Why is it so hard to get a band together?

[hairychris]

Hell, this is sludge city after all. High-speed legato and ripping arpeggios aren't everyone's strong point around here.

Sounds like a great combination to me - see if you can work something out!

Then again I'm middling flakey and play in band where sludge is a component and go for aggression over precise technique...

 

[guitareben]

You know, they make this program called Superior Drummer that'll take care of that? Ive seen two guitarist onstage who used it as a backing track that was played from an mp3 player. Find a way, make a way.

And there is a bass program called Trilian, which programs bass ^^

So you can substitute no band for a virtual band until you find awesome people

 

[Konfyouzd]

Something I've kinda been noticing over the past few weeks.

Motivation seems to be contagious...

A lot of folks will say they're down for this, that and the third but when asked to do so seem to come up with a lot of excuses or just seem to just be unavailable for reasons unexplained.

I have been playing in a jam type capacity with various friends for a very long time and there was always talk of "Let's start a band" and what-have-you, but nothing ever really seemed to happen. I would brainstorm with them and say, "At the end of next week let's see if we can have each person bring an idea to the table," etc. Nothing...

My drummer just leaves his kit at my house and for the longest time I just never touched it. They're his drums, I don't wanna break shit, so on and yada yada... Well recently I've gotten frustrated with the inconsistencies in our practice schedule so I took it upon myself to just start recording full song versions of EVERY idea I come up with even if the "full song version" isn't meant to be the final version. It's just to have something on paper, ya know?

Well... Since I've started doing that, I just send the mixdowns to my drummer and keys player with whom I seem to get together most often (They say guitar players are a dime a dozen and I can't find a second guitarist to save my life; I'm pulling double duty on guitar and bass!), and the drummer AND keys player seem to be a lot more motivated. I get the keys player coming over CONSISTENTLY every weekend for tracking/brainstorming now whereas before he would be more into going to a party or a show (which in some cases is still cool; I went with him to see Vai last week!).

The drummer has been coming over sometimes multiple times in a week now to jam/brainstorm/track/etc and we've been taking steps toward bettering our recordings such as getting a decent set of drum mics and a mixer.

It seems like with each idea I record we're becoming more and more motivated as a group and it's a damn good feeling.

TL;DR - Sometimes it's hard to get a band started bc everyone is looking to everyone else to take initiative. I didn't want to at first bc I felt like I'd come across as a tyrant and only further exacerbate the problem, but it turned out to be the exact opposite.

 

[brutalwizard]

Something I've kinda been noticing over the past few weeks.

Motivation seems to be contagious...

This is the best advice in the thread.

 

[djyngwie]

With my current band, the problem is not initiative and motivation: Out of the four of us, two of us (me and the bass player) are constantly writing songs/parts and the singer's working on vocal lines/tweaking the ones we've written to suit her style. Even out drummer writes the occasional riff or even full song idea. So now we've got ten finished songs and loads of ideas floating around.

Nah, our real problem now is trying to find a keyboard player. Keyboard players interested in playing metal (even the comparatively more mellow, melodic stuff we do) is just so hard. We did find one, seemingly perfect guy for the job, but of course he was offered to join a signed, touring band just before we got really serious working with him.

All in all, it feels a bit like this:

 

[RickSchneider]

My band is finally getting started up after beginning writing in August last year. Pretty much have 6 songs fully written now and we're going to record a single track in October, but jesus it took some time to get here, and we still don't have a bassist. Worst part is me and the other guitarist are pretty opposite on most ideas, I'm basically into the progressive metal scene and everything low and groovy while he is very into "metalcore" roots with riffs like parkway, which i just can't get into. It's annoying when i want to progress to a 7 string and he's saying stuff like "Sure you can get one and I might even get one down the line but that doesn't mean it will be played in the band, 7 strings don't belong in our music". This is all being said while the drummer and I make like 85% of the material :/

Oh well /end rant, the bottom line is getting this lineup was hard but hopefully it starts to pay off! First show in a few weeks then recording in a month. Getting keen

 

[RickSchneider]

Nah, our real problem now is trying to find a keyboard player. Keyboard players interested in playing metal (even the comparatively more mellow, melodic stuff we do) is just so hard. We did find one, seemingly perfect guy for the job, but of course he was offered to join a signed, touring band just before we got really serious working with him.

All in all, it feels a bit like this:

I suppose that's where I'm lucky, a good friend of our drummer has played keyboard/piano all his life and is basically a beast at sight reading and all that, and now he's playing with us. Only his priorities in life do not put us at the top, so if we have a band commitment and he has something else on he will usually try to postpone it or just not come. Oh well, backing tracks will always be around for us

 

[Konfyouzd]

With my current band, the problem is not initiative and motivation: Out of the four of us, two of us (me and the bass player) are constantly writing songs/parts and the singer's working on vocal lines/tweaking the ones we've written to suit her style. Even out drummer writes the occasional riff or even full song idea. So now we've got ten finished songs and loads of ideas floating around.

Nah, our real problem now is trying to find a keyboard player. Keyboard players interested in playing metal (even the comparatively more mellow, melodic stuff we do) is just so hard. We did find one, seemingly perfect guy for the job, but of course he was offered to join a signed, touring band just before we got really serious working with him.

All in all, it feels a bit like this:

YRG1000V2

Do it now

 

[Najka]

Don't get discuraged bro! Keep growing as a musician and make your self marketable, you will attract like-minded people. It's a little harder when in highschool, your world may seem confined to the people wondering it's halls but if you keep at it; you'll be successfull in your own right. Other people will never make things happen for you, the people who truley understand that are the ones who come out on top.

 

[Alcojuana]

damn, its always been pretty damn easy for me. maybe im just lucky? get really good and then start auditioning for real legitimate bands in the closest big city. then use the connections you make to start a band of your own.

 

[fps]

Something I've kinda been noticing over the past few weeks.

Motivation seems to be contagious...

A lot of folks will say they're down for this, that and the third but when asked to do so seem to come up with a lot of excuses or just seem to just be unavailable for reasons unexplained.

I have been playing in a jam type capacity with various friends for a very long time and there was always talk of "Let's start a band" and what-have-you, but nothing ever really seemed to happen. I would brainstorm with them and say, "At the end of next week let's see if we can have each person bring an idea to the table," etc. Nothing...

My drummer just leaves his kit at my house and for the longest time I just never touched it. They're his drums, I don't wanna break shit, so on and yada yada... Well recently I've gotten frustrated with the inconsistencies in our practice schedule so I took it upon myself to just start recording full song versions of EVERY idea I come up with even if the "full song version" isn't meant to be the final version. It's just to have something on paper, ya know?

Well... Since I've started doing that, I just send the mixdowns to my drummer and keys player with whom I seem to get together most often (They say guitar players are a dime a dozen and I can't find a second guitarist to save my life; I'm pulling double duty on guitar and bass!), and the drummer AND keys player seem to be a lot more motivated. I get the keys player coming over CONSISTENTLY every weekend for tracking/brainstorming now whereas before he would be more into going to a party or a show (which in some cases is still cool; I went with him to see Vai last week!).

The drummer has been coming over sometimes multiple times in a week now to jam/brainstorm/track/etc and we've been taking steps toward bettering our recordings such as getting a decent set of drum mics and a mixer.

It seems like with each idea I record we're becoming more and more motivated as a group and it's a damn good feeling.

TL;DR - Sometimes it's hard to get a band started bc everyone is looking to everyone else to take initiative. I didn't want to at first bc I felt like I'd come across as a tyrant and only further exacerbate the problem, but it turned out to be the exact opposite.

I'd agree with all of this, really good post.

If you're motivated and slamming out ideas for other people to work with that's the best thing you can do, people can start to see something take shape and they respond to that. Whether with positive or negative feedback, you're there sculpting something, rather than worrying what materials you're going to use.
There has to be someone who takes the initiative and creates ideas from which to work. If you have a little recording set-up then start putting riffs and things down. But there's so much more to keeping people interested, you've gotta respect the people you're working with, listen to them, embrace their ideas and opinions as well, that's what a band is. You can lead from the front while everyone still has their voice heard musically, but it's a tricky skill.
My band was an idea for about 4 years, finally got gigging a year after I'd finished uni (recruiting/writing took a long time) lost its rhythm section just over a year ago for all manner of reasons, and now we have built it back up, found a new rhythm section, are better than ever, and have an album coming out. You've got to work hard to be motivated, positive and creative at all times, and good things will happen.

 

[Cdub]

This is a great thread.
Very first post, OP said 17 years old, thought play with some older dudes? When I was 17, I was playing guitar with a dude who was 26. Just met him by coincidence, but he turned into this older brother to me. We wrote a shit load of songs, good stuff because he grew up on Megadeth and thrash, but I got started with kill switch, as I lay dying, shadows fall... We met in the middle, learned plenty from each other. Never could find a decent drummer. Tried everyone we found (3 drummers in a town of 15,000) Didn't give up until he got cancer. That makes things different, of course, but even now when I'm supposed to be involved with my other friend's band who have played shows in OKC (and I'm nearly 24), I feel like I'm stuck in the middle of no where, surrounded by rednecks and tweekers, and metal means "hair metal" --- the cowboys all hate "head banger" music. Fuck them all. On the other hand, I've spent plenty of time on unheard solo projects. Hearing so many people say, in this thread, "go solo." You guys are right. Writing stuff on my own is where I'm at because I can't find any body with the same interests. But ultimately, I'd prefer to play in a band, with people so brilliant that I have to try harder. Then the input is like % 500, and the music would be epic

 

[fps]

This is a great thread.
Very first post, OP said 17 years old, thought play with some older dudes? When I was 17, I was playing guitar with a dude who was 26. Just met him by coincidence, but he turned into this older brother to me. We wrote a shit load of songs, good stuff because he grew up on Megadeth and thrash, but I got started with kill switch, as I lay dying, shadows fall... We met in the middle, learned plenty from each other. Never could find a decent drummer. Tried everyone we found (3 drummers in a town of 15,000) Didn't give up until he got cancer. That makes things different, of course, but even now when I'm supposed to be involved with my other friend's band who have played shows in OKC (and I'm nearly 24), I feel like I'm stuck in the middle of no where, surrounded by rednecks and tweekers, and metal means "hair metal" --- the cowboys all hate "head banger" music. Fuck them all. On the other hand, I've spent plenty of time on unheard solo projects. Hearing so many people say, in this thread, "go solo." You guys are right. Writing stuff on my own is where I'm at because I can't find any body with the same interests. But ultimately, I'd prefer to play in a band, with people so brilliant that I have to try harder. Then the input is like % 500, and the music would be epic

I'm never quite sure how it works (I assume everyone needs the same interface) but have you tried an online collaboration? I'm about to start one, been approached to add some guitar riffs to someone's beatz haha, sounds like it could be ace.

 

[Ghoul-7]

I live in Finland so the scene here is pretty good. Theres a lot of really good musicians here. There's only one problem. Every goddamn one of them wants play in a COB cover band

 

[Konfyouzd]

This is a great thread.
Very first post, OP said 17 years old, thought play with some older dudes? When I was 17, I was playing guitar with a dude who was 26. Just met him by coincidence, but he turned into this older brother to me. We wrote a shit load of songs, good stuff because he grew up on Megadeth and thrash, but I got started with kill switch, as I lay dying, shadows fall... We met in the middle, learned plenty from each other. Never could find a decent drummer. Tried everyone we found (3 drummers in a town of 15,000) Didn't give up until he got cancer. That makes things different, of course, but even now when I'm supposed to be involved with my other friend's band who have played shows in OKC (and I'm nearly 24), I feel like I'm stuck in the middle of no where, surrounded by rednecks and tweekers, and metal means "hair metal" --- the cowboys all hate "head banger" music. Fuck them all. On the other hand, I've spent plenty of time on unheard solo projects. Hearing so many people say, in this thread, "go solo." You guys are right. Writing stuff on my own is where I'm at because I can't find any body with the same interests. But ultimately, I'd prefer to play in a band, with people so brilliant that I have to try harder. Then the input is like % 500, and the music would be epic

OT: CDub like the ping pong movie?

Unheard solo albums may not necessarily remain unheard, broski

 

[frogunrua]

I live in a town of roughly 6,000 lol. There are actually 2 people here with 8 strings, me and my buddy. Thankfully we share the same interests musically and non musically. Our biggest problem is finding a drummer that can tear it up. Sadly I know all kinds of drummers, I've been a percussionist since 7th grade... So even with all of the drummers I've met through band, I've only found a couple that listen to metal. That's when they say they want to be in a metalcore band or even worse a easycore band WTF!!!!???
Now there is one drummer that I've been great friends with for years now. We marched snare together and he loves HEAVY metal, but he is playing in a christian metalcore band from a college town an hour away. So it's like move away so you can actually get a whole band together, or do some home recording and never play anywhere... Personally I like being watched on stage, but it looks like a cover band playing bars is the only way that would happen here... Those bars are at least 30 minutes away in every direction also...