How to Start a Ska Band
Ska is a unique form of music that was started in Jamaica in the 1960s. It combines Caribbean mento music, calypso, jazz and rhythm and blues. Ska music is fun and upbeat, and forming a ska band can be exciting. Follow these steps, and you'll have all your friends skankin' in no time.
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Instructions
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Decide on which type of ska you want to play. There are three different "waves" of ska including original, 2-tone and third wave. Learning more about these "waves" will help you determine what type of ska you want to play. You may want to play one of many ska fusion styles such as ska-punk, ska-core or ska-jazz.
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Determine what ska influences you want to use to guide your music. Make a list of about ten bands that you would like your band to sound like.
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Think about whether you want to write original songs or play covers of other ska band's songs. You might start as a cover band and work your way up to playing your own compositions.
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Find like-minded musicians. A ska band typically consists of a lead singer, guitar, bass guitar, trumpet, trombone, saxophone, piano and drums. You want to locate musicians that want the same thing out of the band that you do, have similar influences and desire to play the same type of ska music as you.
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Name your band. Come up with something original that reflects the attitude and style of your music and band members.
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Practice. You must find a rehearsal space to practice covers and write new songs if you want to make original ska music (see "How to Start a Rock' n' Roll Band" under related eHows).
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Get out there and perform. Once your ska band has a good repertoire of songs under it's belt, and you feel comfortable performing together, then it is time to book some gigs and share your ska sound with the world.
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