Playing guitar is a fun and creative pastime that many people enjoy. But what does it mean to be a professional guitar player? Ever thought you could actually make a living out of playing guitar? With the right mindset, determination, and love for music, it is definitely possible.
To become a professional guitar player, you need to possess both musical and social skills. Musical skills such as sharp ears, fast working abilities, and versatility are a must. Social skills include being professional, punctual, respectful, and having the right equipment.
In this article, we’ll explore what it takes to become a professional guitarist and offer tips and advice for those who aspire to turn their passion for music into a career.
What Exactly is a Professional Guitar Player
First, let’s define what a professional guitarist or session player is. A professional guitar player is someone who plays guitar for a living, whether it be in a band, as a solo artist, or as a session musician. Session players may work in various industries, including film and television soundtracks, live performances, or recording studios.
Some session musicians have had such a distinct musical style that they established their own career path. For instance, Steve Vai played guitar for Frank Zappa, and Jimi Hendrix was a former member of James Brown’s band.
The Mental Barrier to Becoming a Pro Guitar Player
One of the biggest obstacles to becoming a professional guitar player is believing in oneself. While talent is undoubtedly important, determination and perseverance are equally essential. Aspiring guitarists must be willing to put in the time and effort required to develop their skills and pursue their passion for music.
A Day in the Life of a Professional Guitar Player
So, what does a typical workday look like for a professional guitarist? It depends on the specific job and industry, but session players may spend hours rehearsing or recording in a studio, performing at live shows or events, or working on a set for a film or television project.
Contrary to popular belief, musicians often start their day early. For session players, a significant amount of work happens during the day, such as radio performances, rehearsals, and morning or afternoon shows for kids and families or festivals.
However, if you aspire to become a professional guitar player, be prepared to work evenings and nights. Some shows may start at 8 PM, while others may not begin until 2 AM or even later, making for some pretty crazy work hours, especially during holidays.
A Step-by-Step Guide to Becoming a Professional Guitar Player
Now, let’s explore the skills and tools necessary to become a successful professional guitar player. These include having a trained ear, musical knowledge, sight-reading abilities, technique and dexterity, creativity and improvisation skills, adaptability and versatility, and professionalism and social skills. It’s also essential to invest in quality gear to help you achieve the sound and style you’re after.
Musical Skills:
A Trained Ear
Having a well-trained musical ear is essential for keeping up with the high work pace of professional music. It is widely regarded as the most important skill to acquire, as it has the potential to elevate a musician to the top of their field.
Many successful session musicians possess exceptional playing abilities despite lacking the ability to read sheet music or understand music theory. Their keen hearing enables them to master their instruments and thrive in various fast-paced musical situations.
Musical Knowledge
Understanding the fundamentals of music enables you to analyze, deconstruct, and learn pieces more quickly, logically, and professionally.
Without any knowledge of music theory, becoming a versatile player and learning new genres and styles can prove challenging.
As a professional guitar player, you may be asked to play something abstract or unconventional, such as a “darker” or “smokier” guitar part. It is your job to interpret these vague requests and shape them into actual music. Moreover, having a theoretical foundation will help you categorize chords and scales and connect them to certain emotions and atmospheres.
Sight Reading
Sight reading is a sensitive subject for many guitar players – it’s something we despise. Reading music notation is not intuitive for guitarists, and it can be challenging to master. However, it’s an essential skill for any professional musician.
Fortunately, many music sheets only include harmony, which is standard in mainstream music. Nevertheless, you may encounter music that requires reading notes, so it’s crucial to be prepared.
Being able to sight-read is a significant advantage over other guitar players, and it’s worth investing time and effort into developing this skill. It’s not just about reading chords but also notes and rhythm.
Despite the initial difficulty, sight-reading can become enjoyable and satisfying once you become proficient at it. Imagine being able to play anything on the spot without rehearsing – that’s the power of sight-reading.
To enhance your music reading abilities, we highly recommend checking out this article which provides tips on how to read sheet music effectively.
Work Speed
In a professional music setting, everything moves at a rapid pace. Time is often limited, and there are numerous songs to cover. As a professional guitarist, you must be able to keep up.
You need to be quick on your feet because you may be asked to transpose a complex song or create multiple guitar parts on the spot. The producer or artist may request changes to guitar parts or an entire composition in a matter of seconds, and you must be able to adapt quickly.
To reach a new level of work (and brain) speed in playing, Jazz, especially Bebop, is a highly recommended genre to learn. Although it may not appeal to all guitar players, studying it can significantly enhance your brainpower and make playing other genres easier.
If Jazz is not your thing, training your ear and hands by breaking down songs by ear and learning various styles can also improve your work speed. The more you enrich your repertoire, the quicker you can learn new songs and anticipate riffs chord progressions.
Versatility
As a band member, you have likely had the luxury of gradually developing your sound over time, getting to know your bandmates’ styles and equipment through long hours of playing together. However, as a session guitarist, you will need to adapt quickly to different styles, as modern music often blends multiple genres. You may be asked to play funk, Latin, rock, or even hip-hop-oriented music.
To enhance your versatility as a guitarist, it’s crucial to become a musical explorer and seek out exceptional guitarists across various genres.
Mental Skills:
Be Punctual
When you’re gigging as a pro, always aim to be fashionably early. Nobody wants to see you hauling gear, panting out apologies left and right. It’s unprofessional, and it makes you look bad.
Remember, you’re not irreplaceable, and nobody’s got time for that kind of nonsense. So don’t be tardy, dude!
Show Up Ready
To truly immerse yourself in the music and be prepared for any changes, it’s important to learn the material inside and out. That means not only mastering your own guitar parts but also understanding the scales, harmonies, forms, and chords of the entire piece. Music is dynamic, and things can change in real time, so you need to be ready.
In addition, if you really want to take your understanding of the material to the next level, consider learning parts of other instruments as well. For example, if the producer wants you to double the bassline, it’s helpful to know how to play it. You should also go over the voicings of the keys, as there may be added colors that the guitar part doesn’t include. By expanding your knowledge of other instruments, you’ll be better equipped to collaborate and contribute to the overall sound of the music.
Be Positive
Ultimately, when working on a large-scale production, you’ll likely spend more time interacting with your colleagues than actually playing music together. You’ll be traveling, rehearsing, and hanging out backstage together, which means being a friendly, easygoing person can go a long way.
If someone needs assistance, offer to help. If you encounter technical difficulties, don’t panic – stay calm and work through them in a level-headed manner. Treat everyone with kindness and respect, from the top-billed artist to the van driver. It’s the little things that can make a big difference in fostering a positive, collaborative environment.
Forget About Ego
As a professional guitar player, it’s important to remember that you are part of a working machine and have been hired to do a specific job. Don’t get angry if a producer cuts a guitar solo out or if you don’t get your moment in the spotlight. It’s not about you. It’s about the music.
A true professional knows how to enjoy a good and simple guitar part and sees no shame in playing in the back and accompanying singers and songwriters. These are the kind of players that will be asked to return for more sessions and gigs, the ones that are easy and fun to work with.
How to Get Your First Job as a Professional Guitar Player
Networking and making connections is essential for landing your first job as a professional guitarist. Attend live shows, music events, and industry conferences, and build relationships with other musicians, producers, and music industry professionals. You’ll also need to prepare for auditions, which may require you to learn new songs or play in various styles and genres.
#1 Building a Portfolio:
Promoting yourself has never been easier. In today’s social media life, putting videos of you playing guitar is easy and simple. It’s recommended that you build a profile on more than one platform and upload each video to each one of your accounts. Video and sound quality, as well as the scenery, is important, but the most important thing is that people can see and hear you play. The more videos you make, the more they’ll pop up in the feeds of those who may potentially hire you. Make a few videos of you playing rhythm, solos, multiple genres, and especially the things that you do best.
If you have some experience and have already done some work in the field, consider building your first website on platforms like Wix and LinkedIn. It’s highly recommended to upload content regularly and frequently. If you’re good, sooner or later, someone will notice you and give you some work.
#2 Use Your Personal Connections
Musicians bring work to one another! Busy session guitarists will often have a substitute guitar player (sometimes more than one) if they double-book a show, have a sudden illness, or other unexpected circumstances.
Bassists, drummers, piano players, and brass players all play with, you guessed it, guitarists, and they often recommend each other when an artist or a producer requires a hired gun.
So, it’s definitely helpful to have many musician friends. They are good company, and they can help you get work. Make sure to know the right people, be outgoing, be calm, and don’t overdo it. You’re awesome anyway!
#3 Say Yes to Opportunities and Network
If you want to make a career as a professional guitar player, it’s important to say yes to work opportunities that will come your way, regardless of the genre. When you perform on stage or visit rehearsal rooms and concert venues, you’ll have the chance to meet more people in the music industry.
Producers, sound engineers, and other session players may recommend you for your next job, especially after they’ve seen you perform and gotten to know you. Networking is key, so make sure to build relationships with people in the industry.
Conclusion
Becoming a professional guitar player takes time, dedication, and hard work. But with the right skills, tools, and mindset, it’s possible to turn your passion for music into a fulfilling and lucrative career. So keep practicing, honing your skills, and building connections, and soon enough, you may find yourself living the dream as a professional guitar player.
