PlayJazzGuitar.com Forum

[Skon]

does anyone here play guitar for a living, or at least part of it? Or even in a group that plays live sometimes?

How do you do this? I am in a town that's quite musically dead so I haven't really played with many others or had opportunity to get "out there". I'm sort of lost on how to do that. I mean, I know the level of skill you need and all this stuff, so that's not the issue for me.....just the logistics of putting yourself out there is confusing me a little. Any thoughts?

[chordspinner]

My advise is to make yourself known. Find the sessions....open mike events where you can sit in or be featured as new talent. Interface as much as possible with the musicians in your area. If your area is "dead", travel as far as you can to do the above. Also, get ready to do a lot of freebees. Playing professionally...ie for money is really tough these days but there are a lot of organizations that have events where you can play gratis, for the benefit, whatever that may be. Make up business cards or flyers and use these venues to promote yourself, sell CD's etc. and talk talk talk to others. Work on looking good, being easy to deal with, being ON TIME, etc. Then, when there is a pay gig, they'll think of you.
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Chordspinner

"You're either at the gig or waiting to go to the gig."

[Bjorn]

Hi Skon,
In my old town in Denmark there is nearly 500 people living...(No musicians)...
This can be good or bad.
For me it did seem to be boring at the time, but now that Im living in São Paulo, Brasil, playing alot on the scenes around, and think about it, it was actually ok because I didnt have anything else to do than study my guitar, so I learned alot.
Anyway, I´d wish that I have had some guys to be playing with at the time, but I was just playing with backing tracks.
Thats ok for studdying technique, lines chord melody etc...
But as a matter of fact, it has absolutely nothing to do with authentic groupplaying
So if there are some guys in your town which plays, you should get together in a basement or a garage or something.
If not, I think I would follow chordspinners advice to get as long away as possible .
-Playing is with no doubt, the most important thing for a musician...
Cheers, Bjorn...

[Kirk]

Hi Skon. I've been playing for a living since 1969, believe it or not. I've played solo, in bands, did about 15 years of steady session work in Sydney Australia, played in more bands, I wrote a book ( http://www.thatllteachyou.com ) that I now market ... I put together http://www.guitarforbeginners.com

chordspinner's advice is pretty much what I would advise, especially the last bit about being on time, being pleasant and humble, make sure your gear is in good shape, listen, keep your ego under control but don't sell yourself short ... also, of course, the Internet is a great way to promote yourself using mp3s and the like. We old farts never had the Internet or anything like it back when we were promoting ourselves.

It's certainly not the easiest way to make a living, but it's one of the more fun ways ...
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Kirk

[larone]

All the guys advice is great. Do the business cards up and get out there. Here's what's worked for me in the past....
First when you have a demo and B/cards, get your guitar and pick a suburb near you and hassle any cafe/restaurant (this is where the cash is!) They may want a demo so hand it over, BUT make sure anywhere that is interested, get there b/card aswell so when you get home after doing this many times, you'll have a pile of cards and potential gigs, so ring them and hassle them. Also the reason for taking your guitar(of course) is to do a live demo. This was what got me my last residency (it lasted 5 months on a tuesday night...WICKED!!)
So go out and go nuts!!!
Larone

[hokeypokeyonahurdygurdy]

the best advice I can give you is to "network" with other musicians...I had another guitarist that passed a lot of his work on to me because he just couldn't [or wouldn't] play all the gigs that came his way...some of the work was less than desirable but hey ANY work is good when you are trying to make a living at it.one job he got me in to lasted for over 3 years of steady work....the bottom line is you can't have too many contacts!!!
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what key are we in again?

[chuckles]

I get a lot of work with singers. You could advertise around and try to get something going with a singer, then offer more than one musical option to venues.

Regarding venues try: cafes, restaurants, hotels, clubs, bars, function centres, fetes, markets etc etc

If there is a music agent in your area give your demo to them to try to get some wedding gigs, or corporate functions. Most businesses and many people planning weddings will go through an agent to find music/entertainment. (this generally pays a lot better than working in Cafes etc too).

I wholeheartedly agree with all of the above, esp. about appearance, organisation, punctuality and humility.

good luck.

[alfonso]

Skon,
If you're not comfortable going to sit in on the fly with a band on stage go to Craigslist.org and find your own players to hookup with. That's what I did, but I have to be honest I don't have much interest in playing for free which is gonna lead to my next post. later

[cjm]

Above all, I think one has to be a realist. Very few people have ever "made a living" playing jazz guitar. Most who did, only did so for a time, usually when they were young, unmarried, and without a whole lot of expenses.

Now, that's the top players. That would be people like Barney Kessel and Howard Roberts who made their money playing pop/rock in the studios...Wes Montgomery working in the post office...Tal Farlow, the sign painter...Johnny Smith, the music store owner...Kenny Burrell, the university professor.

Others "married well." Some had a lot of financial help from their parents. Some were able to exclusively play jazz only after they could draw Social Security benefits at age 62. A lot of them die relatively young.

If it is about the art, it doesn't really matter if it pays a living wage, or if some of it is played for free. Pop dreck can pay well because it appeals to the 90 percent of the population who want to lap up garbage...but if one wants to play jazz guitar, then one has to make a decision that the music he or she plays will not be a "product" aimed at the majority of people aren't "wired" for anything other than simple nursery rhyme tunes and who are more aware of the stage makeup and costumes than they are the "music."

Jazz was never the pop music of any day and there was never any "golden age" to mope over now. In the 1930's and 40's it was the swing dance bands, then it became rock and roll...and so one.

Become a banker or stock broker if it's all about the money, because measuring your achievement/worth in terms of the money you'll earn as a jazzer will likely lead to a pretty miserable life. If you can play through The Autumn Leaves on the bandstand of some small dive and honestly say to yourself that there wasn't a hint of schmaltz in your version that night...that's the sort of thing jazz is about.

[JakeJew]

I don't make a living playing, but I do teach privately and make a pretty good living (for a 23 year old) doing that. Out of high school I started trying to do it full time, and I haven't needed any other jobs since then.

I got help when I started both as I was living with my folks and my old teacher referred a few students to me, and that got me started.
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"Inspiration may be a form of superconsciousness, or perhaps of subconciousness - I wouldn't know. But I am sure that it is the antithesis of self-consciousness." - Aaron Copland

[hanni]

@chuckles
it´s also hard as a singer to get money for it, maybe it´s better in the usa, in my area the people are to poor for paying musicans, but what a marriedg without music....... i do this free, people don´t want to have jazz here, they want folk or pop top 10 radio charts (basshunter is in, stupid music )

[magicninja]

The only people around here that actually make money playing are in bar bands.
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Magicninja says if it feels right play it. If it feels wrong find a better groove.

Jazz Guitar Lessons

[dewey decibel]

I used to play a couple times a week, it was barely enough to get by. Now I do the odd pickup gig, and have joined a pop band where we do maybe 2 or 3 local gigs a month and fly out for others, so far 5 out of state gigs the past month and 1/2.

Most of the local jazzers I know teach lessons as well. I do know some guys that have moved on and are now making a living playing with "the big boys", putting out records, etc. I have friends that play other music, some have a hard time getting by but a couple have been very successful and will never have to worry about money for the rest of thier lives.

It sucks being in a small town, but in this day and age you can actually get pretty far living anywhere. The interent is such a powerfull tool. Of course this is less likely for a jazz guitarist, but the point is you can still do a lot at home. Download or buy a multitrack recorder, maybe some Aebersold play alongs, jam to 'em and post 'em on a site. Maybe write some tunes of your own, record them and post them. It's fun to play live, but to be honest that's not where the money is. The main place to make money right now is with syncs- where you get a tune placed in a TV show, movie or advertisement. And that's all stuff you can write and record at home. That jazz gigs that make money are the private dinner gigs, and those are a pain to play anyway.

Anyway, it's hard to make a name for yourself just playing live. It's much easier if you have something people can listen at their leisure, and their more likely to remember your name that way.

[chuckles]

I've had some great corporate function/dinner gigs. If you're with the right people it can be great fun, and great music (if the situation allows and you can be happy not playing too loud/out), and yeah, the money SHOULD be good...

on the other hand, as dewey said, they can be total pain also, and if you're free-lancing you never know what you're gonna get.

Anyway, just thought I'd offer that perspective, I play and teach full-time, do anywhere between 0-7 gigs a weeks (usually about 3). Mostly jazz, but I'm also in bands that play funk and folky original pop songs. In the past I've done everything from Musicals (playing Banjo in Cabaret was particularly memorable) to rock covers (never again!).

Teaching pays really well, but some days I wonder about doing some busking, selling CD's etc. I think, done well, you could make a stack of cash that way... well, enough to live off and only have to play guitar.

C.

[JakeJew]