\n
![\"how](\"https:\/\/www.musikalessons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/shutterstock_313670855.jpg\")
<\/p>\nWithout a doubt, putting a band together, writing music and performing live on stage is one of the absolute best experiences a musician can have. For younger musicians especially, the experience of creating and playing music with other like-minded people develops hugely important skills that can help a person on stage and even in their daily lives outside of music, but figuring out how to start a band is no easy task.
\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re reading this, you might\u2019ve tried to start your own band at one point but haven\u2019t been successful yet. Building your own band from scratch can be a massively difficult undertaking, so you shouldn\u2019t be discouraged if it hasn\u2019t worked out for you yet. Starting a band is usually so difficult because it involves working with and organizing people, and people are complicated. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Whether you\u2019re 18 or 80 and starting a band for the first or fifteenth time, you bring a set of unique expectations, strengths and weaknesses to the table when you meet with other people to create, rehearse or perform music. When your good and bad attributes mingle with the attributes of others, anything can happen. Some people get lucky and immediately hit it off with the people they first try to start a band with, but for others it takes months or even years to find like-minded musicians to form a band with. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Another major challenge to starting your own band is supply vs demand problems when it comes to the musicians in your area. Let\u2019s say you play guitar and want to find a bassist and drummer to form a band with. Depending on your age, location and genre of music, there might be a huge demand but not a lot of supply in terms of the musicians you\u2019re looking for. There simply might not be enough musicians to go around in your local community. And if you\u2019re young and figuring out how\u00a0to start a band for the first time, the available musicians you\u2019re looking for in your area might not give you the time of day because you haven\u2019t proven yourself yet. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Starting your own project from scratch can seem downright impossible, but don\u2019t despair! We\u2019ve got some excellent advice in this article on how to start a band. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n You\u2019ll save a significant amount of time, energy and frustration by taking the time to figure out exactly what you\u2019re trying to get out of starting a band long before you attempt to meet with other musicians. Why? Let\u2019s liken trying to form a band to founding a new startup company. It\u2019s exciting to tell your friends and family that you\u2019re forming a new company, but your new venture is almost guaranteed to fail if your company doesn\u2019t know what it does or where it wants to go. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Do you want to start an 80\u2019s cover band that plays weddings and private events to earn extra cash? Are you a singer\/songwriter looking for session musicians to record and perform with? Or maybe you\u2019re an aspiring songwriter looking to collaborate and perform with other musicians. Different companies require different specially trained employees, and bands are no different. Take some time defining what you want to be and where you want your band to go before getting serious about forming a band.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Practicing, writing music and playing shows is a massive time commitment, and being in a band is a ton of work, so you\u2019ll need to make a convincing case as to why musicians should want to lend their precious time and talents to your project. Once you\u2019ve defined your goals and what you want your band to do and sound like, start selling your new project to experienced musicians in your area. You\u2019ll need to learn how to highlight your experience, musical prowess and long-term goals during this process whether it\u2019s conveyed over a thoughtful Craigslist post or in a face-to-face meeting with a musician. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n If you want to form a band to write music and perform with, there\u2019s no better way to showcase your vision and experience than through recorded demos of your songs. A solid demo of your music can show prospective bandmates who you are, what you sound like and where they might fit into the picture. Recorded demo versions of your songs don\u2019t have be meticulously recorded. Demos recorded on free music software programs like Garage Band or even ones made on your phone are fine, but you\u2019ll definitely bring more credibility to the table if you take the time and money to professionally record a few versions of your songs. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n If you\u2019re a seasoned musician, you\u2019ll probably have tons of music to share with prospective bandmates, but you\u2019ll need to learn how to tell other musicians why you\u2019re a person worth working with. Have you played in previous bands? What venues have you performed at? Have you been signed to a label or publisher? Similar to the process of drafting a cover letter while applying for a job, effectively laying out your experience, skills and vision for your project to the musicians you\u2019re trying to attract is paramount when trying to find solid musicians to play with.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The process of pitching to potential bandmates will need to be a lot different if you\u2019re planning on forming something like a professional cover band. Money complicates everything, and smaller projects that revolve around songwriting typically have the luxury of not having to be concerned about pay, contracts and other non-musical worries in the beginning of their existence. If you\u2019re looking to form a professional band, you\u2019ll need to lay out expectations about money and payment along with your pitch. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n In 2017, there\u2019s never been more ways to get connected with local musicians in your area. Just 20 years ago your options for figuring out how to start a band with local area musicians were to take an ad out in the newspaper or to post flyers in local music stores. Now there\u2019s thousands of ways to reach out not just to the musicians in your area but also around the world. Message boards and Craigslist as well as social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter are great ways to get the word out about the type of project you\u2019re trying to form. In particular, looking to connect with small groups of musicians who specialize in or listen to obscure forms of music is made a much simpler task with the internet. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n After you\u2019ve developed your pitch, taking it to as many on and offline platforms as you can will increase your chances of finding the right people to join your project. If you live in a small city, this process might take a long time for you, but don\u2019t get discouraged. It\u2019s free to post ads looking for bandmates, so all you need is a well-crafted pitch and some patience. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n If you want to form a serious band, you\u2019ll have to be choosy when it comes to deciding who to work with. Being in a band is a relationship as much as it is a business partnership, and the people you decide to work with will have a huge bearing on whether your project is creatively or financially successful or not. If you\u2019ve crafted your pitch effectively, you might get dozens of musicians who want to join your band. That\u2019s a nice problem to have, but it means you\u2019ll need to make some tough decisions. Here\u2019s some good questions to think about when it comes to finding out who\u2019ll make a good fit for your project:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n How experienced are they?<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The amount of experience you should look for in a musician completely depends on the style and character of the band you\u2019re trying to form. If you\u2019re fresh out of high school and looking to start an indie pop band, then choosing an older person with a lot of experience with their instrument might not be the best fit stylistically for you. Other types of projects like professional cover bands or jazz ensembles will obviously require musicians with lots of proven training and experience. Don\u2019t be afraid to audition band members if you\u2019re looking for musicians that specialize in a certain type of style or sound. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Are they a good fit stylistically?<\/strong> <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n <\/p>\n If you\u2019re looking for musicians to collaborate with, attributes like taste and personality can trump a musician\u2019s proven experience. While feeling out whether someone could be a good fit for your project, take some time to learn about their musical preferences and style of playing or songwriting before taking them on permanently. Better yet, schedule a low-pressure playing session to simulate what writing or performing with musicians are like before committing to anything long-term. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n How reliable are they?<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Reliability can be a tough quality to gauge in a person you\u2019ve just met, but it\u2019s an attribute that can literally make or break a band. The stereotype of aloof stoners leading successful bands couldn\u2019t be further from the truth. Most bands who\u2019ve found creative or financial success typically had to conduct themselves in a professional matter to be taken seriously. Missing practices, showing up late to shows or drinking too much during performances are usually hallmarks of an unreliable musician. Drug abuse is another red flag. There\u2019s no one way to find out if a musician is going to be reliable or not, but if your gut tells you something about a person you\u2019re considering making music with, it\u2019s important that you listen up. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n You might find yourself in a situation like meeting a musician who seems like a good fit other than the fact that they don\u2019t have a car and will need rides to and from practice. Helping out with something like rides, gas money or lending out your instruments now and then might be something you\u2019re willing to do for the right band member depending on you and your unique set of circumstances. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Does their personality fit with the culture of my project?<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\nTip #1: Define exactly what you want out of a band long before you try to start one<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"rock](\"https:\/\/www.musikalessons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/shutterstock_676628314.jpg\")
Tip #2: Learn to effectively make your case to potential bandmates<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"record](\"https:\/\/www.musikalessons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/shutterstock_576102646.jpg\")
Tip #3: Use every resource you can to connect with local musicians<\/strong> <\/span><\/h2>\n
Tip #4: Be discerning when it comes to choosing who to work with<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"band](\"https:\/\/www.musikalessons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/shutterstock_631636502.jpg\")