Are you ready to get off the couch and take your music to the next level? Alright!… Let’s Start a Band.
If you do this correctly, you will put together a more fun, longer lasting, quality project. Take it from me, if I had this advice when I began, I could have saved myself from years of headaches and frustration. With this insight in mind, let’s get started:
Why 11 steps?… Because we all know that 11 is one louder than 10!
Step 1. Define your goals
Before you begin, try to answer some basic questions: Do you want to be the sole song writer or prefer to collaborate with others? What genre of music will your band play? Do you have a concept or image in mind? Are you serious about making a career out of this or is this just a hobby? How often do you want to practice? Will you handle the expenses of the band yourself or do you want it shared amongst all band members? What is the ultimate goal of starting this project?
Answering these basic questions ahead of time is important in your quest to find like minded people. There is no point is wasting months or years of your time with those whom have different goals in mind.
Step 2. Create a want ad
Your ad should read short and get right to the point including a brief description based on the questions you answered in Step 1. Go ahead and add a small personal note if you see fit. Check out the examples below:
Guitarist looking to form an original Alternative Rock Band *Vocalist, bass player & drummer needed *Serious inquiries only *Have rehearsal space *Lets create something awesome – Name / Phone # / Email
I personally prefer to collaborate with one person to write the material first. Once we are satisfied with the songs we created, we at that point begin to search for band members that fit our style of music:
Vocalist looking for guitar player to form original Rock Band *Seeking writing partner *Serious inquiries only *Have rehearsal space – Name / Phone # / Email
If you are looking to join an existing band, either browse through the ads or place your own:
Sax playing player looking to join funk band *Can jam once a week *Willing to gig periodically – Name / Phone # / Email
Step 3. Place free ads in your area
Now that you have created your ad, it’s time to post it. There are many places and groups to post online. Here are few sites that can be used in any city within the USA and beyond:
or simply type “looking for band members near me” in the search engine of your choice
Step 4. Have a rehearsal space ready
Be prepared with a practice space ahead of time. This will show your new potential band mates that you are on top of your game and allows you to hold auditions at will. Rehearsal space can either be rented by the hour or on a month to month basis. Here are a few pros and cons of each:
Hourly Rehearsal: Pros: The cost will be less expensive if only rehearsing once a week. PA & other equipment may already be provided for you. Cons: You may not be able to reserve the time slot desired and your rehearsal time will be limited only to the hours in which you booked. If you do bring your own gear, it must be set up and torn down before and after every rehearsal session. If you decide to store your gear at the studio facility for the sake of convenience, there may be an extra charge for this service.
Lockout Rehearsal: Pros: Cheaper if rehearsing more than once a week. No need to schedule with the studio because you will have secured your own private room with 24/7 access. Practices will never get cut short for the same reasons. You can set up your equipment once and leave it set up. You will never have to pay storage fees. At anytime, you can enter your private practice space and work on your music, alone or with your band. Cons: You will need to bring in all your own equipment including a PA system at most 24 Hour Lockout Rehearsal facilities.
Step 5. Spend time discussing musical preferences
The absolute most important element of any musical group is the music itself. I know this may seem obvious, but many get lost in this game we call the Music Business. During your initial conversation with any potential new bandmate, speak of the music that gets you excited and allow this person to do the same. If there is a shared musical bond, your chances of a long term collaboration will highly increase. You cannot force others to follow your musical direction. It may work for a while but this person will eventually get discouraged and follow his or her own path. At that point you will be forced to start all over again, thus wasted your time.
Step 6. Find like minded musicians
As mentioned in the last step regarding the music, it is also best to be aligned when it comes to other aspects of this new project. Refer to “Step 1: Define your goals” at the top of this article. If you followed this advice, at this point you have already answered all those questions before even placing a “Musician Wanted” ad. Discuss all these factors immediately after establishing a musical connection. For example: If your plan is to control all the song writing within the group, you may be expected to handle all the costs incurred in maintaining your band. If not, a shared financial responsibility should be promptly discussed. To avoid future misunderstandings, be open and upfront with each other about what is to be expected. Do not assume anything when it comes to the mind of another person. If you do, there is most definitely going to be a confrontation down the road.
Step 7. Set up a Jam Session
Now that you may have found the right peeps, it’s time to jam! If there is material already roughly recorded, share the file(s) ahead of time, this may save time during the rehearsal. You may just want to get together and see what naturally transpires, sometimes magic just happens, and when it does…. It’s Awesome!
Be sure to record every moment of all your rehearsals. There are times when you will catch lightening in a bottle. If you didn’t record at that particular moment, you may have lost it forever. Trust me, it is a very frustrating feeling to know that you have collectively created something Amazing and is now gone forever. A cheap audio recorder placed in the center of the room will get the job done… Do it!
Step 8. Find talented musicians
During your jam sessions you will come across all different levels of musicianship. As a rule, it’s always good to surround yourself with players better than yourself. It is impossible to have a band that sounds too good. When I speak of talent, I am not only referring to the technical ability of any given musician. You may recognize something special or unique about an individual’s playing or voice. I personally prefer simple driving rhythms over someone showing off how fast they can play. Most of this is subjective, you have to choose what is best for you and most importantly what is best for the music in which you want to create.
Recruit a Solid Drummer: While performing live, every instrument has a little room for sloppiness or mistakes. At no point does the drummer have this luxury. Timing is the foundation to any successful band, like the roots to a healthy tree. If the auditioning percussionist is coming out of fills off time or the tempo oddly fluctuates, don’t waste your time. Finish the session politely and keep looking. From my experience, timing is not something that can be taught, you either have it or you don’t. To put it bluntly: If the drummer in your band sucks….. Your band sucks.
Step 9. Avoid bad habits
It will take several jam sessions to figure out the habits and routines of others. There are many flaky people in the music world, avoid these time wasters whenever possible. Some have the greatest of intentions but simply do not have the capacity to be reliable. Here are a few bad habit examples:
*Consistently being late or not showing up at all (usually with a text load of excuses)
*Being drunk or high at rehearsals (some function well intoxicated, if not… next!)
*Bad hygiene (No stinky bandmates!)
*Not willing to contribute their fair share to the greater good of the project
Only you can determine what you’re willing to put up with. Sometimes it’s hard to let go of someone you really click with musically. If you give this person many chances to succeed and they continue to let you down, you must move on without them. If you want to be considered pro, you must have pro people around you. A rule to live by: A band is only as strong as its weakest member.
Step 10. Personality traits
While conducting your auditions, you may develop a distaste for certain personalities. Some may be bossy, rude, annoying, condescending, etc. Make sure you can handle any given personality for the long term. If you are forced to be with someone you despise constantly, you may not be able to stick it out. Even worse, this could take all the fun out it. I believe most people have a good heart inside, but one douche in the band can take the whole project down. It’s always better to go through the good and bad times with friends that will back each other up.
Step 11: Set up steady rehearsals
Now that the initial lineup is in place, it’s time to set up a rehearsal schedule that works for everyone in the band. If your goal is to become great, I suggest you practice at least 3-4 times a week to perfect your music. Refer to “Step 4: Have a Rehearsal Space Ready” for the best option that fits your needs.
It’s time to Get to Work!
There are no exact formulas in making a successful bid to creating a great band. The 11 steps above are simply a foundation to begin with. From every experience, you will become stronger musically and better at interacting with others. There are no failures, only learning experiences. If you want it, attempt to make wise decisions and keep pushing forward to reach your goals.
One final note: Find others who want it as badly as you do. There is nothing more frustrating than trying to drag half-hearted slackers towards your goals. You cannot force anyone to have the same shared vision as you. The will to work towards greater things must be within that person. Go out and find those soulmates that want what you want, don’t let the laggards suck the dream away from you.
ARTIST VIDEO SHOWCASE
To Showcase Your Music Video, follow the instructions in the Sidebar
INTO THE FREQUENCY / Handle All That
INTO THE FREQUENCY: This Electric Trip-Pop duo features songwriters; Ruti Celli on vocals/cello and Dave Schulz on keyboards. Drums on this track were played by Marco Minnemann. The song featured here was inspired by the documentary: “For The Benefit Of All Beings”. For further info on the film click here: Garchen Rinpoche
The cool sounds of “Handle All That” were engineered in part by Ozzy Carmona and the video was produced by Martin Yernazian
To get more info on Ruti, Dave and their music, check out their web sites here: ruticelli.com / daveschulzmusic.com
STONE STANLEY / Mr Bell
STONE STANLEY: If you appreciate the sweet sounds of slide blues guitar with an acoustic country twang, you’re gonna enjoy this. The featured track; “Mr Bell” has an interesting history behind the lyrics and is delivered well by Jason Robert aka Stone Stanley.
The video was filmed by Kayla Von Der Heidein in Bodie CA. This is the place where the legend of Lester F Bell, the song’s inspiration, resided during the Gold Rush era.
For more insight, recordings, and info on Jason Robert’s project “Stone Stanley” click here: Stone Stanley
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