How the hell do you start a band?

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

I can play the drums alright. I have a friend who is a good bass player, but wants to give guitar a go.

We need to find another person to play something or another.

But how the hell do you really start a band? I mean who writes the songs? How do you know you're good enough at your instrument to play in a band.

Most people probably figure this out when they're 14, but i'm 27 and looking to be in a band for the first time.

― Debito (Debito), Sunday, 23 May 2004 04:34 (twenty-two years ago)

Let's ask the owl!

*licks your drums 3 times and then bites into them*

The answer is three.

― David Allen (David Allen), Sunday, 23 May 2004 04:36 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm very curious to hear the answers to this because I'm 33 (gasp) and am thinking of doing this too. I'm an intermediate guitarist who has never been in a band as a guitarist/chief songwriter, but have written a good 15 songs or so that I would sing and play rhythm too but I'm nervous about potentially telling guys with much more musical knowledge than me that I don't like what the're doing to/for the song. How do you get across your "vision" without coming across as a smug asshole? Or is it an inevitable process of "hiring and firing" before it all comes together?

― Mark M, Sunday, 23 May 2004 04:43 (twenty-two years ago)

Be prepared, speak clearly and keep an open mind.

― earlnash, Sunday, 23 May 2004 05:10 (twenty-two years ago)

There aren't enough guitar-driven rock bands.

― djdee2005, Sunday, 23 May 2004 05:44 (twenty-two years ago)

what we need is more clarinet-driven rock bands.

― Ian Johnson (orion), Sunday, 23 May 2004 05:50 (twenty-two years ago)

There aren't enough guitar-driven rock bands.
-- djdee2005 (fsel...), May 23rd, 2004.

Since tunrtables have outsold guitars for the past couple of years (I swear I've heard this a few places), you're fucking right.

Besides, I hate when I hear that criticism. Playing in a band is fun!

― David Allen (David Allen), Sunday, 23 May 2004 05:55 (twenty-two years ago)

That's exactly what I was thinking. I'm starting a kick-ass rock band.

The clarinet comment is a bit bizarre, because my good friend plays the clarinet. We were totally planning to start a band with a clarinet, but she up and moved to a different city. so that plan was scraped.

― Debito (Debito), Sunday, 23 May 2004 05:57 (twenty-two years ago)

I wrote all the songs myself then convinced other people to play them. sometimes they have opinions about them. sometimes the opinions are good and sometimes they're bad. we've tried to work some new stuff through together and that seems to be alright too but we haven't finished anything that way. Democracies in bands are bad, I think.

― kyle (akmonday), Sunday, 23 May 2004 06:51 (twenty-two years ago)

"Let's get together for a jam" is a nice ice breaker. Doesn't commit anyone to anything too heavy.

― the music mole (colin s barrow), Sunday, 23 May 2004 07:06 (twenty-two years ago)

what we need is more clarinet-driven rock bands.

Agreed!

― James Slone (Freon Trotsky), Sunday, 23 May 2004 07:33 (twenty-two years ago)

I used to play in a rock band with a guy who played the alto clarinet and attached a little Sennheiser clip mic onto the bell, fed the sound through a Zoom delay unit and out through a 30 year old tube amp.

― fields of salmon (fieldsofsalmon), Sunday, 23 May 2004 08:05 (twenty-two years ago)

Were you in the Ozric Tentacles? ;p

― Dean Birkett (Fynci), Sunday, 23 May 2004 12:08 (twenty-two years ago)

There was that band that dawn weiner's brother from welcome to the doll house had.

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Sunday, 23 May 2004 13:01 (twenty-two years ago)

That was the best band ever.

― N. (nickdastoor), Sunday, 23 May 2004 13:12 (twenty-two years ago)

What were they called again?

― N. (nickdastoor), Sunday, 23 May 2004 13:13 (twenty-two years ago)

"Don't hesitate, do it now, do it right now."
--Sten Hansen

― Stephen Boyle (SBoyle), Monday, 24 May 2004 16:28 (twenty-two years ago)

First you get the drugs. Then you get the women. They you get the power.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Monday, 24 May 2004 16:38 (twenty-two years ago)

get people with instruments in a place where you can make noise and not get in trouble like a practice space, garage, whatever. play. jam, play popular songs you know, or teach eachother things you've made up at home. form regular bits you enjoy. hone those into actual songs if you need such things.

eventually... make demo tape, get crappy shows, get fans, make record, get bigger shows, make crappy follow records, get drunk too much, fuck the wrong person, get incurable disease, die, and finally, get immortalized on a web page.

concepts... not required. talent... not required. originality... not required.

think of it like a bowling team... get some pals together and fuckin knock some shit in every wednesday. then figure out how to make that cool enough for someone to actually want to watch you guys do your thing. "take the skinheads bowling, take them bowling..."
m.

― msp, Monday, 24 May 2004 17:21 (twenty-two years ago)

If you actually have songs written, don't feel bad about forcing the other members to learn them and play them how you think they should go. After all, you went to the trouble of actually writing something, as opposed to the other dudes (ie, me) who will just be playing "Taxman" over and over on the bass. Just be willing to listen if/when another band member actually brings in something useful.

― NA (Nick A.), Monday, 24 May 2004 17:27 (twenty-two years ago)

buy a computer.

― hstencil (hstencil), Monday, 24 May 2004 17:40 (twenty-two years ago)

band stuff can be a lot like a relationship... some people want to flirt and date and perhaps get it on... others want a commitment and want it very serious.

some folks are power freaks and one person dominates. some are very democratic.

it's important to kinda be on the same page about expectations. communication is SUPER important. being open is too. compromise is huge. you're gonna open yourself up to these people, so trust is slowly earned in some ways. you want to be comfortable with these people. know your role and only stay because you're happy in that role. just like i'd never advise somebody to settle or to take a lot of bullshit just to be in a relationship, the same is true in a band.

playing music tends to follow a lot in the role of sex... there are some acts which are just not kosher, so be aware. if nobody wants to have guitar solos, don't stick em in there. no means no, ok?

it's important i think to not get too serious too quickly as well. you get too much emotion invested and you could get fucked over. well, unless you're a pro and the band is one of pure business relationship... but you're sounding like a teen new to the dating game, so i'm assuming being on the cover of guitar magazine isn't in your immediate interest.

wade in. screw around. have fun.
m.

― msp, Monday, 24 May 2004 17:50 (twenty-two years ago)

there's not that much thought into getting a rock band together. you just kinda do it. i wish i could be a bit more descriptive, but thats how it goes.

there's two methods you can try.

1. bring in some of your material. if you're not a control freak, you'll be surprised as to what people can add to an existing work and how things can change.

2. "jam" i hate that word but honestly, fucking around is how 95% of bands come up with their material. once you find something everyone can agree on, use that as the basis of a song. work it into something thats enjoyable to play.

the creative process is a little of both, really.

my favorite song that ive written lately was done in such a manner. at my current bands first practice, we jammed about until we found a rhythm everyone liked and worked out a basic structure. after a couple of weeks, i realized i had been working on another song where the lyrics didnt fit with the music but kept up popping up in my head when the band worked on the other song. so i sat at home and reworked the song to make the lyrics fit and noodled around with the structure. i brought it back to the band, tightened it up and it was in good enough shape to play out. you can hear it here.

making music is a lot like drawing, in a lot of respects. you sit down with this blank piece of paper, a pencil and go to work. there's a lot of erasing and redrawing, but eventually something appears.

― maria tessa sciarrino (theoreticalgirl), Monday, 24 May 2004 22:17 (twenty-two years ago)

who will just be playing "Taxman" over and over on the bass

haha it's so true!!

― the surface noise made by people (electricsound), Monday, 24 May 2004 22:21 (twenty-two years ago)

five months pass...

Mexican Power Authority had someone on clarinet--hardcore/grind/metal/
noise Canadian wonderful nonsense.

― Stephen Boyle (SBoyle), Sunday, 24 October 2004 01:06 (twenty-one years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.