Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Article 5 - Band Personality Quiz

I believe there are three general types of musicians - the hobbyists, the glory hounds, and the players.

The Hobbyist:
These musicians like playing music. But they also like seeing movies, going to football games, playing cards. They like a lot of things. Music is just one of them.

The Glory Hounds:
They love being in a band, playing gigs, and maybe even writing songs. As long as it satisfies a desire for others to really like them. Music is a path to a life of luxury and bright lights.

The Players:
That's what they do. They play music. If no instrument is in their hand, their fingers twitch as if they are practicing subconsciously.

Each one of these may be in your band right now. Or you may go through phases of each of these classifications sometime in your music life.

The key is to recognize these in yourself and your band mates. Being in a band is like being married to multiple people at the same time. It is hard enough to relate to one person's change in mood and needs, but now add two or three more and you have a potential mess.

So you first need to identify yourself and the people in your band. That's easy. Just a few questions and by listening to the answers, you will know who fits in which category.

Question 1: You guys want to practice Wednesday night?
Hobbyist - yeah, but first let me check. I think there might be a pickup basketball game at the gym.
Glory Hound - man why? We know the songs already. Do we really need another practice?
Player - f*** yeah, let's do it.

Question 2: We got invited to do a battle of the bands. It doesn't pay anything and is about an hour drive away, but the other bands seem like a great fit.
Hobbyist - Yeah I'll do it. Any chance we can have an early slot so I can get home? I got something the next day I want to get up for.
Glory Hound - No pay? If the place isn't packed I'm gonna be pissed.
Player - f*** yeah, let's do it.

Question 3: We have a chance to go out on the road with a touring band for four weeks. We won't be able to afford hotel rooms, but the exposure will be great.
Hobbyist - Dude, I can't do four weeks on the road. I just can't pull that off.
Glory Hound - I don't know. Go back and see if they'll give us at least one hotel room. Will we get billing at each venue?
Player - f*** yeah, let's do it.

Question 4: Our CD is being picked up by Universal. We need to get to New York to sign the contract. If we leave now, we can be there by morning.
Hobbyist - Do all of us need to go? Can you guys just sign it?
Glory Hound - Drive? They want me, they send a plane.
Player - f*** yeah, let's do it.

Do you see a pattern here? Have you seen these guys in your band? In yourself? These are real questions and conversations that have come up in my experience. The last one was the most disheartening.

And by the way, these categories are about attitude, not ability. We've all seen Players who are terrible at music but will do it every second they can. We've also met Hobbyists who can amaze us, but they don't care to ever play live or put themselves "out there" as a musician.

I'll admit it. I think I used to be more of a Player and now am more of a Hobbyist. I'm 43 and my kids, my wife and my job are my top priorities while performing music falls behind them. But I do remember a time where every decision I made revolved around how to play and write more music.

Regardless of who I am now, you may do well to figure out who you are. I firmly believe that a band full of Players will go further than Hobbyists in original music - or even the most successful cover bands, session musicians, sidemen, etc.

A bunch of Hobbyists can make for a very fun cover band that plays infrequently. Glory Hounds are there to keep the drama in any band. We need them for that. However, frequently they also put the band over the top and keep the Players from being taken advantage of.

Maybe we need a little of each in the band. Or a little of each in all of us. Over time.

Though nothing is better than having a bunch of Players when you start a band. Take any and every gig you can. Learn from bad gigs about what not to do, how to play better on stage, what songs to perform, how to build an audience, how to turn a blah night into a slightly better than blah night.

No matter which of those three categories best describe you, if there is not a Player in you who needs music like most people need water, and is willing to do all they can to perform, you will not get better.

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Nightmare gig 2 - Alive!

This one from Derek Poindexter, who at the time was bassist for a terrific band, The Waynes. They seemed to have it all going for them in the 90s during that time when "College Rock" was becoming full on mainstream.

The Waynes were on the verge of being singed to a label deal or so it seemed. I was at the SXSW music conference in Austin, TX where I met the Gibson Guitar artist rep. I wanted an endorsement deal and approached him about one. I was told that we needed to be signed to a label and then he had to see us perform. As luck would have it, we were to play in Nashville, TN( Gibson Guitar's Corporate home) in a couple of weeks for a label rep. With that I gave him the club name, which he new well, and our performance date. He said he'd be there.

The night of the show, no one showed up to see us, which had us quite depressed. We're showcasing for a label at this really nice venue and only the staff and one couple were there.

We were visibly frustrated by the turnout. The male patron must have sensed our anguish, so during a pause between songs, he shouted something to try to settle us. I don't remember what he said, but he had a distinctive British accent. We were all stunned - we expected a southern drawl. But before we could make sense of it, our lead singer shouted something condescending back to the man. I remember that we all looked at our singer in dismay because we felt the patron was only trying to help.

When we returned to Cleveland a few days later, I was the first to run into our manager who asked what had happened at the show. I immediately ranted about the poor attendance and the no shows from the label or Gibson Guitars, but he cut me off. "no no, I mean what did you say to Peter Frampton!?" My heart sank. It seems Peter Frampton was a Gibson Guitar rep who came to the show with the Label Rep. They were the couple. And to this day, I still have not gotten that Gibson Guitar deal.

Comment from host: Some bands use attitude as part of their show. Being a bit abrasive can be part of the band aura. And sometimes that can work against you. I'm not saying you have to be nice to everyone, but know how to control and manage it. There are ways to be an jerk and yet include everyone. But if you don't exactly have that mastered, you need help from your friends. For example, if a label rep and guitar rep were going to be at the show, and the band knows it has personalities that can rub people the wrong way, then the manager has to be at those shows. Someone needs to manage those situations. If not, accept that fact that your chosen attitude may attract some fans and may turn away some. That is who you are. Accept it and own it. Any manager that takes on a project like that has to be ready for the extra time involved to protect the band from itself.

Friday, January 7, 2011

Article 4: STOLEN GEAR – Fenders make good bedfellows

Recently, Leslie, an up and coming band in my hometown had all their gear stolen. They were on the road, staying at a hotel or friend’s house while someone broke into the van and got all their stuff. (Take a listen to Leslie's new demo Touch Me here: http://www.purevolume.com/lesliesc)


This happens. All the time. In every city. I don’t get why musicians do not put a proper value on their gear. Guitars, amps and drums probably represent the most valuable and expensive things they may own and yet, they leave them for others to take. Once the gear is gone, they have to cancel shows, spend days searching pawn shops and ebay for what might be their gear. Maybe they can lean on friends and family to borrow gear or to loan them money to buy new gear. This is just depressing.


In the 90’s when I was touring with a regional band, we had all heard the horror stories of other bands. So I made a band rule: whenever we leave gear in the van at night, somebody sleeps in the van. I even provided a futon cushion for the back.


This did not go over very well. So as the rulemaker, I ended up being the one who slept in the van much of the time. Or I dragged all my gear inside the hotel and let the rest stay in harms way. Soon, most of them hauled in their gear.


At least twice, somebody tried to break into our van while I was sleeping in it. All I had to do was make some noise and the thieves split. Once, they got the door open as I was waking up. They freaked out and ran faster than I ever could. What, afraid of a hungover, pantless musician with a beer gut who can barely open his eyes? Apparently, they were.


So sleeping in the van saved our butts a couple of times. Later, when I had a van that was used only for the band, I threw together some 2x4s, plywood and a lock to store our guitars. A huge box, covered in shag carpet and with a bottle opener attached to the side provided those necessary homey touches. Nobody would steal that or get it open. And it fit the futon cushion nicely on top.


Do what you can to protect your gear. That’s all I’m saying.


Though, no matter what you do, gear can still get stolen. Backstage where groupies and multiple bands wander in and out is another place where gear walks away. So here are a few more tips:

· Make a list of every piece of gear you have, including serial number, and take a photo of each one. The photos should also include any unique scratches or dents that will identify it as yours. People do change serial numbers, so these other unique marks can serve as fingerprints.

· File the list with your renter or homeowner insurance company if you have one

· Give the list to your manager if you have one. If not, place a copy in your smartphone notes, on your computer, and with a trusted friend. This way, if your gear gets stolen while on the road, you can call this friend or manager, get the data to the cops immediately and they can identify it as yours if found right away.


With these rules, you still might not get your gear back, but you have a much better shot when perusing Craigslist, eBay, pawn shops, etc for your gear. And you have real information to give your insurance company in order to recoup some losses. One friend of mine immediately put up a note on Facebook and it went viral enough that someone found his gear in a pawn shop within days.


Now, if you’ve read this and it turns out your gear gets stolen from an unlocked van and you have no records of the items or serial numbers…… do not freaking ask me to play the benefit show to raise money for your new gear.


Last thought. I’d like your response here. Would it be useful if I created a web site where musicians could input data on their gear? You could enter serial numbers, make and model (i.e. Make: Fender, Model: Stratocaster) and include purchase date, upload photos or scans of receipt. All attached to your name. So if you lost gear on the road, you could pull up your data and give it to the police immediately. And you’d have a date of entry so if there was an argument about who owned it first, we’d be able to show when it was entered. Would this be worth $10 a year? $30? Does it have to be free?


Let me know. It sounds like a decent service.

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Nightmare gig 1 - Electric Banana Part 1

Mark Bryan (guitarist of Hootie and the Blowfish, operator of Chucktown Music Group), suggested I start providing examples of Nightmare Gigs. Both humor and as cautionary tales, it sounded like a good idea. I have a few, but I opened this up to many other people and the stories are rolling in. This idea of his is snowballing. So I will pepper the other pieces of advice with stories from some friends.

The first Nightmare Gig story comes from Giselle Fleming. In the 90's Giselle was manager for Queue Up. There was one showcase in a Pittsburgh club called the Electric Banana that she remembers well. There are more stories from this club, but this was one of the first I heard back then.

After soundcheck and before the first set, the club owner decided he was not happy that he had a bunch of bands in the club, yet they were not drinking enough. The bands, Queue Up and Ivet were getting national buzz and hoped this showcase would broaden their reach. So of course, they were being pros and not getting too tipsy.

Nah, that ain't good enough for the Electric Banana owner. He needed money in the register. So he locked the freaking doors. Nobody could get in and nobody could get out. Then he demanded they all start drinking and paying. No show until they fed the register.

It was known - from another tale to be related later - that this owner carried a gun and had fired it in his club. So yeah, he was crazy.

The manager of Ivet put his foot down because everyone in his band was underage and the owner could not afford to be cited for serving minors (but holding people against their will and extorting them was OK? see - crazy).

Queue Up, Giselle, the manager for Ivet and the few people already in the club did drink up and pay up. Eventually the owner opened the door and the showcase was able to go on. I imagine the room was a bit more tense after that.

But karma took a little swipe back that night. Around midnight, while standing on the sidewalk outside the bar, the owner had a heart attack. Flashing red and white lights outside the club announced the glorious arrival of payback.

He did survive and did provide more nightmare gigs for other bands.

Giselle Fleming is back into band management with one client, Davey O., from Buffalo. Catch him at Folk Alliance this year.
http://www.myspace.com/daveyomusic
Giselle's blog: www.eclatdefemmeblog.com

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Article 3 - A ROSE BY ANY OTHER NAME WOULD SMELL….. LIKE AXL?

So you are forming a band. Awesome. You probably announced this to your friends, family, or your entire list of contacts on FaceSpaceBookTwitterLeeDeeDotCom. Immediately, the first thing you might get asked is "So what are you calling yourself?"


Boy that is a tough one. What to call yourself? I mean that sentence carries a lot of weight. "Myself? What do I call myself?". Phew that is hard. You need a band name that will resonate when you say it. The kind of name that will make your friend say "Wow, with a name like that I have to buy all your CDs, t-shirts, and concert tickets", right?


Bull.


Listen to me here: A great name does not make a great band. A great band makes for a great band name.

Someone is going to come into band practice and bring up the idea of naming the band. You might sit around for hours tossing out ideas. There is the strong possibility that egos will be damaged here. At least one member will prepare to announce his favorite. That member will think that the heavens will open up and angels will sing a chorus of "ahhhh" as the name spills off his lips. Instead, someone else will say, "ugh that sucks. How about....". Some bands actually break up while coming up with a name.

Why did he think that name sucked? Maybe he thinks he has a better one and expects the angels to arrive with his announcement. Maybe it does suck.


I bet someone thought "The Beatles" did not work as a name. I mean look at it. If you just landed on this planet and saw this band name, would it inspire you to run out and buy a CD? No. The band made the name great.


Now I am not suggesting every name is good and you just make it great based on the band. There are some guidelines I'd like to suggest when coming up with a band name.

  1. It always helps to sound good. By that I mean the vowels and consonants have to come out sounding like something that is easy to say, that might have its own tempo or rhythm to it, and you could hear others saying on the radio, as the introduction to your band on stage (up next….) and even chanted by a crowd who can’t wait to hear you play. If it sounds good, is easy, rhythmic or fun to say, then it has a chance to be memorable.

  1. Think if it will look good. On posters will your name be so long that it looks tiny when compared to others? Is that OK with you? Then consider how it might look on the spine of a CD – again, length is an issue. (Insert childish joke about length here). Death Cab For Cutie is a long band name and they make it work on posters, CDs, t-shirts. Your name does not have to be short, but you have to realize that if you want to call yourself “The Fantastic Amazing Mr. Marzapan And His Sugar Drops” that you will have some spacing issues. Among other issues.

On the other hand, don’t make the mistake of liking the name because of the logo. You might change logos many times during the length of the band, even in the first few months. A good name will just turn itself into good logos.

  1. It has to be original. This is the hardest of all. I have been in so many band meetings where one person wanted the name “The Difference” because it was simple, used in everyday speech, easy to remember and spoke to the fact that we were going to be different than any other band. Besides arguments against any of these points, The Difference has been used by about 50 bands if you just took a look at MySpace. With any band name you think is cool, do an internet search. Someone may already be using it. You might think Cactus is an original name, but you’d be surprised to find out that Cactus was a supergroup of sorts back in the Led Zepplin era. Check them out – they were darn good bluesy rock.

With so many bands already in existence it seems impossible to come up with an original name. Look into yourself. If you like cars, review a book on auto history or car maintenance (Example: Chevelle). Some term may jump out at you. You have written a lyric that sounds right (Counting Crowes). What about other lyrics you love (Rolling Stones came from a Muddy Waters tune). Know somebody with an odd name? (Lynard Skynard was not an average Joe). How about combining things? Sum 41 was named because 41 is what you get when you add the band members names together – when they started the band. The Gap Band was named after the first initials of the streets on which the members grew up.

The point is that there is something original in your world that can be a band name. Take your time to find it.

  1. If you have to explain it, forget it. If a name can not stand on its own without explanation, then it is now a burden to the band. Part of that is how it sounds. For example I met a guy who was calling his band Haint Blue. He was frustrated that nobody in his audience knew that Haint Blue was the color some rural people used to paint their homes in order to keep ghosts out. When asked if his songs were all about this culture or he had a fear of ghosts, he would get more flustered and explain further that he had no part of that culture but thought it was cool. Other times, because he had a southern accent, people thought he was saying “Ain’t Blue” and assume he was singing happy songs. He asked me how I can make people “get it”. I told him simply to kill the name and pick a new one. People will not be forced to get it and if he was worrying that much about the name, he was wasting time that could be lent to writing better songs (which he also sorely needed).

Of course, a name might have a cool explanation behind it and your fans may get into that. But if there comes a point when explaining the name gets in the way of listening to the music, you may want to consider a change.


Those are my big rules. But there are a whole bunch of other thoughts I have.


For instance, the band name does NOT have to explain the band. What kind of music is a U2? I have no idea. I am a huge fan of them but don’t think I have ever heard a definitive explanation of why they picked the name. And if put to the test, I could not think of what music I’d expect from a band with an alphanumeric name.


But if you want to call yourself John Spencer Blues Explosion, then you’d better not play mellow folk tunes. Or if you do play mellow folk music under that moniker, expect an uphill climb when the folk club you want to play will not book you because they don’t book loud bands.


How about naming the band as a real person’s name? I know a couple bands that named themselves after a real person who was not in the band. Now, Lynard Skynard does not even sound like a person’s name. But Ike Reilly does. Yet, in the Ike Reilly Band there is nobody named Ike Reilly (I am referring to a band in the 90s named this, not the real Ike Reilly touring today). This takes explanation – a waste of time – and annoys the band when people ask to talk to Ike. It sounded like a good idea to them at the time, but after a while the name became a burden. The band Mookie Blaylock was smart enough to change their name to Pearl Jam before they released their debut.


Yet many projects are named after the singer. That makes sense especially if the singer is the songwriter, the main thing that people think about as the identifiable piece of the band, and that person is in fact the leader.


However, drama can ensue. I know a guy whose band is just his name. The drummer came to him and said he wanted the band name to change because “It would be cooler for me to tell people I am part of the Five Fingers than it is to say I play drums for Matt Reilly”. Yes, it would be cooler for him to say that. But Matt immediately asked this drummer exactly what he had done for the band other than play drums? Had he put up posters, booked a show, manned the merchandise booth at the shows, written a song, called the record label, put up his money for the recordings, owned the PA system or provided a rehearsal space? No? OK then until the rest of the band collaborates on the progress of the business, he was still going to have to tell girls he plays drums for Matt Reilly. Otherwise Matt or someone like him will just name them Joe Davis and the Waste Band.


Anyone that names a band after themselves ought to be prepared to be the leader of the band. He is the only one that can not be fired, by default. So the onus is on him. The other members might feel a bit like hired guns in this instance. And that is simply part of being in a band named after a member. You might say there is ego involved. Or you might say that the person is really putting himself out there and risking his good name on a band. But there is no denying that when a band takes on a member’s name, that band has a different personality dynamic than when the members hide their names behind a group name. Who will anyone want to interview? Who will the girls want to meet? Who is seen as the sole creative driver? The guy with the name on the poster.


I will say my favorite person name was Declan MacManus. But the owner of Stiff Records thought that would not go over too well in the U.S. So he changed the name to Elvis Costello. Legally, not just for stage. (Side note: I liked the music of Elvis Costello a lot, but the name Declan even more. So that is what I named my son. I hope he gets a record deal.)


There is a whole category of theme names. These are the band names in which the members take on the personality of the band name. The Ramones each took Ramone as their surname. Bone Thugs and Harmony each have stage names that relate to the band name (Lazy Bone, Bizzy Bone). This is hard to pull off, but sometimes extending the name in this way can help it last.


In the same context, some band names define the personality of the band and work especially well if the band continues a themes through their show. One small time band is called Hostile Omish. They dress like the Amish, have a couple of members who churn butter and do other chores rather angrily on stage, while playing revved up metal. It may not work for you, but it has worked for them. This leads to a whole other chapter on performance, but for now let me just say any band that can take their name and have it as part of their show is thinking bigger than most bands. And I will tend to at least give them a shot if they have that kind of humor, vision, or single-minded approach to their band. I might not listen a second time, but they got me for one listen.


There are topical band names that will get you recognition right away, but then fade over time. For example, Monica’s Blue Dress had relevance at the end of Bill Clinton’s presidency, but felt they had to chance their name to George’s Bush later. In other words, be careful about being too topical or cute.

I am a big fan of names that make you laugh or take notice. I will check out a band if I think their name is clever. Though a clever name does not guarantee success. One of my favorite such names is the Jehova Waitresses. Great name, but you never heard of them.


I have one good band name story about the Jehova Waitresses. It seems they were playing a tour in the Southeast U.S when they came to North Carolina. While on stage and ready to play, a local radio DJ came up to have a little contest. The winner would get the brand new, hot off the presses debut CD from a local band called Hootie and The Blowfish. The drummer for the Jehova Waitresses may not have known his mic was on when he said “Well, that’s the dumbest band name I’ve ever heard”. The room immediately fell into an awkward silence. Oopsie.


The moral of this story is that Hootie and The Blowfish made the name great because they sold 11 million of those debut CDs. Johova Waitresses, not that many. Hootie and the Blowfish met the criteria I laid out earlier: it is memorable, you can chant “Hoo-tee” at their shows, is original, and they made it look fine on printed material. But most of all, they believed in the name, never let it get in the way, and became a huge band.


To finish off, I’d like to add in some more personal rules of band names:

  1. Do not add a letter to make yourself different. There can be no successor to Ratt.
  2. If you’re going to give yourself a childish name (“Meat Missile” anyone?) be prepared to grow up someday. It can feel like a bad tattoo later.
  3. Speaking of that, please do not tattoo your band name onto your body.
  4. Umlauts should be banned from use as band names. Motley Crue used theirs wrong (in Germany, the umlauts were spoken right and the kids chanted “Mutley Cruh”.) Regardless, if you use an umlaut in your band name, I will probably never listen to you.
  5. This falls under I Can’t Believe I Have to Mention This, But……unless you have a member who is already a star in their own rite and well known far beyond the town you are playing, do not have “Band Name, featuring ______”.


So far, everything I have mentioned is geared toward original bands. If you are in a cover band and your covers are of one artist, then of course use one of the original artists song names, album titles, or lyric. Mini Kiss is a band of short people playing Kiss coves. AC/Dixie is a group that remakes AC/DC songs with a southern accent. If you are tackling a theme, then relate to the theme. M80s and is a good one for an 80’s band. Disco Inferno for a disco band, etc.


Please, send me your crazy band names. I keep a running list. So far, my favorite stupid immature creative one is G Spot Run. I’d like to get yours and you can let me know if you want them shared with the world or are saving them for future use. Be sure to check out a later section on protecting your band name from being used by anyone else.

Monday, January 3, 2011

Article 2 - LESSONS or “Hey, Beethoven never played CBGBs”

Sure I hope to talk about big lessons – like how to properly use pepper spray when clearing out a crowd at 2:30 am. But this time, I am talking about music lessons.

It is likely anyone reading this already plays an instrument and has taken lessons. Or maybe you’re the kind that learned all they could on their own. Great. There are always those stories of players who never took a lesson but are amazing anyway. Most people, however, at least took a few months of lessons to start. For some, that is all they need. Natural talent and drive takes over. Others, even top performers, work with vocal coaches, mentors, and instructors all the time.

You need to keep learning your entire career. Challenge yourself as often as you can. Are you a great metal player? Try learning to play some bottleneck blues and see what that does to your style. Have you been playing drums in a rock band? Try a bit of jazz or country just to see what they can offer.

You can do a lot on your own, but if you work with an instructor, you can have greater success – or waste a lot of money.

Whether it is your first lesson on an instrument or you are trying something new later in your career, I want you to remember that when you go to a lesson, that instructor is in realty your employee. That’s right, you are the boss. Not him.

He or she should know a lot more about the instrument or style of music than you. That person should have more experience than you. But that does not negate the fact that you are smart enough to hire that person and therefore, they work for you. While you can control a great deal of the lesson plan on your own, you must humble yourselves enough to listen to them. To be boss and student at the same time. Most students feel the need to take on the role of passive recipient and don’t realize the control they have over their progress.

Too many people quit music because they don’t like their instructor. That is sad. Their love of music never grows past that initial seed because of a personality conflict, poor teaching, or simply cookie-cutter lessons. When teaching one on one, there is a need to customize each student’s progress. I think if people took charge of their instructions, or had real goals, they would stick with it longer and find the fun.

Lessons are going to suck if they are not fun. Practicing is not going to happen if it feels like a chore. Yes, I do believe that learning to read music and going through repetitive exercises is necessary to building the skills you will eventually need to succeed. That does not eliminate the possibility that it can be fun.

You need to talk with your instructor and let them know what you want to accomplish. Is there a song you would love to learn? If so, then maybe focus your lessons on learning the skills you need, but also a little more about that song. For example, what if you are going to take piano lessons and your teacher wants you to learn Bach, but you want to know how to play Lady Ga Ga (or some other artist I don’t really like, but will use as an example). As you start to learn certain notes and your instructor shows you how to use those notes to play a Bach piece, ask him or her to also show you where they appear in Lady Ga Ga sheet music. If you are learning bass and your instructor wants you to learn blues but you want to know Social Distortion, again, just ask them to help you relate what they are teaching to your preferred style.

Many times, you and your instructor will not love the same music. That is fine. A good instructor will help you get better at the style that you want to play. If they can not do that, or you feel you have already learned all you can from that instructor then like any employee that does not meet their goals, it is time to release them and go find another.

Throughout your musical life, it is good to go and get lessons from time to time. You may be a great guitarist in one area, but are getting stagnant. Hire someone who can show you new things, or teach you a new style. The more you learn, the more versatile you get, the more fun you can have.

But what do you look for in an instructor? Here are my tips:

  1. You have to get along. This person must be someone you enjoy working with. Intimidation or fear can lead to proficient playing. We’ve all seen those child prodigies whose instructor probably used electro-shock treatment in their lessons. They’re good, but they hate it. Unless you are being forced to take music lessons, this is your choice. And who wants to spend time and money on someone you dislike or fear?
  2. The instructor must like teaching. If they don’t like teaching, you’re going to not like learning. Simple as that. Maybe they are good at playing, and are even in the most popular band in town. That does not make them a good teacher. My friends who got the most out of lessons learned from old geeky grizzled veterans who mixed old school discipline with current music. They wanted to teach because they loved it – not just to make a few bucks until the record label calls.
  3. Professionalism happens in music too. If your instructor is disorganized, is late to lessons, takes phone calls in your lessons, forgets where you are in training, or frequently seems distracted, then you are going to get very little out of those lessons. Find another who will give you the time you deserve.
  4. The instructor must have the tools to help you. A space that is free of distractions is great – or at your home if you can keep the distractions out. Access to music books, speakers to play example recordings, maybe even a way to record you to play back your performance. Each instrument is different and has its own set of tools.

Most of all, though, you need to practice. You get out of it what you put into it. Even if you don’t understand the part, play your instrument every day. Have fun with it and see if you can’t incorporate the lessons you are learning into your own unique style.

If you get a good foundation, you can do a lot of things on your own. But don’t stop there. Feel free to take lessons from other instructors who are better in different styles. Take lessons in another instrument to gain an understanding on how they work together. I’d even advise paying a pro to teach you how to set up your instrument to create different sounds (like amps, effect, drum materials). There is always someone around who knows more than you. Many times, if you are doing it right, you will learn just by hanging out with other players. That doesn’t mean you can’t hire someone to teach you more.

Remember, you can always get better.


And yes, don't sweat the title. I know CBGBs is closed. I played there a few times. Allow me to still dream of a venue that every artists wants to play once.