Keeping your gigs you have been used for

93civEJ1

Senior Member
What strategies or methods do you guys have so that you continue to get work over others in your area?

Say you have lately been used by a certain group or people for needed drum spots. What do you do to make sure you keep getting the call when you have other hungry drummers looking to take the spot from you or get in your place??
 
Be the drummer the band likes best. Forget the other guys, just do your thing as best you can. Bands usually go with a drummer that makes them feel the most comfortable while playing, and who they like on the gig, and whose playing has what they are looking for. It's not really your choice. You just have to do what you do, and if you are the best fit, you're in.

It's the same thing as a woman who has to choose between multiple suitors. In the end, it's her choice not yours. You can only be who you are. If it works, great, if not, it was supposed to be that way.

So stop worrying about the competition, be happy and confident in what you have to offer. (You DO have something to offer right? What is it? The better you yourself can define it, the more clear you will be about your abilities)

That will give you the greatest chance of success.
 
I think it's down to main factors

Being a good player and a decent person I think comes majorly into it. Be someone they want to play with but also socialise with in down time/when not on stage..etc.

Both factors as important as each other I think.
 
I make my living my picking up gigs with various bands/groups/artists, I'm strictly an independent contractor... and I'm non-union. This is my constant hustle. Without a full time band, or a union to fall back on, I'm on my own... This is ideal for me, as I'm pretty good at making connections and building my gig portfolio.

Some of it is momentum: the more gigs you have and the more exposed you are, the more other groups will want you.

As other have mentioned, being a good drummer is crucial. I'd add that being a good musician is more crucial than chops or technical ability. This is the hard part for most people, as it requires critical listening and playing things that aren't necessarily in your wheelhouse. If you think of music as a conversation, then each band is going to have its own conversation styles and topics. When I'm playing a modern jazz gig, an Ellington gig, or a rockabilly gig, I'm going to be playing radically different parts. Even the function of the drummer is different in those three types of music. Also, this is where our ear training and theory knowledge comes into play: you should be able to hear variations in the form or various harmonic functions and react to add counterpoint, even if it is just a small fill or a shift in style.

Other than listening and being able to flow freely through various styles, the use of dynamics is pretty important as well. You need to be able to adjust your levels so that you can play with any group, and achieve the same dynamics as them.

Other than musically, there are soft skills. I think the number one rule is to keep it friendly but also professional. These aren't your friends (well, maybe they are...), they are an organization that is hiring you for your services. You go in, do the job that's required of you, and make and maintain business relationships while you're at it.

When you are a freelance musician, it really comes down to your ability to work with others in a variety of styles, and your ability to network and maintain those relationships.
 
Some of it is momentum: the more gigs you have and the more exposed you are, the more other groups will want you.

Ain't that the truth! Post a picture of yourself on a tour, and the phone starts ringing.

There was a video where Sean Pelton instructs drummers to "look deep into your heart" and ask: am I a pain in the ass? Funny stuff, but the less the other musicians have to worry about you, the better. Be on time, have your musical skills together, and be good to hang with. The ability to make good charts, so that you're able to show up and nail 30 songs without a rehearsal, is pretty damn impressive to band leaders.

Also, do some freebies once in a while, when the opportunity is more creative than commercial. That singer in your cover band? Play drums (or tambourine, or whatever) on her pop record, in thanks for the work you get from her.
 
Agreed with all of the above points. The musicianship skills are important, but truthfully they're going to call you back if you prove that you're always an asset to the situation and never a drag. Don't neglect the soft skills and the professional aspects of being a gigging musician.

Can you learn stuff, learn it quickly, and reproduce it on demand without drama? Do you need twenty rehearsals to learn something, or two?

Are you reliable? Is your gear reliable? Is your ride reliable?

Are you full of drama or are you the compleat sideman/bandmate? Are you adaptable? Do you have a can-do attitude? Are you a team player? (This could mean any number of things depending on your situation, but being a team player many times can mean doing your very best to support the act or gig in all ways. Do you promote the gig on your social media? Do you offer to help with non-drum aspects of the gig -- flyers, set-up and teardown, etc.? Do you provide creative input when appropriate/solicited/welcome? Do you listen to your bandmates? Do you deal with constructive criticism well? Can you temper your personal image, gear, and/or playing to fit with multiple paying/playing situations?)

I have played with many monster musicians in my local area for jams or as a sub, and never given thought to joining their band. They are essentially the hottie you know and don't mind looking at, but would never date in a million years because of their baggage. I never want to be that guy.

Even the breakup can be as important as anything else. If you part on good terms it can be neutral or even helpful later on. I have left bands before where the artistic vision or direction didn't pan out between us, but because I wasn't a hot mess, I got recommended to other gigs by my former bandmates.

Finally, be a part of the music scene in your community. Communicate. Go to other guys' shows. Show up at jams. Be a good neighbor. Folks remember that stuff. Don't badmouth others in the scene, or the fans/audience. Scenes are small in their own way, and that stuff comes right back around.
 
In the world of working musicians, things just aren't that adversarial. Nobody has ever tried to scoop any of my gigs, and nobody I've worked with would be impressed by such tactics.

Everyone's offered great advice on keeping gigs. For new work, a little networking - such as participating in jams - puts your name and playing in front of other players, many of whom have working bands. Treat the jam like an audition, rather than an opportunity to cut loose. Play like you'd play on a gig. If you're good, they'll come to you, and that's the best scenario for all concerned.

Bermuda
 
In the world of working musicians, things just aren't that adversarial. Nobody has ever tried to scoop any of my gigs, and nobody I've worked with would be impressed by such tactics.

Even in Boston, where there are three music schools, and great drummers (and all musicians) everywhere, it's not this cutthroat. Now, there are times when the students or recent graduates undercut the other players, but in my mind that is because they are trying to get out there, and they don't know any better... I don't think they are actively sniping gigs.
 
I make my living my picking up gigs with various bands/groups/artists, I'm strictly an independent contractor... and I'm non-union. This is my constant hustle. Without a full time band, or a union to fall back on, I'm on my own... This is ideal for me, as I'm pretty good at making connections and building my gig portfolio.

Some of it is momentum: the more gigs you have and the more exposed you are, the more other groups will want you.

As other have mentioned, being a good drummer is crucial. I'd add that being a good musician is more crucial than chops or technical ability. This is the hard part for most people, as it requires critical listening and playing things that aren't necessarily in your wheelhouse. If you think of music as a conversation, then each band is going to have its own conversation styles and topics. When I'm playing a modern jazz gig, an Ellington gig, or a rockabilly gig, I'm going to be playing radically different parts. Even the function of the drummer is different in those three types of music. Also, this is where our ear training and theory knowledge comes into play: you should be able to hear variations in the form or various harmonic functions and react to add counterpoint, even if it is just a small fill or a shift in style.

Other than listening and being able to flow freely through various styles, the use of dynamics is pretty important as well. You need to be able to adjust your levels so that you can play with any group, and achieve the same dynamics as them.

Other than musically, there are soft skills. I think the number one rule is to keep it friendly but also professional. These aren't your friends (well, maybe they are...), they are an organization that is hiring you for your services. You go in, do the job that's required of you, and make and maintain business relationships while you're at it.

When you are a freelance musician, it really comes down to your ability to work with others in a variety of styles, and your ability to network and maintain those relationships.
Man, I hope people print this and carry it with them or memorize it. Lots of great insight here.
 
Play in a band, I mean as a full member. Simple really. Every gig they do you get to play, lots of people do it. Be a band member rather than a hired gun.
 
Play in a band, I mean as a full member. Simple really. Every gig they do you get to play, lots of people do it. Be a band member rather than a hired gun.

I can see what you're saying, but for many it's just not practical. Your either working a day job (or two) and then trying to fit this band into your "free" time, or you are on tour with this band 9 months a year.

When I started really playing, I wanted to work as a musician, and there seemed to be two ways to do that:

1. Join a band, write songs, and start touring. This is great, but there's a slim chance that you'll make it, and it means living in a bus for most of the year. I have friends that do this, and they love it, but it just isn't for me. Plus, there's a huge chance you'll never go beyond being weekend warriors.

2. Play with as many people, in as many situations, as possible and effectively be your own artist. This is a little more stable, and as long as you live in an area where there is music, you should be able to make a decent living. It still takes hard work to do, but you get exposed to a variety of styles and players, allowing you to grow. Sure, there are gigs that you don't really care about (that pay well), but there are plenty of gigs that are fantastic, and you can build relationships with those players and start other projects.

To each their own, but I think the OP was about the second scenario...
 
I can see what you're saying, but for many it's just not practical. Your either working a day job (or two) and then trying to fit this band into your "free" time, or you are on tour with this band 9 months a year.

When I started really playing, I wanted to work as a musician, and there seemed to be two ways to do that:

1. Join a band, write songs, and start touring. This is great, but there's a slim chance that you'll make it, and it means living in a bus for most of the year. I have friends that do this, and they love it, but it just isn't for me. Plus, there's a huge chance you'll never go beyond being weekend warriors.

2. Play with as many people, in as many situations, as possible and effectively be your own artist. This is a little more stable, and as long as you live in an area where there is music, you should be able to make a decent living. It still takes hard work to do, but you get exposed to a variety of styles and players, allowing you to grow. Sure, there are gigs that you don't really care about (that pay well), but there are plenty of gigs that are fantastic, and you can build relationships with those players and start other projects.

To each their own, but I think the OP was about the second scenario...

I get your point but the OP, to me at least, seemed to assume everyone was a hired gun, regardless of level. I have been in lots of semi pro bands over the decades, while working full time, and I have been a full member of every one.

If the OP was about pro drummers only then I my posts are redundant.
 
i know not everyone is a hired gun. I was kind of referring to keeping the gigs where you are indeed a hired gun, or eventually just be considered as part of the band after a while.

Myself, I would love to tour and make music my full time job and income. Sadly, I have too much debt and make more currently at my full time job than I would being a musician. I have a family to support as well.

For my drumming dream job to have happened, I would have had to chased that while still at a young age and before I was out of school. Once my life went toward college and full time jobs, i dont think there is any chance of chasing that dream and being able to support myself and my family at the same time.
 
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