ON BASS
STEVE COOK
Five Rules of Touring Bass Players
Time and again I am asked the secrets of You have to be on a plane tomorrow night
maintaining a career in music. I wish I had for a show and your gear is going to be
all the answers, because then maybe I’d be backlined. Do you have a pedalboard or a
retired by now, gently strumming a ukulele separate “fly rack” ready to duplicate your
on an island, surrounded by fruity cocktails sounds? You’d better. Do you have extra
and a tropical sunrise. As musicians, however, “stuff?” I’ve broken two strings in my 24
we don’t do this for the money (OK, maybe years of playing, but I’m not getting caught
for a little money). More than anything, we without extras. Do you have batteries,
tour and play and learn and grow for the love cables, an extra strap? The techs will take
of music. The genre of music doesn’t mat- care of you once you get to that point, but
ter. It’s the notes that call us back, even after until then, be ready for just about anything.
years away from our instruments, and take us
to places that we never dreamed possible.
stuff. Within a couple of weeks, I was down
to a tuner. Make it easy on yourself. Let your
sick, fat, fantastic tone ring out. No need
to ruin it with a dozen pedals running at
once. And third: less is more when it comes
to your luggage. You have two shows this
week? One pair of jeans, one stage shirt,
and one other change of clothes. Done.
But how on earth can we make a living
doing this? Well, there are some guidelines
that I have stumbled upon that may be able
to help. I’ve been up one side of the mountain and down the other. I’ve traveled to the
gig by station wagon, tour bus and every
mode in between. I have sought words of
wisdom from the most successful of artists,
to kids playing their first gig. Below is a list,
in no particular order, of things to keep in
mind when you’re trying to get a gig, enjoy
a gig, and most importantly, keep a gig.
They may vary slightly from situation to situation, and the names have been changed to
protect the guilty (me).
Rule 4: Have fun. This one is most important. We’re on the road, playing music for a
semi-living, and seeing parts of the country
we would never see otherwise. Translated:
we’re broken down, out of money, and
hitchhiking to the gig at the Neshoba
County Fair. So what? It beats digging a
hole in the ground. You’re doing something
that most people only dream of. There is
going to be a day you can’t get onstage
anymore, and you’ll no longer hear the
applause. Soak it all in, and enjoy everything you can on the road. I’m not talking
about the usual rock and roll stories. Find
what’s unique about where you are and see
it. Find a pawn shop and get that ‘ 61 Strat
back. Make great music, and get great
tone. Life is too short to do otherwise.
Rule 5: No #2 on the bus. Alright, this one is
the most important rules of the road.
Rule 1: Shut up. This sounds harsh, but
remember the old adage “speak when
spoken to?” It holds up very well in our
business. Listening is more important than
speaking, especially in a new gig. Let the
artist open up to you; then you can open
up to him or her. If you tell them straightaway that you got fired from this band or
that band, you may get “let go” from this
one, too. Listen to the label people, listen
to the fans, and listen to your peers. They
will offer you endless insight into your situation, and you can be aware of exactly what
you have gotten yourself into.
More than any-
thing, we tour and
play and learn and
grow for the love of
music. The genre of
music doesn’t mat-
ter. It’s the notes
that call us back…
Rule 2: Be prepared. The Boy Scouts had
it all together, didn’t they? You really need
to be ready for anything, in all aspects of
your gig. Don’t just know the songs in one
key. The artist may go a half step down right
before you start the song. You better be
ready. Your gear must be in order as well.
Rule 3: Less is more. This applies to so
many facets of our touring and musical life,
but I’ll help you with just three. First, the
music: as a bass player, less is more. Space
and silence are your friends. Use them, and
use them well. Second, your rig: let those
pesky guitar players monkey with all the
pedals and rack effects. Choose a few really
great sounds and run with them. I appreciate the tones and sounds and shimmers you
can get with the outboard gear. I do it at
home all the time. I showed up to my first
country gig with a pedalboard’s worth of
Your journey as a professional musician is a
never-ending tutorial. Even the most seasoned pro hits the speed bumps and needs
a refresher. These rules are not carved in
tolex and staring you in the fretboard every
time you play, either. These are simple
guidelines of common sense, exercises in
humility, and challenges of greatness that
await you every time you play. What you do
with them is your business, but don’t get on
my bus if you haven’t read #5.
Steve Cook
Steve has performed and recorded with a diverse range
of artists, from Edwin McCain to Randy Brecker to Course
of Nature. Steve is also an alumnus of Woodstock ‘ 99,
performing with his band King Konga. His current projects
include extensive touring and video production with Bucky
Covington (Lyric Street) and writing a popular weekly tour
journal on his website: shinybass.com.
