GUNS N' ROSES Guitarist BUMBLEFOOT On How To Make It In Music Business - Dec. 15, 2010

[justmike66]

Peter Hodgson of Gibson.com recently conducted an interview with GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

On how to make a career out of music:

Thal: "You have to be able to multitask and be multi-faceted. If you're just going to be a guitar player that plays in a band, your options are going to be very limited. If you're going to play in a band, you should also be able to teach what you know. If you record yourself, then record other people as well and get into the studio thing. If you're taking care of a lot of the business for your band, maybe start doing it for other bands as well and get into that side of things.

"You need to have as many avenues as you can at once, because while one thing is going slow, another thing is going better, and you put it all together and you can pay your bills. Everything you do lends some assistance or makes you better at everything else.”

On how session work today is much different to the glory days of the '70s and '80s:

Thal: "I could be wrong but I think reading music is less important now and it's more about the ears. If it's a jazz thing they will give you a chart, but if it's a rock thing they'll just show you on the spot: 'Alright, just go E to A and back to E.' And as far as session playing, you have to be able to lock into a groove and have great timing. You have to have a good memory and be able to recall arrangements, or jot down your own little chart of weird hieroglyphics that only you understand, or you have to be able to read other peoples' hieroglyphics."

On a simple set of rules for making yourself employable:

Thal: "Number one, which will be funny coming from a guitarist in GUNS N' ROSES, is don't be late! That was always my cardinal rule for everything. In order to be on time you need to be early, then wait in your car for 15 minutes and walk in two minutes before whatever time you're supposed to be there.

"Two: be someone that people want to work with, want to be in a room with and spend 10 hours with. Be relaxed, be calm, don't cause the stressful vibe, just be cool and keep your intensity knob down a bit and just roll with things.

"Three: be overly prepared. If you just need to know the guitar part, make sure you know the other guitar part, too, and the vocals, and the bass, and the drum rhythm and where the accents are. Really know the song inside and out. Know more than you need to know, and be so prepared that you can bring more than is asked of you, if asked. Those three things matter the most: be on time, be cool, and be prepared. And that's for anything."

Read the entire interview from Gibson.com.

http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=150917

[moreblack]

he's not wrong

[star]

what a dull interview

[Nintari]

I'd say the most important thing is being able to write a good song.

[The Glow Inc.]

The title is "how to make it in music business"...Not "how to make it BIG in music business".

Because making it big is way more complicated.

[moreblack]

I'd say the most important thing is being able to write a good song.

yeah, but if you can't navigate thru all the shady passages of the business, you and your good song will forever stay in obscurity.

[bax]

I'd say the most important thing is being able to write a good song.

yeah, but if you can't navigate thru all the shady passages of the business, you and your good song will forever stay in obscurity.

It's really a myth that talent leads to success. Most of the really talented musicians I know do not want to deal with the idea of art being commerce. I practically guarantee the greatest band ever ended up playing in obscurity because they refused to conform.

[Nintari]

I'd say the most important thing is being able to write a good song.

yeah, but if you can't navigate thru all the shady passages of the business, you and your good song will forever stay in obscurity.

False. Those shady people want to make money. Nothing makes money better in the music business then good music. Even if you aren't going to be the artist that performs and/or records the music, good song writers are ALWAYS going to have a job in the business.

[Bumble's Bridge Pickup]

Good read.

[The Glow Inc.]

Nothing makes money better in the music business then good music.

Then how come I haven't heard a good rock band in years ?

[moreblack]

I'd say the most important thing is being able to write a good song.

yeah, but if you can't navigate thru all the shady passages of the business, you and your good song will forever stay in obscurity.

False. Those shady people want to make money. Nothing makes money better in the music business then good music. Even if you aren't going to be the artist that performs and/or records the music, good song writers are ALWAYS going to have a job in the business.

But you still have to navigate your way to them, and pray they don't rip you off your publishing, and pay you a fair amount. Believe it or not, not everyone in the music business is honest and has your best interest at heart.

[appetite for illusions]

I'd say the most important thing is being able to write a good song.

yeah, but if you can't navigate thru all the shady passages of the business, you and your good song will forever stay in obscurity.

False. Those shady people want to make money. Nothing makes money better in the music business then good music. Even if you aren't going to be the artist that performs and/or records the music, good song writers are ALWAYS going to have a job in the business.

But you still have to navigate your way to them, and pray they don't rip you off your publishing, and pay you a fair amount. Believe it or not, not everyone in the music business is honest and has your best interest at heart.

Moreblack knows what he's talking about, love hearing interviews like this

[Nintari]

I'd say the most important thing is being able to write a good song.

yeah, but if you can't navigate thru all the shady passages of the business, you and your good song will forever stay in obscurity.

False. Those shady people want to make money. Nothing makes money better in the music business then good music. Even if you aren't going to be the artist that performs and/or records the music, good song writers are ALWAYS going to have a job in the business.

But you still have to navigate your way to them, and pray they don't rip you off your publishing, and pay you a fair amount. Believe it or not, not everyone in the music business is honest and has your best interest at heart.

Right...but what does that have to do with what I originally said? All the social skills and luck in the world won't give you the ability to compose good music.

Then how come I haven't heard a good rock band in years ?

What I meant by "good" was music that the public wants to buy. In other words, being able to write music that 10 million people like, is pretty damn important.

Edited December 15, 2010 by Nintari

[moreblack]

but all the songwriting skills in the world won't mean squat if you can't market/network it properly

[The Glow Inc.]

And good marketing skills can move quite a few copies of a shit song that required approximately 0 songwriting skills.

Actually, I'd say that quite a few songs become popular because of their production more than actual songwriting...

roshinaiejohnson

il y a 2 mois 67 This is one of the best songs to come out this year.

roshinaiejohnson il y a 2 mois 67 SoCoolMUSIC

il y a 2 mois 49 She did the beat justice and murdered it TBH She is better than Rihanna, and this song is better than all of justin biebers combined!

[dalsh327]

Fame and success in music is a crap shoot. When MTV started out, it was by pure dumb luck that British bands like Duran Duran were able to make it big in America. Prince might have been nothing more than a Rick James clone, and Madonna would've had a short run of dance hits and that would've been it.

I think the Bill Withers and Kate Bush types in the world, where they have had the luxury of making a living without having to touring, and in Withers' case, his publishing pays the bills, is the best place to be for someone who considers themselves an artist. They get to choose not to tour, which in a download age, is rare.

[The Glow Inc.]

Remember : AFD originally flopped before becoming the biggest selling debut album of all time...

It's not JUST talent unfortunately.

[STARABOSTES]

nice interview,

and this rocker - Ron Bumbelfoot Thal - knows his!

so, yeah... nice intake.

[Nintari]

but all the songwriting skills in the world won't mean squat if you can't market/network it properly

I disagree.

[moreblack]

Remember : AFD originally flopped before becoming the biggest selling debut album of all time...

It's not JUST talent unfortunately.

exactly

[Cdlove]

Remember : AFD originally flopped before becoming the biggest selling debut album of all time...

It's not JUST talent unfortunately.

exactly

It really didnt flop, it just popped.

[Graeme]

but all the songwriting skills in the world won't mean squat if you can't market/network it properly

I disagree.

How can you possibly say that the most skilled songwriters are the ones who sell the most records? Have you heard some of the stuff that's made its way to the top of the charts. Let's take for example a single which was huge back while I was at secondary school. Call On Me by Eric Prydz, what did he do there? He took the chorus to Valerie by Steve Winwood, looped it continually over a generic dance beat... and it sold shitloads. How can you possibly say it was his songwriting skill got him the success??

Music's not a democracy... it's not the majority rules, some of the best songs in the world will never receive airplay. Cause at the end of the day, what's good's all relative to the individual. The only real yardstick that a musician can use is how good a player they are, like... you either can play accurate sixteenth notes at 240 beats per minute or you can't, and that should be your achievement, all about personal betterment. Whether or not people like the sound is outwith your control.

[Nintari]

How can you possibly say that the most skilled songwriters are the ones who sell the most records?

That's not what I said. I said that having the ability to write something 10 million people want to hear, is probably the most important ability to have.

[TeeJay410]

How can you possibly say that the most skilled songwriters are the ones who sell the most records?

That's not what I said. I said that having the ability to write something 10 million people want to hear, is probably the most important ability to have.

I think the point is that it's a lot easier to take the effort to market a mediocre song than the effort to write a good one which you will have to market as well.

Ease=Efficiency=Money

To have the talent to write a "good" song in the music industry certainly helps, but it isn't necessary.

[Nintari]

How can you possibly say that the most skilled songwriters are the ones who sell the most records?

That's not what I said. I said that having the ability to write something 10 million people want to hear, is probably the most important ability to have.

I think the point is that it's a lot easier to take the effort to market a mediocre song than the effort to write a good one which you will have to market as well.

Ease=Efficiency=Money

To have the talent to write a "good" song in the music industry certainly helps, but it isn't necessary.

Isn't necessary? What's more important? Even people like Bieber and shit have to have song writers, writing music that people will want to hear him sign/perform. Without desirable music, there wouldn't BE a music industry because no one would want to listen to it.

In any business, the most important aspect is figuring out what your customer wants, then providing it to them.