Turning Pro Questions

[pbasspecial]

I have been playing the bass for quite a while now and doing pretty well. I have decided to rise from the local jam and gig circuit and get to the next level of depping/function band musician as I want to push myself musically and professionally. Last Saturday I was given a dep gig by a semi-pro bass friend who was unwell. I did a pretty good job all things considering it was a few days notice and had 30+ songs to learn. 
I wondered what you pros out there suggest were the do’s and dont’s, and what equipment is essential/expected from the MD’s.

Thanks in advance. 

[casapete]

From my experience, make sure your reading is up to scratch. You can literally gig anywhere

if you’re able to competently follow dots as well as charts. 

[jonno1981]

The working guys I know are some of the friendliest, easiest to work with people with inexhaustible amounts of drive and stamina. I’d say this is waay more important than gear, although there is a minimum level needed for sure. 
Networking is also the ticket to success and it’s a real skill that leads to the phone ringing. 

[fretmeister]

I don't get paid, but for 10 years I have been volunteering at an educational trust that supplies the music teachers to the county schools.

I get parachuted into different ensembles quite a lot, along side my regular big band gig.

 

1: Reading opens the door to so many gigs. Quite often the MD will want the part played as written.

2: Be on time, every time.

3: Never be the problem, instead be the one who can help solve the problems

4: The job of a pro sideman is to support the artist / MD / show. It's their vision / product not yours.

5: Maintain your gear to a high standard.

6: Take spares. If you have something that if it failed you could not finish the session with, take two of them. Identical spares are best as the FOH / Engineer doesn't have to reset everything.

7: Be clean and presentable. Your client might look like a badly tattooed bundle of rags, but you turn up looking smart. If the client wants you to wear something specific they will tell you - and should pay for it, if it's unusual.

8: Until you get to know a client or you get asked specifically, do not give an opinion on the music / arrangement. See Point 4 above.

9: Assume everyone you meet at the session will talk to the client about you. Be nice to everyone. Especially the objectionable ones.

10: Never give a reason for them to not call you again when the next job comes up.

11: Get an accountant who understands the biz, not just the guy in the high street.

12: Do not get too worried about the reading thing. The bass parts for 99% of popular music barely scrapes Grade 3. If you do 10 mins a day properly you'll have that done in a year. Always ask for charts / transcriptions AND any recordings in advance. Sometimes they won't send recordings of new original stuff in case of leaks.

13: Never do anything for free / exposure.

Edited September 13, 2023 by fretmeister
Spelling

[jrixn1]

Some good advice above.

I would add: learn to play double bass (if you don’t already) as it will open up a lot of opportunities.

[gjones]

Learn to play guitar and to sing. 

 

I may sound like I'm being a smartiepants but I have a friend who is a professional bass player but got fed up being a sideman all the time. He picked up a guitar learned a few songs and now plays solo gigs to supplement his income from playing with bands. 

 

He can get a solo gig midweek gig much easier than he did playing with a band.

[fretmeister]

Good point raised there - other instruments. A lot of working bassists also play piano or at least synth bass.

 

Despite it's age, the Novation Bass Station 2 is still very popular for a simple reason - it sounds ace.

[lowdown]

Good reading chops and good ears/busking chops. 

 

Shows, or backing turns is all about reading of course. But if you want to be a good all round dep and you are offered a last minute gig/function, you might be needed to play music without any dots in front of you.

So a good knowledge of well known tunes under your belt is essential and being able to hear things quickly on the fly will help a lot. 

 

Edited September 12, 2023 by lowdown

[chris_b]

Network, network, network.

 

Show up on time, have reliable gear and know your instrument.

 

Practice until you can't get it wrong.

[Elfrasho]

I'm not pro but work with pros and semi pros. Think most has been covered above but for emphasis I'll just repeat a few things in different words.

 

Reading: clearly is advantageous but really depends on the circles you frequent. Plenty gigs out there that Reading isn't a requirement.

 

Prep: always make sure your gear is fine, and you have replacement bits. If you're given a set to learn, make sure you learn it.

 

Faffing about: don't do it. Everyone wins if you just turn up, plug in, line check and everything sounds like a bass. Nobody wants to hear you spend 20 minutes dialling in a tone.

 

Over playing: don't do it. There's definitely a time and place for it. But that's a small percent. Other band members might look like they're enjoying it, but over playing gets tedious very quickly.

 

I'm sure there's more but Scotland have scored so going to concentrate on the football now. 

[itu]

Last weekend I visited a band, because their bassist is busy and their next gig is coming up at the end of next week. Four songs, I had heard all of them before, but played only one. Fine.

 

In my tab I have maybe 3-5000 songs, realbooks etc. I could find the notes, and here's the tricky part, for me, that is: I have to transpose all songs. To make sure the gig will be fine I opened up MuseScore, and simply copied the originals. There it is, transpose, export, and now I have key corrected versions. Fingerings are different and so on.

 

I will not rely on a score that is in different key and has tricks. Yes, maybe with something more familiar stuff, but not now: one rehearsal and straight to the stage. If something happens in the party, I try not to be the one messing things up. Not even after the gig: I don't get very high, but my hangovers tend to be brutal.

[pbasspecial]

Thanks for all the tips guys. I spoke with my neighbour who is a pit guitarist in one of the west end shows and he recommended ForScore (rather than Irealpro) and to get some IEMs - Shure SE215s. Which I did. 
Just need to work on my reading/learn how to do it! 😂

[casapete]

2 hours ago, lowdown said:

Good reading chops and good ears/busking chops. 

 

Shows, or backing turns is all about reading of course. But if you want to be a good all round dep and you are offered a last minute gig/function, you might be needed to play music without any dots in front of you.

So a good knowledge of well known tunes under your belt is essential and being able to hear things quickly on the fly will help a lot. 

 

I’ve relied on busking for many years, and it can be both a blessing and a curse. I’m a much better 

busker than reader, but if the gig you’re doing doesn’t stick to the original arrangement / key then

things can get very dodgy very quickly. One minute you’re doing fine and then the next you’re 

grabbing at notes anywhere! At least reading you’re in with a chance of getting to the end of the

song with your reputation intact.

Incidentally, I don’t know many players who are both great readers and also great buskers - anyone else

find this?

[peteb]

21 minutes ago, casapete said:

Incidentally, I don’t know many players who are both great readers and also great buskers - anyone else

find this?

 

Generally I think that you are right, although there are exceptions. 

 

[Dad3353]

36 minutes ago, casapete said:

...Incidentally, I don’t know many players who are both great readers and also great buskers - anyone else find this?

 

It may be a bit different for drumming, but, back in the day, I had to write out my own scores, as there was nothing else around (pre-web daze, naturally...). This, plus the reading necessitated by going through the rudiments and drum methods, made it very easy to 'busk' pretty much everything I've come across since. I listen once or twice through to a SOAD track and away we go. A lot of the simple stuff (Charlie Watts..?) requires no study at all. I don't read scores at all any more (but I keep going over the rudiments from my books, just to keep it fresh in my head and hands...).

On bass, I read very slowly, so, for the most part, I'd play it by ear, unless there's a particularly important line to play. I think the last one I 'read' was 'Message In A Bottle', quite a while back. 

[jrixn1]

57 minutes ago, pbasspecial said:

he recommended ForScore (rather than Irealpro)

They serve different purposes. forScore is for displaying pdfs and making set lists. iReal Pro has all your jazz standards, and can transpose them.

 

Btw Piascore is a free alternative to forScore. I have both and prefer Piascore.