Essentials for gigging musicians

Are you gig ready? Here are essentials for gigging musicians like you. From business cards to gear, our list helps you make a lasting impression.

Business card

You’ll never know who you’ll end up meeting on a night of a gig, which is why it’s so important to have an easy and tangible way to hand out your contacts. When you give out a card, it adds a personal warmth while reminding potential clients of the formality.

Make sure to create business cards beforehand!

All digital

Another option is to have a social page, whether that’s on Facebook or Instagram. Not only can you feature your work, but you can also have all your necessary contact details on there!

Booking arrangement

It’s important to have the booking arrangement cemented and all the details in writing before your gig. Try to avoid miscommunication or disputes, as most clients come from word of mouth. Maintain integrity in your work every step of the way.

Make sure that you and your client agree on how long the performance is, what gear they can provide, and clarify billable hours like transportation. We advise at least a 50% non-refundable deposit for your session. Once everything is agreed, have it on a contract or invoice.

Contract details

• Detailed contact information from both parties
• Gig details (time, schedule, number of sets, etc.)
• Payment details (include currency, deposit due date, payment methods)
• Cancellation policy
• Sound/Stage/Lighting needs (often attached as a technical rider/stage plot)
• Other requirements

Other gear

Tuner

In a perfect world, you would have perfect pitch, but we all know that’s not the case. Make sure to bring a reliable tuner — it’s definitely one of the essentials for gigging musicians. There's no excuse for an instrument being out of tune!

dB Meter

As musicians, we tend to crank up the volume to feel completely immersed in our music. However, it can reach levels that are harmful to our audience. Usually, bars or stages have a massive dB meter already; if they don’t, you can easily download a dB Meter app.

Oh dear, … I forgot my gear!

When you’re anxious about a performance, your mind can go haywire. You might forget things and leave behind essentials like a tuner or even a set of guitar picks.

If you tend to forget the little things, consider having all your tools in one device. The Soundbrenner Core 2 has everything you need, including a tuner, dB meter, and the best feature of all: a vibrating metronome. Instead of hearing a normal click to keep you on beat, it sends pulses and vibrations to your arm.

To find out more, check out the Soundbrenner Core 2.

Music sheet or your digital sheet

In a perfect world, you’d have your music and set list memorized. However, there’s no shame in turning to music sheets for guidance; we all do it!

Luckily, there are digital music sheets and several platforms to choose from. You can find and store thousands of song charts, readily displayed on your iPad.

The most popular apps are Musicnotes, ForScore, and OnSong.

Bluetooth page turner

Are you looking for a foot pedal or a page turner? Our friends at Coda Music Technology created the sturdiest foot pedal/page turner in the world — called Stomp.

This guitar pedal lets you scroll through your digital music sheet, start/stop your metronome, or even trigger backing tracks.

Want to learn more about this performance solution? Check out Stomp.

…other things.

There are items that may not be necessary but can prove useful when something unexpected happens. Consider carrying screwdrivers, extra guitar strings, battery chargers, or even a digital “tip jar.” The list goes on.

Black tape, duct tape, or electrical tape can fix anything and everything on stage.