How do you avoid being ripped off by unscrupulous promoters, or what to do if you really, really want to punch your bass player? That's where this Cut the Crap Guide comes in. Based on real musicians' experiences. it is designed to cover the things you really need to know: how to get gigs, how to get on the radio, how to make money from music, and how to avoid playing in front of three drunks and a murderer on a damp Tuesday in Dunfermline.

In this text, Gary Marshall includes a complete A to Z of the guitar and a comprehensive listing of Web resources and it is packed with diagrams and helpful illustrations.

Whether you're a guitarist trying to make your guitar go gneee flumph and oo-ee-oo-ee, a bass player who's fed up with the same old sounds or a bedroom techno overlord working on the number one hits of the future, technology can help turn your ideas into reality. get - samplers, MIDI, guitar equipment and even things for drummers - and explains what they do, who's using them, and what you should look for when you go shopping. It also tells you what to do when technology attacks: why you should always assume things will go spectacularly wrong at the worst possible moment, and what you can do to make sure it doesn't irritate you.

If you're in a band, you need the Internet. Whether it's building a Web site to showcase your music, downloading free drum loops from online sample libraries or just getting into huge sweary fights with complete strangers, the Net is the best thing that's happened to music since Phil Collins stopped touring. everything from how to build a Web site (find a geek and give him beer) to practical advice on making money and staying out of trouble. Detailed advice about what works and what doesn't features, together with some sneaky tips to help you along the way

Making a record used to be simple: you'd start a band, tour for 400 years, and if you were lucky a record company would spot you and pay for some studio time. Now you can make your own records on a budget of almost zero, and it's possible to record a song in the morning and sell it in the afternoon. you're planning to burn a few CDs to sell at gigs or making a triple vinyl concept album about electric elves that frolic in the magic forest. It covers the basics (what to record, where to record it, how to pay for it) and looks at everything from home CD burning to commercial pressing plants. You'll find out how to get your record reviewed or played on the radio, how to get it into the shops, and how to make sure you won't end up with a million unsold CDs underneath your bed. The book is also packed with advice from industry insiders - managers, artists and record labels - who have successfully released everything from dance, blues and rock records to compilation CDs.