From strumming on a toy guitar to singing into a hair-brush, boys and girls up and down the country have all at one point dreamed of being in their own band. For those who really are serious, here's our step-by-step guide to starting your own band.
The first step is all about establishing an identity. You will first need to create a band by finding the right musicians and vocalists who can all work together. Whether through school or advertising, once you have found a group that you're comfortable with, then you can try and hone in on what your style will be. Of course it's not necessary to always stick to one style, but having a common theme is important to ensure your band retains an identity. This step can also be reversed, so that you decide on what genre you like and then advertise for members based on that criteria.
Now it's time to practice, a lot. Find a regular place or two to practice (school, bedroom, garage etc) but make sure it's somewhere accessible to all band members. Just as important to jamming at this point is establishing some ground rules like when to practice, who plays what, how to manage expenses etc. Also draw up a contract that covers all this and more to help deal with any formal disputes in the future.
Now that you have started to jam on a regular basis, start putting some lyrics down and creating songs. Whether there's one lead song-writer or everyone pitches in, every band member at this point should be involved to make sure everyone is happy with the band's identity. After a lot of practice and honing in, it's now time to get out there!
Ideally you will have a demo to give out or sell at the same time, but now is the time to start playing live. Whether at a friend's birthday party or by entering the local talent competition, getting on stage, performing and networking is the final and most important step to helping your band become known and successful.
The first step is all about establishing an identity. You will first need to create a band by finding the right musicians and vocalists who can all work together. Whether through school or advertising, once you have found a group that you're comfortable with, then you can try and hone in on what your style will be. Of course it's not necessary to always stick to one style, but having a common theme is important to ensure your band retains an identity. This step can also be reversed, so that you decide on what genre you like and then advertise for members based on that criteria.
Now it's time to practice, a lot. Find a regular place or two to practice (school, bedroom, garage etc) but make sure it's somewhere accessible to all band members. Just as important to jamming at this point is establishing some ground rules like when to practice, who plays what, how to manage expenses etc. Also draw up a contract that covers all this and more to help deal with any formal disputes in the future.
Now that you have started to jam on a regular basis, start putting some lyrics down and creating songs. Whether there's one lead song-writer or everyone pitches in, every band member at this point should be involved to make sure everyone is happy with the band's identity. After a lot of practice and honing in, it's now time to get out there!
Ideally you will have a demo to give out or sell at the same time, but now is the time to start playing live. Whether at a friend's birthday party or by entering the local talent competition, getting on stage, performing and networking is the final and most important step to helping your band become known and successful.
