacophony.


yeah i'm a grumpy "nearly made it" guy but not completely jaded, just a realistic observer.

Go chase your dreams!

but in this day and age "Don't quit your day job"

 

[twinjet]

the days of making a living off music are, for the VAST majority a thing of the past.
Big names that i know from "back in the day" are selling real estate, cars, or even a friend that was part of three dog night, sadly in his 60's is still scratching out a living with artwork and primarily as a contractor, while living in a tiny condo in a so-cal suburb of questionable quality.
Unless your needs are meager, and love Top Ramen and roach infested hovels.
it can be done, to be sure but just there is little $$ left in "the biz" for 99.99999999999999% of us.
as much as people bemoaned the greed of the record companies, record sales and radio royalties were a way to make a living.

Who listens to the radio anymore? how many people BUY the music on their iPods? How many Skrillex types are there out there?
Grim for the current state of "actual" musicians these days, too much "music" can be produced by one guy and a "band in a box" software and the consumers are none the wiser. (Lorde)

the tide WILL shift, but i'll be too old to take advantage of it. the 80's and 90's were the last hurrah for "live" bands and music the 00's napster, youtube, Digital home recording and iTunes turned music as a monetary product into disposable bits and bytes with no cache heart or soul....

It is now "Art" for the sake of making art and performing for the love of entertainment... again the tide WILL turn, but not soon.

too much talentless, bland, rehashed, pieced together on a computer, flash in the pan, stuff out there---- tough to get genuine talent heard above the cacophony.


yeah i'm a grumpy "nearly made it" guy but not completely jaded, just a realistic observer.

Go chase your dreams!

but in this day and age "Don't quit your day job"

I knew I should've been a baby boomer. Damn it all.

 

[corinpills]

Read
Sing
Be as versatile as possible
Be easy to "hang" with
Be excellent at what you do
Know when to NOT show off
Read
Sing

This is it. Also, learn a lot of songs. Know a lot of songs- particularly ones that regular people like since you will rarely get paid for playing music that only appeals to other musicians. Also, be in a city where gigs happen. SING! SING! SING! SING! SING! A decent bass player who sings is worth 20 times a monster bass player who doesn't.

 

[twinjet]

This is it. Also, learn a lot of songs. Know a lot of songs- particularly ones that regular people like since you will rarely get paid for playing music that only appeals to other musicians. Also, be in a city where gigs happen. SING! SING! SING! SING! SING! A decent bass player who sings is worth 20 times a monster bass player who doesn't.

Oof. I better learn to sing and play. That's my weakness.