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MUSICIAN TIPS -
Be a Great Musician
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Musician
Tips 1 - Every musician should consider putting together
a musician's survival kit of some sort. This kit should include
things like extra audio equipment accessories, tools like pliars,
wire cutters, tuning keys, etc., first aid (band aids, etc.),
and miscellaneous items
necessary for musical emergencies.
Musician
Tips 2 - Get in the habit of keeping two of everything on
hand at your studio or rehearsal studio. It helps to have a
couple of keyboards, two guitars, two drums, etc. Keep all good
and heavy equipment at the rehearsal site, while having a smaller,
lighter instrument offsite for additional rehearsal time inbetween
band or group rehearsals. This saves on time for setting up
as well as wear and tear on the good equipment.
Musician
Tips 3 - Be on time to band rehearsals and gigs! If you're
late, it can cause a stressful situation. Remember, you play
an important role in your band. The other musicians are counting
on you to be responsible enough to show up on time and do your
job. After all; that's why they're paying you. Be on time.
Musician
Tips 4 - Be willing to help set up and break down on a gig,
even if it’s not your equipment. It goes a long way as a gesture
of goodwill.
Musician
Tips 5 - It is easy to get hooked on a teacher, especially
if they are good at what they do and your personalities work
well together. Even so, take the opportunity to explore other
teachers, even if just through a single lesson or masterclass.
You never know what you may pick up from their "bag of tricks".
Gifts
for Musicians
Musician
Tips 6 - PRACTICE! PRACTICE! PRACTICE! Be sure
to know the song you're learning almost to the point you have
it memorized. This way, you are not holding up everyone else
by trying to learn your parts at the last minute. Do your
part to be prepared. It makes it easier on everyone.
Musician
Tips 7 - There is an old saying or quote that compares
an amateur musician with a professional. It says that an amateur
is someone who can get it right, while a professional is someone
who cannot get it wrong. Yet more motivation to practice.
Musician
Tips 8 - As a performer, you'll do better spacing out
your practice sessions. It's difficult to "cram" just before
the performance; learning is less efficient, and your body
is tired out for the gig.
Musician
Tips 9- Leaders, be open to suggestions from fellow band
members. It never hurts to try something new. Some musicians
are very schooled and/or very experienced... or maybe simply
very creative. Listen to their input and consider their musical
ideas. That's why you hired them. They're not just robots that
want to be told what to do.
Musician
Tips 10 - Have weekly or monthy meetings with your band.
Lay everything out on the table such as the rules and the expectations
for your band. If you have this understanding from the beginning,
it should eliminate much confusion down the road.
Musician
Tips 11 - Make sure you know the correct attire for the
performance and follow it exactly. When everyone has a “uniform”,
it is easy to ruin the appearance by not following suit, even
if the uniform consists of black pants, casual floral shirts,
and black shoes and socks.
Musician
Tips 12 - Try to be considerate of other band members on
road trips. Many will object to smoking or drinking in the vehicle.
Others may want to get a little rest rather than listen to blaring
tunes or raucous conversation the whole way there. It’s more
important to arrive safe and ready to perform than to have a
party on the way down.
Musician
Tips 13 - If there is money involved (which most of the
time there is), be sure everyone is clear on what their slice
of the pie will be. Draw up contracts if you have to. Take the
necessary measure to make sure everyone understands the money.
Many great bands have broken up over money issues.
Musician
Tips 14 - Show
up at rehearsal having practiced on your own. It saves everyone’s
time and helps you play better together.
Musician
Tips 15 - To promote your band, make a professional looking
business card, flyer, and website. The more professional you
look, the more your chances of being hired. A strong presence
can boost your group's reputation.
Gifts
for Musicians
Musician
Tips 16- If you ever mess up than don't try to go back and
fix what you messed up on, just go off from where you messed
up and maybe no one will notice! -Xarumy
Musician
Tips 17 - Herbie Hancock tells a story about playing a session
at the plugged nickel where he hit a chord that was wrong; dead
wrong. But, Miles Davis was listening so intently that he made
it sound right by the notes he played over the top of the chord!
In the jazz world, I think that Miles is the epitome of listening
and playing off of what you hear. So many of us would do well
to emulate this.
Musician
Tips 18 - A drumming friend shared this advice with me a
while back: "Leave your ego at the door." While it
takes a certain amount of ego to shred your guitar, thrash your
drums or rock your keyboard, remember that, as a musician--and
especially as part of a group--you're there to entertain your
guests, not to show your attitude or be a diva.Your bandmates
will appreciate your professional attitude, and your guests
will appreciate your professionalism on the bandstand...
Musician
Tips 19 - Songwriters - Keep a tape recorder or small notepad
with you at all times. You never know when inspiration will
hit and if you don't have some way to record a melody or capture
the lyrics they may be lost forever.
Musician
Tips 20 - If you're having a hard time playing or singing
in general compared to your usual ability level, try this: Play
or sing something that has a very lyrical and singing quality
to it, not something that is very technically challenging. Sail
right through the melodies. A half an hour of this has been
known to clear up unusual problems for more than a few musicians!
Musician Tips 21 - There's always been a lot of drugs
in the music business. You'd be smart to run the other direction.
Keep your distance as much as possible and don't buy into this
notion that you have to do drugs to be creative. Nonsense!
Musician Tips 22 - Protect your hearing! Take it from
one who knows. My ears are ringing loud right now (I have Tinnitus)
and I would give anything to go back and do it over again...
but I can't. As a musician, you owe it to yourself to Invest
in some earplugs and earphones. Use them during band practices
and as much as you can on louder gigs. Don't forget to keep
earplugs with you for music concerts too.
Musician Tips 23 - Never, ever, EVER argue with another
musician on stage. This is so unprofessional and it just makes
your band look bad, not to mention embarrasing the other members
of the band.
Musician Tips 24 - Out of respect for the audience you're
playing for, try to avoid taking extended or extra long breaks.
So many bands like to stretch those breaks out and sometimes
really abuse it. The crowd wants to hear you play and at least
some of them are there just for you, so respect this and don't
keep them waiting.
Musician
Tips 25 - Don't take a break if you see people showing up
during a slow evening and it's time to stop.
Gifts
for Musician
Musician
Tips 26 - Trumpet player Rafael Mendez was quoted as saying
something to the effect of "Make every note you play a solo."
Take that to heart the next time you perform, even as a member
of a group. Although you want to blend and play your part of
the musical process without overpowering the group, a solo mindset
will make you a stronger group member.
Musician
Tips 27 - Don't get caught up in dogmatic approaches to
playing or singing. Quite often, someone who thinks they have
solved everyone's problems gets a lot of press or spends a lot
of marketing money to get their product, method book, seminar
DVD, or idea out there. While there are certainly guiding principals
of technique, everyone has slight differences in body and mind.
Musician
Tips 28 - Get multiple sets of directions and take them
all. Get the ones your bandleader or band member has. Get an
alternate set from Google Maps or another mapping service. Make
sure that at least one set of directions has an actual map on
it. And have phone numbers for the band leader, band members,
and gig location in case something should happen.
Musician
Tips 29 - If you are driving to the gig, make sure your
vehicle is well maintained, gassed up, and ready to roll well
before the day of the gig. This is even more important if you
are giving others in the band a ride.
Musician
Tips 30 - Be flexible. A performance is rarely ever exactly
what you expect. Hopefully, this variety will keep things interesting
for you. Be ready and willing to change the order of tunes or
set lists. Be ready to stretch a song, cut another short, and
even let the event organizer use your microphone to make announcements.
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