It's not completely unusual for there to be times when a guitarist will not be able to play a gig he/she has already agreed to do. In these cases a substitute player is required. There will most likely be a point during your career in which you'll either sub for another guitarist, or need to have a sub cover for you on one of your gigs. These situations both require care and thorough planning.

Subbing for Someone Else

If you are called upon to sub for another guitarist, there are some things you'll want to make sure you do. First of all, make sure it is a gig you are capable of covering. If the gig is beyond your abilities and you don't do well, it could leave a bad mark on your reputation that could effect you negatively in the future, making you seem less capable to future employers.

Get a copy of the songlist that will be used on the gig. Make sure you know all the tunes and know what key they are in. A lot of bands will do songs in different keys than they were originally recorded to accommodate the person's range who is singing the song. It can be a disaster if you start playing a song in the key of G and everyone else is playing in the key of A!

Be prepared with the material. Try not to rely on using full charts on the gig (unless it's a reading gig, and everyone is using charts). It can slow you down when moving from song to song and could be irritating to the band leader. Make small notes you can use on the gig if you have to. Know as much of the show as you can.

Know what gear you're expected to bring. Nine times out of ten, you'll have to use your own guitar/amp setup. You may have to bring your own microphone and mic stand if you're doing any singing. Bring plenty of power strips and extension chords. Make your set-up and addition to the band as painless as possible.

Make sure you know how you need to dress for the gig. If everyone else is wearing a tux and you show up in a baseball jersey and jeans... ...Well, you know...

Details: Find out where and when the gig is, how much it pays and how early you need to set-up. Get the band leaders phone number and contact him before the gig just to check in. This can assure the band leader about using a sub, and add to how smooth the situation can go. Make sure the band leader has your phone number in case he ever needs to use you (or refer you to someone else) in the future, or let you know of any last minute changes before the gig.

Having Another Player Sub for You

If you ever have to call someone else to sub for you, remember these points:

Make sure to alert the band leader you are working for as soon as possible. At least a two week notice is good.

Before you call the band leader, call around to other possible substitute guitar players to find out who could be available to cover the gig for you. That way, when you approach the band leader about not being able to do the gig, you've already got a solution for him rather than making him panic and have to worry about who to get to cover the gig. This can keep your relationship with the band leader cool and not create any stress between the two of you.

When you're selecting a sub, choose someone who you know will do at least as good as job as you would. Again, this will add to your good reputation and people will know that if they hire you, and you ever do have to get a sub, you'll make sure the gig is well covered.

Make sure your sub guitar player knows everything about the gig; what band it's with, where it's at, what time it's at, the songslist, how to dress, who the band leader is and anything else you might think is important.

Subbing for someone else, or having someone sub for you can be a sticky situation, just make sure to do everything you can to make things go as smoothly as possible and everyone can have a great time!

See ya next month - Ted