As seen from the other side - a players perspective

[klasaine]

OK, so all the rehearsal/pro band prep threads got me thinking.

How about looking at it from the other side?

I'm a 'for hire' guitar player. Call me whatever you want ... sideman, whore, mercenary - whatever.

So I get a call from a band leader I was recommended to.
He wants to record some songs. All good so far.
Can he send me a CD with some tunes on it to check out?
Sure ... I give address.
Two weeks later - long after I've forgotten about all of it - I get an unmarked CD in the mail with no return address.
Nothing noted on the disc other than two phone numbers.
No track listings - not even how many tunes.
Judging by the style and the fact that I found the phone number in my phone with a date that corresponded to my recollection of this conversation I surmise it's this guy.
OK, whatever, no biggie. The tunes are cool but there's 20 of them on there. So I text that I've gotten the disc and could he send me a track list and maybe which ones he was thinking of recording - he was initially talking about 10 or so tunes. I send him my email address (as a hint). I get a text back that totally does not address my question. "We'll see which 10 or 12 we can get our heads around" - W T F ?

So now I have to call the guy and explain (very gingerly) that as a hired player (as in others hire me too), I don't have time to learn all 20 songs (especially when I don't even know which song is which) if you're only doing a dozen ... which is a total pipe dream anyway for one day of recording (it's all he can afford) if he wants both electric and acoustic, some slide, etc.

I'm not a ***** about this stuff. I'll be totally polite and accommodating but these are the type of things that drives us mercenaries nuts.

*The bottom line is this ...
I was recommended to you.
You trust the guy who recommended me.
You know I'm 'for hire'.
You want 'for hire' because It'll get done well and relatively quickly.
I have a family and a mortgage like most everybody else.
So 'obviously' you're not the only guy I'm working for, right?
Please pick the 12 you want to do.

Is this unreasonable?

[Sleph]

no not unreasonable at all....I think most professionals would think like yourself - but as a musical gun-for-hire...I'd expect that you've come across flakey, tossers before.

If you do decide to continue a working relationship with this guy I'd prepare yourself for more of the same.

[Tim Armstrong]

I don't get those kinds of calls, but we do get the occasional "guest singer" who has no idea what key they want (or even what a key IS), or doesn't actually know the words when there isn't a karaoke machine projecting the lyrics on a tv screen in front of them...

Tim

[klasaine]

Quote from Sleph above ...
"no not unreasonable at all....I think most professionals would think like yourself - but as a musical gun-for-hire...I'd expect that you've come across flakey, tossers before.
If you do decide to continue a working relationship with this guy I'd prepare yourself for more of the same."

Exactly. That's my point and premise here.
As the title of the thread states ... as seen from the other side - a players perspective.

*I participated pretty heavily in the two previous threads about pro bands and rehearsal strategies. My comment about whether or not my requests were unreasonable was strictly rhetorical.


I/we deal with this on a constant basis. I absolutely know how to handle the situation ...
I'll listen to the CD a few times.
Write down keys.
Try to discern what the title may be(?).
Maybe learn and notate a signature line or two.
No more communication - I'm just showing up at the designated time and place.

Since it seems like 'party time' for him, that's how I'm gonna approach it.
Two guitars, one amp, a couple of pedals - and my invoice book.

If you're a band leader and want to do a project - recording, gigs, whatever(?) - be excited about it, communicate and know what you want. Essentially ... 'be a leader'.

[Mike Bruce]

Yes, but infrequently. Usually everything goes professionally, but here are a few exceptions:

Someone gets my email address from my business card at a music store and sends me huge music files, demands my opinion, and pesters me for session work. Oh yeah, and payment based on sales as if I'm in a garage band with him.

Or requests to do one-off live show for free, 3 or 4 rehearsals, a distance away. For what, the exposure?

Or, "howsabout some lessons for me and my family, all 6 of us, in exchange for...".

Or, "here's my cd, made it myself on my PC, just add your magic and I'll split the profits with you...".

You gotta have a sense of humour in this business.

[christhee68]

I had a guy approach me about doing some “studio work” earlier this year.

First of all, I’m not what you would really call a “pro.” I play at about 15 weddings a year for money and play in the church band (for free).

He said his girlfriend has a Nashville recording contract and “the guy that wrote all of Bon Jovi’s songs” has written some songs for her to record and he wants me to play some acoustic tracks for her.

I told him, “I haven’t done this kind of thing before, but I’ll give it a shot. Just get me the songs, lyrics, chords, etc. and I’ll see what I can do.”

He said, “Oh yeah…we don’t have any music—we’ll need you to write the music, too.”

I never heard from him again. I wonder how that all worked out for him?

[Tim Bowen]

Yeah, whether it's gigs, recording, or teaching. I used to sugar-coat my replies, but it doesn't bother me to cut to the chase anymore.


"I'd love to work with/for you, but time is tight. Figure out exactly what you want and get it organized, and get back to me if you'd like. Thanks."

"Id love to work with/for you, but I can't afford to do that amount of work for the dollar figure at hand. Thank you though."

"No, I can't barter music lessons for carpet cleaning services, but thanks for asking."

"I'm sorry, but no, you can't come up and sing with us. I'm at my job right now. I'm sure you wouldn't want me under your feet when you go to your job on Monday morning either. I do appreciate you listening though."

[klasaine]

Please read posts #1 and #4 ...

So as is usually the case 95% of the time, none of the arrangements (or keys) of the tunes on aforementioned CD were adhered to - nothing, zero, nada.
I didn't even need to listen to the disc.
I wasted about two to three hours learning 20 (albeit fairly simple) arrangements of tunes I was already familiar with.
Leaders ... just tell us you're not gonna do the arrangements or keys you send out - no problem.
*Thank god the players are good ... or I would've just left the 1st rehearsal.

[Tele-Monster]

Never gonna change bro. People don't care about your time. Guys like us get a bad rap as jobbers or flakes, but bottom line is this: lots of money to make and limited time to do it in. Peeps sometimes fail to remember this, luckily I have another job to support the "other" things in my life, but I've been there. You take a gig cause it pays.

[Old Cane]

Wow, now if I had said that I'd get called names. You nailed it.

[klasaine]

So here's the up shot and why I will always do my 'homework' ...
I now know the tunes better than anybody else. I've become indispensable. My invoice will reflect that as well as my wasted time - lol!

[fezz parka]

Some people don't know what the eff they're doing.

[sax4blues]

I do home recording at a serviceable amateur level. When the flake factor comes in my very first reply is to quote an hourly rate, define that the clock is running for any work, and estimate a minimum amount of time/$$. That pretty much ends the dialog.

[klasaine]

Originally Posted by Old Cane

Wow, now if I had said that I'd get called names. You nailed it.

I've been called some names here and I've been banned ... actually for something I didn't say but that's another story. Ironically though the "internet" occasionally finds fault with my straightforward approach, the real world hasn't. I've NEVER lost a job for being honest and direct.

[fezz parka]

Originally Posted by klasaine

I've NEVER lost a job for being honest and direct.

Me neither.

[Joe-Bob]

I have.










Not a music job, but a day job.

[Old Cane]

Originally Posted by klasaine

I've been called some names here and I've been banned ... actually for something I didn't say but that's another story. Ironically though the "internet" occasionally finds fault with my straightforward approach, the real world hasn't. I've NEVER lost a job for being honest and direct.

Well, I meant "You take a gig cause it pays." but I'm with ya on your posts too.