How do yo know if you're ready to join a band?

[dafack01]

I REALLY want to join a band. Here's the trouble, though. I've only been playing the guitar for about 10 months. I have 11 years of musical experience on the piano, so it's been an easy transition for me. I can pick up pretty much any rhythm part fairly easily. I'm venturing off into soloing (or my impression of it, at least), and can solo to songs such as "Purple Haze", "Good Times, Bad Times", "We Won't be Fooled Again", and "Roadrunner" (by Hendrix, Zeppelin, the Who, and the Who's cover of it, respectively). Part of me says "you're not ready!!", while another part of me says, "You can at least start out at rhythm, and hey, the best way to get better is to join a band and start jamming."

What should I do?

Also, how do you go about joining a band?

I've REALLY got the itch!

Now I just need a gigging amp...

[Old Tele man]

re: "How do yo know if you're ready to join a band?"

Answer: when you're better than the guy in the band...

[dafack01]

Originally posted by Old Tele man
re: "How do yo know if you're ready to join a band?"

Answer: when you're better than the guy in the band...

:lolspin

Seriously, though. What I want to do is at least jam with other guitarists that I know. I really won't be able to jam with a full band until about mid summer when I build my Frankentweed amp. I figure that I can get accoustomed to playing with other guitarists until then and maybe even pick up some things and start playing in full bands maybe by late summer.

Whaddaya think?

[cooltone]

I guess the other players will let you know, too. If you're insecure about your playing now, it may be a blow to hear criticism from other players. Bottom line, though, is that you won't know until you try. I say go for it.:yay

[mgade]

I'm with cooltone. Being in a band is multidimensional - so it is not just yer playing craftmanship that contributes. Whats the worst that can happen? Can you live with that? Whats the worst that can happen if you don't join a band? Is that easier to live with?

Go!




(Edited for e-mail notification)

[telecast]

Like the others have said, playing with a group is a multi-tiered situation. There is a lot to learn about when to play, when not to play, dynamics, alternate parts, and so much more. The only way to obtain the knowledge is to do it.

Start with friends, branch out from there. It's up to you to decide how advanced a group you're ready for. When I was learning the basics, I did a lot of jamming around with friends. I always tried to find someone who was a little better than me and learn everything I could from of them. In some cases I left them behind, some cases I never really caught up. But it was all usefull experience that would come into play later.

Once you get with some friends, the band thing just seems to happen. The first band may not go far, but that's ok, it's a stepping stone. The more you play, the more people you'll meet. There have been a tremendous number of bands started by playing in other projects and people getting to know each other. Guitar from band A, Bass from band B, and so on.

Just do it. Find some people and get started, the rest will fall into place.

Oh, and stop questioning yourself. Do it now.

[Telebluesfan]

Ditto the others.

I'd say a good first step could be an open mic jam. See if the house band will let you sit-in or back you up for a few tunes.

The only thing I can add to the others - use your EARS when playing with others. It always seems to me that the biggest weaknesses in players that struggle in band situations can be traced to their inability to LISTEN to others around them and the entire performance as a whole. Don't get so consumed in your own playing that you subconsciously 'shutout' what the rest of the band is doing.

Tempo and dynamic problems and sloppy playing in general can OFTEN be a result of the player simply not listening to those around him/her. You have two ears - make sure you remember to use them!

And by all means - go find someone to play with ASAP. You'll be hooked before you know it.

[Richard Hayes]

Originally posted by telecast
Like the others have said, playing with a group is a multi-tiered situation. There is a lot to learn about when to play, when not to play, dynamics, alternate parts, and so much more. The only way to obtain the knowledge is to do it.

Start with friends, branch out from there. It's up to you to decide how advanced a group you're ready for. When I was learning the basics, I did a lot of jamming around with friends. I always tried to find someone who was a little better than me and learn everything I could from of them. In some cases I left them behind, some cases I never really caught up. But it was all usefull experience that would come into play later.

Once you get with some friends, the band thing just seems to happen. The first band may not go far, but that's ok, it's a stepping stone. The more you play, the more people you'll meet. There have been a tremendous number of bands started by playing in other projects and people getting to know each other. Guitar from band A, Bass from band B, and so on.

Just do it. Find some people and get started, the rest will fall into place.

Oh, and stop questioning yourself. Do it now.

Excellent advice

It has that added benefit of the MI Factor :tw59

[1boogieman]

How about keyboard in a band? You have some training, you can learn the sets, then practice the rhythm part on guitar and suprise the other members when you whip out your new amp and plug in !!

If you plan on an auditon, that's a different story, you better have something to add to the group. Good luck.



*Post edited to remove spam from signature.

[lyles]

I never knew If I could do it until I jumped in on a jam opportunity. Now, you can't keep me away. I say go for it. If you can do it great if not...practice some more and go back again.
It's like hitting yourself in the hand with the hammer, if you'd opened your eyes you wouldn't have missed the nail.

Go open your eyes !

[fezz parka]

Originally posted by Telebluesfan
I'd say a good first step could be an open mic jam. See if the house band will let you sit-in or back you up for a few tunes.

This just about covers it. You'll know pretty quick if you're ready or not...

[Jammin Joel]

Just like the others have said you got to use your ears and listen to what the other people are doing. It is very important that if you make a mistake you can dig yourdelf out of the whole and keep playing. When I first started playing in a band I had a bad habit of statring a lick over when I mess up. That habit , for me atleast, is really easy to pick up when play alone all the time. It took me a while to break that habbit.

I would suggest you find some people who are not seriuos about gigging at the moment and play with them. If you try to find a band that is seriuos you may be dissappointed when they do not want to keep you around.

[moonpie]

It's actually very easy to tell when you're ready. It comes right after you quit school, get fired from any job you're lucky enough to find, get kicked out by your parents/girlfriend/wife and your dog is ashamed to be seen with you.

At first it's nothing serious, just a few tricks, I mean gigs to put some food in your belly. Before you know it, you're mainlining, playing every chance you get. You're hooked..........you thought it couldn't happen to you, but the cold reality hits you in the face:

YOU'RE A MUSICIAN!!!!!!!!!!!


Oh the horror of it all.............................................

[dafack01]

Originally posted by moonpie
It's actually very easy to tell when you're ready. It comes right after you quit school, get fired from any job you're lucky enough to find, get kicked out by your parents/girlfriend/wife and your dog is ashamed to be seen with you.

At first it's nothing serious, just a few tricks, I mean gigs to put some food in your belly. Before you know it, you're mainlining, playing every chance you get. You're hooked..........you thought it couldn't happen to you, but the cold reality hits you in the face:

YOU'RE A MUSICIAN!!!!!!!!!!!


Oh the horror of it all.............................................

That's what I'm thinking is going to happen to me! I'll do without the quitting school or getting fired thing, though. This is just something I'll be doing to escape. Just have fun with it. I want to be an Engineer for my occupation. I love solving problems and interacting with people, and Industrial Engineering is my ticket. However, gigging is something I want to do BAD, jsut to have some fun, like I said. My frankentele will just have to wait. I need a more powerful amp to gig with now. Looks like I'll be busting out the soldering iron instead!!

[moonpie]

Nothing at all wrong with aspiring to be an engineer.....somebody's gotta drive the train

I live in a city full of engineers. Some of them are incredible guitarists. The rest are nerds who wish they were.:)


"solving problems and interacting with people"............................
Oh, man, you can be the leader. You can solve such problems as showing up at the club for a gig and there's another band setting up. Or a club owner who hires you for 5 nights, 5 sets per at a certain amount and then the club isn't packed on Wed night at 11pm so they cut you and your pay off early.

Now, you can get some quality interacting with people in situations like this...........

But, if you don't get out there and play, you'll always be one of those nerds who wishes they could.


I've had a bunch of jobs, careers, whatever, with varying degrees of satisfaction, either by enjoying the work or getting paid enough to put up with it even if I didn't.


The difference in them all is this: when I got paid for anything else, it was just a paycheck.
When I got paid for playing in front of a crowd of folks who were sharing the experience, I felt rich.

[Tele-Bob]

I've been playing guitar for 30 years and still have my doubts as to whether I'm ready to join a band or not.

[Old Tele man]

I'm with Tele-Bob on this one...you gotta "...know your limits!"

I've been playing rhythm guitar for over 45 years now, and along the way there were MANY bands that I was GREAT in, ie: I had as much to contribute creatively as the lead guitar and bass player did...

Of course, there were also SOME bands that were WAY ahead of me, where I had little (or nothing) to contribute creatively, and when I realized that fact, I quietly "took my leave" and departed. All eventually found someone far BETTER than me -- and some went on to semi-fame.

I always keep in the back of my mind that saying: "...there's ALWAYS somebody BETTER than YOU are..." It's just a matter of TIME and TALENT. And, this is where LOTs of varied practice comes in handy, ie: sittin-in on jams with others...to "learn" another way of doing the samething differently...

[Sven]

Lots of answers here...

...but my opinion is that if you don't already know that you are...then you are not.

[NeoFauve]

I agree with an amalgm of all of the above.

But you also need to ask yourself: "Do I have cool hair?" :%

[Tele-Bob]

Yeah, a cool coiffe is half the battle.

[lyles]

Originally posted by Tele-Bob
I've been playing guitar for 30 years and still have my doubts as to whether I'm ready to join a band or not.

T-B, From what I hear on this forum you shouldn't be worried about this.

But I think that self doubt is what always drives us to improve, to get that next lick, to find the groove where it fits and then slide it in when noone else is ready for it. If this isn't the drive that one has then perhaps you're not ready for a band.

dafack01, I still say jump in, play some rythym, listen to the band and feel for any opportunity to slide in your licks. Just don't do it over the vocals !!!! or someone else's solo !!!!

GO GET 'EM.

In the mean time, join the tff jams in Sound Check and try your stuff out first.

[EJG]

Well, I'm a terrible guitar player, but I like to do it anyway. A couple of summers ago, my family took a vacation to Viriginia Beach. They had free concerts on the boardwalk, and one we happened on was by some obscure blues-rock band. I enjoyed it, and my wife said to me "I bet you would like to do that." I thought about it and decided she was right. From that moment I have pratciced alot more (though you wouldn't be able to tell from listening to me).

Then that fall I went to one of Tele-Bob's Jams in Connnecticut. That was the first tme I ever played with anyone else. I stunk, but I had a great time. When I got back home, I put up some ads asking around for guys who wanted to get together regularly and play. We got a group of us togethger which lasted for about a year, but then disolved. I put another group together which has been meeting once a week for over a year now. We play what we like, and don't worry if its not perfect (or even close). We just play for fun. We havent' had a gig and I doubt we ever will. Just last Monday, we were playing Watermelon Man and by the time the song ended everybody had a big grin on their face. It was just a LOT of fun.

Its even better for me now, because two of my sons are playing with us. My oldest (25) is on bass, and my youngest (15) is on drums (he's a really good guitar player, but picked up drums to help us out).

I look at it like this - some guys go bowling or to a poker game once a week. I go to band practice. Its my hobby and recreation.

So, my answert to your question is: if you're thinking about it, you're ready.

[mgade]

Cool to have the kids join up! Beautiful! I love that!