When I Almost Quit…And Why I Didn’t
Table of contents
- Success starts with taking that first step, even if it feels like you're just fumbling in the dark.
- Sometimes the biggest opportunities come with the most unexpected challenges; it's how you rise from the chaos that defines your journey.
- Don't let one bad gig define your journey; sometimes, all it takes is a year of persistence to turn things around.
- Success comes from learning the fundamentals and applying them relentlessly; whether it's producing music or mastering an instrument, it's all about committing knowledge to memory and executing without hesitation.
- Mastering music is all about memorization and repetition; break it down into chunks, and you'll unlock your potential.
- Knowledge is power; the more you learn, the more you grow. Stick with it and keep pushing forward, even when it gets tough.
- Embrace the journey of constant learning; it fuels your passion and opens doors you never imagined.
- Keep learning and sharing your passion; every experience is a chance to grow and inspire others.
Success starts with taking that first step, even if it feels like you're just fumbling in the dark.
What's up, everyone? It's Sunday, and there's a lot going on. One of the things happening is that I’m going to tell you a story. Over the past few days, I’ve conducted a bunch of interviews. For instance, I had Dzel Zap in yesterday, which was really interesting. He’s a Van Halen expert and has sat with Eddie Van Halen many times. Dzel gave me the most amazing Van Halen tutorial you could imagine. I was sitting there, and he can play all that stuff; it was so fascinating to watch.
Currently, we are working on the Jerry Cantrell interview and several others. Additionally, I want to mention the sale for this week: the Foundations of Music bundle. This bundle includes my ear training course, the Bata ear training course, which features 80 video lessons, hundreds of interactive training modules that you can practice right in your browser, and a 27-page PDF booklet that accompanies it. It also includes my Beat Book Interactive—these are all video courses—with hundreds of audio examples. This is something I’ve worked on for about 30 years or so, and it contains dozens of video lectures to clarify all the music theory topics I’m teaching.
Moreover, there’s a 500-page textbook with instructions and examples that you can press on and listen along with, including guitar tabs and Guitar Pro files. I also have my Arpeggio Master Class included in this bundle. I don’t sell this bundle often; in fact, this is the last time I’m going to sell it for the year. It’s a great deal at $89, and once again, it helps you become a better musician.
Now, let me tell you a good story. Back in 1997, on February 7th, my band, Billionaire, did our first rehearsal. The singer, Mark, and I had written nine songs starting in the fall of 1996. We finished the nine songs, but they were terrible-sounding demos; I didn’t know what I was doing. Mark and I made some started on a four-track, while others went to a DA-88 digital eight-track. We had our first band practice with Walter and Darren—there were never any other members of the band. We got together in a rehearsal space, and they learned the nine songs.
A week later, my buddy Rich, who I had dinner with the other night, said, “Hey, this band canceled.” This is going to be a familiar refrain here. He asked if we could headline next week. This would have been our second gig, or maybe it was our first gig. We played with a band called Edna Swap, who had written the song Torn that was performed by Natalie Imbruglia. They were an indie rock band, but that song became a massive hit, even though they didn’t record it themselves.
So, we were headlining our first gig on a Saturday night, and we drew a lot of people because we knew tons of folks in town. The gig went great! A couple of weeks later, we started recording our record. It began with demos of five songs, one of which was a song called I Fell from Space. I made a video with the guys when I did the reunion video a few months ago; that was one of the five songs. We created a cassette called the Blue Demo. This was back when you used to send cassettes to record labels. I started sending this cassette out to some record label people that I knew because my roommate, Rich, who booked a place called The Point, got me a gig. Rich knew some A&R people, and I had already been signed to Polygram Publishing, so I knew people at various labels.
Sometimes the biggest opportunities come with the most unexpected challenges; it's how you rise from the chaos that defines your journey.
The town gig went great, so a couple of weeks later, we started recording our record. We had a record that began with demos of five songs, one of which was a song titled "I Fell from Space." I made a video with the guys for this song when I did the reunion video a few months ago. This was one of the five songs included in what we called the Blue demo.
At that time, we used to send cassettes to record labels, so I started sending this cassette out to some record label people that I knew. My roommate, Rich, who booked a place called The Point, got me a gig, and he knew some A&R people. I had already been signed to Polygram Publishing, and living in New York City allowed me to meet various people in the music industry, especially since I was playing at CBGBs and other venues. A&R people would often come out to shows, which made it easier to connect with them.
As I sent out the Blue tape, everyone I reached out to responded positively, saying, "This is amazing." They would ask if I had anything else or if we were playing any gigs. At that time, we had a couple of gigs lined up in Atlanta, but I told them to let us know if they wanted us to play anywhere.
Then, a guy named Mike Studo, who owned a club called Brownies, called me up in March of 1997. He had heard the Blue demo and was friends with my buddy Rich, who was a booking agent. Mike mentioned that they had a cancellation and asked if we wanted to come up and play in New York City. It was about 800 miles from Atlanta to New York City, which is roughly a 16-hour drive. I told the band, and they were all in favor of going. So, me, Mark, Darren, and Walter got ready and made the trip.
As we prepared for the gig, I started hearing from people that various A&R personnel were coming. My buddy Dave mentioned he was bringing his friend Jim, who was the head of A&R at Atlantic Records. I was excited to hear that so many A&R people were coming out to see us. I had a lawyer friend named Nick, and I told him about the gig at Brownies, mentioning that I heard a bunch of record labels were coming.
When we arrived at the venue, we found out they had a substitute sound guy for the gig, as the regular sound guy was not available. Back then, gigs were set up in a way where you would just throw your stuff on the side of the stage, and each band would set up without a sound check. We quickly set up our equipment, and by the time we were ready to play, there were indeed several record labels present. Dave approached me and said, "Every A&R person in town is here at this gig. No pressure."
We started the first song, but there were no vocal monitors, and the sound was terrible. The drums sounded off, and it turned out there was no mic on the snare. After the second song, the sound guy ran up and put a mic on the snare, but it was just a cascade of disasters from there. We struggled to get it together, and it was only our third gig.
After the show, my buddy Dave walked up to the stage, and I asked him how it went. He replied, "I've heard worse," which you can imagine was not the best feedback. I looked at my friend Nick, the lawyer, and he simply said, "Disaster." You can only imagine what the 16-hour drive back to Atlanta was like after that experience.
Upon returning to Atlanta, my birthday rolled around about a week later, and I called my brother John. I was turning this is 1987.
Don't let one bad gig define your journey; sometimes, all it takes is a year of persistence to turn things around.
It was a challenging time for us; we could not get it together during our third gig. After the performance, my buddy Dave walked off the stage, and I asked him how it went. He replied, "I've heard worse," which gives you an idea of how poorly it went. I then looked at my friend Nick, who was a lawyer, and he simply said, "disaster." You can imagine what the 16-hour drive back to Atlanta was like right after that show.
About a week later, my birthday rolled around, and I called my brother John. I was turning 35 in 1987 and shared with him about the disastrous gig. I expressed my doubts, saying, "I think I should just give it up. What do you think? Should I just quit?" John, who is four years younger than me, responded, "What are you talking about? This tape you made is great! You guys have only done a few gigs. You need to give it at least a year from today. You cannot quit right now. You've only been doing this for a few months. I think the band's great. Forget this gig, just go and make a record and do stuff."
Encouraged by his words, we started playing more gigs and, over the next year, finished our record titled The Good Night Sky. We released this indie record on my birthday the following year when I turned 36. At that time, we had several record labels interested in us again. The music business is so fickle; it didn't matter that we had a disastrous gig in front of ten labels. If one person shows interest, suddenly everyone else does too. We ended up receiving offers from various labels and signed with London Sire Records.
However, things took another turn when we made a disastrous record by re-recording our songs, which turned out to be horrible. We put the record out and toured with Meade for five weeks in the fall of 1999. Then, our lawyer called me one day and asked if I had seen the news. I replied that I hadn’t, and he informed me, "Universal bought out London Sire and a bunch of other labels." I asked what that meant, and he said, "That means you guys are dropped." I was shocked and asked, "What do you mean we're dropped?" He explained, "You're dropped. That's it. No more tour support. Where are you guys?" I told him we were in Baton Rouge, and he advised, "If you don't have any money, you need to come home."
I then woke up the guys and broke the news that we had been dropped. Interestingly, that's how I met Marty Friedman; we've been friends ever since because we played together every day of our tour back then. During this time, I was also teaching guitar lessons, managing 50 lessons a week. I had to find a way to make money, either by going back to teaching college or doing something else. My lawyer, Reed, suggested, "Why didn't you produce bands?" I was skeptical and said, "You can't make any money producing bands." He insisted, "Yeah, you can," which was crucial since we had spent five months making the disastrous record and then got dropped.
I didn't know anything about producing, but Reed had a band called Left Front Tire that needed a better demo. So, I called them up to discuss the possibility.
Success comes from learning the fundamentals and applying them relentlessly; whether it's producing music or mastering an instrument, it's all about committing knowledge to memory and executing without hesitation.
During the week, I found myself at a crossroads. I had to make a decision: either go back and get a teaching job teaching college or pursue something different. That’s when my lawyer, Reed, suggested, “Why didn’t you produce bands?” Initially, I was skeptical and replied, “You can’t make any money producing bands.” However, Reed assured me, “Yeah, you can,” and I realized I needed to make money after spending five months on a disastrous record that ultimately led to us getting dropped.
At that time, I had no knowledge about producing, but Reed had a band called Left Front Tire that needed a better demo. I reached out to the band, and after discussing the opportunity, they agreed to pay me around $100 to $150 per song. I went into the studio with my friend Billy Hume, and we started recording. One of the songs from that first recording ended up on the American P2 soundtrack, which sold around two million records. This marked my first foray into production.
Although I didn’t know much about producing, I was familiar with recording, having recorded various projects with Billionaire. I likened the learning process to learning music theory. It’s similar to mastering the notes on your low E string, the piano, or the saxophone. You have to learn the material and retain it. I was discussing this with my son, Dylan, who was trying to figure out the best way to learn the notes on the guitar strings. I emphasized the importance of knowing the notes instantly, without hesitation. For example, if I asked him about the 10th fret of the A string (which is G), or the 6th fret of the E string (B flat), he should be able to respond immediately.
Learning about recording engineering follows the same principle. You have an instrument, a microphone, and the microphone connects to a microphone preamp. This may include an equalizer, and then you might patch it through to a compressor before it goes into Pro Tools. This entire process is known as your signal chain. My friend Donald taught me about this one night at a place called The Brickstore Pub. He recorded and mixed our record, and when I asked him to teach me about signal flow, he agreed to bring down a paper so we could learn together. I bought him dinner, and he explained everything in simple terms, which made it easy for me to grasp.
As he was explaining, I realized that learning this was akin to mastering the circle of fifths. It’s just information that needs to be committed to memory. I asked Donald how to mic a drum set, and he explained that the microphones used for bass drums to capture bass frequencies are the same ones used for bass guitars and even a Hammond organ. He mentioned specific mics like the Shure Beta 52 and the Neumann FET 47, among others.
For snare mics, he recommended the SM57 or an SM57 with the AKG 451. Overheads can be either small diaphragm condensers or large diaphragm condensers, depending on what’s available. He emphasized the importance of knowing how high to place them, ensuring they are at the same height. As Donald shared this information, I diligently wrote it down, realizing it was just like memorizing the circle of fifths: C, G, D, A, E, B, F, D flat, A flat, E flat, B flat, F, C. I can visualize this, and that’s why when I teach, I strive to convey information in a way that is easy to understand and remember.
Mastering music is all about memorization and repetition; break it down into chunks, and you'll unlock your potential.
In the world of music production, there are tons of mics available, such as bass drum mics like the AKG D12, AKG D2, and D30. Additionally, there are snare mics, such as the SM57 or an SM57 paired with the AKG 451. When it comes to overheads, they are usually either small diaphragm condensers or large diaphragm condensers, depending on what you have available. It’s important to know how high they are placed, but ideally, you should position them at the same height.
Recently, I learned some valuable information from Donald, which I quickly wrote down. He explained concepts that I can visualize, such as the circle of fifths: C, G, D, A, E, B, F, D flat, A flat, E flat, B flat, F, and C. This visualization aids in teaching, especially when I use my whiteboard or my beat book. Speaking of which, you can purchase my Foundations of Music bundle for $89, which includes this information in the beat book and my ear training program. It’s essential to not only understand these concepts but also to be able to hear and recognize them by ear.
In each of these keys, there are seven chords: one is Major, two is minor, three is minor, four is Major, five is Major, six is minor, and seven is diminished. I learned this when I was 16 years old during my first guitar lesson with Tom Rizzo, and I’ve never forgotten it. This illustrates the importance of memorization in music, just like understanding signal flow and knowing which microphones to use on guitars, drum sets, guitar amps, and bass amps. It may seem overwhelming, but it’s manageable if you start taking notes or use my ear training program, which begins with recognizing intervals.
You start with seconds, minor seconds, and major seconds, learning to hear them both melodically (played separately) and harmonically (played together). The skills needed to record are similar to learning anything else. For example, if I wanted to learn Pi (3.1415), I would break it down into chunks like 3.141592653589793238462643383279. This method, known as chunking, allows you to learn in bits and through repetition.
The effort required is minimal since there is a limited amount of knowledge necessary for recording engineering. The principles remain consistent across different tools. For instance, you can have 100 compressor plugins, but they all fundamentally operate in similar ways, with variations in attack, release, and ratios. Once you grasp the principle of a compressor, you’ll find that they all function similarly, albeit with different characteristics. A Fairchild compressor is quite different from an 1176 or a TG1 by Chandler, which is an excellent compressor. Each has its unique applications on various instruments, but ultimately, it all comes down to memorization.
Reflecting on my experience in the band Billionaire, my brother emphasized the importance of perseverance. He recognized that we were just starting to learn how to work together and advised against quitting after just one bad gig. He suggested we stick with it for at least another year, promising to revisit the conversation on my 36th birthday. He was right, and ultimately, we continued to grow and improve together.
Knowledge is power; the more you learn, the more you grow. Stick with it and keep pushing forward, even when it gets tough.
I will use these compressors on different instruments, but it's all just memorizing; that's what it means to learn something. Getting back to the story about not quitting, the thing about being in the band "Billionaire" is that my brother knew that, hey, you're just starting with this. You just have to learn how to work together. This is not the time to quit. You've been a band for two months; yes, you had one bad gig, but you need to stick with it at least for another year. If on your 36th birthday we revisit this conversation, we'll see. And he was right.
Right there, ultimately, yes, we got signed, yes, we got dropped, but we got resigned again by Universal six months later, and then we got dropped again. So, we actually got dropped twice with the same record—that's pretty impressive, actually. During that time, I produced probably, um, during the time we got dropped the first time and when we got dropped the second time, which was probably the summer of 2020, I produced, I would say, 40 bands—something like that. It was an insane number. I would have people come in; I would have bands come in or solo artists come in, and I would play everything. They came into this place, Tree Sound, where I worked out of, and they would come in for five days. I would record three to five songs, and I would mix them. On the last day, they would come in for six days, and on that Saturday, I would finish mixing the songs.
Cameron asked for any tips on motivation during monotonous times. The best thing to do for motivation is to learn new things. There’s nothing more motivating than gaining more knowledge because knowledge is extremely valuable. That is something I learned as a little kid. I learned the value of knowledge when I was four years old. My aunt Maran gave me a set of encyclopedias—just a set of small books on the presidents. At that time, the president was LBJ, and I remember I learned to memorize the presidents from reading these books: George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, John Quincy Adams, and James. I would just go through and recite them, and to this day, I can recite them because I learned it when I was four.
People used to pay me; they would say, "I'll give you a nickel if you can recite the presidents." My family members would do that—my aunts and uncles would say, "We'll give you a quarter, Ricky, if you recite the presidents." I would just recite them so fast. I thought to myself, knowledge is valuable. That was a lesson I learned at four years old: knowledge has value. Learning all this stuff is why I have only educational products that I sell. I teach people things about music because ideally, these are things that you carry with you for the rest of your life. Whether you're 60 and live to be 90 or 100, or you're 25 and live to be 150, once you learn them, you have them.
If you really learn them—like when I recited the circle of fifths—you know what I do? I've written it out a thousand times for people. That’s why I wrote my Bato book to begin with. Now it's an interactive book, but I said this last week or a couple of weeks ago: I got sick of writing the same stuff out for different people. My God, how many times am I going to write out the circle of fifths in the order of sharps and the order of flats? How many times am I going to write out the diatonic chords of a major key? I thought, I'll just do it and put it into a book, Xerox it, and bind it at a Kinko-type place in Ithaca, and just have my students buy it at the beginning of the semester.
My first book, the first version of the B A book, was about 325 pages. I have it here somewhere. Little did I know in 1989, when I put it together, it took me about 10 months to write it. Little did I know that it was going to be a video course with audio examples and tablature, which...
Embrace the journey of constant learning; it fuels your passion and opens doors you never imagined.
Writing the same material for different people can be quite tedious. I often find myself wondering, "My God, how many times am I going to write out the circle of fists in the order of Sharps and Order of Flats? How many times am I going to write out the Dionic chords of a major key?" To save time, I thought I could just compile everything into a book, Xerox it, and bind it at a Kinko-type place in Ithaca. Then, I could have my students buy it at the beginning of the semester.
My first book, the initial version of the B A book, was about 325 pages. I still have it somewhere. Little did I know, back in 1989 when I put it together, that it would take me about 10 months to write. I had no idea that this book would eventually evolve into a video course complete with audio examples and tablature—a concept that was not widely used at the time. While I was aware of what tablature was, it was not something that anyone used back then; we primarily read notes. That's why the first version was solely in notes.
When I started selling the book at the beginning of my channel in the middle of August 2016, I never imagined that this material I had written in 1989 would transform into a video course that people would watch on YouTube in 2024. It's incredible to think that millions of people would be engaging with this content. Of course, I always remind myself, "Why not me? Someone's got to be successful; why can't it be me?"
Recently, I received a couple of questions. One was from Todd, who mentioned he had been a drummer for 47 years and just bought his first guitar. He was excited about getting the Biato bundle. Another question came from a DIY speaker designer who was curious about a comment made by a bassist I interviewed. The bassist mentioned not being able to get low-end in those days, and the designer wondered if that was due to a production limitation or a reproduction limitation. I couldn't recall exactly what the bassist, Tony Levin, had said about that.
During our conversation, we discussed the song Sledgehammer, which was one of the highlights of the interview. An alt-grindle fan expressed how much he loved the Tony interview, particularly noting the use of an octaver on the bass for that track. I even created a short video discussing Daniel Lanois and Tony Levin's insights on using an octaver. These snippets of knowledge are invaluable as I continue to build my channel. The ability to keep learning is what truly fuels my passion for creating videos.
By the way, I recently posted on Instagram that I will be moderating and hosting George Benson's event called Breezin' with Benson, which will take place from January 3rd to 6th in Phoenix. I'm excited about the lineup, which includes notable artists such as Steve Lukather, Stanley Jordan, Tommy Emmanuel, Patty Austin, Lee Ritenour, John Scofield, Esperanza Spalding, Andy Timmons, and Cory Wong. The music director for the event is Greg Phillinganes, and I am thrilled to be the host and moderator.
For those interested, this event is happening in January 2025 in Phoenix. I am looking forward to seeing George again and having the opportunity to interview such talented musicians. These experiences of getting to engage with these artists are truly rewarding and exciting.
Keep learning and sharing your passion; every experience is a chance to grow and inspire others.
Learning new stuff is always exciting. Recently, I've been diving into George Benson's music, particularly a piece called "Breezin' with the Stars." I am thrilled to announce that I will be interviewing George and several other talented musicians, including Steve Lukather, Stanley Jordan, Tommy Emmanuel, Patty Austin, Lee Ritenour, John Scofield, Esperanza Spalding, Andy Timmons, and Cory Wong. The music director for this event will be Greg Phillinganes, and I will be the host and moderator, Rick Beato. For those interested, this exciting event is scheduled for January 2025 in Phoenix.
I am looking forward to reconnecting with George and sharing the experience of interviewing these incredible artists. I have previously interviewed Steve Lukather, John Scofield, and Tommy Emmanuel, and I have met Cory Wong. I am also a huge fan of Esperanza Spalding and Patty Austin. While I am there, I plan to create videos featuring different combinations of players, which should be a fantastic experience.
The main reason I am here is to keep learning so that I can share all the new insights with you. I aim to be your remedial teacher as we explore various musical concepts together. We will cover topics such as the chords and modes of the major scale, natural minor scale, melodic minor, harmonic minor, harmonic major, and double harmonic major. We will discuss what the chords are, how they work, and how they are derived from these scales.
I also wanted to share my experience meeting Kirk Hammett. What a nice guy! I met him at MetLife Stadium in New York, where he was warming up for a show. His publicist, Steve, walked me back to meet him. It was an incredible moment, and I got to see him rehearse with Robert for their performance that night. He even offered me a chance to play his guitar, but I humbly declined. The next day, I interviewed him, and it was a fantastic experience.
After the show, I attended an after-party at a restaurant where Five Finger Death Punch was performing. I had the pleasure of seeing Andy James, a fantastic guitar player I had previously featured on my channel. It was great to reconnect with him after a long time. The show itself was unforgettable, featuring four separate drum sets and four stages—an unbelievable spectacle.
Lastly, I want to remind you that I have the ultimate bundle on sale. This is the last time I will offer this particular bundle, which includes the Beat Book Interactive, my ear training course, and my arpeggio master class. I truly appreciate all of you; you're awesome! I will talk to you soon, next week. Have a great rest of your week and take care!