How many of you out there are doing studio work regularly ? I thought so ! Well, for those of you who are not raising their hands, here is the answer to the question I know is erupting from your fevered brains : How to make music make money.

Success as a studio musician comes down to mastering three things: SELF-PROMOTION, MUSIC, and THE PSYCHOLOGY OF THE RECORDING STUDIO.

1. HOW DO I GET WORK ?

You have to get known to the people who will hire you; producers, jingle companies, Musical Contractors ("fixers" in Britain), A&R departments, recording studios, even Recording Artistes, singers, and songwriters. Make a short cassette, no more than 4 minutes of the best excerpts of what you do. This is a highly competitive profession. Presentation may draw some attention to your tape, instead of the other 6 demos which fell with a sickening yet boredom-inducing thud through your future employers' letter box this morning. A picture doesn't hurt, (unless you look like Freddie Kruger), (actually, that could be commercial!), and a C.V. helps if you've worked with anyone likely to impress. Local gigs with the Accrington Wanderers are unlikely to turn any heads, so if that's all you've done, I'd suggest you just live or die by the performance on that tape. Go to gigs, meet other musicians. They may like your playing enough to recommend or hire you for their next session. In London. musicians are highly competitive and will make sure you break a limb or get you deported rather than risk you getting their gig, wheras in America musicians are more friendly.

2. HOW MUCH DO I NEED TO MASTER MUSIC ?

Totally. There are ten million brilliant players out there itching to wipe you off the face of the planet, so when you whip out your axe, you'd better be sure that somebody is yelling "timber" ! READING is essential unless you are so totally unique at what you do that no one would dare put a part in front of you. The often used statement that 'reading inhibits creativity' is such an immense amount of bullshit that it barely merits comment. If you happen to be only a supremely talented mortal, your reading had better be competent. You close the door on a lot of work and even more musical knowledge by not being able to read. Got it ? You need TASTE 'chops' as well as technical 'chops'. I have employed many musicians who have not been technical geniuses but have developed their ability to play tastefully, solidly, compatibly and dependably - IN CONTEXT. You must also be able to INTERPRET A 'CHART' (musician-ese for 'a musical arrangement'.) You will be confronted with different types of charts :

. totally written

Play it perfectly, unless there are any wrong notes. If there are, change them without saying anything to make the Arranger look bad in front of all the other musicians and the Producer. Or, if you're not sure, quietly ask the Arranger and he'll quickly blame the copyist and thank you. If something written is unplayable, don't show yourself or the Arranger up by saying so. Instead try changing it saying quietly "Hey, this lick is really great but would it be O.K. if I played it like this?" He'll be grateful and you'll be paying the rent.

. partially written

This is by far the most common. Usually you will be given chords or a few riffs. You fill in the rest in the same style.

. only chord changes

It's totally up to you to create the feel and invent counter-lines, or take a solo based on the 'changes'. There are always many ways to interpret a piece of music. You'd better be able to offer alternatives. How does your idea work with what's already on tape? With the drummer ? With the amount of time left for the session? Remember that less is more. In the studio, the most damming phrase is "I think it's a bit busy". Knowing what to leave out is an art you must master. Play in context to the genre of the track, only what helps the music, and not a note more. If the Producer wants more, he'll ask for it. You should have a solid grounding in harmony and theory. Technically, you must be able to handle anything they may throw at you. Rhythmically you must have a library of grooves, licks, musical styles in your head. You must be able to play with a click track or sequencers, or a percussionist from Eastern Latvia. You have to be so good that you can make lesser performers on the session sound good. Of course there are sessions which don't require reading, usually of the more Rock 'n Roll superstar variety. There is a miniscule handful of guys doing this kind of work and I wouldn't count on it to put spaghetti on the table.

3. HOW IMPORTANT IS SOUND ?

Totally. If you are a rhythm section player you'll need a vast library of sounds to fit any style or musical situation. Your equipment must be 100% reliable. All players must have top quality instruments and be able to get a variety of expected sounds out of them. Even a violin section player may be called upon for a 'gypsy' sound, or to play with no vibrato. A saxophonist may be asked to sound like Boots Randolph or Paul Desmond. Anything can happen and if you work in the studio long enough, it probably will. I'm sorry to say that it is also worth buying any piece of equipment that allows you to offer something different. It is indeed annoying to be constantly sucked into the vortex of constantly developing technology. But stay with it or you'll spend a lot of time waiting for the phone to ring.

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