How To Get More Guitar Students - Video Edition

Here's a video version of my most popular blogspot post...

The Business of Making Music | #13 Types of TV Music

In this video I talk about the three types of music found in television shows....

1. The score
2. "Needle Drops"
3. Source music
4. Theme
5. Bumpers
6. Library Music

Each have their own qualities and requirements.

For example...

The Business of Making Music | #12 Types of Film Music

In this video I talk about the three types of music found in films.

1. The score
2. "Needle Drops"
3. Source music

Each have their own qualities and requirements.

The Business of Making Music | #11 Intro to "Mailbox Money"

There are many sources of revenue for the musician/songwriter/composer.

Performance Royalties - issued in the US through BMI, ASCAP and SESAC, which are usage on radio, TV, restaurants, concerts, stores, internet, streaming.

Mechanical Royalties - from the writers/publishers share of record/CD sales, iTunes sales, Amazon and others.

CCLI income from churches for using worships songs.

If you are playing music or even pretending to play music (sidelining) on a TV show or in a Movie there is something called "Secondary Market Revenue" that is paid based on your percentage of the entire union contract.

Union jingles sessions pay "mailbox money" as reuse every 13 weeks.

Union record sessions will pay again if your name is attached to a song and that recording is used in a TV, commercial or film or other such use.

The Business of Making Music | #10 Don't Believe Everything You Hear

The Business of Making Music | #9 Guard Your Brand

Here I talk about one of my few regrets in the music business, promoting myself too soon.

The Business of Making Music | #8 Should I Learn To Read Music?

Some good sight reading materials...

A Modern Method for Guitar Vol. 1
A Modern Method for Guitar Vol. 2
A Modern Method for Guitar Vol. 3
A Modern Method for Guitar Vol. 1, 2, & 3
Melodic Rhythms for Guitar
Reading Studies for Guitar
Advanced Reading Studies for Guitar
Advanced Jazz Conception for Saxophone: 20 Jazz Etudes
Tommy Tedesco - For Guitar Players Only

ALSO be on the hunt for 25 cent Flute, Trumpet, Sax etc. studies at thrift stores.

Metronomes (though you could jut a free app on your phone that does this) -

Seiko Metronome
Korg Metronome

The Business of Making Music | #7 My 5 Reasons To Take A Gig

My five reasons are...

For the money
For the experience
For the connections
For friends
For God (or good causes)

The Business of Making Music | #6 Be Your Own College

Can't afford to go to college?  Think you are too old?  Don't have the time?  Be Your Own College.  #1 - Figure out what you need to learn.  #2 - Figure out how to learn it.  #3 - Learn it.  You will probably learn more from #1 and #2 than #3 surprisingly.

The Business of Making Music | #5 Should I Go To Music School?

A very important question.  Should you go to music school?  Will a degree in music make a career in music more likely?  Possibly.  If your school is in a major music town like LA, NY, Nashville, Miami or Atlanta it could help you forge long lasting connections.

The Business of Making Music | #4 Living Below Your Means

One way to guarantee a failure of any endeavor is to run out of money.  A negative cash flow will eventually catch up with you.

The Business of Making Music | #3 Being In The Right Place

Are you where you need to be successful in you musical pursuits?

Here's an article on the subject

The Business of Making Music | #2 Get In The Game

Here are a list of subjects I hope to cover in this series (adding to it all the time)....

Gigging - be prepared
Writing
Publishing
ASCAP/BMI
Session Work
Music Schools
Record deals
Touring
Writing for TV and film
Cue Sheets
BMI Statements
Library Work
Gear Acquisition
NAMM
Practicing - time management
Keep learning
Learn new instruments
Traits of Artists
Traits of successful musicians
Writing Pop Music
Split Sheets
Cue Sheets
YouTube
Streaming - Spotify, et al.
Social Media - Instagram and Twitter
Joining the Union
Being where the action is
Learning ProTools/Logic
Getting and Keeping Students
Contracting
Be Open to a Different Career in   the Business
Be Upwardly Mobile
Home Studios
Making Connections
Getting in the Game
Live Small (below your means)
Producing
Film Sessions vs Record sessions
Powerful People
Don’t Believe Everything
It’s not who you know, it’s who knows you
Take Yourself to College


Here are list of jobs I've done in and related to the business of music (adding to this list all the time too!)...

Working in a Record Store
Working in a Guitar Store
Running Sound at a Nightclub
Teaching Private Lessons
Teaching Clinics
Teaching a Class at USC
Guitar Coaching Actors
Copy Work (doing charts)
Playing Jazz Gigs
Playing Top 40 Gigs
Playing Classical Music at a Restaurant
Playing Weddings (classical guitar)
Playing Rock Gigs
Playing in Cover Bands
Playing in Original Bands
Playing in a Pit Band (for plays/musicals)
Playing in Worship Bands
Leading Worship
Writing Worship Songs
Writing Rock Songs
Writing Classical Songs
Writing Pop Songs
Writing Music for Television
Writing Music for Film
Being a Music Director
Being a Contractor
Playing on Records/CD's
Playing on Movies
Playing on TV Shows
Playing on Jingles
Sidelining in TV Shows (on camera appearances)
Producing Records
Developing Artists

The Business of Making Music | #1 Something to Think About

NEW YOUTUBE SERIES!

Are you struggling trying to make it in music?  Maybe you're meant to play a different role.  And if you find success in that different role you'll no doubt find it more satisfying going "somewhere" than going "nowhere". 

Here is LA Reid's interview on Charlie Rose.

Chart Reading Tips

Check out this video I did for those of you who struggle with reading charts.

Cool Skill - "Sing a String"

A Recent Session

I did this one last week. It was fun to get the Beatle bass out, as well as the Epi Casino and my ol Gibson Folksinger to try to replicate the sounds and parts of the original.

7 Reasons Why You Have No Gigs

7 Reasons Why You Have No Gigs

What's In My Emergency Gig Kit?

Just taking a look at what emergencies I have prepared for. Just the basics...

Elixir Electric Strings

Elixir Acoustic Strings

Dunlop Derlin Purple Picks - 1.5mm

Dunlop Nylon Black 1.0mm

Groove Tubes EL84 Tubes

Groove Tubes 12ax7 Tubes

Finger Nail Kit

Finger Tip Bandaids

9 volt Batteries

String Winder

Basic Black Guitar Strap

I'm a black hole where gigs go to die.

Years ago a friend of mine's computer business really took off, filling up his weekdays. He wanted to lighten his weekend schedule. He's a very good guitarist who had a couple church gigs that he wanted me to take over for him. One was playing guitar at an Adventist church for their contemporary service. This was on Saturday mornings, a rare time for a gig conflict. Perfect. The other was for another church on Sunday night. It paid quite well.

Flash forward five years, we run into each other at a soda jerk shop in Pasadena and he asks me, "what ever happened to those gigs I recommended you for?"

"I'm still doing them both."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I guess I'm the black hole where gigs go to die."

The Sunday night gig I did for a couple more years after that. Occasionally leading worship. At the Adventist Church, I had in the first 6 months become the worship leader and would go on for a dozen years in that role, serving faithfully until I was just too busy to continue.

If you are trying to build your business it's real important to build your business. Keep your clients and add to them. For years on the weekends I had a Saturday morning, a Saturday night, a Sunday morning and Sunday night gig at three or four churches. Every weekend. It paid a lot of bills. And was ministry too!

Some tips to keeping that gig...

1. Be faithful/consistent.
2. Be on time. I always make a point to be at every gig a half hour before I'm suppose to show up.
3. Go the extra mile. Invest when you need to.
4. Be prepared.
5. Stay current. Don't get lazy and just check in every week.

These are just a few ways to keep those gigs and add to them.