Jack of all trades..

[Rick Detroit]

I'm perched up at a local late-night blues jam a couple of weeks ago attempting to scrounge up some work for the bleak periods known as January through May. I'm sitting behind my XB-2 hammond clone (my up-and-coming double) with my leslie 145 directly behind me. It's screamin', baby. I'm having a good night. My tenor is in check and my hammond work is relatively convincing (for a sax player). I'm totally rounding out the guitar/bass/drum trio that I'm playing with.

The leader of a different local blues trio comes up to me after my short set and introduces himself to me. He is the leader of a group that bears his own name and he's interested in making his trio into a quartet. He smiles and states I'm probably the perfect guy since I play both sax and hammond. I mentioned I also lay in a nice harmony vocal once in awhile. He say's he's going to call me. That works for me--I need the work in the new year.

I receive an email from this cat this morning stating that he's looking for what he calls a "utility" guy. He wants someone to play sax, keys, sing lead and back-up, and also play guitar.

Guitar?

This is where I stopped reading and blinked my eyes a few times. This guy really has the audacity to ask me to play guitar, as well? Should I stand on my head while I play all three at the same time? Maybe juggle, too? Ooh, ooh, let me in your band!

See, when someone asks you to play another instrument as well as your primary, that also includes A) putting in the time to develop the appropriate "utility" chops B) purchasing the new set of gear (if required) and C) hauling that gear to rehearsals/jobs--and all this work for probably the same amount as the groups bass player or drummer. He made sure to specifically state he's looking for a "sideman" that is totally "committed". A.k.a: Someone who won't talk on the mic (I love interacting with the audience) and won't be making as much bread as the leader. That's fine. I understand how that goes. But not if I'm hauling/maintaining/practicing three sets of gear.

Maybe I'm totally in the wrong (and I often are), but I replied to this cat and told him that I'm probably not the guy from him. I'm a solid saxophonist with above average keys. If I added simple guitar to this routine it'd be below-average for a long time as I don't have time to get proficient right now. Anyone who sees me would see me as the "jack of all trades", and I personally can't stand seeing some of the guys that pretend to be proficiently tripling when they're totally lame, like I'd be on guitar. No offense to those of you that ARE competent, of course, I know you're out there. I've seen you. See, I'm already called "jack" for once in awhile bringing my organ out to a gig (on bandleader request of course), and I don't like that name.

Should I take offense to this guy? I got a little steamed. The tone of his email made me think I wasn't good enough to be his guy unless I added in guitar. "Oh, you only sing, play sax and double organ? You're not good enough for us." Blah! Why don't you pick up sax and organ, Mr. Guitar player? Grrr..

Also, is this really what it's coming to for a competent horn player such as myself to get winter work? To play good saxophone but also have to proficiently triple on three totally separate instruments? We're not talking flute and clarinet here. We're talking three separate roles. Was I right in drawing the line? Am I sticking up for all sax-kind or am I stupid for not taking the gig(s)?

Blah, blah.. beh.

Sorry, I had to vent, and I knew you'd understand.

-Rick, Detroit

"Don't let the b*stards grind you down, don't let 'em grind you down!" - The Toasters

[Hurling Frootmig]

I think you did the right thing. I've always had great respect for multi-instrumentalists but I'm not one. I have dabbled with guitar and keyboards when I felt limited by sax but eventually I overcame that and now just play the horn.

[MojoBari]

Weird. You went from the "perfect guy" to a "utility man". I would not burn any bridges, but you dont have to cross the rickety ones either.

[Rick Detroit]

Yeah, I thought it was a little funny, too.

Thanks, I feel better now. :)

[Carl H.]

Stick to only performing on what you feel comfortable with, but talk to this guy directly. Emails are not a natural form of communication for many of us, and we come off diferently than we would in person.
If the demand is there and you have the time in those slow months, look into getting hold of a guitar and see if it may be a possibility for the future. I know where you are coming from with the multi-instrumental thing. In the past year I have been a percussionist (vibes,bells,marimba,chimes,snare,toms,set,timpani ) a reed guy (sop,alto,tenor sax, Bb,A,Bass,contrabass clarinet) a string guy (violin,viola,cello,bass but no guitar) in various professional venues ranging from duo's up through symphony orchestra's ,private lessons to university instructor and almost everything in between. With all this work I find myself struggling to find time to practice for much more than the next gig. I have many years and dollars invested in being a professional musician and know how difficult it gets keeping up with everything, but I wouldn't have it any other way.
Sorry for rambling, I meant to just say talk to the guy in person and find out what they want/need from you directly. With enough motivation $$$ you may become a fine guitarist.

[garyinla]

I dont think you should have turned down this offer so fast.

As i have said on sotw, i have been spending a lot of times playing sax at blues jams around town where i am, and done some gigs with some of these players, where i am on sax.

I dont play guitar yet.

I have seen first hand and talked to many people, who make it clear that a sax player is an OPTIONAL addition to a working blues or rock band. A sax player generally is only added if the band gets paid enough to afford it, and they think a sax player adds something beneficial to the band.

First comes bass, drums, guitar, possibly 2nd guitar. Hopefully one of these players can sing otherwise they have to hire a vocalist too. After all those people then it is a choice between a keyboardist and a sax player. I have heard a couple of sax players i know talk about how they think they can market themselves as "indispensible" to these bands if they can play both sax and keyboard.

Being able to play guitar too would only serve to make the sax player even more "indispensible" and make you more marketable and flexible to the band.

Also, i dont know about you, but having spent so much time with these guitarists, hearing the differences in how they play, becoming friendly with some of them, hearing them talk about their equipment (like vintage Les Pauls and Stratocaster, and low serial number Mesa Boogie amps etc.) and having an interest in learning more about chords and in composition, has got me kind of curious and interested to try out playing guitar too.

A few months ago a jazz drummer was considering hiring me for gigs and asked "how is my guitar playing?" I looked at him like he was crazy that he would even think I would or should also play guitar in addition to sax (and some keyboard playing) but now I myself have an interest in playing guitar, for my own enjoyment and learning and curiosity.

Just last night i was on the phone with an older musician friend of mine who plays various instruments. He says in his opinion, my interest in guitar is not just an expansion of GAS, it is a worthwhile interest for learning and diversity, etc. He says many rock and blues guitarist are far from proficient players, they dont know all the chords, they have to play in E or other easy keys, and or use capos, cant read music, etc. He assures me that playing guitar is not difficult, especially blues guitar, and especially if i was just lookign to be mostly a rhythm guitarist at least at first.

So if you decide you have an interest in guitar, you can probably get up to speed as low-level blues rhythm guitarist within a short time, you might enjoy it and it might make you more marketable for gigs.

As to the cost of the eqpt. I have been learning about guitars. You can get a good, inexpensive Stratocaster type guitar, new from Carvin for about $500 with a case.
Check out carvin.com. THese are US made and are good quality. You can get an inexpensive amp from them too, new for about $300-400. So for under $1K you can get set up.

If you dont have or dont want to spend the money you can just get the guitar and practice it through headphones for awhile, through a headphone amp, or get a cheap 15 watt guitar amp like many beginning guitarists do.

Most guitarists I know seem to have more than 1 amp, they may collect amps or have backups. So if you get a gig and they want you to double on guitar, you can ask if they have an extra amp you can plug into for the gig.

Every pawn shop i have been in has used amps for sale, but the prices generally arent good.

Often some venues have house amps that are available to borrow, also. Carvin has an sx100 solid state amp that is about $279 that is actually ok.

Once you learn guitar you will be all set to play bass also, it is only 4 or 5 strings instead of six and generally you only play 1 note at a time.

[Frank D]

After spending many years on the blues scene, I've learned not to be surprised by anything that I'm asked to do, and take it all with a grain of salt. After all, where else can a person with a novelty instrument (harmonica) consider himself to be a peer with musicians who have studied years to acquire sufficient skills to be let onstage, let alone try to criticize/correct their playing?

Go with the flow, talk to the guy, see if you can "just start playing some gigs while you look for a guitar" (flimsy blues excuse). Maybe you'll never need to get one.

OTOH, it's not that hard to pick up, and there's plenty of reasonably priced equipment around. It's not like he asked you to learn bagpipes.

[MojoBari]

I guess you only need to know 3 chords...

[Keith Ridenhour]

Rick, I'll take the other side here. You put your time in getting sax chops up, took the extra time to do keys. I'd politely say no. (If I was a working pro, that is . Otherwise I'd be alot more eloquent in what he could stick where.) I think the trick (if there is one) is to find a working band that you really like and somehow get into the mix. (Without having to wash the bands van and fix the toilets of all the various members.) Vocals, sax, and keys should get you lots of work even in slow times. If not I'd work harder on the keys and try to do duo's or trio work in smaller venues. You've gone the extra mile already. My 2 cents. K

[Keith Ridenhour]

Let me put in another thought. I think over half of this business is marketing. If you can run your own show and get bookings you will be soooooo much ahead of the kind of crap you have to put up with for sidework. (Like you discribed) Not to mention the money. Good luck and hang in there. K

[Jazzed]

If you already play keys and sax, getting up to speed on guitar should be relatively easy. I can understand the reluctance to move more equipment, however you might be able to use the same amplifier for keys and guitar.

[Subtone Sam]

Saxplayer who doubles on keys and sings parts is enough.Most saxplayers just double on other saxes,clarinet or flute.Singing backround vocals and some percussion is often needed and not too difficult.Asking for even more doubles is just ridiculous and if someone does that well,he should be paid double.Being good on doubles takes up a lot of time,personally I think that being good on ONE horn takes all your time.

[noelpaz]

Unless you play the guitar already -- DONT!!! Even though I play bass, guitar, sax and percussion proficiently -- I never bring more than 2 types in a live gig and if I play bass - I only bring the bass. Sax and hammond - that is already a lot. There are so many guitar players and hammond players are rare and if you are dexterous enough - you can play one - two person jazz or blues gigs and sound huge. I have a Hammond at home and I wished I know how to play this thing properly.

I was trained to play the upright bass and always played guitar as a kid. I am a late learner in the sax - only 3 lessons with an English guy and I really like to be better on it. Anyway the bass and guitar gigs are for straight ahead, blues, pop and rock and pay good money. Witht the sax it's more these cerebral gand new music gigs which my heart is really into but doesn'y pay as much

[saxlife]

If I had to do it all over again and knew what I know now, I would have become proficient with the guitar. If asked what is a good instrument to double with today I would advise young sax players to learn the guitar. There has been some discussion here on the popularity of the guitar over the sax. Being able to play Rock, Country, and even Jazz on the guitar, could help you line up some extra gigs. It would be a great help during the slow periods.

[JL]

Well this is a very biased opinion, but my observation is this: Guitarists are a dime a dozen, good sax players are rare. Keyboards are in demand. If you play sax and keys well, you shouldn't have any trouble getting work. This band leader is asking for the moon.

[Frank D]

saxlife, I think we're talking about doubles in the sense of playing more than one instrument on the same gig, as opposed to taking gigs as a sax player and other gigs as a guitar player.

[Rick Detroit]

Sorry it's been awhile since I've checked in--it's been a crazy week.

I don't know if I mentioned this in my previous post (and I'm too lazy to check), but I actually happen to play a little bit of guitar. My brother had a 15-watt and a squire laying around the house and he up-and-left for the Korean border, so I tooled with the guitar for about 6 months. Being versed in theory, it's pretty logical how it's laid out and it's really not that difficult. The hardest part for me is forming some of the barre chords and keeping my hand in shape for it but it's been awhile. I really wouldn't mind learning how to work the guitar sometime as I feel I'd have an edge over a good portion of the untrained players in town (no ego here, just know that I'd know what notes I'm playing as opposed to what shape), but I'm quite busy and don't really have the extra time right now.
As for gear, I've got the Squire (and would get a Les Paul if I had the money, I love those things for some reason), but I do have a Fender Twin Reverb that I keep in my truck for my Rhodes performances. Got the amp, baby. :)

Keith, I think I like your side of things. While one can never be too versatile, I don't have the heart or time to get guitar up to what I'd consider a proficient level at this time. The little time I do have should be spent pressing the horn (as I'll be auditioning for college the the age of 24 next year, woo!) and getting my hammond double up. Also Keith, I agree with the running-my-own show thing. I'm currently working with a fantastic young vocalist and I'm hoping to piece together a 4-5 piece rock/pop group to work the local scene. He's got an extraordinary voice and lyrics and I think it'll be great. I'd REALLY love my own blues project but I don't see too many sax players fronting/booking their own band around town unless they're also a convincing lead singer (which I'm not).

Jazzed, the amp I typically haul for my hammond is a Leslie 145. I'm a sucker. I could technically run the guitar into my insert on the XB-2 and play through the amp, but I don't know if many traditionalists would appreciate it. :)

Thank you Subtone.

Saxlife, if I had to do everything over, I'd become a classically trained vocalist and pianist (for the technique) and guitar third. Unfortunately, I think I'd skip the sax and hope I could land a full-time music career. Being a horn player doesn't seem to leave me much opportunity unless I'm proficient in other areas, too. God I hate having this pessimistic view but I've got very few reasons (gigs) to think otherwise right now.

JL, I agree.

As for an update, I guess the situation is basically void and null at this time. The band leader said he'd teach me what I needed to know and I still was a bit apprehensive towards the situation. I mentioned to him that I'm currently a full-time college student and probably will be for the next six years and he basically said he wasn't interested because of my time constraints. I guess that solves that dilemma, 'eh?

Guess I better get to work on my own projects. :)

Thanks for the responses,
-Rick, Detroit