What could be cooler than being the lead singer or guitarist in your own band? Not only do you get to enjoy your love of music but you also get to be ranked as cool among your friends and fans. If you’re going to start your own band you should know there is quite a bit of work ahead of you. Not only will you need to locate other musicians to join you, but you will also need to make sure you’ve got some place to practice and learn how to get paying gigs. Below are some suggestions on how to get started:
1. Your Lead Singer is Everything
While the sound of the tunes is certainly what makes the song, you really want to focus on the lead singer of the band. They will ultimately act as the voice--quite literally--for the team and therefore you’ll want to make sure that you choose someone who is really talented and outgoing. If you find someone who has a fairly decent voice but a great personality for wowing the crowds, you could always check online for affordable singing lessons for kids, teens or adults. A few lessons from a great instructor can make an okay singer sound superb.
2. You Want a Pretty Skilled Bassist Too
Another key player in your band will be your bassist. Because they are responsible for keeping the rhythm and moving the song along, your band mates will rely heavily on him or her to keep them on point. If the bassist is constantly messing up, it makes the song sound different and thus makes you guys look pretty bad.
3. Find a Secluded Place to Practice
There is nothing worse than constantly having your set interrupted because of surrounding disturbances. Before your first practice, it is probably a good idea to find a place that is secluded so that you can practice in peace. Talk with your parents to see if there is a timeframe during the day or on the weekends that you can practice. You might also be able to see if your school would allow you to practice in the music room after school for an hour or so.
4. Be Careful Who You Practice in Front of
Everyone’s a critic these days and since you’re new to the whole band scene, you don’t want to ruin your reputation before you even land your first gig. That’s why I recommend that you try not to practice in front of many people. While you understand that you’re practicing, someone listening to your music in its rawest form might start spreading the word about how poorly it sounded. So until you’re ready to debut, try to keep your practices away from large crowds.
5. Social Media is a Great Marketing Platform
Once you’ve got a few cover songs (or original content) under your belt you’re going to need to start developing a following. This is ideally how you will get your gigs. Social media can be a great place to showcase this (with your parent’s permission of course). Creating a fan page will be fairly easy to do. Record a session and place it online for likes and shares.
6. Don’t Turn Down Unpaid Gigs
Unpaid gigs might seem like a waste of time, but to be quite honest they are a great way to get your music and band name out there. If someone is interested in having you guys play for an open mic night, talent show, or charity event, it is probably a good idea to go for it. Once you start developing a buzz, then you can start looking into paid gigs.
7. Don’t Be Afraid to Receive Help
In order for your band to continue to be successful you will need to continue learning how to play music in ways that your fans love. This may mean brushing up on your ability to play an instrument. Whether you want to enter a new genre of music or you just want to help developing a better stage presence, getting help from the pros is a great way to improve your band. The better your band is, the more success you can have.
High school bands can be a great way to do what you love while hanging with some friends. If you keep all of these tips in mind you are sure to have a rockin time practicing and even performing at events. Remember, no matter how “uncool” you might think your parents are it is important to ask their permission every step of the way. Once you’re out of school of course the skies are the limit.
By Robert Renman - www.dolphinstreet.com
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