If I practice guitar all day every day can I make a living?

[compboyo]

So, atm say I can play guitar basically. Nothing special. Self taught.

Now if I studied and proper practiced 5-10 hours per day 4-7 days per week after a few months I woudl be much more advanced and competent.

but what does this entail?

Say I did become very compotent and proficient player what is the likelihood and how could I make more than 200-300 quid per week?


What about if I study music production, cubase, ableton etc.

Try to make electronic music, study production, mixing techinques.

Is this unlikely to ever lead to financial well off job.

 

[Zefan]

You've got to work out, why would someone pay you for it?

 

[Maccy]

You could get into a band and 'make it'. Or become a superstar DJ/producer. But let's be realistic. You're more likely to make it as a session musician if you really work at it and make some contacts.

 

[compboyo]

You could get into a band and 'make it'. Or become a superstar DJ/producer. But let's be realistic. You're more likely to make it as a session musician if you really work at it and make some contacts.

and session musician can make regular decent pay?

 

[p0ss3s3d]

Can you sight read sheet music?

Can you sight read tabs?

Can you read chord sheets and nashville notation?

Can you create a part that fits the context of a song, in 3-4 mins?

Are you punctual and organised?

Are you well groomed?

Are you fun to work with?

Do you know how to achieve any guitar sound on record (and have the equipment to do so)?

Can you learn set lists in a day or two by ear if necessary?

Do you have plenty of experience in bands, groups, orchestras, ensembles?

Can you emulate other guitar players?

Have you worked in a pit?

Have you played any large stages?

Can you leave your ego at the door?

EDIT:
Test: Can you sight read the melody of this, then the chordal accompaniment, and improv a section too in the style of djano, hit a I - VI - ii - V turnaround, then back into the chordal accompaniment? What gear would you take? Do you have a suit to wear?

http://www.jamtracks.ru/mpjam/Jazz/Notes/Bluebossa.gif

 

[compboyo]

Can you sight read sheet music? I learned a few years back but quit so I can still remember somewhat

Can you sight read tabs? yes no probs

Can you read chord sheets and nashville notation? chord sheets yes nashville notation dont kwno what that is

Can you create a part that fits the context of a song, in 3-4 mins? You mean a solo/riff?

Are you punctual and organised? Can be if motivated

Are you well groomed? sure

Are you fun to work with? sure

Do you know how to achieve any guitar sound on record (and have the equipment to do so)? Not 100% yet but I have multi proccessor and software and experimented a lot over the years

Can you learn set lists in a day or two by ear if necessary? no thats what Im crap at. Hearing the exact notes etc..

Do you have plenty of experience in bands, groups, orchestras, ensembles? Zilch

Can you emulate other guitar players? I try

Have you worked in a pit? Im not a miner

Have you played any large stages? No or I would not have made thread.

Can you leave your ego at the door? Sure

EDIT:
Test: Can you sight read the melody of this, then the chordal accompaniment, and improv a section too in the style of djano, hit a I - VI - ii - V turnaround, then back into the chordal accompaniment? What gear would you take? Do you have a suit to wear?

http://www.jamtracks.ru/mpjam/Jazz/Notes/Bluebossa.gif

Im not wanting to be serious orchastra player just do like cover bands weddings etc..80s songs, rock songs, I can play blues band also at pub etc...not to serious

..........

 

[p0ss3s3d]

..........

In that case maybe your not suited to session work!

However, if you can sing, you can get £100+ per night at a pub with an acoustic, small PA and mic. Or in a good quality pub band £250+ as a group. Or as a function or wedding band £500-£1500 between your group. Good tribute acts can earn £1000+ too.

So three decent gigs a week and your earning £250 per week quite easily!

 

[Robosapien]

Ask Naffa.

 

[compboyo]

In that case maybe your not suited to session work!

However, if you can sing, you can get £100+ per night at a pub with an acoustic, small PA and mic. Or in a good quality pub band £250+ as a group. Or as a function or wedding band £500-£1500 between your group. Good tribute acts can earn £1000+ too.

So three decent gigs a week and your earning £250 per week quite easily!

Anyway my asnwers would be differnt in 6 months daily pracitce.

That sounds ok money though

But yeh I dont want orchestras just fun

 

[p0ss3s3d]

Anyway my asnwers would be differnt in 6 months daily pracitce.

That sounds ok money though

But yeh I dont want orchestras just fun

Of course, but learning to read sheet music for guitar efficiently enough to reach a session standard is years of daily practice.

And session work is work not fun. You play what you are asked.

If you want fun, get a pub band together.

 

[randal]

Or, you could just stop playing computer games, posting on forums and daydreaming and get a job? Any job, there are loads that will pay you the money you want.

You next thread should be: "My skills are X, Y, Z. What job can I do?"

 

[SexyGreyFox]

Anyway my asnwers would be differnt in 6 months daily pracitce.

Practising in a bedroom is not enough though.
You have got to get out there with real people and interact.

p0ss3s3d has covered all the bases but most of the time if you want to earn serious money you will have to be willing to do anything and prostitute yourself.

 

[Vonhelmet]

£200 a week?

Dream big, man!

 

[Naffa]

Ask Naffa.

I wasn't asked, but I will contribute, anyway.

Basically, if you play the guitar all day everyday, you will get very good at playing the guitar. That is very different to making a living from playing the guitar. Although I don't make my living as a guitarist, I am somebody with zero natural ability on the instrument (that being something I don't believe exists), but have got to a fairly decent standard. I can read music, chord charts, hear a song and then either play the part I just listened to or make up a new part for the song, improvise (solos, parts, music, etc) and all the rest of it. I got to the standard where I am able to do this by practicing... A lot. Any great guitar player says the same thing, they didn't get to the standard they are at, they got their because they lived and breathed the guitar for years.

The only thing I will say about your particular case, is that the fact you are asking about this on a forum means that I doubt you will be able to dedicate your life to the guitar. I don't want to sound like a spoil sport or anything, but pouring the amount of effort needed into mastering an instrument (or anything, I suppose) isn't a decision that one makes. It is simply something one does, because one cannot bear not to. For instance, I never decided that I wanted to spend x amount of hours playing the guitar per day, though I did have the aspiration and desire to get to become a decent musician.

What I'm trying to say is that to spend ten hours of practice and playing per day cannot be an intellectual decision, it must be a passionate compulsion if you want to make any headway. Sorry if I sound like a stuck up douche, but music is my life. And ironically, thinking about it all this much actually goes against one of the pillars of my philosophy of music, which is not to think about it too much. Oxymoron alert.

I hope that you found the above helpful in some way.

 

[SexyGreyFox]

Although I don't make my living as a guitarist, I am somebody with zero natural ability on the instrument

That's probably one of the biggest BS I've read on this forum
The first thing I saw you do was playing bass when you were about 15 in a 3 piece and I thought you were talented.
From then I've watched you grow up with a healthy interest in Tommy Emmanuel and your desire to do what he can do - AND YOU CAN.
That is definitely 100% not zero natural ability.
Everything else you've said is definitely true and one of the reasons after 41 years I'm not that good.

I was born with a guitar (and other instruments) and I only ever picked up a guitar 30 mins before rehearsal, at rehearsal and at gigs but I never bothered at any other time.
Now at the age of 53 I have found a guitar that fits my hands perfectly and since the end of June I have been picking it up for at least 1 hour a day which totals more than I've done in the last 41 years.

My experience comes from knowing 1000s & 1000s of people and playing with everybody I could.
I've been a massive prostitute and played everything.
I've been in 50's, 60s 70's, blues, country, rockabilly, reggae, funk, club, wedding, rock bands but never actually played the stuff I really want to play which is thrash (Slayer/Anthrax).

Listen to Naffa & p0ss3s3d because I wish I had done.

 

[boxman2000]

Agree with Naffa, if you're not passionate about music in the first place then striving to make it a career out of it isn't really the right way around.

My missus is a very talented songwriter and has been working with some good producers to release an EP - from doing a few gigs in the last couple of years I would say to make money from it you would almost want to get into the management/organisation side of it as much as the music. Anyone who thinks having a CD or touring means you're making money has another thing coming..... it is an expensive business and the labels, marketing agents and organisers take their cut long before you do.

If you can afford it (and this would be something I would have considered had I thought of it 15 years ago) I would go to a course like this. A mate did the DrumTech course and now teaches in local schools and offers private lessons, having recently expanded his business by employing another tutor.

Tech schools would force you to learn styles you wouldn't normally go for but gives you an overall grounding and a qualification at the end of it.

So many people want to learn guitar, I think teaching is probably the quickest and easiest way to make money, plus you'd have the ability to practice a lot inbetween.


Edited to add: being a bit of a gear freak myself, if you're looking for session work eventually then you're going to have to have a lot of kit at your disposal. Various amps (combo's to cabs), pedals pedals and more pedals, guitars etc. Knowing how to use this all effectively is key too.

 

[Scrutinize]

the session musician test[/url]

you don't have to be naturally musical and musically schooled to make money or a living from the guitar. you just need to be able to play the guitar, write music and sing or get into the right 'working' band as a guitarist. the first band which springs to mind that demonstrated this would be Oasis, very simple but effective music back in the 90s which any guitarist who had played for a few months could achieve. I suspect that a fair portion of people who have made serious money from playing the guitar aren’t (or weren’t at the time) capable of being a session musician.

some people are just naturally musical so music really drives them and their career choice. this ear for music is not something you can always be taught rather it lends itself to those who are naturally musical, which in turn and unsurprisingly are the people that typically follow a musical career / profession like as a session musician. being a professional musician playing cruise ships, gigs, pubs and clubs is properly hard work and the chances are you will never have your name known by more than a few people.

similar demands to concert / symphony orchestra musicians. The best technical guitarists I know formally learned more traditional wind, brass, piano or string instruments as children then picked up the guitar in their teens simply as it was easier to perform, write, sing with.

Even if you aren’t musical, with enough practice on the guitar you could probably play most chart & rock based band music within 3-5 years or sooner if you put enough time to it.

 

[J1234]

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18303029

 

[SexyGreyFox]

To be honest listening to these solo's you posted I don't think you've got that far to go.
Just keep doing what you're doing.

 

[compboyo]

Are you serious? lol


I dont think they are that good

well house of risign sun was like a parody i done for my Freind for a pi$$ take.

The other one you posted I thought was ok but that was done like 2-3 years ago. Listening back there is so much technically wrong with it but in parts its ok. I liked around 4:00 i put some effects in and panning stuff, sounds cool with hedphones.

Maybe ill make a current vid and you can critique me