Starting a band

[GSPLover]

I'm a fairly new guitar player and I'm at the point where Im looking to start putting some type of band together. Can anyone suggest tips on starting a band? For example whats the best way to find other players of about the same skill level that would be interested in getting together and playing?
For the first while it would be more for fun and practice than for playing gigs, but after a while I do plan on getting out and playing live.

[GSPLover]

Doh!!! Guess I should have read down a bit before posting this.

:)

[thunder_bird]

Make sure you can get on with the members and you don't disagree about everything. I think this is more important than how good the other musicians are. Just remember to have fun.

[AndyVX]

Make sure you have the same musical tastes... :)

[YowhatsupT]

yeah as long as everyone is willing tto try new stuff and have fun their shouldn't be too much problem even if it isn't to their musical taste but they are willing to play it for you fi you are willing to play whatever for them. :)

[0.1 watts]

Bands can be quite stressful, be very careful about who you recruit into your band, because the key more to getting musicians who have similar musical tastes and you can get on with. It doesnt matter about still being a new guitar player, because usually its the simple stuff that sounds much better, songwriting ability is most important.

[crowbarr]

if you can try and get some already good mates in your band it really does help lower the amount of arguements, im in a band with two of my better mates n we just generally have a real good laugh as well as make music and we're always willing to listen to each other's ideas whereas in bands full of people who hardly know each other arguements are very common and people are less willing to be open minded to new musical ideas and concepts.

[Slipstream]

Gettin on with yer bandmates is the most important thing (IMHO). A band I was in once had a choice between two drummers. One was a virtuoso. He could play anything, and quite well. The other was much more limited in what he could play. The virtuoso guy was a prima-donna, and pretty much held everyone he met in contempt. He wouldn't play songs that he thought were beneath his ablility. The second guy was friendly, and was much more willing to try whatever we wanted. We selected the second guy hands down.

[GSPLover]

Ya I'd like to play with friends I already have but none of them play an instrument. I'm TRYing to get my sister to learn bass and went as far as buying her a beginner bass. She said she wanted to learn so I tryed to help that along. Problem is now she says shes to busy blah blah blah. I should have known I'd be wasting my $$.
I'm at the point right now where I think I need a bigger challenge, practicing chords and scales is only so much fun. I'm wanting to start playing some real music.

[SKEETER]

I have been playing in bands since forever (been playing almost 40 years), and here is from my experience:

1) A leader of a band should be more of a secretary than a dictator. Don't think that you are the only one in the world with musical ideas, all musicians have musical ideas or they wouldn't be playing. Don't think you are going to think your ideas into others heads or that your ideas are better than others in the bands, and if there are multiple songwriters in a band, let them do their thing too.

2) Treat it like a business. Have a specific time for band practice to start and end. Have rules about people showing up, if someone is chronically late or misses practices short of being in a wreck or having a family emergency, find someone else. If you cannot trust them to show up to practice, you can't trust them to be at a gig in time to help schlep gear or to play on time.

3) Have a specific song list! Don't show up every week with a load of new ideas and new songs and expect everyone to learn them on the spot, if you want to do a song, fine, but provide everyone with a copy of it the week before you practice it so they can work their parts out at home. The best bands I have played in were bands where the band leader expected everyone to show up ALREADY knowing the material. That way, you spend practice time practicing the songs you know, not working out the ones you don't. (Obviously this applies to cover material more than original stuff, I have a studio, and if I want to do new material I have the arrangement worked out myself before practice. I demand that the band I am in provide me with songs they want to do, although I do go to the library and borrow some of them. I figure the guitar parts out at home (I figure the lead peices out exactly as I can, and you cannot do that at practice). When I play bass, I do the same thing, I learn the parts exactly, at home, on my own time. If you can find musicians that are willing to do this, and do most of their practicing at home, you got it made, and the band will sound far tighter and professional.
The same applies to other members of the band, make a rule that if they want to do a song, fine, but it is up to them to find a copy make it available to the others to learn their parts, as long as the others need a copy or need to learn it.

4) Choose musicians to work with that want to do the same kind of music you are doing, and don't always expect to be doing only what you listen to. I have played in "Christian rock" bands (which is really southern gospel with loud drums) and that is not what I listen to. I have played in country bands , and I don't listen to that, and I have played in doowap bands, and I like doowap, but I want to do rock era stuff, like Zepplin and Humble Pie. How many times have I played in bands doing that? hmmm not much. But I have always been able to play live music when I wanted because I am available to play and will do whatever it takes.
My point about this is, be flexible, don't say " I am going to do nothing but alternative music" and be so stuck to that that if someone wants you to go out and earn some good bucks in a rock band that you won't do it, or if someone in the band you are in wants to do something different, you frustrate them. And, as I say, if it is a band you are starting, find like minded muscians, rather than try to turn a blues guitarist into a folk strummer or a jazz drummer into a rock musician. (I have had that experience too, the last band I was in I played bass doing doowap and 60s rock , and the drummer was a Jazz drummer, the best I have ever played with. Unfortunately, he played with Qtips instead of hammers, and in a rock band you need a guy that stomps on that kick drum as hard as he can).

5) DO NOT EVER choose either a lead guitarist or singer that thinks the band is all about them. There is nothing worse than a singer that considers the band "his band" and views the band as nothing more than his personal karaoke machine. Same with guitar players, avoid guitar players that think that a band is backround noise for guitar solos. ( I am a lead guitarist and practice what I preach about this, I am in a band now doing mostly 60s pop and alternative and do as much fake string section backround work or fake steel guitar work as I do playing lead licks). The band I am in is not about ME, it is about a BAND, it is about the music and the audience, not who is coolest, who is smartes, and who gets the nicenst looking shot of leg after the gig.

6) Have specific rules about drug abuse (including tobacco and alcohol) at practice. Lots of musicians don't like the contact high from tobacco smoke, and drunks are a pain in the *** to play music with. Being stoned on reefer or alcohol at band practice does not add a thing to the music, it just makes the band sound better than it is to whoever is fried.

It is possible to do all the above and keep it fun! It is far easier to have fun if there are specific rules and expectations up front. Without the rules and mutual agreements, there will be nothing but disagreements, and people *****ing and fighting all the time, very few bands are an exception to this.
Don't forget, when you play with other people, you are priveleged by their agreeing to play with you, no matter what you view their skill level as. They don't have to be there , they can go find another band in a heartbeat.

[Slipstream]

Well put Skeeter. Thanks for sharing that with us :)

[TalFarlow]

Thanks Skeeter,
Some really good insite. I am looking at starting a band here soon, and will definately use alot of your advice.

Al

Keep on Rockin in the Free World "Neil Young"

[supercobra]

I'm gonna zig while you others are zagging. I say, don't worry a lot about who you play with. You've got to start by playing with someone, whoever it is. As time goes on, you'll find people with common and complementary skills. But it all starts with jamming.

[SKEETER]

Jamming is ok if you are not talking serious business, but he is talking about starting a band. A band is typically a endeaver with a specific goal. "Jamming" is a fun way to spend saturday afternoon. A band is like everything else, if you pull it out of your ***, it will be like you pulled it out of your ***. If you treat it like a business, it will look and function professionally.

[Dro0]

i think that f you want to start anything serious it improtant that all members aggree at least on the style of the songs cause it would sound strange if for example the drummer plays along to blink 182 style whilst the guitarist rocks on to acad style ect.. you'de end up with a mega remix or somethin ;)
i also think that in order to play well together you'll also have to get used to eachothers individual styles,which will take some time playing together but if you persevere you should all do fine remember pratice makes perfect..

[F-ups]

I'm going to play main guitar/singer in a band :011: and I'm not that comfortable with my voice :sad48: so.... Can anyone give me advice on wut to do :qflash: :( :confuse: :frown:

[F-ups]

help me :( :o

[SKEETER]

Find a local vocal instructor and take some lessons, nothing hones your confidence like knowing that you know that you know.

[F-ups]

Find a local vocal instructor and take some lessons, nothing hones your confidence like knowing that you know that you know.
thanks :smile:

[gtrhrcane]

practice man. I'm pretty self conscious of myself, voice included. ultimate door kicker inner is go do some karaoke. It's not the best, but it will get you time. Otherwise, aside from taking lessons, I'd jsut start playing and practicing. What style music you playing, and why don't you like your voice? what about it makes you say that?

[F-ups]

practice man. I'm pretty self conscious of myself, voice included. ultimate door kicker inner is go do some karaoke. It's not the best, but it will get you time. Otherwise, aside from taking lessons, I'd jsut start playing and practicing. What style music you playing, and why don't you like your voice? what about it makes you say that?
Iwould like to sing punk rock and Im not sure wut bugs me about my voice.

[F-ups]

P.S. how can i find band members to play in my soon to be band?

[crowbarr]

try your local music store(s) they usually have notice boards full of adverts of wanted musician's and musician's wanting bands etc. get down to jam nights and ask around there and just spread the news that your lookin for people :)

[gtrhrcane]

Iwould like to sing punk rock and Im not sure wut bugs me about my voice.

Do you record yourself singing? Just use a little cheapo fisher price recorder if you have to, and record your self covering your fav songs. Then listen to them and study them. Just in general, not for this particular exercise, but all the time. It's a good tool to use.

[Kirk]

You should see if there's a musician or guitarits group on meetup.com (http://www.meetup.com/). Hang with them, and see if there's anyone with the same musical tastes, and interests as you.

[F-ups]

thanks for the advice :)

[MattB]

...all good points. Start by simply putting up flyers in areas where you think musicians will see it. Try to be original and creative with your flyer. Set yourself apart from all the other flyers. Usually, spaces allotted for flyers are pretty cramped, so you've gotta create something that will catch someone's attention. Another good idea for your flyer is to list your influences (try to give a variety here), and the type of music you're interested in doing. After that, just wait for some phone calls. If you get some calls, take a few minutes on the phone to really pick the person's brain. Talk about ther experience, what kind of music they prefer to do, what they're willing to do, that sort of thing. That's the easy part. The hard part is finding people that you really click with. Maybe I'm more concerned with this than other people. Sure, I can meet all types of musicians to play with, BUT there is a certain vibe that I'm constantly looking for. Is this person on the same wavelength as I am, both creative-wise and mentally?? By wavelength, I mean someone who simply UNDERSTANDS what it is you're doing with your music. This person will be able to add just the right parts to your song without even thinking about it. That's the wavelength I'm talkng about. You don't come across that too much. Aside from that, a good rule of thumb is if you don't see yourself hanging-out with your bandmates outside of the music realm, then you probably shouldn't have them in a band.

[jcmark611]

Maybe I lucked out but, my advice is to let the band come to you..not you searching for the band. The bands I have been in were people I knew before I even thought about playing the guitar. Some of them were not even friends with me until after I started playing. Not sure how old you are but, if you are still in high school just let it be known that you play the guitar. Soon after that you should have no problem finding people to be in your band. If you are not in high school then the flyer thing should work too.

The best thing is to be social with your guitar. Go to parties with it, play with anyone you know who already jams. This is how many bands get going. The lead guitar player for Pearl Jam was discovered at a party just playing some Jimi and SRV licks. Gene Simmons met Paul Stanely at a party. Its weird but, 90% of being in a band is just plain old dumb luck.

Oh, another thing... don't worry about your voice in punk rock. The "greatest" punk singers like Johnny Rotten and Joey Ramone really could not sing that well. It's only today's pop punk that has decent singers. You want to be punk, don't worry about your voice and just have fun (or be ****** off all the time, that seems to help).

[F-ups]

Thank you everyone for all the GREAT advice!!!!!

[t_shirtsnjeans]

I also believe that you should let the musicians come to you. If you beg then you give them the power to run things or they're gone.
If they come to you then you are in power of your band.

I just started a new band and while it is just me and my best friend drummer there are those beating down the doors to join me,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
......well, they yelled "DEPUTY SHERIFF"S OFFICE, OPEN UP, WE HAVE A WARRANT, COME OUT PEACEFULLY AND WE'LL RELEASE YOUR DOGGIE!"

I really thought they wanted to play, but.......................... :cool:

[TzolkinelemenT]

I found my brothers through the newspaper's online classified section. It's a give and take situation and the chemistry of the musicians is the importance. Many players may come and go. The important thing is to stick with your sound and don't let anybody hold you back.

Good Luck

[Jay_Jayz]

Beleive in yourself! If it sounds good to you then it will sound good to someone else. I know its hard to get members especially ones that live locally and have the same taste and have the talent too. So the only thing I can think of is to get someone to learn something. Which is also a problem :/ Sorry

[riffrecker]

You could try what I did. Check out your local music stores and see if they have any programs (eg. ours is Weekend Warriors for the adults, and Future Warriors for the teens). They will hook you up with other people according to your skill level and musical tastes. I am a beginner guitarist, but I am having a blast doing this. It cost $150.00 for a ten week session, but I think it is worth it. They provide the practise place, guitar amps, drums and a director who listens in and suggests improvements and is there to help out in any way he/she can. Also, they line up a gig for all the bands to play at at the end of the 10 weeks. (BIG G-U-L-P!)

[ModestCargo]

Jam once a week. Get a song list going, and try to learn one song per week. Then you would be doing REALLY well. And make sure all the members practise that one song all week (along with the others you already have on the list) so when jam time comes, everyone will know what they're doing - somewhat.

[ModestCargo]

riffrecker: Is that at AXE? Man, I wish I still lived in Edmonton. That would be pretty cool.

Edit: Also, good influences man! :cool: