On The Beat Productions online magazine
Starting A Band - part 1
Over the next couple of months we will be looking at how to start a band, choose music, rehearse, get gigs and record. This is a big area of work to cover but the trip is a lot of fun and the rewards will be great!
So, this month, let’s look at how to form a band. If you are in school / college, visit your music department and make sure the music teachers know who you are, that you’re a drummer, how long you have been playing and what sort of music you like. (If you can get a good rapore with the music teachers they will put you forward into bands they know needing a drummer or even in school productions.)
Have some flyers made up with what sort of music or bands you like (ie punk, drum n bass, jazz – Green Day, Roni Size, Michel Camilo) what instruments you are looking for (ie Guitar, vocals, bass, decks, saxophone etc) what sort of age of band you want to form (if applicable) and your contact details. (A mobile number or email address is usually enough). Ask the head of music in your school if you can hand some out flyers and put them on the notice boards. Then, go to your local music shops and ask to put your flyers on their notice boards. Again, having a good rapore with your local music shop can lead to some very good contacts and even gigs.
It is probably a good idea to have some song names written out that you like. When starting a band, the easiest way to get a set list together is to do cover songs. Then, when you start to write your own songs, you can substitute covers for originals. When the phone calls start to come in, ask the person what instrument they play, how long they have been playing and what they expect from a band. You will probably get a good idea over the phone, or email what ability and commitment that person has. If you are inundated with a large response, you are in a great position to pick and choose what players you want for your band. Be prepared to be open minded with what other players are into. Not everyone will want to do American Idiot! But try to find a compromise. Maybe suggest that each player picks three or four songs to cover, that way you have a nice mixture of tunes and you get to play your favourites. And who knows, being exposed to other peoples favourite music could turn you onto some great new music and drummers!
Once you have found some suitable players, it might be a good idea to meet them for a social to have a chat and get to know each other a bit better. Keep and organise contact details and make sure each member of the band has your contact details too. When you meet up for a social, a good topic of discussion could be the type of music you want to play, where you want to go with the band (gigs, recording, getting signed etc) and even the band name!
Next month we will look at getting rehearsals together.
Keep practicing, be open minded and have fun!!
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