Reddit AMA: How to Get Professional Gigs
How did you get professional gigs? I live in a small city and I’ve been looking for a way to play more seriously, just wondering if you have any pointers.

Woof. A lot of work. Way more rejection than booking. I went to a vocational music high school where part of our curriculum was gigging live (for $$$), it was pretty great. That was in Columbus, OH. I moved to Pittsburgh, PA to study jazz/classical guitar in college and just started playing at bars with my college bands. After college I just kept building connections with various people. I eventually moved to NYC when I felt my career had "peaked" in Pittsburgh.
As for tips? I'm not the greatest player, so I needed to rely on some other things to make sure I was getting steady work:
1) Show up on time. Musicians are a flaky bunch. Stand out by being at rehearsals and gigs on time
2) See number 1. This really is so important. If I can't rely on someone to show up, it doesn't matter how amazing they are, they won't get the call next time.
3) Don't be flaky! This means not only show up on time, but know the repertoire. If it's a rock/funk/soul/hip-hop/r&b... (basically anything other than jazz or classical) have the tunes memorized.
4) Sobriety matters. If you wanna get trashed, whatever, no problem, idgaf, but don't do it on my time. You wanna have a beer while we play? Cool. You want to bring a 6-pack onstage? Nope. I don't have time for your sloppy playing. Too stoned to remember the chord changes? Goodbye.
5) Be cool. Maybe this seems counter-intuitive to the above, but it shouldn't be. Be aware of how folks perceive you, and what your role is within an ensemble. If the group just needs someone to hold down solid rhythm, don't start soloing over the singer.
6) Reliable gear. This includes transportation. Folks don't want to have to always pick you up/drop you off, lend you a cable, bring you an amp, etc
7) Expect to be poor. Let's say I get a call to fill in for a wedding band next weekend. That means I probably need to learn 50 tunes in a week. Cool, no sweat. How much time does that take? Depends on your chops and ears. Consider that the $250 you made for the wedding gig includes all the time you spent learning the rep, the travel to and from the gig (as well as rehearsal if you are fortunate enough to get one), and the countless hours you have already put into the woodshed making it possible to pick up these gigs to begin with. How much are you making per hour? Probably less than minimum wage. This relates to amortization, and is an important concept to understand for those of us who are self-employed. There are easier ways to get rich, there are easier ways to get famous.
8) Support live music. If no one is going out to listen to live music the whole industry dies. Go out and see bands. Get to know them. You never know who is gonna call for a sub.
9) Be available. Say yes to everything. You don't know those 30 R&B tunes? Say yes and get to work.
10) Did I mention how important it is to show up on time and know the repertoire?