How to get into a band and start playing live
29/05/23 08:49
How to get into a band or start playing live
1. Simply be good
For either scenario, you need to be a competent player and a competent performer. You’d need to understand your role in the band as part of the band and on stage as a performer giving audiences an enjoyable experience. You may have read a similar intro in the "How do I get work as a musician" blog!
It’s imperative that your instrument sounds good - you’re not miss-fretting notes; you’re notes and chords are in tune; your groove is solid and dependable and your sound is simply pleasant (appropriate to the genre you’re working in anyway!).
Before you start trying to get into a band, make sure all of the above are true. Music *is* supposed to be fun, but not at the expense of the band’s overall sound or the audiences’ enjoyment.
2. Get a good little showreel together.
If you’re aiming at small scale pub and club hobby bands, you don’t need to go all in here, but it might help you get into a band quicker if you had a good sounding video of you playing / performing something interesting. And it lasts for a while if it’s good - you might not want to stay with the first groups you join!
While opinions will vary on whether it’s required, it’s kinda like spending a bit of time putting together a good looking cv for a job - you want to stand out against the other applicants. And what you’ll find is (and what I find too), is that a lot of musicians are machine gun applicants - they’ll shoot quick and simple at a lot of roles and hope one sticks. Me personally - I’ll spend time crafting an application to tell the “employer” exactly who I am and what they want to know that they probably didn’t ask yet - and hope that I stand out. Why I employ musicians, that’s what I look for… effort!
Look at my musician page at davephillipsmusic.co.uk/depmusician for an example of what I mean.
If you’re looking for pro bands, videos and commentary on you are essential. So all of the above counts, but it’s just doubly important- especially when you don’t know any body and nobody knows you.
If you're looking for solo work - your videos are literally your primary sales tool for clients to see you before they book you. You should see the "How to get work as a musician" blog for a little more depth.
3. Find a good band.
There are plenty of bands out there. It’s both a good thing and a bad thing, although that’s for an entirely different blog!!!!!
You’ll find people advertising often on local musician pages on Facebook. Facebook is awash with musician forums looking for both hobbyist and professional players. If you’re not on Facebook (and I wouldn’t blame you),it would be worth having an account to scour and keep an eye on the musician forums for openings.
Local music shops may also have paper listings on the notice board, and don’t forget "joinmyband" style websites.
The title “find a good band” is quite relevant, although I’d understand if you were looking for “any” band. Remember that you’d be auditioning a band to work with equally as they are auditioning you to play with them.
For it to be fun and rewarding, the people should be fun and the involvement should be rewarding. Does the band sound good? Does the band “look” good (perform good)? Is the band leader able to get enough gigs to make it worth it? Are the gig fees worth it for you?
If none of the above count, it could be a laborious thing. Being in a band is hard. It’s fun at first, but it can quickly descend if it’s not going in the direction you want it to, all of the players are pulling it in different directions, or there are some members who are less enthusiastic than others. We’re getting ahead of ourselves, but it’s worth keeping in mind.
Now, be better than the rest and go and get that gig!
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