What Kind of Player Are You - Full Time Pro vs Half Time vs Hobbyist

**omphalopsychos** · 03-11-2017, 04:28 AM

I work full time in an unrelated field; I play guitar with most of my free time. I enjoy guitar and music more that justabout anything but I don't think I could ever do it for a living

**Hurricane Ramon** · 03-11-2017, 06:16 AM

It's 62 years of playing music here . One day I'll learn .

EZ;

HR

.

**Frank67** · 03-11-2017, 07:43 AM

Hobby'ist and Guitar tryer outer :-)

I just happen to like guitar gear and it became kind of a hobby to research it, play pedalboard and effects and all that. None of that is needed for music but it is fun to go after Gilmour or Johnson tones and all that 'boys and their toys' stuff. Presently I am in a 'Strat phase' and my wonderful archtops don't get played much. But that will change again, no doubt.

I also have a weak spot for technique related discussions and tend to watch the right hands of great players very closely (probably because mine is so bad). I thoroughly enjoyed Troy Grady's analysis despite all the show bizz stuff that surrounds it. Again, not needed for making nice music, but fun.

i play with a cover rock band. Couple of gigs a year. I study some jazz for my pleasure, for a while now mostly gypsy jazz. I am not into any kind of modern jazz and despite the fact that my daytime job is scientist, I do not enjoy over-intellectualizing music. I guess there is a personal feeling about how much theory is enough ... I found out for myself that I reach the 'enough' point relatively quickly. But give me a nice melody and I'll enjoy it for days

**gunksman** · 03-11-2017, 08:07 AM

Guitar has always been a background passion. Playing with others has always been my greatest joy, but it was only as a teenager that I had the time to study, but not the proper direction or discipline. I played a couple gigs, a bunch of party type situations.

Finding myself disabled at 45 I'm studying/practicing my butt off and getting a reasonable handle on the jazz music I've worshipped all my life and thought beyond my grasp. I'm finding players (blues jam at my house today!) and getting ready start hitting a couple of jazz open mic's this summer because my back is better in warmer weather.

Paid gigs? Hoping eventually.

**morroben** · 03-11-2017, 12:15 PM

At the moment, hobbyist. I was doing the weekend warrior thing for a while but decided to go back to school (at 40) and get an engineering degree. It takes a lot of time and has made it tough to deal with a band and gigs, so I'm not. But I'm actually playing more than ever. I decided to add jazz lessons on top of my school work, and count practice time with my homework. Hopefully, when I get through all of this, I'll be a better player and have a better career.

**Jonathan0996** · 03-11-2017, 01:17 PM

It's hard to pick from those three categories for me. I played full time for many years, then weekends. At some point I decided there's something to be said for a steady paycheck, so went back to school and got a day gig. These days I don't play out every weekend, but I wouldn't say that I "rarely" play gigs either.

I miss having the easy facility on the instrument that I had when I played full time, but I play better music now that I'm able to pick my gigs more selectively. That said, time spent with the guitar in your hands definitely makes a difference. Now I sometimes have scramble to get my chops up for demanding gigs.

Gigs are also so much harder to come by than they used to be, and I think that's redefined a lot of very good musicians as "hobbyists." I can think of a few who could really play credibly with just about anyone, given the opportunity. Much like genres of music, I'm not sure this kind of categorization is all that meaningful. What matters more is your level of musicianship.

**hot ford coupe** · 03-11-2017, 01:19 PM

Somebody said total hack. I wanna join that group.

**bmw2002** · 03-11-2017, 01:22 PM

Originally Posted by hot ford coupe

Somebody said total hack. I wanna join that group.

That was me -- and welcome. What I should have said is that I'm working my way up to total hack, and then through a series of questionable life style choices, I will become a has-been. It's all about the journey, though.

**setemupjoe** · 03-11-2017, 01:36 PM

I've been a professional musician most of my adult life. I'm now 59. There have been times when money got too thin and I found something else to help pay the bills.
I started my career in Melbourne Australia. In the 90's I lived in New York and did a fair amount of touring up and down the east coast.
In 2001 I moved to LA and joined the band Royal Crown Revue. That kept me busy and paid my bills for the next decade. Since then I've been mostly teaching guitar and music theory at Musicians Institute in Hollywood. I still gig once or twice a week but at 59 I'm not so interested in dragging my gear up and down stairs for a $60 gig.

**50Hz** · 03-11-2017, 02:33 PM

100% hobbyist and wouldn't have it any other way.

**StillC** · 03-11-2017, 02:41 PM

I used to play an occasional gig here in Santa Barbara, but there are few of them now.

I recently had a beautiful 7-string archtop guitar custom made for me by Robert Carbonaro.

Years ago I studied with Bill Thrasher and learned his "CAGED" method. I played a few gigs with him, sometimes on a 6-string Fender bass. I had copies of all of his notes, but sadly they were burned up along with my guitars when our home burned in 1990.

**lawson-stone** · 03-11-2017, 02:41 PM

I am 62 years old, and have no recollection of ever not playing around with a guitar. Early on it was a plastic "Tiger" guitar made by a toy company with an amp you wore on a strap over your shoulder!

But when my parents spent a summer destroying each other in a messy divorce, I spent the summer alone on my grandparents farm with a classical guitar, Frederick Noad's Playing the Guitar, the record with "Classical Gas" on it, and by the end of the summer could play that song. that's when I really got serious about guitar.

Since then it has been a journey through the "Folk Music Scare of the 70's" (when it almost caught on!) being a John Denver wannabe, then a range of things, until finally in 1991 or so I took up jazz.

I wouldn't just call it a "hobby," because I can't imagine my life without the guitar. But I've never made a dollar from playing, and you who have heard me play can likely guess why! But I love it, have a passion for it, and plan to play them as long as I can, always dreaming about one day sounding like Joe Pass...

**Stevebol** · 03-11-2017, 02:43 PM

I fought the 1% and the 1% won.

**Stevebol** · 03-11-2017, 03:01 PM

Originally Posted by 50Hz

100% hobbyist and wouldn't have it any other way.

Preach! I hear ya.
I miss being a whore and a white token for R&B and the Japanese mafia but those days are over. Hobbyist all the way now.

**Longways to Go** · 03-11-2017, 04:31 PM

I think this is my favorite JGF thread ever!

I am so much enjoying hearing people's stories, and the different ways that playing a guitar fits into a person's life.

Part of me fantasizes about being "A Pro" sometimes, not because I want to play gigs all the time or make records, but because it would be so cool to be "That Good"! But hey, I kinda wanted to be a classical pianist when I was in high school. Turned out I didn't have the drive or the focus. Oh well. That made for a late start on the guitar for me. On the plus side, at least I learned to read music! I'm probably in the 1% category for that skill at my weekly acoustic jam . . .

I paint pictures and teach painting classes for a living. It is a similarly tough go.
So many of the issues are the same. The arts are a tough road for sure.

Often I find this forum to be intimidating. Dudes with 1,000 x more guitaristic knowledge, skill & experience setting the noobs right, tossing attitude, debating technical details I don't begin to understand. But this thread has a nice humanizing tone. Like it would be cool to walk into a bar and hang with this crew face to face.

I guess we'd probably need nametags . . . and the inevitable guitar or two or three or four

**Woody Sound** · 03-11-2017, 04:38 PM

When I first read this title I thought it was about how good you are. ("What kind of player..") Other musicians tell me I'm awesome (non-guitarists), they don't know I'm pretty mediocre at best

I guess that's a good thing about being a guitarist?

**destinytot** · 03-11-2017, 04:49 PM

I've just had the opportunity to talk about this in an interview:
194 march low by William McCarthy - issuu

**destinytot** · 03-11-2017, 04:54 PM

Originally Posted by lawson-stone

I wouldn't just call it a "hobby," because I can't imagine my life without the guitar.

+1

**destinytot** · 03-11-2017, 05:28 PM

I think of myself as a musician who sings - and I use this to my advantage in a number of ways.

Firstly, accompanying myself helps me control the 'swing' and allows me to be independent. Secondly, working with the limitations of my voice (eg. adjusting tunings to suit my temperament) is becoming a style. Thirdly, I only play live - making a discipline of connecting with (unsympathetic) listeners. I only practise what I mess up. These days I practise a lot in my head, thinking through obstacles.

I swim three times a week, and I've begun singing scales and arpeggios with my face submerged. Time to play now.

**Cunamara** · 03-11-2017, 07:00 PM

Originally Posted by feral guitar

I am a full time pro.
100% of my living comes from playing guitar, most is jazz (no teaching or traveling).
I am the first in this thread?
Why don't more pros come here?

In some forums where professional musicians participate (I am immediately thinking of r.m.m.g.j., but have seen this in other genres too), they sometimes end up getting lectured about how wrong they are in their approach to music by the hobbyists and weekend warriors. Eventually they get tired of thinking "WTF? I've been a professional musician for 30 years and these idiots want to tell me I'm wrong?" and go away.

I don't know that this has happened here, though; generally speaking this is a pretty reasonable bunch.

**Stevebol** · 03-12-2017, 12:14 AM

Originally Posted by Cunamara

In some forums where professional musicians participate (I am immediately thinking of r.m.m.g.j., but have seen this in other genres too), they sometimes end up getting lectured about how wrong they are in their approach to music by the hobbyists and weekend warriors. Eventually they get tired of thinking "WTF? I've been a professional musician for 30 years and these idiots want to tell me I'm wrong?" and go away.

I don't know that this has happened here, though; generally speaking this is a pretty reasonable bunch.

We need a sub forum for has-beens. That way I won't have to bother people in other forums. It would have to be R-rated I think.
I have stories.
There was the time I......

**TedBPhx** · 03-12-2017, 01:07 AM

Jazz guitar is my retirement hobby.

**citizenk74** · 03-12-2017, 01:09 AM

Originally Posted by TedBPhx

Jazz guitar is my retirement hobby.

And my anti-Alzheimer's program.

**jazzbow** · 03-12-2017, 09:09 AM

My keyboard playing pal was trained as a pipe organ player; the big MF pipe organs in Cathedrals (I am transfixed by his dancing feet on the bass pedals, that's how I know what key he's in).

He's been a pit player, cathedral organist, musical director and tuba player. He's retired from playing professionally and is now and ambulance driver. He says that the driving is his first proper job since leaving school, he's 55!

Often we talk about playing out over a pint or two, laugh at each others stories-but we both agree playing music does not provide enough income for the average musician.

So all hail the weekend warrior! Take your place on the stage, play your heart out and love the music. Just make sure your on time for work come Monday morning

**JazzNote** · 03-12-2017, 09:16 AM

as for jazz guitarrists being full time pros i remember Herb Ellis telling me in 1988 that one couldn't survive playing jazz. His exact words were: "even Joe Pass has to teach".