How To Start A Band? That’s the first question
that pops up if you have been playing a musical instrument for a while.
If you feel like you have the drive and talent to start a band, start
talking to friends at school or at work to see if anyone in the area plays
an instrument. You may need several musicians for any rock band,
garage band, or local band. Networking is the key. In order to
survive in a band you need to have a love of music. Whether you are
playing cover songs or original music it takes hard work and long hours to
successfully play gigs (shows). While some musicians can get rich
playing music, the reality is that local musicians rarely make a lot of
money. You really have to love music and playing live. If you
feel you have the intensity and drive, here are the steps to help you start
a band or form a music group. This article assumes that you already
know how to play and instrument or sing at a quality level.
Recruiting Musicians For Your Band - If you’re lucky
you may know a few friends in the area or in your school or workplace.
That makes it a lot easier to rehearse since you are all local. It can
be a little harder if you have to recruit or find musicians. Don’t get
discouraged most times it is easier than you think. There are many
musicians out there looking to play gigs and shows. Some of the
easiest ways to recruit musicians are to place classified ads with
Craigslist, local newspapers (they may charge fees), or putting up
flyers at your local music store. Many music stores have bulletin
boards where you can post advertisements. The flyer can be as simple
word document or can be professionally done. Basically, just include
the pertinent information in a simple straight forward manner. For
example, Local Guitarist in search of Drummer, Bass Player, and Singer to
start Hard Rock Band. Covers and Original music in the style of Van Halen or AC/DC. At the bottom of the page make about 6 to 10 tear offs
with your contact info. This way the person looking at the ad can just
tear off that small contact piece of paper and leave your musicians wanted
flyer in tact.
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Music Genre – Instrumentation – Original Music vs Covers -
While you may enjoy a certain genre of music like Grunge or Hard
Rock, the musicians you recruit may have different music tastes. It’s
important that you get together with your fellow musicians and decide the
direction of the band. While the typical form of a rock band is
guitarist, vocalist, bass, and drums there are many other instruments that
may pertain to your style of music. Do you need a keyboardist?
Can your musicians sing backup vocals?
Usually someone in the band starts to take charge of decisions on music
genre or instrumentation. The more seasoned or experienced musicians
may have a good idea of the direction they would like to take with the band.
Are there more opportunities to make money as a wedding band playing top 40
or oldies tunes? Tribute bands tend to do well in certain markets as
well, but do you want to play cover songs all your life. Has your band
written some good original music? If that’s the case, try to hit
the local music venues, pubs, or bars in your area that cater to live music.
Sit down early in the band formation process and decide the direction for
the band. That’s not to say you can’t change your music genre later,
but it’s good to at least have a goal to work towards.
Songwriting / Original Music - As a serious musician you
may get sick of playing cover tunes at some point in your career. When
forming a band decide if you want to play original music. Usually
someone in the band takes a lead and presents ideas to the band. The
creative process is great in this respect. The songwriter may have an
idea in mind that turns into something totally different than what they
expected. The bass player may add a walking bass line or the drummer
could add a rock beat that makes the song pop. Keep track of who
writes the songs and contributes to each song. You will need to use
this info when you get
your music copyrighted. It’s important to copyright your music
especially if you start recording. Many social media websites would
like you to only post music that is copyrighted as well. For example,
Myspace for bands may ask you if the material is copyrighted before they let you
post songs. Also if your band starts to take off and you will want to
join a Performance
Rights Organization. They will help your band to collect Royalties
if your original music is ever used publically.
Band Promotion - Promoting your band is
probably one of the things least talked about when starting a band.
There are certain materials that you absolutely need to book shows, promote
your music, and eventually gain a fan base.
Band Promotion Materials: (What every band needs to get shows and
gain a fan base)
Band Press Kit – Your band needs a press
kit to send to booking agents for venues who offer live music.
Most band media kits include a band bio, type of music, song list, demo
CD, and other pertinent band info.
Band Demo – A three to four song demo of the
music you will play at the venue, pub, or open microphone night.
Choose your three best songs. If you have not recorded a demo
visit our home recording page for tips on recording a professional demo.
These are DIY (do it yourself tips) that may save you money in the long
run.
Band Website – Many bands have their own
domain name for their band website. Search for open domain names
through this link to Ipower. Host your Web site with IPOWER! Ipower also has tools to develop a website as well. Social Media
websites work as well, it’s just more professional to have your own
official website. If you are a band on a budget try these
Social Media Websites for bands. Many offer free band pages.
Social Media Band Websites - Below is a list of Social
media websites for bands. Many are free, but please research them to see
which ones work best for your band. Many of these sites offer the ability
to upload your songs for free. Visitors to you page can actually listen to
your music, learn about the band, and possibly buy your music if it’s
available for sale. These social media band websites can offer cost
effective ways to promote your music.
