How do I get rich playing steel guitar?

Mat Rhodes · Post by **Mat Rhodes** » 24 Aug 2006 9:17 am

Allow me to whine...

I don't like my day job. I'm getting older. I'm tired of practicing for untold hours every day for the last 13 years at the expense of my marriage and other personal relationships in order to better my so-called craft. I'm tired of hauling this ridiculously heavy instrument and all the heavy accessories that accompany it. And I'm especially tired of being involved in projects that go nowhere and pay nothing.

Does anyone know how long it takes to get some #@*! payback?

Doctors and lawyers and such put less time into their studies and efforts than I have put into this *$#@! and most of them have something to show for it. Have any of you gotten rich off of this beast and how much do you charge for the "secret"?

By the way, I don't want to hear about passion and love for the instrument. I also don't want to hear about playing being its own reward. All that does is sell the "self-help" books. I want money, lots of it, and I want it fast...

Matt

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 24 Aug 2006 9:24 am

Here's how to get a million dollars playing steel guitar. First, start with two million dollars...

Alternatively, you can take your heavy-as-all-get-out D-10, put it in the car, drive to your local bank after hours, and THROW IT THROUGH THE DANG WINDOW. Then grab the money real quick-like and SCRAM.

Any questions?

Sherman Willden · Post by **Sherman Willden** » 24 Aug 2006 9:36 am

Move to Las Vegas, sell all your steel stuff, and then play MegaBucks until you are broke or hit. If you hit buy a new MSA for $7,000, take some more lessons, practice some more, and look for a music date with the Dixie Chicks when they come to town.

Sherman

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 24 Aug 2006 9:41 am

Matt
Doctors and lawyers are valued more by society than musicians. So are electricians, plumbers, mechanics, and tradesmen of all types.

Musicians in the trenches for the most part are laborers in a luxury/service field. Unless you write songs, are a *star sideman* very much in demand, or play in the band of a recording artist, you're not really in the *music* business per se, but rather in the bar business.

Laborers/employees don't generally make very much money at all. If you're expecting lots of money being a picker, I'm afraid you're on the way to a massive disappointment.

------------------
Herb's Steel Guitar Pages
Texas Steel Guitar Association

chas smith · Post by **chas smith** » 24 Aug 2006 9:41 am

I recall one of the Marselis brothers telling a story about when he was playing with Herbie Hancock. They were going to play a large venue and he was unhappy about how much he was getting paid. Herbie told him, something to the effect, "if you don't go out there, the audience will still be there. If I don't go out there, they'll all go home. That's why I get what I get, and you get what you get."

He then went on to say, "anytime you find that you spend more time thinking about the money, rather than thinking about the art. You should take up banking or perhaps a hedge fund."

From my experience, if you expect to make money as a player. You have to go to where the money is and put yourself in a position to get it, because it's unlikely that it's going to come to you. There was a decade that I made at least half of my income playing on film soundtracks. Now I don't make anything. One of the difficult things about the entertainment business is getting used to being disposable labor.

Russ Rickmann · Post by **Russ Rickmann** » 24 Aug 2006 10:06 am

Amen, Herbie and Jim.....both of you!

Jim Phelps · Post by **Jim Phelps** » 24 Aug 2006 10:25 am

Jim, Herb and Chas got it as far as I'm concerned. Get rich playing steel (or any instrument)? Ha.

Bill McCloskey · Post by **Bill McCloskey** » 24 Aug 2006 10:46 am

Both my in-laws where professional musicians. they never made any money but they survived.

If you want to make money, you should do what most of us did: focus on your non-musical career and play music as a hobby.

I've known lots of famous but poor musicians. Lucinda Williams lived hand to mouth for YEARS before she got any recognition at all. Townes Van Zandt never had any money.

And Herbie Hancock, when he was playing with Miles was only making $100 or so a night.

Ray Minich · Post by **Ray Minich** » 24 Aug 2006 11:36 am

Sherman got it...
Get rich? Sell the instrument, take the proceeds and go pull the arms on the machines at the casino. The odds are better...
[This message was edited by Ray Minich on 24 August 2006 at 12:37 PM.]

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 24 Aug 2006 11:57 am

Matt, is there anything else you would like to know about this subject?

Mat Rhodes · Post by **Mat Rhodes** » 24 Aug 2006 12:24 pm

No, Jim, I think that should cover it. Gentlemen, thank you kindly for your responses and the wisdom that comes with them. I see a third of my life has been spent without purpose.

Does anyone have the toll-free hotline for up-and-coming Paris Hilton impersonators? I thought it was 1-800-THATSOT but all I got was a recording.

Chris LeDrew · Post by **Chris LeDrew** » 24 Aug 2006 12:46 pm

Here is a scenario that demands a bit more than just putting on your picks, but you will make some serious money and be IN CHARGE, which is the most important part of the equation:

Piece together a classic country band and rehearse a solid setlist of danceable number 1's from 1960-75. Get a good frontman, but YOU manage the band and all its affairs. Now, the important part: do what you need to do to get on the CONVENTION curcuit. Find out from major hotels about the conventions coming to town, and tap the hospitality companies and caterers. Nail down contact numbers/addresses. Get packages off to the event organizers of these companies and businesses. (Every single one of these conventions has a band playing, either after the dinner or for the closing party, or whatever. And they have lots of MONEY.) Market your band (and its image) as a tribute to classic country. Get good photos done. People love a theme, whatever it is.....especially the business crowd. They eat it up. Wear the hats, boots, shirts, whatever. Demand a high dollar right away, and pay the boys whatever you/they think is fair. YOU take the rest. You're in Houston. There's got to be a ton of money to be made down there doing convention work. But you have to blow away the competition by being punctual, professional, courteous, and accomodating.

You can get rich playing steel. You just need to be the one IN CHARGE as well. (Getting rich is not unattainable if you have a plan.) You'd be amazed at how many musicians just want to show up, get paid, and go home. If you can be the one to provide that service, the rest is yours to pocket. This is what I'd do if I wanted to make some serious money and play steel guitar while I'm doing it. I just live in a small city, but Houston? Isn't that a major convention city? If I moved there, the first place I'd look for work was on the convention curcuit. We all get sick of the bars eventually - and the crap money they produce.

Our band plays conventions and such, but as a 6-way equal parternship. And we do well enough. But if I was solely concentrating on really pulling 'er in, I'd start an entertainment company in a large center and provide the exact service I described above. But I enjoy the scaled-down small-city life too much.

Let me know how it goes.....

[This message was edited by Chris LeDrew on 24 August 2006 at 01:50 PM.]

Bill Hatcher · Post by **Bill Hatcher** » 24 Aug 2006 12:50 pm

Money is the lesser of the rewards of the hard work you put into music.

Gene Jones · Post by **Gene Jones** » 24 Aug 2006 1:01 pm

How do I get rich playing steel guitar?

You don't, unless your name is on the bus....and probably not even then!

Bill McCloskey · Post by **Bill McCloskey** » 24 Aug 2006 1:12 pm

Chris LeDrew is quite right. Certainly you can make money, but it will depend more on your MARKETING and BUSINESS chops than musical ones. Look at most band leaders: they are rarely the virtuosos. But they are the band leaders. I would take Asleep at the Wheel as a model, althought I doubt those guys are rich.

You can get rich as a song writer...maybe. You can make a decent living doing what Chris says. BUT...most of your time will be spent in marketing, sales, and business. Little in playing. the truth is, the band leader doesn't often have the time to practice the way the sidemen do.

Chris LeDrew · Post by **Chris LeDrew** » 24 Aug 2006 1:45 pm

Good points, Bill. There is, of course, a lot of non-musical sweat behind my scenario. But most rich, successful musicians have had to do a lot more than strum their guitar in order to make things happen. Most high-profile musicians I've met have been shrewd businessmen and made no bones about it. They talk about the stock market and check their laptops.

We sometimes complain that the band or solo artist riding the top of the charts is no good, or has no talent. They may not be as good as one of us, but were willing to do the grunt work needed to make it happen.

Mat Rhodes · Post by **Mat Rhodes** » 24 Aug 2006 1:45 pm

Bill, that sounds great in theory. I'm just trying to imagine what the other "greater" rewards are.

Camaraderie? Like most gig money, it's fleeting and only comes in spurts.

Discovery and Learning? I'll admit that one was a strong attraction during my first 10 years of practicing. It still doesn't pay bills.

Women? Never helped me in that arena. Besides, I have a wife and don't plan on divorcing soon.

Enrichment? Yes. But I get less of that the longer and deeper I get into it.

I'm sure there are others, I just can't think of them right now. Knowing what comparatively little I know now, I'll still take money over the ones I've listed.

Jody Cameron · Post by **Jody Cameron** » 24 Aug 2006 1:46 pm

This sorely needs to be moved to the "humor" section.

Chris LeDrew · Post by **Chris LeDrew** » 24 Aug 2006 1:47 pm

I forgot one thing:

A positive attitude.

Lee Baucum · Post by **Lee Baucum** » 24 Aug 2006 2:07 pm

The only musicians I know, who make good money in the music field, are the "schooled" musicians. Those who took the time to go to college and get a degree (or degrees) in music. Decent money can be made in the teaching field, be it in schools (particularly at the college level) or giving private lessons. Combining a teaching career with playing in a band (or solo) can provide a good living.

Cliff Kane · Post by **Cliff Kane** » 24 Aug 2006 2:19 pm

Here's an idea: as mentioned above, teach lessons. Most players I know get an income from teaching. At least it suppliments their unreliable income from sessions and gigs.

Here's a half-serious idea: Install two turntables in your steel. You'll be the first kid on your block to have a D-T: that's a double-table steel guitar. You don't need two tunings becuase you'll have two tunes ready to go. Then you can get work as a DJ and you'll have more work than you can shake a MIDI cable at.

In a former life I worked for many years as a house assistant engineer for a pretty good studio in L.A. More than once I saw hot and sucessful engineers come in looking for work as assistant engineers because they couldn't find freelance work anymore.....they were no longer the flavor-of-the-month, and these guys were very good at what they did, and had had runs of hit records. they made it, but the ride was not very long. It's a hard and fickle business.

[This message was edited by Cliff Kane on 24 August 2006 at 03:22 PM.]

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 24 Aug 2006 2:33 pm

... or you could just throw your D-10 through the bank window, as indicated above...

Charlie McDonald · Post by **Charlie McDonald** » 24 Aug 2006 2:35 pm

The time I've wasted playing music is the best time I've ever killed.

Rick Collins · Post by **Rick Collins** » 24 Aug 2006 2:37 pm

I want money, lots of it, and I want it fast...

Counterfeiting government checks might work. It's easier than trying to counterfeit the new currency; and you can make them out for any amount.

Plus someone is more likely to cash it than a personal check.

David Mason · Post by **David Mason** » 24 Aug 2006 3:30 pm

Barbara Mandrell was a steel player who started singing, as did Wayne Newton. Or, marry the singer like Reba McEntire's hubby did.

(After all, think of what he'd been staring at all that time; bound to be able to think up a few icebreakers, there

). [This message was edited by David Mason on 24 August 2006 at 04:33 PM.]