What do you look for when you play with other musicians?

[CrownofWorms]

Though this may have been asked before, I'm just curious what do people look for when they form a band/find new members/join a band etc....... What don't you care about, just talk about your preferences and/or talk shit about past members(usually lol).

Over all:
Have a good social relationship- pretty much be friendly with each other and actually enjoy being around you is a huge plus. No matter what gear or how well you play, if we could develop a good friendship and have very seldom conflicts were all good

Under 23(for now)- Well since I'm under 18, there is a huge gap if I join or recruit a member that is 5 years ahead of my time. It would be a little a different if I wasn't a minor, but for now I gotta deal with that sorta thing. Now we all know that teenagers are a double edged sword when it comes to musicians since most of them don't know what to do and begin to change their mind on things at the wrong time(we all been through there). Most kids my age see a band as something to do for the HS talent show to impress girls and not seriousness.

Be good at your instrument- Since metal is a style of music that isn't for beginners and you have to have some chops, it is pretty much a no brainer. I don't care if you don't have the best gear or look like Nolly as apposed to Alex Webster. If you can play and are a good person you get the job.

Be into the music and actually want to challenge and expand on your playing- If your not into the music, why are you even asking to play in the first place? There's no point in getting someone that would bitch about the bands direction. Now if your not as well rounded or have semi different tastes, but still want to play that doesn't really matter( ie. My rhythm guitar player is a huge on sludge metal and I'm heavy on the death metal, but we both enjoy the two styles and can see the similarities).

Things that don't matter imo, but is kinda of a set off:
Looks- As long as you wear men's pants were good. Stage presence is somewhat crucial

Gear- Not everybody can afford an 6505 and/or JCM2000 half stack with a Ibanez UV777. Some are broke poor. As long as you are really good at your instrument and try to improve on your instrument and afford credible gear.

 

[Rook]

Without really thinking about it I generally forget people under 21 and people who haven't played for more than about 8 years, seriously I mean.

I don't tend to go for people who make particularly strong assertions about anything in particular (I LOVE METAL, I'm self taught as lessons are for pussies, I hate blastbeats, these kind of statements) as that normally means they can be a little stubborn... It's probably not necessarily true but it is off-putting.

I like playing with guitarists who have a sound, and who don't sound like their idol.

I like guitarists who have an appreciation for theory. I don't get snobby and boot non-royal academy educated musicians on their ass, far from, similarly people being all about the theory are a huge turn off. When I say 'I'm playing the A on the 3rd string in a minor shape with an add 9', or 'I'm basing this around a dorian shape over G', it's nice if something clicks... Not even that complicated in fact....

It winds me up when people don't look after their guitars or can't even tune them. People showing up with clammy dead strings, horrendous action, out of tune, can't tune by ear (at all I mean). My instrument is as important to me as my hands or my ears, I take as much care as I can to maintain everything to the best I can get it. I think a well kept instrument also says something about the owner.

I like any knowledge at all of gear/production. If I talk about compression or humbuckers or tube amps, not getting a totally blank expression is always a relief. I've met a few musicians, gigging ones even, who couldn't tell compression from a bloody empty black box. Similar, people having developed a taste in gear (and music) is refreshing as many people either follow the crowd or don't know.


I guess I'm ranting a little bit, but the musicians I get on best with are normally knowledgable and realistic. If you're only 75% as good as I am that's fine if you play what you do well, similarly if you're twice the player I am that's great to as long as you're moderate and don't just fill everybody's ears with you practise-routine-esque technique non-riffs... I like people who think about the sound as a whole and the music as a whole, not being loudest or flashiest, and I like when you can really identify somebody's playing.



The gear thing, by the way, it's not hard for a working early-twenties male in the UK to have saved for at least middle of the line gear, if I can manage it anyone can, and I think having the commitment to do so says something about the person. At least the interest is generally enough for me (though I did meet a guy once who swore his 30W Marshall MG was all he'd ever need and it did sound terrible), people saying gear's pointless and stupid puts me off.

 

[Miek]

Punches

 

[Sikthness]

Djenting abilities. Ownership of 2+ AxeFxs so I may borrow one indefinately. Connections. Skills. An understanding that Ion Dissonance's Solace is the most intense cd ever made. Wildly attractive female groupies. An instrument. At least one Aqua Teen Hunger Force related tattoo. Breaking Bad and the Wire on DVD. Thats about it. If you wanna jam, hit me up.

 

[Ericbrujo]

Without really thinking about it I generally forget people under 21 and people who haven't played for more than about 8 years, seriously I mean.

I don't tend to go for people who make particularly strong assertions about anything in particular (I LOVE METAL, I'm self taught as lessons are for pussies, I hate blastbeats, these kind of statements) as that normally means they can be a little stubborn... It's probably not necessarily true but it is off-putting.

I like playing with guitarists who have a sound, and who don't sound like their idol.

I like guitarists who have an appreciation for theory. I don't get snobby and boot non-royal academy educated musicians on their ass, far from, similarly people being all about the theory are a huge turn off. When I say 'I'm playing the A on the 3rd string in a minor shape with an add 9', or 'I'm basing this around a dorian shape over G', it's nice if something clicks... Not even that complicated in fact....

It winds me up when people don't look after their guitars or can't even tune them. People showing up with clammy dead strings, horrendous action, out of tune, can't tune by ear (at all I mean). My instrument is as important to me as my hands or my ears, I take as much care as I can to maintain everything to the best I can get it. I think a well kept instrument also says something about the owner.

I like any knowledge at all of gear/production. If I talk about compression or humbuckers or tube amps, not getting a totally blank expression is always a relief. I've met a few musicians, gigging ones even, who couldn't tell compression from a bloody empty black box. Similar, people having developed a taste in gear (and music) is refreshing as many people either follow the crowd or don't know.


I guess I'm ranting a little bit, but the musicians I get on best with are normally knowledgable and realistic. If you're only 75% as good as I am that's fine if you play what you do well, similarly if you're twice the player I am that's great to as long as you're moderate and don't just fill everybody's ears with you practise-routine-esque technique non-riffs... I like people who think about the sound as a whole and the music as a whole, not being loudest or flashiest, and I like when you can really identify somebody's playing.



The gear thing, by the way, it's not hard for a working early-twenties male in the UK to have saved for at least middle of the line gear, if I can manage it anyone can, and I think having the commitment to do so says something about the person. At least the interest is generally enough for me (though I did meet a guy once who swore his 30W Marshall MG was all he'd ever need and it did sound terrible), people saying gear's pointless and stupid puts me off.

What he said.

 

[samdaman87]

Being open-minded and be able to drink a beer or two and have fun playing music

 

[Philligan]

People that are better than me

In my first real band in high school, the other guitar player was a monster, and I made more progress in the six months or so that we were together than the last few years.

Other than that, basically people I can get along with. Most of the other important stuff kinda comes along with that.

 

[Floppystrings]

I see how strong their will is by using advanced brain washing and mind control techniques.

If their will can not be broken, the door not hit thy ass on exit.

 

[Leuchty]

Open mindness and creativity.

 

[EdgeC]

Everything Fun111 said with the addition of a good sense of rhythm and how to stay in time. And not just for drummers. Playing in time and tight is important.

Plus the ability to handle a few drinks.

 

[Explorer]

The best bands I've ever been in had one thing in common: Everyone was focused on making the gig work.

Here's what you get when the gig is the priority:

No ego trips during the writing and the practice.

No meltdowns because one wasn't treated like a star.

A shared work ethic which makes traveling easier.

An openness to considering whether one is playing as well as one should.

A support unit of a number of like-minded individuals, i.e. the rest of the band.

This is purely from the viewpoint of being a working musician with a stable band. If I'm just out working, then I'm the reliable steady one with no ego. They called me, so I'll do my best.

 

[-One-]

I look for similar tastes in music. I mean, I'm into most metal, so I'm pretty open. I mean, not everyone wants to play a combination of Sumeriancore and tech-death, so I can be totally into playing things that sound like August Burns Red, Parkway Drive, Elitist, Texas In July, The Ghost Inside, etc. In fact, I'm in a band that's very much like those bands.

Also, since I'm only 18, I'm not looking for guys with all-tube, 250w, 4x12 setups exclusively. I mean, I use a Jet City 20w 1x12, and I make it work. I mean, I'm not gonna gripe if all you have is a Spider IV (such as my bands guitarist ), but I'd love if you had great gear. Passable gear is fine, however.

In addition, my main thing is, can I hang out with you, without discussing the band, or our music, or playing shows with you, and still get along? I get along great with all of the guys in my band, despite our differences, because we can just chill, and talk other music, gear, tattoos, Xbox, books, movies, whatever. It doesn't bother me if you're straight-edge, do drugs (I mean, don't have a drug problem, keep that shit under control. But I myself am guilty of doing drugs, so I don't judge if you get high, or take prescriptions, or whatever floats your boat), atheist, religious, whatever. As long as we can all get along as a cohesive unit, in and out of a band situation, we should be fine.
A great example of this would be that my band I play bass in has a straight-edge, Christian guitarist, a Christian drummer who smokes weed but won't drink, two atheists (other guitarist, and vocalist) who drink a lot, but don't smoke, and a Christian bassist who drinks, smokes, and has done other drugs. We all get along great, because we all love all sorts of metal, play Skyrim and BF3 all the time, and get into "mindfuck" movies. We can hang without being in a band.

 

[blaaargh]

I think that it's important to have some common ground musically, but it can also be really interesting to have a lot of diverse music tastes. For example, my band is me, who comes from a more extreme metal background (black metal and doom primarily), one guitarist that's primarily a jazz/blues guitarist who's only recently gotten into metal via proggy stuff, another guitarist who used to play hardcore punk, and a drummer who's impossible to describe unless you met the guy. Musically, he's influenced most by Dany Carey and Brann Dailor, but he has his own unique way about things that I can't even understand really, much less try to describe it. Alternatively, I just started jamming with this dude whose musical taste is very similar to mine, and also plays a 7 string, which has been a really cool experience. As many others have mentioned, being able to get along outside of a band setting is really important. Most everyone I jam with smokes weed, but I'm not opposed to playing with people who don't. Another thing that's really important is that everyone in the band have more or less the same ideas about what they want to get out of the band, and that everyone feels invested in the band's success, however you define that. Also, I like to jam with people who are team players - people who know when to step out and take the spotlight during a solo or whatever, but also know how to step back and let the song breathe.

 

[BadBovineNickel]

The best bands I've ever been in had one thing in common: Everyone was focused on making the gig work.

Here's what you get when the gig is the priority:

No ego trips during the writing and the practice.

No meltdowns because one wasn't treated like a star.

A shared work ethic which makes traveling easier.

An openness to considering whether one is playing as well as one should.

A support unit of a number of like-minded individuals, i.e. the rest of the band.

This is purely from the viewpoint of being a working musician with a stable band. If I'm just out working, then I'm the reliable steady one with no ego. They called me, so I'll do my best.

+1

 

[Varcolac]

All of Explorer's "making the gig work" list, plus bags of theory. It really helps when everyone knows what they're talking about.

Furthermore, learning stuff before practice. Practice is for making perfect, as the idiom goes: it's not for teaching people the riffs, it's for getting the band up to the best possible quality.

 

[Moolaka]

I actually though about this a lot when finding members for my new project. The criteria was basically: Be a nice guy/people that I can trust to do the right thing when representing the band, people that have chops, an appreciation for all forms of music, gigable gear, not surgically attached to GF/cell/cigs/booze. Basically I just concentrated on building a really musically dynamic and enabled outfit of super cool dudes. It took over a year to fill the slots but I am so happy to be jamming with these guys who are on my level both musically and socially. I was always that guitarist that sorta bounces around bands playing lead guitar, gun slingin' I call it, so now it's awesome to be in a band with other really technical musicians where my brand of creativity is welcomed with open arms.

In short, I found dudes that I can spend weeks at a time with (never thought I woulf) that also happen to shred and have broad musical tastes. It took awhile but I found the right guys to bring together and really concentrated on building a strong social relationship, now we're like brothers after 8 months as a full band. So worth it.

 

[Konfyouzd]

I don't look for anything specific when playing with other people. Big expectations can lead to big disappointments in many ways so I go into most situations like that looking to listen more than anything.

I try to hear where I fit in...

 

[ChrisRushing]

People that are better than me

You hit the nail right on the head. If you don't have the skills to push back technically or creatively then you probably aren't going to be playing with me. Obviously there are other factors but this is by far the largest.

 

[ArrowHead]

Snacks, and a nearby clean toilet.

 

[dave6]

I pay a lot of attention to the vibes i get. If i feel like the person is an awkward person then its pretty difficult to make a musical connection. I definitely look for tightness, i hate it when someone can't play to a click. I've definitely had horrible experiences with that. But as long as they are tight, recognize their own flaws and work at fixing them, and have a wonderful personality... they're worth working with. Having amazing gear is totally a plus, but as long as it isn't horrible gear then its pretty much all good. Oh I almost forgot, I also prefer my musicians to be pretty ...just kidding....or am i?