Playing as a pro (Page 1 of 3)

Judging by your videos I think you have much more than just the basics of music/guitar playing down.  You are a good player but to "make it" in the music world may require you to make a lot of sacrifices.  My parents gave me the talk when I graduated high school.  I wanted to be a rock star but they told me to get my school completed and get financially settled first.  I'm glad I listened because I just turned 23 a few weeks ago and I'm closing on a brand new home, have some world class gear, and will not have to worry about cash if I play my cards right.  Now I have the means to support myself if my musical dreams to not come to fruition.  I hope to get something going musically, and ironically my first step is competing in the "King of the Blues" competition.  I think my ultimate dream would be to play some local gigs a couple days a week and then work, fish, drink beer, and enjoy life for the rest of my time...

Replace "fish" with "cars" and you got me 100%

I think yor all quite lucky to have a "talk". When I wanted to do music (even at high school level) I was told its a complete waste of time and I should concentrate on other things and that was the end of the subject.... that was when I was 14.. I ignored my parents and did music at high school (playing violin and singing) and enjoyed it alot.. I stayed on at school to do A level music. Anyhow that wasnt for me and I left school within the year...

I went from doing A levels (which in the UK is post 16 education) to working in engineering labouring on(without any qualification in engieering). I realise I had wasted some time and was at a dead end job on a low wage (although I had alot of fun) so I went to University and completed an IT Degree, now I'm working in a decent job with a decent wage to fund this awful spending habit that playing guitar brings...

It turns out that in the big scheme of things my parents were right (although probably went about it the wrong way) music  isnt something to put all your hopes into. I went from 16 until I was 21 before I picked up an instrument again. It took me until I was 23 to be confident enough to even play an open mic night. Now I've just turned 25 and gig 1-2 a week (which pays for my strings / gear) and its great fun.

John T-B (Weekend Warrior)

If you can put yourself in a position to 'have a go' without compromising your future, then go for it. We get one chance at life. I have nephew who is completely self taught, cannot read music but plays dam fine guitar. He has a circuit of pubs that pay him £125 a gig. He plays 3 nights a week, just acoustic. He loves and makes money. This is on top of his day job.
Above the money, he gets most satisfaction when a noisy pub goes silent as all attention turns to his playing. That is a wonderful thing to able to do.
To make serious living out if it is extremely hard work and expensive at first. Nobody will pay you anything until you can get the punters through the door.

After reading some of the responses on this topic I have a few more things I would like to add.  First being that if nobody risked it all and went for it we would not have had the wonderful music of guys like Hendrix, SRV, Zeppelin, Beck, EJ, Joe, Clapton, etc etc etc.   Those guys gave it their ALL and then some which is something you have to do to be successful in anything.  I think anyone has the potential to do it, just not everyone has the work ethic.  I can promise you that Joe did not get as good as he is playing an hour a day and then working a day job.  I wager, like many others, he use to play all day everyday for years to get his chops up.  That takes a lot of sacrifice, discipline, and stamina (your fingers will be like hamburger meat).  And most importantly, if you are going to try to do the music thing try and bring something totally unique to the table.  Nobody really wants to hear a clone.  Find that special unique style, tone, and energy then hone that like a missile.  This is what I have been working on for the last year or two.  I am trying to combine my influences in a totally unique way that makes people identify with MY playing.  Take care and we all wish you the best of luck man!

Stratpaulguy86 is totally right.  Eric clapton got kicked out of college because he wasn't finishing his home work and was too busy doing other things like playing in pubs.  Jimmy Page never even finished school when he went pro.  Sometime big risks pay off but what you also need to remember is all of these musicians have played over the years with people that at the time of their youth was just as talented as they were in the bands but you don't remember them because these big names ended up getting big after they left those bands.  Your best bet if your going to be a professional is go to something like GIT and finish your schooling in something music related.  You might never be a famous guitarist but you'll always have that degree in music to fall back on and you could be a music teacher in schools or maybe a guitar teacher.  So really its all a question of what do you consider to be a pro player?  If your doing this because you want to get famous quick then like many guitarist your in it for the wrong reasons.  Find out why your in it for it and what ever you do don't get caught up in drugs, because the list goes on forever on great players that have either died or had their life torn apart just because they become a junky.  Good luck and play hard! or die trying.

I think that's an unfair flattening of the personality, reducing a person to solely musical interest.

I was going to stay out of this because I kind of feel the same way ..but didn't want to discourage a young person from getting an education. But what the heck...

Most people who make it in the music business, do not have a fall back plan. All of their heart and soul and time and effort is focused on music. Playing music, writing songs, getting gigs, hanging and learning from other musicians, learning their instrument, and struggling. And still most of those doing this will not make it. Like Vai (and Joe) have said, It's not really a choice, it's a passion to play music and even if you make a very meager living at it, still happy to do it. Joe said from an early age, he didn't want a regular job, he was going to be a guitar player.

While some are going to school and putting all of the time and effort and hours into studying, people like Joe and Vai put all of those hours into playing guitar and playing live and getting better and better. Most people who put that much time and effort into graduating college, are not going to throw it all away on the dream of a music career.

That being said, you are not "most people". You are an individual who can do anything you choose to do, and only you know if you have the driving passion to make it in music. And you can, if you choose, get a degree, play music while in college, and hit the road after graduation. It's up to you...

One more thing, it's not how good a guitar player you are, because there's a million good guitarists out there. The ones who make it, are the ones who can write or perform songs that people are willing to pay for. It's a business like any other and relies solely on customers willing to buy the product...