I Played a Nashville Bar Gig (Without Learning The Set…)
???? Sign-up for FREE access to my intermediate soloing course “Melodic Soloing With Triads” ►►► https://bit.ly/4fZnn8h
Are you an intermediate guitarist who has been stuck in a soloing rut for years? Or even decades?
If the answer is yes, then I’m guessing you’ve grown tired of playing the same licks over and over again…
This course teaches you how to ditch your stale, repetitive licks and instead, begin playing tasteful guitar solos that ooze melody and feel!
The best part? You can learn how to do this WITHOUT learning ‘exotic’ guitar scales, wasting hours trawling through YouTube lessons, or spending a penny!
That’s right, I’m giving this course away for zero dollars (for the time being…), so act today to grab it with free, lifetime access.
Here’s a tip-of-the-iceberg overview of the main benefits you can expect to experience when you study the curriculum of “Melodic Soloing With Triads”:
✅ You’ll move beyond the limitations of a purely scale-based approach to guitar soloing… so that you can stop feeling stuck inside scale patterns and boxes
✅ You’ll learn to target the notes that create a strong connection between your licks and the chords they are played over… so that you can stop playing repetitive un-musical licks and begin crafting melodies
✅ You’ll stop aimlessly wandering the fretboard, hoping to land on notes that sound good… and start improvising with the confidence of a pro-level guitarist, who always knows which notes to target for an epic solo
Click here for free, lifetime access ►►► https://bit.ly/4fZnn8h
#Played #Nashville #Bar #Gig #Learning #Set..
Originally posted by UCo9qqlLNMHO5v0Bv5ITiqCg at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_50gFAfQM0
???? Sign-up for FREE access to my intermediate soloing course “Melodic Soloing With Triads” ►►► https://bit.ly/4fZnn8h
Are you an intermediate guitarist who has been stuck in a soloing rut for years? Or even decades?
If the answer is yes, then I’m guessing you’ve grown tired of playing the same licks over and over again…
This course teaches you how to ditch your stale, repetitive licks and instead, begin playing tasteful guitar solos that ooze melody and feel!
The best part? You can learn how to do this WITHOUT learning ‘exotic’ guitar scales, wasting hours trawling through YouTube lessons, or spending a penny!
That’s right, I’m giving this course away for zero dollars (for the time being…), so act today to grab it with free, lifetime access.
Here’s a tip-of-the-iceberg overview of the main benefits you can expect to experience when you study the curriculum of “Melodic Soloing With Triads”:
✅ You’ll move beyond the limitations of a purely scale-based approach to guitar soloing… so that you can stop feeling stuck inside scale patterns and boxes
✅ You’ll learn to target the notes that create a strong connection between your licks and the chords they are played over… so that you can stop playing repetitive un-musical licks and begin crafting melodies
✅ You’ll stop aimlessly wandering the fretboard, hoping to land on notes that sound good… and start improvising with the confidence of a pro-level guitarist, who always knows which notes to target for an epic solo
Click here for free, lifetime access ►►► https://bit.ly/4fZnn8h
I just came back from a vacation in Nashville in late July/early August and checked out the Broadway scene for a couple nights (I wonder if I saw you there! So many people it was honestly overwhelming), and I can absolutely attest to all of the things you're saying here. The fact that a request can be almost anything (aside from obscure metal) is enough to make it a super high pressure environment, but I didn't know these guys were performing for 4+ hours at a time and having to change keys frequently to preserve the singer's voice (which in itself is a massive feat to keep it going for that long!). Hearing you talk about it all makes sense.
I was pretty humbled at the players' ability to ad-lib and improvise around each of the solos, which is something I need to improve at (too much of what I play is "rehearsed"), but this just amplifies it all. Granted, I have no ambitions to join the Nashville scene since it's stylistically not my cup of tea, but still – MASSIVE respect to the guys on stage killing it every night.
I played four gigs with a local variety band years ago. They sent me a song list of 45 songs to learn. We rehearsed once, and never played either of those songs again. All four gigs we played songs that I’ve never played or heard before. From that point on the phrase “What key is this in? Far out, count it off” is the phrase I’m most known for now. ????????????
Welcome to America. I’ve been subscribed to your channel for a long time. Wishing you a stress free musical journey in Nashville friend.
Probably over thirty years ago I read a quote from David Hungate (Toto) who had just moved to Nashville.
The question was : How do you get gigs in Nashville?
His answer: Get a Bass Boat LOL
But I guess it's true. It's all about building relationships, get people to want to hang out with you (without an agenda) and of course prepare, show up on time and play your ass off without stepping on anyones toes…and have fun!
You are a great guitar player and you will succeed (even without the boat) I'm sure of that.
Ross which bars are you playing over there on Broadway? Would be cool to see you in person.
Good job on your video and on your assessment of the Broadway scene in Nashville. There's a lot more besides Broadway happening in this city though and I hope as time goes on you get to move out further into the music scene. I'm sure by now you've at least talked about or thought about what happens in the "studio" environment. It's very inspiring if you love a good challenge, but your improvisational skills can be a great help in adapting your playing to the studio scene. You also may want to take a good look at the songwriting side of it, I really appreciate what you shared and your accurate and positive delivery in your video. I hope you keep encouraged to continue this as I'm sure a lot of people can benefit. You are valued.
Great take on what's necessary for bar gigs in Nashville nowadays. As someone who worked on Broadway in the early 2000s a lot of the things you mentioned are definitely advantages of the new generation of players i.e. Digitech Drop for detuning, iPad for charts, dual guitars to fit the setlist, etc. A lot has changed in that scene since then so I won't try to reminisce or detract from your experience. Good on you for doing the dangerous work and trying to make drunks appreciate live, no-tracks music!
Nice to see ya on the TC roster. Maybe I’ll run into ya!
So base pay for the whole band is 150 dollars ?
What about rehersal?
I have been playing professionally for 35 years. Play weekend at the fiddle and steel guitar bar in the early 2000s.. Though you know the crowd rarely ever knows if you make a mistake. Just don't stop!
(Especially a drummer or a bass player!)
"If you're not making mistakes you're not trying hard enough!' -Don Cherry (on improvisation)
I was in Nashville 1986 in band ‘whitelace’. Because our ‘singer’s dad was into real estate’ rich. We lived in ‘Brentwood’ mansion, five acres. We drove around in limo. Jerry reeds’ old limo from 70s. People though spaceship landed whenever we were in public. Nashville did NOT like Whitelace. In Nashville they said ‘Whitelace’ needs to go back where they came from. Girls would just stare, ‘OH MY GAWD! Like Gawd! . This was right before’ a local joke’ POISON in Los Angeles swept the United States.
There are no mistakes, only happy accidents. – Another Ross.
Even if you can take all the curves Nashville will throw at you, playing there is a hard sell when so much of today's country music is absolute shit. I know its a hot spot for professional musicians, but why spend your time playing music that you don't respect? EX: ai generated songs, "artists" who are really just models and don't write and cant sing, etc. You're kind've disrespecting your own talent by feeding into that industry.
I played a large music festival a few weeks ago and was nailed on the whole hour. I spent 3 days on the run up playing the whole set twice per day. I Played a pub gig this weekend and barely got through a single song without a mistake. I fell
Into the trap of thinking “it’s just a pub, no one cares” so I didn’t really bother to brush up on stuff. I Came away feeling terrible. It’s reminded me to give it 100% Everytime you play live.
Great vid! Looking forward to more Nashville music scene observations. Cheers!
I’ve done gigs for artists where I’ve completely faked the whole concert. The real question is what do you do when there is a known intro the crowd expects but you have no idea what it is.? Thats been for me the hardest and where stage confidence and somewhat comedy comes into play.
No more need to find charts! Fantastic way to “cheat” through any song or any audio for that matter “Chord AI” app. Get a chart for any youtube video with live scrolling of the audio with ability to transpose and or get any capo transposition. Besides YouTube it even does live audio with iPhone mic. If you got an old piano or bass vet holding it down you can follow along. By far best iPhone practice app so many features!
I play a Fender Nashville Tele with a B-bender. I can't imagine having that thing on my shoulder for four straight hours a day. It weighs 10.5 lbs. Having said that, I really enjoyed your video. It's good to get some genuine inside information about the Nashville scene.
4 hours without a break? Pretty sure that's against AF of M rules.
Ha ha ha ha welcome to Balkan bar, you gotta know every bloody song….
I lived and worked as a professional musician in Nashville for 10 years. It's a shallow, narcissistic community of musicians there, and nearly all of them judge on how well you play covers. Don't let the ignorance of the place get the best of you!
Sounds crazy, 4 hours straight? That’s a tough gig, especially hard because I’d be playing a ton of songs I couldn’t care less about. There’s easier fish to fry but no doubt it’ll make you better, quicker! Congrats.
This a really great video, both eengaging and enjoyable.
Cover bands are tough gigs if you haven't already been doing it for years. Original bands/artists are much easier since there are many less songs to learn, and no chance of the crowd paying $20 to watch you struggle through a song the band doesn't know. lol. Great video!
Love the honest and transparency on this! You have the type of personality I like to play with.
Really enjoyed your candid account of playing on Broadway . I watch a lot of Nashville guitarist and seems paying your dues on Broadway is a merit badge .
I bet they love your tattoos in Nashville!
Hang in there, man! I did 7 years in Nashville and moved back home at the end of 2022 to teach. First few gigs there can be terrifying…you actually outlined exactly why I left: it’s a LOT of work for the pay you get… Best of luck!
Also I like that advice, “go be friends with people” that’s the best musical advice I’ve ever heard to get a gig
That’s a rough gig dude..
This is excellent info and advice. Thank you so much.