How do I start a band

[tweetersaway]

I've been playing guitar for a little under a year and want to start a band soon. The problem is that I have no clue how. I have me another guitarist/vocalist, a keboarder...ist or something like that and a possible bass and drummer. My question is how do you start a band, do you need a bunch of equipment for gigging. Basically what I'm asking is if somebody could just show me the ropes a bit. Any help is greatly apprieciated. Thanks

[Terren]

Well if you've never been in a band before, get all the musicians you know and get together in someone's garage, preferably a house. You don't want to annoy people in townhomes or apartments.

Now, just pick a song everyone can agree on, and try to play it. Do a simple one at first, and see how everyone plays together. Once you get past the part where you know who's in your 'band', don't bother doing anything like concentrating on picking a name yet (unless it's gonna motivate you guys more, it's not the most important thing). Do some jam sessions, fool around on your instruments and get used to playing with others. Play some songs, and choose which you guys like best. Then practice and practice and practice them until you have them down perfectly. Of course, if you've done all that then just practice some songs together. You need equipment to gig, so make sure everyone has their own instruments, microphones, and amplifiers. Some places will actually provide you available speaker systems or even monitors and other equipment, but don't count on it.

Have a good time, and don't start looking for gigs after learning one song... please... lol.

That's just my pocket change.

[mutant!]

Just make sure everyone has enough equipment to make themselves heard. The guitars should have at LEAST 15w amps, otherwise the drums are going to drown you out. And you definitely need a mike and vocal amp for the vocalist.

Then just get into someone's garage and play long and hard.

[YowhatsupT]

15 watts man????? haha id get at least 50. The vocalist is going to need the loudest equipment or he wont be heard.

Also set up your band this way so everyone is heard. Drummer in back (hes the loudest) Then guitar players. Then Bass players. The keyboarder. The vocalist. If your playing guitar and singing be VERY careful cause you can shock yourself so easy man. I once got thrown on my back at a gig....not fun

[SG_74]

I used to play through a 40 watt amp at practices and i couldnt hear myself (the amp was on full whack and our drummer didnt really play hard or loud) anywho, yea, YowhatsupT is right you should atleast have 50 watt amps. I personally would say; 50 watts for the guitarist, 100 watts for the bass and 200 watts for the vocals (keyboard into the PA aswell but turned down)...thats my personal opinion and it all comes down to venue and how your drummer plays. I've just bought a 100 watt valve stack so i'm kinda worrying about drowning out the rest of the band lol :p


Anyway

Good Luck!



-< O's >-

[Shibby]

my 15 watt worked fine for practices. I only got my HRD when my band started gigging.

[YowhatsupT]

im not sure i believe you man....it may have worked fine while you were standing 2 feet away but if you walked 10 feet i doubt you would be heard.

[Brendo613]

Not true, power freak :blokhd:. :biggrin2: I have a Fender Pro Junior that is 15 watts through 2 el84's and 2 12ax7, but it will not hesitate to kick your ayuss so long as it's placed at ear level! This is a big thing with lower-powered amps, you must put them up at level with your ears so the volume can soar above everyone's ankles :rolleyD:. Otherwise it just turns into this mess of buzz on the ground that only your feet have the chance of appreciating. I have a Peavey KB100 which is up on a little wooden chest, and I put the Pro Junior ontop of the Peavey so that it's about 6 feet in the air at its tallest point, which is plenty high enough to be heard (as well as plenty loud, even with a drummer). Granted, it doesn't fill the room like my 50 watt Crate will / would, but for little jams here and there, you can't beat that kick-ash lunchbox of mine.

:tongue:

=Brendan= :stereo:

[AcousticShred]

Yea and just see if you can find a bassist guitarist or drummer first. If you can just find one of the 3 thats a start. Hopefully he or she will have connections to get you more.

[YowhatsupT]

Not true, power freak :blokhd:. :biggrin2: I have a Fender Pro Junior that is 15 watts through 2 el84's and 2 12ax7, but it will not hesitate to kick your ayuss so long as it's placed at ear level! This is a big thing with lower-powered amps, you must put them up at level with your ears so the volume can soar above everyone's ankles :rolleyD:. Otherwise it just turns into this mess of buzz on the ground that only your feet have the chance of appreciating. I have a Peavey KB100 which is up on a little wooden chest, and I put the Pro Junior ontop of the Peavey so that it's about 6 feet in the air at its tallest point, which is plenty high enough to be heard (as well as plenty loud, even with a drummer). Granted, it doesn't fill the room like my 50 watt Crate will / would, but for little jams here and there, you can't beat that kick-ash lunchbox of mine.

:tongue:

=Brendan= :stereo:


hahahahahha is that a challenge brendo?? your little amps against my spyder 112?

[Brendo613]

:lmao: No, my little amp against the idea that little amps can't stand up to drums at a mild volume level.

However, I will not hesitate to indubitably kick your ash with my 50 watt all-tube Crate cranked :eek2:. No match there unless you have something of equal or bigger volume :biggrin2:

=Brendan= :rolleyes:

[YowhatsupT]

hahahahaha your 50 watt could get louder than mine??? i can shake the house the house without going up past midway......hehhhehe (drives my dad nuts) ive never taken it all the way....thats how loud the sucker is.....hehehehehhe "Evil Grin" still wanna dance??

[Brendo613]

It's solid state :tongue: I don't see you using tube, man ... that's what you need to "shake the house" :lmao:

I keep thinking there are bugs crawling up my leg when I play, but that's just my clothes vibrating from the sheer volume! :headbang:

=Brendan= :riff:

[moberod]

Not to jump in on this competition between you two, lol, but I just thought I'd share my amp set-up. I have a Peavey Classic VT Series tube amp which is actually pretty darn good for Peavey. I have that running out of the Power Out into a Peavey KB 300 amplifier. The VT Series has 2x12 and is a tube amp. The KB 300 has a 15" speaker and a horn and is solid state (but sounds like a tube amp because a tube amp is running into it). The VT series is stacked on top of the KB amp and is taller than any half-stack but not quite as tall as a full-stack. The VT amp gives the tone of a tube amp and the KB amp gives the rumbly bottom-end that the VT is missing. It's 150 watts total, so I never put it past 3-1/2 or 4. I've played with a loud drummer and a bassist who has an Ampeg B2R 100-watt head, and he had it cranked to compete with me, and I was smooth-sailing. But anyway, the point was that I don't have to turn it up that loud because my amp comes up to aim more directly at ear level, just like Brendan said. And I agree, there's nothing like tube amp sound and volume!

Benn

[SG_74]

Not guna join in the competition between you guys but just saying I'll kick all your a***s with my beast mwahahahah! sorry lol had to come out...but to be honest what stands up to an all valve 100 watt head with a full stack? (rhetorical question) hehe

Sorry, Couldn't resist! lol


But, I'm guna take Brendo's side on this one...valves wipe the floor with solid state hehe

:p


-< O's >-

[Brendo613]

To answer you, SG 74, earplugs don't even stand up to a 100 watt stack from what I hear ...

Hmm, sounds like fun someday! :stereo:

=Brendan= :headbang:

[YowhatsupT]

yeah hes got a little better sound on me....in not sure crate amps are the best with tubes....but lemme give ya an example.....i was jamming and totally wasted this Marshall Half-Stack...cant remmember what it had just that it wasn't the hated mode 4's...

I still think im louder....you just dont knwo the power of the spyder...muahahahahahahhahaha

[SG_74]

Yea, I can't stand those mode 4's, they look ugly, have too many controls, and the guy from sum 41 uses one :p lol, apologies to all you mode 4 owners...




-< O's >-

[YowhatsupT]

dont forget they sound like ****....ahahhaha......yes well thats sum41 ....and that about sums up their music doesn't it

[Brendo613]

Half-stack must've been set low, and you're SS will not beat the Crate, even on an old set of power tubes!

End of story! :lmao:

=Brendan= :blokhd:

[YowhatsupT]

hahaha that half was cranked... I STILL CHALLENGE YOU...hehe and if i lose welll......ill buy ya a beer (we'll have to find a place that serves minors but hey!) haha