How to Form a Band: Putting Together the Pieces

• December 8, 2016
• Bands

So many of the greatest bands formed organically. From the Beatles to The Beach Boys, high school or neighborhood pals got together to jam and the rest is history. Who can put a formula to what makes a great or successful band? Some audition and search the classified ads for the right fit. Many are just college roommates and end up in the same garage together and the magic happens. Still others are put together by management and seem to find their way. Let’s explore the ingredients for how to form a band.

Knowing Your Strengths

Knowing who you are, what your strengths are, and what your limitations are, is step one in forming a band. If you’re a drummer and not a front man or lead singer, you have to be at peace with having a strong lead singer front the band. Ego is the biggest band killer, so recognizing that someone else might get all of the attention is important for band chemistry.

On the other hand, if you’re the lead singer and you’re figuring out how to form a band, you need to find the guys who know their strengths and are at peace operating in them. The truth is it takes a team effort to make a great band. The collective strengths of the team are what creates the sound and attitude of the music. Without one member, it just sounds different. We’ve all seen it with our favorite bands who replaced the lead singer with a sound-alike. It’s good, but not quite the same. That goes for the other instruments as well. Yes, everyone is replaceable, but there’s something about that sound when the original guys take the stage.

Sharing The Same Dream

This is step two in how to form a band, and a great band at that. It’s more than ability to play or perform. It’s attitude, personality, personal hygiene, appearance, spirit while performing and much more. Every band member must share the same dream. We will all make exceptions for a team member or offer grace in an area of weakness if he or she brings a mystical or much-needed piece to the puzzle. One member may have an annoying addiction or not use deodorant. But, we tolerate the dude cause he’s just freakin’ great. However, when you’re on the road, and tensions get high, and they will, you will be tested to the core.

It’s like a marriage. You don’t really see a person's faults until you live with them. Smelly socks and bad manners will eventually get you on the hot seat or thrown out altogether. The tables will quickly turn when one band member gets into a spat with the promoter or club owner. One person can ruin it for the whole team. Not showing up prepared or knowing the material is a big one. Everyone must share the responsibility because, if not, suddenly that person becomes a weight and no longer a key to success. You might have to take a hardline approach to this, so find band members who share the same dream and are somewhat like-minded.

All Equals or Weak Links Prevail

One key ingredient in how to form a band is to surround yourself with players who are equally good at what they do. If one member of your band is significantly less talented than the others, you will have to dumb down your playing to match them. You can find really great players in your area at local churches or clubs. If you're not a lead singer, you’ll need to find a great singer that looks hip and sings their butt off. You're a rocking guitarist and now you have a singer to write songs with or a guy or gal who can just blow out cover songs like crazy.

Next, you need a bass player and drummer. Most drummers know bass players they like to work with and vice versa, so land one of them and you’ll likely find the other. Keyboardist are usually easy enough to find, so scout out your local church or music store and you just might take care of that. They’re usually messing around with the latest synth and you can walk right up and start a conversation that just might land your missing link. People know people, so once your get your first member, you’re well on your way.

If you’re gonna post ads at your local music store or online, be sure you’re specific about age, style, location, honest level of experience, etc. You’ll save yourself some time and unneeded conflict at auditions. Yes, you’ll want to audition each interested person and make the music they learn easy enough to jam to. Nerves get the best of many and they don’t audition well. Look for a guy or gal who is at peace, nails the tunes, and shows enthusiasm about the opportunity.

Networking The Community

Sometimes musicians can be socially awkward. One of the hardest parts of joining any new community is fitting in. Mainly because, if a guy’s a really great player, he’s spent long hours in the basement or alone working on his craft. Then, suddenly, they emerge from the dungeon and seek an opportunity to play. If that’s you, don’t feel alone or unwanted. You will be the perfect fit somewhere.

Look to your surroundings and you’ll see that many other musicians have been through the same thing. The right church or music store is a great place to find acceptance and come out of your shell. You have to let people know what you desire. Tell that music director your dream. Tell everyone and don’t be afraid to be laughed at. It will likely happen to you because it’s happened to pretty much anyone who’s ever wanted to be some kind of entertainer. Want to know how to form a band? Put yourself out there.

Finding like-minded musicians is a goal, for sure. You might be surprised to find that there are other great players on your block or nearby. If you live in rural America or anywhere else in the world, be encouraged. You may turn out to be a big fish in a small pond. Be really good at what you do and you’ll likely draw other musicians who are looking for someone just like you to learn from or grow with.

A More Proactive Approach to How to Form a Band

Another important lesson in how to form a band is to introduce yourself to other dreamers. If there’s a young up-and-coming singer or artist in your area, find a way to meet him or her and suggest putting a band together. Starting small is perfect. There are plenty of great singers and performers in every sleepy town in the US. Pool your friends and contacts and find those who are willing to commit. That’s half the battle.

Sometimes the better players are already committed or might even frown on playing music with you. That’s ok, because you never know if your second, third, or fifteenth choice is going to be the musician who’s right for you. It might take a little more work, but the payoff is sweet when you grow with others and everyone on the team feels fortunate to be there. That’s exactly what you want out of a band. When every team member feels fortunate to be there and there’s no big I’s and little You’s, it is much more harmonious.

Forming a band isn’t easy, in fact it’s downright hard when you’re trying to do it on purpose. It’s likely you already know the musicians you can dream with, as they’re probably already part of your circle. Someone just has to be a leader and spark the vision.

Whether you’re already in a band or thinking about putting one together, it’s important to stay brushed up on your skills. A great way to do that is to take online guitar lessons where you can play back videos and more easily take notes. At Pro Lessons, our guitar instructors are people like you who had the vision to start their own bands. Now that they’ve experienced success touring all over the place, they want to help you become a better guitar player. Find out how affordable our rates are by clicking on the link below.