Best Approach to Starting a Band

Post your name, info & interests on the bulletin board of your local music store. You should be able to hook up with some others who share the same goals. You might also make friends with one of the guys who work there who can make some connections for you. They are usually familiar with all the local musicians.
You'll might have to check out several musicians before you find one's you get along with.

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Taking away from you for the greater good.

"Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery".-- Winston Churchill

"Islam isn't in America to be equal to any other faith, but to become dominant" - Omar Ahmed, C.A.I.R.)

So like, CD warehouse, or Guitar Center? Either way, that sounds like an awesome idea, thanks!

Yeah, I've got a Pro Sound nearby, and all the local shredders & axemeisters hang out there.

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Taking away from you for the greater good.

"Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery".-- Winston Churchill

"Islam isn't in America to be equal to any other faith, but to become dominant" - Omar Ahmed, C.A.I.R.)

talk with numerous people and see if anyone who plays drums or bass has similar tastes with you. then talk about jamming, and then you got yourself a band.

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"I'm lost at sea, dont bother me"

"theirs more in a smile than in a hand"

"And the sea, isn't green, and I love the qeen, and what exactly is a dream, and what exactly is a joke?"

the way i found my band was just kind of coincidence. A few buddies of mine were over my house one night. They are both 2 years older than me and we were just starting to become better friends. They are Freshmen in college and i'm a junior. I played them a recording of a song i made on my mixer, and they ****ing loved it. We soon realized the 3 of us all loved prog rock and we all love porcupine tree. We are like the only 3 people we even know that had even heard of porcupine tree. Well anyway, we've since found a bassist and drummer who like prog, and we're now a 5 person band.

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Where's Handbanana?

Well, I'm not sure what a good method is to make a band, but I know a really bad method on how to fail in doing so.

I had a friend who I was quite close to. We listened to a lot of psychedelic music and whatnot, loved bass-dominant music in particular. I was skilled on the guitar already, but he didn't know anything on how to play. (not to insult him; he'd just never picked up a bass before.) So, we decided to start, anyway. Needless to say, the bridge was never crossed between our abilities and he just gave up on me.

Sorry for tooting me own horn. Just make sure you're all at about the same skill level is my advice.

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Tuesday afternoon
I'm just beginning to see, now I'm on my way
It doesn't matter to me, chasing the clouds away
Something calls to me
The trees are drawing me near, I've got to find out why
Those gentle voices I hear, explain it all with a sigh

I've done it a couple of ways... Like Stratters said, I've posted note cards in music shops, hung out in music shops and jammed with others who came in and hooked up that way. Those associations, for me anyway, were short lived.

My current band (together in the same configuration, more or less, for 5 years now) is an accumulation and aggregation of three other bands. Three of us, Bass Player, Drummer and Me started the band 5 years ago. Through mutual friends, coworkers and gigs, we met and invited to join others who shared our taste and vision. We are a 7 piece now, Drums, bass, 2 guitars, keyboards, 2 vocalist.

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I have always been here.
I have always looked out from behind these eyes.

Another place to do it is at small clubs or whatever. Find a place with an open mic night, or something... There's a place near me that has a blues jam every 3 nights, whoever wants to comes and that's where one of the bands I was in for awhile met up... Chances are that if you meet at a place liek that you're going to have similiar music preferences, so that shouldn't bve a big problem... Or do what the others said, post your name around town in the stores and guitarist hangouts, and go from there.

Good luck.

I have been playing in bands for over 14 years now. Anytime the band I was in had to look for musicians first we would try our pool of friends...much easier to play with someone you've known for a while.

But lately we have had a good deal of luck going through the internet. There is a site that's local to where I live where you can post for free your musical interests, styles, personality, etc. And belive it or not it has worked out quite well.

This is my personal opinion based on my experiences with bands. When I am looking for a musician obviously skill is important....but you know what it's not top on my list. I would rather be playing with someone who has less playing ability but has some other important qualities such as:

*Similar musical likes
*Punctuality - show up for practice on time....doesn't make you sit around and wait for an hour.
*Enthusiastic about what you are playing

For example I have been in situations where we had a top notch musician...but the guy was always late or you could tell he really wasn't into what you were doing.....kind of just going through the motions you know.

Then I have played with guys that had skill but maybe had to work a little harder or practice a bit more....but they were on time....friendly....enjoyed what they were doing....etc.

So again in my opinion best is not always better.

Making music should be enjoyable and you should enjoy the people you are playing with...makes for a better time....trust me.

That's my 2 cents.

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A bird in the hand will shit on your wrist!

Enroll in an English Art School.

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Taking away from you for the greater good.

"Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery".-- Winston Churchill

"Islam isn't in America to be equal to any other faith, but to become dominant" - Omar Ahmed, C.A.I.R.)

I'm a Junior in college (well, I SHOULD be a junior by now, hah). I'm in a fraternity with about 55 other guys right now. Literally 50% of us can play guitar. About 30% play the bass, and we have about 5 drummers. One vocalist (who's already in a pretty successful local rock band), and plenty of guys who can also play keyboards.

I'm dying to try to put something together. I've been asking around, and some guys seem interested or enthusiastic, but this is COLLEGE. It's hard to find that much spare time.

I'm surrounded by tons of musicians which I'm good friends with, and I've watched them blow my mind with their playing ability. However, it doesn't really increase the likelyhood that we'll start a band. Being in college and being in a fraternity is hard enough.

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"Beyond the horizon of the place we lived when we were young, in a world of magnets and miracles..."

So you want to be a rock and roll star
Then listen now to what I say
Just get an electric guitar
Then take some time and learn how to play

And with your hair combed right
And your pants fit tight
It's gonna be all right

Then it's time to go downtown
Where the agent man won't let you down
Sell your soul to the company
Who are waiting there to sell plastic ware

And in a week or two
If you make the charts
The girls'll tear you apart

The price you paid for your riches and fame
Was it all a strange game, you're a little insane
The money that came and the public acclaim
Don't forget what you are, you're a rock and roll star

La la la...

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I have always been here.
I have always looked out from behind these eyes.

nice. my suggestion get people u can connect with, when u guys or gals jam, let it be with the flow. if u all naturally musically connect, itll be good. and im not sure but if u said u want to go big. well then, play 7 hours guitar practice everyday, learn music theory up to phd level. and find other people who are similar to ur style and have the same musical "talents as you" in other words you have to sell ur soul to music.

I don't agree with trying to make bands with friends. It's just like a boyfriend/girlfriend relationship, but without the love part and it's between more than two people. Once things get ugly, as things usually do with embryonic bands, you guys won't be friends for very long after that, or it will be hard to rebuild your friendship.