The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #1

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    I currently play with a violin player and we have a gig in a bar which we do for free. It's a low key thing when kids are playing sports outside etc.

    Anyhow we are also looking for paid gigs (aren't we all!) but how do we approach the money side of things. What can we expect to receive in terms of remuneration for say a 2 hour gig (I am based in Euro land so fees charged here may be different to the US).

    Are you normally paid in cash or by cheque and do you collect the money straight after the gig is over?

    There's a large jazz festival here in October so I definitely want to have learned the ropes by then as, hopefully, we'll be gigging a lot over that week.

    Please feel free to share any other information that you may think would be beneficial to me.

    Also please feel free to ask for more detail from me if you need it.

    TIA

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  3. #2

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    You set a precedent by playing for free.That place is probably a wash, they'll never pay for what they can get for free.

    I like to get a certain amount* an hour, I also prefer to work 3 hours. I might negotiate down and do that last hour half price if I can get all 3 hours. That's just me personally...I'm not doing this for a living, I could probably gig more if I charged less, but then I water down the whole thing. It helps to go to places a few times and talk to folks who play there, if somebody seems cool they'll usually let on what the place pays. Some folks are more secretive about that, don't hold it against 'em, folks don't gotta talk $ if they don't want to..

    Might be tough to get both of a duo that...I dunno what the situation is in Europe, gigs are tough to come by here for jazz. Get paid in cash, if you can...most of the time that's no problem. Usually after the sets are done.


    *You can PM me for the amount if you like. I prefer not to discuss $ online because some folks are adamant about undercutting just to play out, and I have some strong feelings about that.

  4. #3

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    Where I live gigs in bars/clubs pay a percentage of the bar receipts. If you are in a band with a following that actually comes out to hear you play then you can ask for a guarantee upfront PLUS a percentage of the bar receipts, most of these are verbal agreements rarely written in a contract. Always get paid at the end of the gig in cash NEVER take a cheque from a club owner.In addition to this we pass the Tip Jar and sell CD's. Gigs in Coffee Houses, Restaurants etc. usually pay a guaranteed amount for 3 hours of music usually $50 a man, but like Jeff said you're already playing for FREE so why would they pay you, someone else will do it for FREE if you don't (that's the problem with playing for FREE). When a client calls me to do a corporate event we discuss my fee when discussing all of the details of the engagement when, where, for whom, how long, attire etc. My rule for getting paid is that I am getting paid to provide a unique service that I will excel at providing to you. I am not so much getting paid to "play" as I am getting paid for getting an appropriate band together for the event, making sure that everyone on my end of it is dressed correctly, sober, on time and behaving like gentlemen or ladies as the case may be(I hire women in my rhythm section whenever possible). Keep these things in mind as you try to develop the money side of the music business. Good Luck!!!

  5. #4

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    Thanks for your replies. They've helped a lot.

    My current situation is that we play in a bar where my son plays sports so I asked if they'd like some music there. I saw this as a way 1) to get experience playing live together 2) A no pressure gig (obviously we will still try our best) 3) A way to get better gigs elsewhere and we can say that we are already playing live.

    Like I said it's a low key thing done for the experience really.

  6. #5

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    Jumping on the bandwagon, I don't play for free. On principle. I've done a couple of gigs for free, and there's nothing more dispiriting than walking away from a gig with like $10 in a tip jar because it was storming and no one came out. My requirement is that I make enough money at least to cover gas/parking.

    I'm not a pro, but do gig out a lot and actually make a nice supplemental income to my day job. There are really three kinds of gigs:

    - Restaurants/coffee shops looking for background music. I expect these guys to pay a flat hourly rate plus tips, no exceptions. Don't get suckered into doing this for free. Even a nominal hourly rate will guarantee that you break even, and establishes an important principle that musicians deserve to be paid. Try to sell your cds, put out a tip jar, etc.

    - Bars/clubs that put on shows. You always play these places for a door percent. Your job is to drive traffic. I really only use these for "shows", where you prepare stuff with a band and try to bring out all your friends, etc. These take the most energy up front, but if you're good at driving traffic can pay really well. Right now these are like milestone goal shows for me when I've put together something new that I'm excited about.

    - Events. These are the best. There's nothing better than getting a wedding gig where you play for a couple hours and walk away with a couple hundred bucks. I try to get a sprinkling of these throughout the year. The precedent is to not get tipped at weddings/conferences/luncheons, so you end up getting paid pretty well by the hour, generally.

    Nothing wrong with what you're doing, but just some food for thought.

  7. #6

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    Over here, on the lowest end, as mine is, there's a drinks sales split at some proportion, from 15% to 50% for a band, with fixed minimum. That minimum is at the level of 1 (one) ordinary local labor daily wage (on the level with most simple plumber's service),
    split for the whole band. Bar does not care if there are 1, 2 or 10 of us, it pays one wage.

    On the next higher level, each member get's fixed part at minimum wage, or little less, but % of the drinks is always 10%, maybe 15%.

  8. #7

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    I agree that playing for free sets a precedent. I always insist on a payment even if it is sometimes nominal when I'm doing someone a favor. Since I play in different group combinations, I charge as follows:
    50€ per person per hour + 50-100€ extra if the gig is very far.

    Most gigs go for 1.5 hours or 2 hrs at most, so that the price is in my opinion reasonable. I haven't raised that rate in over ten years. Most of the time people want something low key ( a duo with saxophone or a trio). 150€ per hour is not expensive. Maybe I should charge more but so far I've only been turned down twice because of cost.

    The real issue for me has been the significant drop in gigs over the last ten years. People just aren't interested in live music any more. It's a sad state of affairs.

  9. #8

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    I have an inflexible rule: I don't do freebies. Being imperfect, I break my inflexible rule sometimes by playing benefit shows for various worthy causes. Oh, and I'll often sit in for free on a friend's gig, just for the fun of it.....

    BUT: I won't let a band leader pressure me into playing a freebie just to stay in his good graces. I won't do a gig in a commercial establishment for no money. It's hard enough being a musician without surrendering the last shreds of your dignity.

    There are many opportunities to play for an audience for free without being exploited or undercutting other musicians. But when you're good enough to play a real gig, you gotta get the money!

    On the subject of getting the money: I dislike being a band leader and dealing with the client, as I suspect most people do. Just remember, the people that you are asking for money are business people and money is something they talk about every day. You don't have to get all sensitive about it. Just be upfront and straight about what you need. Take the long view, you'll be playing guitar long after their establishment has folded!

  10. #9

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    Quote Originally Posted by AlainJazz
    The real issue for me has been the significant drop in gigs over the last ten years. People just aren't interested in live music any more. It's a sad state of affairs.
    Yeah, it's pretty depressing. It makes sense, though, when you consider the fact that almost all popular music is not "live" music anymore. I can't think of a song I've heard on the charts lately that wasn't a spliced together monstrosity of drum tracks, synth patches, auto-tuned voices layered 1000x, and samples.

    If that's what you're into, there's really no point to live music, since it won't sound anything like what you want to hear. I have friends that go to DJ shows where they just watch someone sit on stage and press play. I have no idea what they are listening to, but I've been to enough of them to know I have no interest in any of it.

    Quote Originally Posted by Gilpy
    I have an inflexible rule: I don't do freebies. Being imperfect, I break my inflexible rule sometimes by playing benefit shows for various worthy causes. Oh, and I'll often sit in for free on a friend's gig, just for the fun of it.....


    Good point. I sometimes do charity events for free.

  11. #10

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    Quote Originally Posted by ecj
    If that's what you're into, there's really no point to live music, since it won't sound anything like what you want to hear. I have friends that go to DJ shows where they just watch someone sit on stage and press play. I have no idea what they are listening to, but I've been to enough of them to know I have no interest in any of it.
    I got into an argu... um, discussion with my wife recently after remarking that it was interesting that DJs are perhaps the only musicians without a physical skill requirement that needs to be developed over many years. For example, if you don't start playing the cello at a young age, it's unlikely that you will develop the physical capabilities necessary to compete as a world-class player. But with high-level DJing, it's all about creativity and weaving things together on a musical, conceptual level. (And the ensuing argument, given that the little lady is actually into that sort of stuff, stemmed from her thinking that I was implying that DJs have no musical talent.)

    Dammit! I've gone OT and broken the rules of this forum! As you were, I'll go back from whence I came...

  12. #11

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jehu
    I got into an argu... um, discussion with my wife recently after remarking that it was interesting that DJs are perhaps the only musicians without a physical skill requirement that needs to be developed over many years. For example, if you don't start playing the cello at a young age, it's unlikely that you will develop the physical capabilities necessary to compete as a world-class player. But with high-level DJing, it's all about creativity and weaving things together on a musical, conceptual level. (And the ensuing argument, given that the little lady is actually into that sort of stuff, stemmed from her thinking that I was implying that DJs have no musical talent.)

    Dammit! I've gone OT and broken the rules of this forum! As you were, I'll go back from whence I came...
    Have you seen the people who've devloped scratching to a very high level? There is an astounding amount of skill there, just like shedding any other instrument.

    Lots of other "DJs" actually play keyboards, and drum pads, and trigger lots of samples in time.

  13. #12

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    Let's not argue about whether DJs are musicians and go with this: they aren't jazz guitar players and they're not getting gigs that would otherwise go to jazz guitar players (or other jazz musicians of the traditional sort), so their pay scale is not relevant here.

  14. #13

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    Local Unions have the wage thing broken down well... and generally don't really care about side casuals. I generally make between 1 and 5 hundred per gig. Sessions, start around $200.

    I donate my time for charity events as much as I can... play homeless centers etc... again when I can. Music makes a difference. If you don't.... you should.

    Directing, writing, arranging etc... wide rage of scale depending on for whom or what.

    Generally if your providing a product for a commercial setting... charge a commercial price if not already established.
    If your trying to push your personal product... you'll need to adjust to promote the new product.

  15. #14

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    I should add that I play for free every Friday, during the school term anyway, at a local playgroup.

    Sure most songs are just I,IV,V but it's a nice contribution to make to society.

    Plus I have met the most amazing singer there whom I will be recording some jazz stuff with shortly.

  16. #15

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    Quote Originally Posted by MarkRhodes
    Let's not argue about whether DJs are musicians and go with this: they aren't jazz guitar players and they're not getting gigs that would otherwise go to jazz guitar players (or other jazz musicians of the traditional sort), so their pay scale is not relevant here.
    I couldn't disagree more, Mark. At one point in time there was only one option if you wanted music in a dance club, and it wasn't hiring a single person with a stack of records.

    Recorded music has gradually eroded and destroyed the most dependable kind of live performance venue for musicians of all stripes, not just jazz guys. If people don't require musicians to dance, you're going to lose most of the live performance opportunities, and that's what we're seeing.

    There's still a lot of opportunity to play, but nothing like there would be in a world without recorded sound.

  17. #16

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    Quote Originally Posted by Liarspoker
    I should add that I play for free every Friday, during the school term anyway, at a local playgroup.

    Sure most songs are just I,IV,V but it's a nice contribution to make to society.

    Plus I have met the most amazing singer there whom I will be recording some jazz stuff with shortly.
    Oh that stuff is fine...kids, seniors...that's good for the soul.

    I play Autumn Green every first Sunday during dinner...The most appreciative audience I get.

  18. #17

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    Quote Originally Posted by ecj
    There's still a lot of opportunity to play, but nothing like there would be in a world without recorded sound.
    Granted, but returning to a world without recorded sound is hardly an option. ;o)

  19. #18

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    Whenever I see threads like this I'm reminded that John Phillip Sousa back in 1900 predicted that Thomas Edison's infernal recording machine would be the death of live music. It took a while, but it seems like that prediction is coming true.

    I generally try to play for at least $50-$75/hour, with set-up and tear-down you're really getting less than that. Factor in the value of the equipment and you can make yourself crazy pretty quickly. Luckily I have a good day job career so I play for the love of it and to make a little extra money.

    My wife and I just performed at the little convalescent facility where she works. We're a jazz flute and guitar duo. It was a small crowd (it's a small place) but they were incredibly lively and grateful. We had pretty much everybody there -- patients, nurses and staff. The director gushed over us, it was very sweet and definitely good for the soul. I have no problem with that kind of free gig, but I agree, if someone is making money where I'm playing I gotta get my beak wet. ;-)

  20. #19

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    There are at least 10,000 paying gigs every night of the week in the USA NOT IN CLUBS OR RESTAURANTS. Libraries, museums, senior facilities, schools, cultural organizations, functions, community concerts: all are open to a good jazz show, and all have funding on various levels. A GOOD SHOW and professional presentation are the keys to that world.

  21. #20

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    Quote Originally Posted by ronjazz
    There are at least 10,000 paying gigs every night of the week in the USA NOT IN CLUBS OR RESTAURANTS. Libraries, museums, senior facilities, schools, cultural organizations, functions, community concerts: all are open to a good jazz show, and all have funding on various levels. A GOOD SHOW and professional presentation are the keys to that world.
    A good show and professional presentation are keys to any public performance. A gig is a gig.

  22. #21

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    Free vs Paid. That's a very interesting concept when it relates to Jazz. But, I don't think that's what you were asking. If you want to know how to arrive at a set fee and how to negotiate with a venue owner or manager, that's a different subject. Wherever you live, there's an typical rate that similar musicians make. The two ways to figure that amount is to ask your colleagues what they are getting paid, and to ask the venues what they usually pay. The former is preferable to the latter, but the answers you get will probably be the same. When I was younger, I did a lot of little cafes and restaurants, and I found that many of the owners knew each other, many of the managers also were acquainted, and often the waitstaff would rotate around and work for several venues within a given locale. It doesn't take long for each establishment to know what all the others are paying the musicians. One good rule of thumb in terms of professional ethics ... don't undercut the other players in your area. If the going rate is $100 per night, don't offer to work for less, it will only drag the pay scale down for everyone. Also, negotiate which beverages are free to the band and ask to be fed if the venue serves food. Don't forget to inquire regarding parking ... there may be valet parking and you want to try to establish that the musicians park for free if possible (tip the valet a little, though).

  23. #22

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    Hello.
    When I started to play professionally, back in the 1966
    , I was given this piece of advice...
    'Never, never play free. People will think it is all you are worth.'
    The Musicians Union also advised to charge expenses for charity gigs and good-causes
    .





    Music is the key that can open strange rooms in the house of memory.
    Llewelyn Wyn Griffith

  24. #23

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    A local rock musician pointed out to me that he got $350 for a quartet gig in 1968 and he still got $350 for a quartet gig in 2010. No adjustment for inflation in 42 years. That's what the market would bear. In 1968 he could make a living as a musician, in 2010 he couldn't. I can't speak for wherever you all play, but around here the average life expectancy for a venue like a restaurant, etc., is less than a year before they go out of business. Few restaurant or club operators are good at business, however good they might be at food and drinks; many of them simply can't afford to pay you.

    I find that a lot of musicians are bad at business, too. I'll probably piss off a few folks in this thread. Oh well. I know a lot of successful musicians locally and those who make a living at it have a realistic understanding of the economics of live playing and of the business relationships involved. It is not art. It is business. The venue is not paying you to enhance their ambience or to be artistically creative or to know all your modes- you are there to bring in business they would not have otherwise had. To paraphrase Joe Pass, playing Giant Steps ain't what gets you gigs. What gets you gigs is the work you put into running your business (or pay someone else to run your business, like an agent) to make yourself an attractive package for venues.

    At a minimum you have to drive new profit that offsets what your presence costs them, so you have to bring in probably four times as much revenue as you get paid. If you are paid $200, you need to bring them $800 in new sales that they wouldn't have had without you just to offset your fee. If you can't do that, then IMHO you have no reasonable basis to ask for a $200 fee. In addition to paying you, the venue is paying waitstaff, bartenders, cooks, dishwashers, rent, suppliers, insurance, credit card fees, taxes and- in order to even have music- PROs.

    My successful friends know this and have worked hard to develop a following who will come out to hear them, they do their own marketing for their gigs, and so they can reliably bring 50-75 customers to a venue. The result? Paying gigs on a regular basis and no difficulty getting them. Their performances are professional- set lists, arrangements, instrumentation, thematic organization, etc., ready to go at the appointed time and at an appropriate volume for the setting. No fumbling through Real Books, no 10 minute discussions about what tune to play next, in which key, at which tempo, in what style, etc. Also their groups are small, typically solos to trios, due to the economics of the thing.

    Playing a gig is not for your benefit, that's not why the venue has you there (although there are some venues who have music because the owner or manager likes music and wants it for that reason; these folks are usually easy to deal with). You are there to help make the venue a profit. It's not the "value of live music" or whatever other principles you want to wrap it up with. It's the value in bottom dollars for YOUR live music for that venue for that evening. If you're sure you can make them more money, then go ahead and charge 'em. If they don't at least offset the money they pay you on your first gig as a result, they won't have you back. They may not have jazz back if they perceive there is little interest in customers listening to it (it is, in part, a popularity contest). People successful at getting gigs understand they are partnering with the venue for mutual benefit- and if the venue gets that you know this, you will have a much easier time getting gigs and gigs that pay. You'll also be less vulnerable to undercutting. If you go in with the notion that the venue owes you (either you personally or the larger you such as the jazz community) something, you'll be less successful.

    Quite frankly my band charges at my insistence; no one else in the band cares or buys the argument that if you play for nothing, that's all your music is worth. I mainly want to charge to minimize creating problems for musicians trying to make a living. For my band (a quintet) our minimum fee is $50 each for two 50 minute sets for bars, restaurants, etc. For corporate gigs the minimum is $100 each for two sets. There are extra charges for inconvenience; I find the corporate gigs to be generally annoying so I want some bucks to offset that. If the venue is paying us, we don't put out tip jars unless that is agreed upon in advance with the venue. And we play quite a few gigs strictly for tips which are all done as fundraisers for local charities (splitting $49 in tips between five musicians just seems silly, but a $49 contribution to a local food shelf or women's shelter is useful).

  25. #24

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    The best advice that I would have regarding getting paid is...get an agent or an agency.
    Put together a viewable website of your work and work with the agent. When a jazz guitarist enters a club and attempts to land a gig, he becomes an professional victim at the mercy of those who have very little appreciation for talent.

    remember the story of Joshua Bell playing violin in the subways and being ignored?

    Now picture even a Pat Metheny walking into a typical club that might juggle DJ's into live music each week. He even brings his guitar in and plays a tune as an audition. The guy he is playing for is not going to be intelligent when it comes to music or art, or he would not have DJ's working in his place. Pat could very well be told to come back in a month, play for tips on Wednesday night or some other pathetic reply.

    dont play for free! It is just lame. Have an agent, even (wife/girlfriend) sell you.

    and then be a professional,l the entire time spent working there.

    Don't drink, eat or sleep with anyone in the establishment that is paying you.


    its just business!
    Last edited by Nighthawks; 09-01-2014 at 01:45 PM.

  26. #25

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    On a side note. If you want a simple but effective online tool for managing your band income and expenses, check out BandLoot at www.bandloot.com

    I just transferred my rock band "book keeping" there this evening and I must say that it was a pleasure to work with. Completely free and it handles the messiness that comes with the transactions in music business as well as presents a clear view of who owes who what in the band.