I just subbed for Nashville bassist Dow Tomlin on a show with Dreamworks Country Artist Jessica Andrews. When subbing for another player, a certain set of protocols come into place and will help you to do a good job and get more referrals and working situations. Here are some guidelines.

1. Understand the gig: I got a show CD (recorded from the mixing desk) and studied Dow's parts and approaches to each tune. Fortunately, I was also given a chart book (written like most Nashville books in the Nashville Number System) as well as two of Jessica's studio CDs for any bass parts I couldn't get from the live show CD. Because the board tape was light in the bass I used an old trick of running the CD through a small mixer I have at home and boosting/cutting frequencies until I distinctly made out the parts.

2. Respect the player you're subbing for: My approach is to try and make the Artist forget that there is a sub there. I'll try to get all of the signature lines internalized if possible.

3. Prepare your part: Usually I will play through the show several times with the book and then put the book away and play the show from memory with just the CD. If I make a mistake or have a memory lapse I'll stop and deal with just that tune until I've ironed out the problem and then move on. Ideally, I'll have the show internalized and memorized with no mistakes. Then even if I use the book onstage (some Artists are OK with this, some aren't) my head is not in the charts and I can react to the inevitable changes during performance. People appreciate eye contact, especially singers. I only had two days to prepare this, so the day we left at midnight I cleared my schedule and devoted 6-8 hours to preparation.

4. Be flexible: I showed up for bus call and promptly found that the band had been downscaled to an Unplugged show with Kevin Marks (Richard Marx, Faith Hill, Jessica Andrews) and Mike Durham (noted Nashville Session Guitarist for Tim McGraw and others) on acoustic guitar and yours truly on electric bass. Darn! Wish I'd brought that fretless, but I had prepared for the nonstop electric show and instrument changes were not an option. Fortunately, I did carry two Carvin 6s in a double gig bag, and after trial and error at soundcheck I settled on the Carvin Anniversary 6 I sometimes carry on live dates since it blended with the acoustic guitars and also provided a tight sound at the venue (a race track grandstand at a Fair in Indiana-welcome to the Country circuit!). The Eden WT-600 and 210 XLT cabinet would have been fine for a loud electric band, but also provided a great warm sound onstage and a clean DI to the front of house and monitors.

5. Be gracious: The show went off without a hitch. We were the co-billed act for Jimmy Wayne, another Dreamworks Country Artist. A couple of my friends turned out to be playing in that band and it was fun to catch up with them at catering. Profitable too, as I'll be doing some live shows and recording work with Jimmy's guitarist Bobby Messina (Steve Winwood) in the near future. I tried to treat Jessica and band and crew as if I were an unobtrusive guest. Until I was done with the show, my focus was on preparation. When it was done, I could relax a bit and listen to some other music. Until that point, I had immersed myself in Jessica's music at home and in the car to internalize it.

6. Don't forget to network: Everyone in the band and crew walked away with one of my business cards and the knowledge I truly enjoyed being there.

Subbing on these kinds of gigs is a great way to visit a working situation, to try it on for size and see if it fits you. Although my focus these days is more on Studio Work and teaching at Belmont University, it's fun to visit the Touring World for a couple of days without having to live there. From time to time, I've also had subbing gigs lead to sessions and even full-time tours like Engelbert Humperdinck. I was hired for that gig as a sub and offered the job when Enge's bassist Ron del Vega took the gig with Nancy Griffith full time.

You never know where subbing might lead. Just do your preparation, play the gig well, and remember to say "Thank You" to the fellow bassist who you've helped and the Artist, Band and Crew who've helped you do the job well.