Making it as an original artist or session player are goals of many musicians and singers. Until a person achieves these ranks in the music business – how does a musician make a living? My students asked me this question for years and here’s the info. This article covers traditional instruments, as computer driven music is a topic for another article.
Since different instruments provide different functions in the music biz, e.g., soloing, playing accompaniment, etc., the gigs they get follow accordingly. Though I primarily cover the more popular instruments, many classical instruments will be mentioned. If you don’t know what these instruments are, or what they sound like, I suggest going to a library and checking out CD’s that describe and demonstrate them. There are also a number of excellent computer programs that do this if you’re set up for it.
The purpose of this article is to expose you to the types of gigs different instruments are used for. I mention how gigs are gotten, though complete information is covered in my “MUSICIANS’ HOW-TO SERIES.” Here are the usual calls:
Keyboard(s) and piano are probably the most versatile instruments around, with guitar being a close second.
Solo Gigs: Piano bars, Happy Hour gigs (especially at restaurants, hotels and bars near major airports), department stores, private parties of any kind, classical concerts, any style concerts or recording, musical theatre, background music in any style and anywhere, wedding receptions, restaurant gigs playing jazz, ragtime, boogie, standards, any style; rehearsal pianist, church service accompanist, temple choir director, making work tapes for singers, sequencing music for studios, soundtracks, any kind of recording sessions from film scores, cartoon music to dance-beat, hip-hop tracks. A keyboardist who can simultaneously play left hand bass, right hand chords and often sing, while using a drum machine, can sound like a trio.
Duos: Accompanist for singers in any style, any solo instrument (flute, cello, etc.), any kind of showcase situation.
Trios & Larger: Can play with any ensemble that uses keys or synthesizers.
Synthesizers: A well-versed synthesist gets calls to play and simulate: string sections, woodwind sections, brass sections and sound effects. It is not uncommon to have two keyboardists on a gig or session where one plays “piano,” and the other plays “synth.” A big band I’ve played with a lot commonly uses a synth player, who is mainly an arranger, to improvise sectional parts on all the tunes (woodwind, horn and string sections), as well as having a pianist. He’ll add strings on the ballads, sound effects on the rock tunes, additional brass and woodwind parts on the jazz tunes, percussion and vocal “Huh’s!” and “Alright’s!” on the R&B and funk tunes, all without a chart before him.
Stably working keyboardists have to do a little of it all to varying degrees. You either have a keyboard set-up that allows for split sounds (one sound in the left hand and another in the right) or have two keyboards at the gig. The music played might not be as elaborate as my above example, so don’t freak out if you’re just starting. Pop tunes commonly have a left hand piano groove with a simple string line in the right hand, or something like that. Unless you are specializing in solo acoustic piano gigs, or a style not demanding the above intricacies, having these skills are a must to being viable as a freelance keyboardist.
Since keyboards are so versatile, keyboard players will have the most versatility requests demanded of them. BUT—remember that you have to come up the line to do all of these things. When you’re starting out in a band you learn specific tunes with specific combinations of sounds. As you learn more tunes, you learn more combinations. After you’ve learned something difficult, the next time you play something similar, it will be easier than the first time you did, and onward you go.
Churches and temples are a major source of work for classically trained pianists, and the more versatile you are, the more work opportunities you’ll have. A temple choir needs a musical director, and church services happen every Sunday morning. Churches and temples often have abundant social events, and the keyboardist will be hired to: rehearse individual singers, groups of singers, coordinate shows, arrange music and hire musicians for live performances.
Since keyboardists can have so many types of solo gigs, they can be a major source of work for other musicians, especially other rhythm section players, so are good people to know. I’ve received at least 40% of my bass gigs from keyboardists.
Solo gigs: Background music or concerts playing jazz, classical, Spanish, almost any style. Commonly used at restaurants, wedding receptions, dinner parties, one-man-show type work where the guitarist also sings and has a drum machine and sometimes bass pedals (you don’t see this too often though). “A complete solo guitarist can always find work” has been told to me by many a guitarist. Happy Hour gigs (especially at restaurants, hotels and bars near major airports) will sometimes use guitar, though keyboard is more common.
Duos: Accompanist for singers and melody instruments especially in the styles of classical and jazz, classical duos, Spanish duos, two guitarists who sing playing pop tunes at clubs, restaurants and sometimes casuals. Flute and guitar duets are often used and are a great source of income.
Trios & Larger: Can play with any ensemble that uses guitar. Though some guitarists predominantly play rhythm or lead, to successfully support yourself as a freelance musician you need to do both. Outside of the few who specialize in one or the other, in the work-a-day world there is usually no such thing as a “rhythm guitarist” or a “lead guitarist.” You play the guitar, and either play rhythm or lead (or both) according to the tune you’re playing at the time. Whereas a pianist can play left-hand accompaniment/right-hand melody, the guitar shines the best doing one or the other. This is why a guitarist needs to have both skills down well. The great jazz and classical players can do both simultaneously—and play a bass part at the same time! The complete solo guitarist.
Guitarists can be called on to solo a lot, so you should be really fluent with this. Many players shine in certain styles, though stable players can do it all. A key to being a great soloist is to be able to differentiate styles well. A rock solo should sound like a rock solo and a jazz solo should sound like a jazz solo. Different types of melodies and harmonies are used in different styles and these should be known well.
Unless you’re an exclusively classical, Spanish, or acoustic player (of whatever style), you should also know electronic equipment. There are many ways to create distortion, for example, and some ways have to be killer loud to accomplish the needed sound, whereas playing at less-than-killer volumes needs to use different methods of distortion production.
For original music and large concerts, there is no limit or qualification on how much, or what kind of gear you have. You have the gear needed to produce the kind of sounds you want, and buy as much as you can afford. For clubs, guitarists generally have a small rack with their favorite effects in it, and for casuals a smaller set-up is generally brought for the convenience of quick set-ups and breakdowns. It all depends on how much you want to carry. At the beginning of a guy’s working career, the willingness to carry tons of gear to a one-night gig is much higher than later on. As the years go by you want your set-up to be quick and easy. You do what you want, or you do what the gig calls for. If you’ve wondered about guitar synths—they’re wonderful, but I’ve only been at a few paid gigs where one was being used.
Solo gigs: Solo work is predominantly in the field of upright bass, also called upright, acoustic bass, double bass and contrabass. Classical concerts are done by those who have achieved this level of performance ability. Generally when a bassist is good enough to do this he’ll also be performing with symphony orchestras, chamber orchestras and do recording for film and TV. Some classical bassists also play jazz and electric bass as well. Solo bass gigs are extremely rare.
Duos: Piano/bass—classical, jazz, standards, miscellaneous styles. Guitar/bass—folk, coffee-house type music, miscellaneous styles. Classical duets are also done with an assortment of other instruments. Much of the classical music for bass is actually cello music that has been rewritten for the instrument.
Trios & Larger: Piano/bass/drums are an institution in jazz, and guitar/bass/drums are common for rock of all kinds; though these instrumentations can play any style. Any size ensemble, of any style of music that uses bass will have a bass.
Twenty years ago you either played upright bass, fretted electric bass, fretless electric, or any combination of those three. Starting in the late ’80s, and probably into the future, five- and six-string basses have been predominating the freelance world.
Throughout the ’80s, bass playing turned from primarily being only the underlying groove that drove the band, to being a premier solo instrument as well. Though jazz has had a few great bass soloists, bass soloing has crossed heavily into the rock and pop fields and continues to be a skill often needed by top freelance musicians. All styles of music have had a taste of bass solos, but today is different than times past. Also throughout the ’80s, many pop tunes used synth bass instead of electric bass guitar, so the pitch range of the “bass parts” extended below the range of the traditional instrument. The parts became lower, beefier, and fatter sounding.
So, today we have the world of the five- and six-string bass, as well as the traditional four-string electric bass guitar, acoustic upright, and electric upright. Today’s freelance bassist is well educated and usually endowed with a five- or six-string as well as any four-strings he has. On many fusion jobs it’s expected that you bring a five- string, though in other styles of music it doesn’t matter as much. A jazz player who plays upright and electric is more in demand than just playing electric; but a rock player doesn’t need an upright around the house unless it’s for fun. Though country music uses electric bass a lot, upright is often preferred. Latin ensembles have traditionally used upright, but you’ll see a lot of electric uprights used, as well as some electric bass guitars.
A freelance player needs to decide what areas of bass he wants to do, then work out what’s needed—there’s actually quite a bit involved. There are different types of slap technique, some jazz players bow and some don’t; all classical players do (that is what they do). Many good bass players play piano as well. Since the bass is a single note instrument (though you can play chords), the piano is a great reference for melody and harmony study as well as experimentation and fun. If you don’t play—I suggest you learn.
There is a lot of great effects gear out for bass these days, but it’s really easy to lose the needed clarity and punch if you overdo it. When buying bass effects make sure to buy gear designed for a bass and not a guitar for they process the sound differently.
It’s a wide open market for bass, and if you’re really good there’s practically always a gig. I played guitar in my first bands, and then switched to bass when we had trouble finding good bass players. I tried it—I liked it.
You just have to focus on your areas of interest, and/or what’s going to be most viable. If you’re going to play jazz you probably need to play upright, and if you’re headed for major, multi-style freelancing you’re going to need a five or six string one day.
Drum Kit: The smallest ensemble I’ve ever seen drums with was piano/left hand bass, drum duo playing jazz or mixed styles. Any style trio or larger can use drums if needed for the style of music being played.
As with any instrument, you can be good at one style or many. Rhythm is the backbone of all music, and depending on one’s musicianship level, a good drummer should be able to cover many styles. For casuals, shows, recording and successful multistyle freelancing, a drummer should be at least acquainted with all the American styles of playing as well as the Latin, Brazilian and Afro-Caribbean beats. The post-disco dance beats of the ’80s brought about a strong influence of these cultures into today’s pop music and they should be known.
As with guitar, bass and keyboards, it’s helpful to lead sing if doing casuals and club work. A lesser, but sufficient, player will often be hired instead of a great player in this stratum of the business because of lead singing abilities. Of course the best way to go is to sing well and play great; in the dance club world as long as you can play strong and steady beats you can do all right. That’s the bottom line.
There are a number of electronic effect set-ups on the market—you can get set up to create any kind of sound you want. Sometimes you bring electronic gear to a gig and sometimes you don’t. Whatever fits the situation.
If you’re an aspiring player you should check out East Indian music. I once did a casino circuit with a lounge-show type act and the drummer was an expert tabla (Indian drum) player as well as a great drum kit player. After our last show we would jam for hours, and wow—the things this guy could do. Indian rhythms applied to modern drumming make for a dangerous fellow.
Hand-Held Percussion: This would include tambourine, shakers, clave, cowbell, etc. These are used in any group needing their unique sound characteristics, and/or specialized rhythm patterns. Latin groups and shows of any kind where the budget is large enough for a drummer and a percussionist will hire both. Authentic Salsa bands (Cuban music) use timbale players and hand-held percussion instead of a drum kit. Outside of being necessary instruments in their Latin-based styles, hand-held percussion add a fantastic flavor to any kind of American music that is conducive to it.
Classical, Film and Recording: Many “drummers” have legit, formal training and work with orchestras and the recording industry playing individual instruments normally associated with a drum-kit such as snare drum, cymbals, triangles, etc. This requires fluid reading and experience working under a conductor.
Percussionists sometimes play vibraphone and marimba if that has been in their personal training.
Violin, viola and cello have been used more and more over the past fifty years in pop music. Outside of specific cultures using them for traditional folk music and down-home “fiddlin’,” classical music has been their predominant domain for hundreds of years.
All three instruments will get similar calls for work ranging from individuals, duos, trios, and quartets up to symphonic size ensembles.
String players will record for records, film and television as well as do various live performances. Live performances could be anything from chamber music to large show-type acts. Sometimes an upcoming singer will hire strings for his or her demo to add that professional touch, though budgets normally call for a synthesizer.
Most trio and quartet work is booked by agencies that handle such “acts,” and you will see these ensembles at weddings, banquets and assorted special occasions as well as the classical stage. Individual work calls are usually done by a contractor.
Violin, viola and cello have joined the pop and jazz worlds in one way or another and add a great fresh tonal quality to pop music, rock and jazz. I’ve played gigs where there was a jazz quartet consisting of guitar, upright, violin and clarinet; and did a gig once with a screamin’, electrified, rock violin.
There are three families of woodwind instruments: single-reed, pure air and double-reed instruments. Single-reed instruments are clarinets and saxophones (soprano, alto, tenor, baritone, and the rare bass sax). Pure air instruments are flutes and piccolo. Double-reed instruments are oboe, English horn, bassoon and contrabassoon.
Double-reed instrumentalists primarily work in symphony orchestras, recording studios for TV/film/records and in large show acts where there is enough of a budget. Now and then a double reed will rear its sound in a jazz setting but it’s not the norm.
Classical players usually break into the business through their instructors, and once that happens you fall into gigs through contractors and word-of-mouth.
Clarinetists play classical gigs, concert band gigs, shows, jazz, Dixieland, Klesmer (Jewish traditional music), and various style gigs.
Though sax is used in the symphonic arena, its main forte lies in jazz, rock and pop. Sax players generally focus on either rock/blues/funk/pop or jazz; but a good player does it all to some degree.
Sax players on the jazz side usually play clarinet and flute as well. This is called “doubling,” and is worth more bucks in the studio and for union gigs. Rock-oriented sax players generally play flute but not clarinet, at least professionally.
When a sax player does a club gig he’ll generally just bring his sax (also called a “horn”), unless doubling; but on a session, casual or show might bring them all. Though sax players have a special horn that he/she mostly plays, i.e., tenor, soprano, etc., at times will bring a few types to a gig—it all depends on what the gig requires. Unless you exclusively play one horn find out which ones to bring. A common stage set-up for a casual is alto, tenor, clarinet and flute. If a gig is more pop oriented the clarinet might have a night off with a soprano being used instead.
There are a few brands of wind activated electronic horns on the market that are designed to play through a synthesizer. I think they are “totally happening.” One kind is a clarinetish-looking single-reed-like instrument, and the other is just a tube that you blow into (with the fingering apparatus as well). They’re worth the money—as long as you buy the synths as well.
Along with casuals, shows, recordings, etc., sax quartets and quintets can often be seen around amusement parks and at various concert-type settings.
On the classical side of things—flute duets are often used at wedding receptions and various special occasions. Gigs like these are usually booked through an agency.
In symphonic music the main brass instruments are: trumpet, cornet, trombone, baritone horn, tuba and French horn. In jazz the flügelhorn shows its bell.
Along with any symphony or recording calls a guy gets, a work week for a trumpet or trombone player could entail one or more of the following: big band (from ’40s jazz to fusion charts to football game half time shows), horn section for a funk act, jazz combo, theater-show horn section, name-act horn section, and what-have-you.
Whereas a woodwind player will double on different instruments, you’ll almost never see a trumpet player also play trombone at the same gig. Though the way the mouth produces the notes is the same, the way the actual notes are changed is quite different—trumpet uses valves and trombone uses a slide. (There are two types of trombones: slide trombone and valve trombone. The slide trombone produces pitches by a combination of sliding the long, bent tube and the lips, whereas the valve trombone uses valves instead of a movable section of tube and is less common.)
Tubas play Dixieland gigs, symphonic gigs and sometimes double on electric bass. Often you’ll hear its deep, full sound on television and movie soundtracks (such as the movie “Jaws”). Other brass instruments gig with trios, quartets and quintets in styles ranging from jazz to concert band style, to humor in various styles. A pair of horns will get hired to play a fanfare for a wedding, and a French horn quintet will put on a performance for a Parks and Recreation concert series.
Pop and jazz horn players often sing as well as play hand-held percussion. Singing is most always a plus, besides being great fun. In club bands, singing lead is often required, whereas most calls are because of the way a guy plays. Since brass and wood-wind players often have long sections of rests, or entire tunes that are not played, they often have small percussion instruments with them or get one from the drummer to play when not blowing—or when not reading their new novel. (Horn players often bring books to read at sit-down type casuals because of the down time that can occur.) Because of minimal set-up time, horn players are generally the last to arrive at a gig and the first to leave.
As well as individual work, groups of players who have worked together a lot will get calls for work as an entire section—a “horn section.” In any given horn section there is generally a lead player who calls the shots, or originates ideas. A horn section could be three trumpets, or trombones or trumpet, sax and trombone, etc.
Horn players get work by contractor call, band leader call or agency booking if a group. Classical players usually break into the business by way of their instructor, as do woodwinds and other classical instruments.
Most major symphonic and classical ensembles require a recommendation and a demo tape to qualify for an audition. Sometimes a video is required as well. A solo piece will be performed, whether chosen by the performer or sometimes by the ensemble. If the pre-audition performance is what the ensemble is looking for, a live audition is set-up, sometimes before a panel of judges.
Working vocalists fall into any combination of four influences: theater (whether stage, film or video), dance, choral and musician.
Given that any singer can do any kind of performing he or she is capable of doing: theater-oriented singers often participate in various types of shows, often as a main vocalist; dance-oriented singers do the same, with possibly more options for musicals— song and dance numbers; choral singers work with classical ensembles, religious ensembles, are featured soloists if trained in that—and do whatever work they can do; and musician/vocalists can do almost any type of work an instrumentalist does.
Musician/vocalists commonly do: recording sessions, run bands, play an instrument while singing for various live performances, and do different types of freelance work. Some singers specialize in lead vocals, some in blending with group vocals, and some do it all. Freelance singers with pop material have books of their music to give to musicians at gigs, and when in the normal course of work use subs just the way an instrumentalist would. As with instrumentalists, vocalists do whatever types of work they are trained to do, and can do at a professional level.
The larger the entertainment budget the more musicians can be hired for any given gig. When a budget is small, the pecking order of instruments for live gigs is usually: (1) keyboards, (2) add drums, (3) add bass or guitar or a horn, (4) strings.
I hope this article answered any questions you’ve had about this area. Let me know if you’d like more information about anything! Just click here.
Marty
Pingback: Twitted by buttwinick