auditioning for a band

[voodoochild]

i just got down to college and i found a paper saying lead guitarist wanted. i called the guy and he wants me to audition, what are the does and donts of your first audition.

[StoneDragon]

DO show up and play like a mother.

DON'T get nervous and play like crap.

Every other piece of advice is subordinate to the above.

The worst auditions are the type where you show up with no idea of what you're supposed to play, and the "band" just says, "ok... show us what you can do." For this type of setup, it's good to have a bag of tricks to draw from... cool licks... intros to cool songs... a hot solo... whatever makes you look impressive. It can be murder in a situation like this if your mind goes blank, and you can't figure out what to play.

The best auditions are those where the "band" gets you the material that you need to play, and you have plenty of time to work on it. In this situation, spend the time to learn the parts. Have them down so well that you can play them blindfolded and one hand tied behind your back. That way, if you get nervous, you'll still be able to play the parts. You may not be amazing, but you won't totally suck.


Most auditions are somewhere between worst case and best case. So you do what you can with what you have to work with.


In general, make sure you've got your equipment together... plus an extra set of strings... extra picks... spare batteries if you have effects pedals... spare cable... all the little stuff. You don't want to show up for an audition and suddenly have your favorite cable short out or break a string and not have a replacement.

I've always found it helpful to be friendly and easy to get along with. I've passed auditions where my playing was sub-par (due to being nervous), but the "band" liked me, so they hired me anyway.

If you have the oportunity to warm your fingers up before the audition, do so. there's nothing worse than going in cold and being put on the spot and expected to sound like Steve Vai.

If you get nervous, the worst thing you can do is blindly try to play through it. Take a few moments before you play to close your eyes, breath deeply and do your best to relax. Look at your guitar neck and think about what you're going to play and the fact that you have played this before at least a billion times.


Also... nobody really thinks about this.... don't be afraid to walk away from a situation that is not going to work for you. I showed up for an audition one time where the "band" spent the first half-hour arguing and calling each other names. After they hacked there way through a couple of tunes, they asked me if I wanted to join. I hadn't even taken my guitar out of its case, yet!!

Needless to say, I politely excused myself.

[BlaZinChoPs]

Wow, thats some great advice Stone. I've not even thought about joining a band yet but I'll remember your wise words.
BTW, I never knew you auditioned for Guns N' Roses, that's too bad they couldn't get along. hehe

BlaZin

[FINGERPICKINGOOD]

What do you mean by this?

"DO show up and play like a mother."

Of Invention?
Or play my instrument like my mom?

http://www.zentao.com/ubb/smilies/biggrin.gif

[StoneDragon]

As Frank explained it:

If you were good on your instrument, you were considered a mother @#$%*&. Mothers (their original name) was short for a group of mother @#$%*&'s. But the record company decided that a group with the name Mothers would never get played on the radio and demanded that the group change their name if they wanted to keep their recording contract. So the stock line was "Out of necessity, we became the Mothers of Invention."

[ghodaddyyo]

I was thinking about starting my own topic on this, but I think since we're talking about auditions, I'll piggy-back.

Looking through some of the online musicians wanted adds such as www.lamusicians.com (http://www.lamusicians.com) is a little frustrating. First of all, there are way too many guitarists. Secondly, the adds always list obscure artists as influences. Finally, they want the guitarists to be under 25 with the desire to conquer the musical world.

So what do YOU look for in a potential guitarist? Obviously you don't want egomaniacs, but do you look for....Chops? Attitude? Looks? The ability to play many styles, or the complete mastery of a certain style? Reading skills? Age?

[DFX]

Try to be confident in yourself, audition for bands that are into the same stuff that you are, arrive on time , be amiable. The hardest thing to find regarding potential band members is people who are reliable, easy to get along with and who share your musical tastes. Warm up before hand and if they expect you to just join in on songs you haven't heard before don't worry if you suck cos just about everyone would in that situation. If you watched the concert for New York recently, Paul McCartney kept asking Eric Clapton to do solos off the cuff in the Freedom song and Clapton looked uncomfortable and struggled a little, what does that tell you.

[Pendito]

I did not think this was funny when it happened ...

I got invited to audition for a band that have recorded. So I make sure my rep is perfect, I got new 1 & 2 strings, and shaved. When I got there and packed out my Strat I noticed they did not have an amp or anything else that resembled an instrument... Apparently they decided to the auditions outside of practice and nobody thought to provide a setup. Ever since I own a semi-accoustic Ibanez. It goes everywhere with me.

[magnif_lovemak]

Brilliant advice from Stone. And I want to throw in that my band was once that worst-case scenario that you described. We were trying out a trombone player, and after he got there our singer promptly started a 45 MINUTE fight.

I quit that band shortly after. I've rarely been so embarassed.

To the guy who mentioned how many guitarists there seem to be out there: yeah, but the weird thing about guitarists is tehy almost all suck. There're fewer ads for bass and drums, but there's a much better level of skill among those you do find. If you can play halfway decently, you'll stand way out above 90% of the other guys.

Personally, when I'm trying anyone out, the first things I ask on the phone before I invite them down are:
- Do you have your own ****? (Good way to tell how serious they are, although it seems pretty basic.)
- Do you have any experience playing out? (If they don't, they better talk some serious game or I won't bother.)

...and god save us if we don't agree on at least two covers for them to know. As Stone ably pointed out.

[GuitarzanMan]

I played in a (3) piece band and (2) guys loved to argue with each other. After a year, it gets old so I decided to do something different. If the band is fighting with each other at the audition, they probably argue all the time. I felt like I was hangin' with an old married couple...good luck...

[wazman]

1) Be on time.

2) Be professional.

3) Be clean and sober.

4) Be ready to play.

These things will stand out to a serious band - they don't want some slacker who's going to show up stoned, spend twenty minutes futzing with strings, and belch his way through the songs. They want a serious musician who wants to play and make the band sound as good as it can.

Also, at some point that band might break up, and some of the members might put together another band, and they'll remember you. Or maybe they'll be talking to someone else who needs a guitarist, and they'll say "We auditioned this great guy a while back who'd be perfect." Believe me, it happens all the time.

No matter what, during your audition, just put your best face forward and do the best you can. If it works out, great, and if it doesn't, oh well.

[modfather]

**** him u dotn want his band u jsut need to goto him and show of that ur to good for him and his band :P i call it the opposite approch smoke a joint b4 hand always helps aswell

[Keith]

Stone pretty much covered everything.Go in hyped but in control.Look at the gear they all have.Chances are, if they have half a$$ed gear, they play that way, or at least will sound that way.Show up 30 minutes before to set up.Get 3- 4 songs down tight from what the band plays.If there is a second guitarist, ask what part you are to play.I auditioned for a 4 piece Iron Maidon cover band, and asked the same q."Who's style do you want me to play?"Never smoke a reef or drink before going in.If you screw up from being under the influence, then you look bad.
Check the ego at the door.
Talk to the guys/ gals in the band before playing.If they act like dinks, chances are they are not serious about playing music pro style.
Always go in saying to yourself "I CAN do this"

[supercobra]

Hey Voodoo-

Good luck. You might check out the thread I just posted about a recent experience I had auditioning. Make sure the band you are trying out for is playing music that you want to play.

[hardstarter]

Im in my first band right now and it just so happens that one of my best friends is a seriously sweet drummer with an all original Remo drum set. I go to his house and jam all the time. Somebody auditioned him for drums and he recommended me for lead guitar. Now we are in the band together. Just make sure they know your serious and you try to learn and ull be fine.