A How-To on Starting Your Very Own Band

I’ll start off with a question: What is common between all of these names: aside from the fact that they are probably the most well-known people on Earth: Jimi Page, Eddie van Halen, Tony Iommi, Slash, Keith Richards, John Petrucci, Kirk Hammett, Angus Young, Dimebag Darell, Dave Mustaine and Jerry Cantrell?

The answer to that question is that each one of them, while being extremely accomplished, talented, gifted and successful guitarists individually, belonged to successful bands. Bands that went on to achieve stellar levels of success and will probably be remembered for their music many years to come!

The point is that it is a safe assumption to make that the reason that bands such as Metallica, G n’ R, Black Sabbath and The Rolling Stones have soared to such monumental levels of success is down to the brilliance of their guitar players. And perhaps the reason these guitarists have been idolized by billions all over the world, is due to them being associated with such acts. It all goes hand-in-hand.

That however is not to suggest that solo artists are not successful, as there are plenty of examples out there that would tell you otherwise: Jimi Hendrix, Chuck Berry, Joe Satriani and Carlos Santana are perhaps perfect examples of this.

But I digress. The whole point of my argument is that while it is possible to achieve worldwide success as a solo artist (that is what every musician aims to do, right?), being a part of a band makes this dream realistically achievable.

Being part of, and playing with a band, is a thought that would most certainly have crossed the mind of every single guitar player, at least once. And there are many reasons for it: you might feel more comfortable as part of a group, rather than playing individually, or maybe you think that to have a shot at the big time, you need to be in a proper band. Whatever the case might be, you’ve given it a thought, and that fact that you’re reading this proves just that. By all means, go for it!

The following write-up intends to cover the essentials of starting your very own band, finding gigs and work, as well as rehearsing and performing.

Before you set off, you need to ask some important questions and take a lot of different factors into consideration. For starters, have you identified the members who will make up your band? If yes, have you pitched the idea to them and are they onboard? If not, how exactly do you plan on going about it? Do you have a list of potential candidates?

At this point, it is also important to ask yourself how big the band will be, and who exactly will be doing what.

Avoid naming your band before all members of the band have put in at least one practice session. This will allow you to be able to get a feel of the band, before you give it a name that will remain with you for the rest of your life, and become something you will be identified with. For instance you might call it The Metal Nation on the basis that it’s going to be a heavy-metal band, only to discover that metal isn’t for you. Now you’re stuck with an awkward name that you most certainly will have to change.

In all probability, your band-mates will be your close friends, or people you know from school or college, who play instruments. That is how most bands come into being in the first place (pick the history of any big band out there, 90% of the time, that is how the band would’ve been formed!). Starting a band with your friends has its advantages – it’s easier to form a band this way; you know everyone’s strengths and which instrument each member excels at playing. Plus, the fact that you know them well (and vice versa) is important because (as you’ll find out in due course of time), relationships within the band are extremely important. So for instance if you have the choice between a bassist who’s your friend but not as good as another bassist who can really kick it with a bass guitar, but you don’t know him very well, go with your friend. With time, the lesser accomplished of the two will improve and most certainly get better!

One important aspect to consider is that it’s all a lot easier if all band members are able to meet somewhere on a daily basis – such as school or work. Doing so makes it easier to arrange practice/jam sessions and talk about the music and the band.

Once your band is together, give yourself a quick pat on the back and start practicing! When you kick things off, it may (or may not) take time for the band to get together and get in sync with each other; it depends on how familiar everyone is with each other. It will probably take some time before everyone’s one the same wavelength. But for starters, decide upon a couple of songs that everyone in the group – the singer, the guitarist, the bassist, the drummer etc. – is familiar with, and practice intensively. Don’t immediately jump on creating your original material immediately. Take a good easy song, like a Coldplay, Nirvana or a Pink Floyd track.

Continue to practice on a regular basis, depending on the time available for you and the other member to do so. Personally, nothing beats practicing on a daily basis; it is extremely important. But if you (or another member) for instance have work or commitments that might keep you from practicing daily, do it at least once a week, weekends for-the-win!

Deciding where you would be rehearsing is an important factor. My band used to assemble in my garage since it was practically empty, a big-enough space and at a distance from the house so that the noise would not bother anyone else. If you don’t have such an option and if you have access to your school’s music room (or any hall), go for it. If not, rent out an empty space at your local community center, for a few hours – they’re quite cheap!

And finally, perhaps the most important part – getting work! Plan your first gig by starting off locally. You need to think like a marketer initially and basically get the word out by letting as many people as possible that you’re now in a band which is looking for work. Also remember that most gigs pay either nothing, or close to nothing (which is then split 4 or 5 ways!), so don’t expect to earn a lot of money. You’re not making music for the money anyway are you, because if you are, you’re probably in the industry for the wrong reasons! In the beginning, at least for a good year or two, it’s all about exposure and spreading the word. If you’re good enough, someone might just approach you at a gig and invite you to play for them!

Good luck!