AlexBUltimateGuitar

I'm in a mood to vent about my life / future and I figured the pit was the best place to do it. I finished school last year - and passed with good grades, surprisingly - and now I'm hoping to start working more professionally as a musician. I'll probably end up getting a job soon, but inevitably it'll be only to fund music.

• I've been playing guitar for about four to four and a half years. I've gigged a few times, all being solo gigs and the occasional competition just to get over being nevous. Over the past few weeks I've been putting more effort into learning theory - I'll start working through the Rockschool-curriculum soon.
• I'm primarily a blues guitarist, with some of the stuff I listen to being Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, Little Walter, Gary Moore, Robert Johnson, Cream, SRV, Ry Cooder, Joe Bonamassa, Jimi Hendrix, etc. I feel like I borrow something from each player to ultimately form my own style.
• I'd like to be a solo artist above everything, occasionally with a backing band and occasionally without, depending on the gig. Anything from local pubs, heavier clubs, biker events and, if I'm successful enough, booked shows in certain restaurants. If I had to join a band I wouldn't have much trouble finding one.
• I'd probably give guitar workshops a try at some point, if I feel like I'm confident enough. Small, basic classes at first. It could bring in extra money.
• My gear is okay at the moment. I have 3 good amps, two being solid state and one being a tube amp. At the moment I have one MiM Strat from 2003 that plays like a dream. I'd like to get one more as a main guitar - preferably a Telecaster. There's my problem. I can either take the money from the gear I've sold and get a good MiM Tele or I can take a longer break from serious gigging for a few months and save up for the MiA in the meantime. The MiA is arguably better. But the MiM is sooner.

And now, the point of the thread: Do I have the right approach? I know this is going to take a hell of a lot of work for me to get where I want to be. But it's what I want to do.

Advice/thoughts would be appreciated.

chev311e

tl;dr dancing guy, yada yada yada.

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StewieSwan

Figure again

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Random3

General piece of advice: contacts. If you go to local events/gigs you will get to know people there who may be able to put you down for gigs etc which will get your name known.

Personally I would save for the MiA, I own one and it is just a better guitar.

Not sure I understand your amp setup. Why do you need 3 amplifiers? Why not sell at least one of them and get a better primary amp? And surely you only need 2 if you are playing vastly different genres that one amplifier will not satisfy.

And yeah, try posting this in GG&A.

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T00DEEPBLUE

You need to know about the music industry like the back of your hand.

You must be willing to starve to death and to live on the streets just to get by.

You must have connections with people who can help make you big.

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lushacrous

you could always sell your soul

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whoomit

Message edmodo23 about getting started in the music business.

metaldud536

And graphic design.

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#2
My Deviant Art Page
Manchester United

whoomit

And whatever other skills he has hidden up his sleeve.

AlexBUltimateGuitar

Thanks. I try to go to a lot of gigs and get to know the band members / their managers / the manager of the venue. I have a lot of friends in the music industry that I've met over the past few months. Everything from fellow musicians to studio owners.

Noted, MiA it is then. I've gotten to play both and there's definitely a better feel to MiA ones. The amps started off as trading stuff between friends. As in: "Hey man, that's a cool guitar. Interested in trading it for (insert piece of gear here)?"

Sorry about the wrong category. Wasn't quite sure where else to put it.

AJScott

There seems to be no ranting here. You want to form a backing band? You will need a lot of money as you're basically hiring musicians to play your music, it'd be much cheaper to create a band and just contribute a lot to the music.

A step forward? Look into recording some of your own demos and put them out there to get a band together.

AlexBUltimateGuitar

Been there, done that. In retrospect I should've sold it for success and money, not guitar ability.

shelovemyguitar

Around here if you want to play in bars you have to play mostly covers. People want to here music they know so have yourself a good list of songs and add some of yours in there. That's what my band and I are doing and it works fine.

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"What is the best kind of slave to have? One who does not realize they are a slave"
Wake up people!

Ometh

Here's my advice: post this on a fucking blog.

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kylendm

Lol at TS's forum posts.

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#1 synth

so what you're saying is...

Ometh

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whoomit

WTF

T00DEEPBLUE

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