Things You'll Need:
- lead guitar
- bass guitar
- drums
- keyboards
- sheet music
- a place to practice
- access to a computer
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Step 1
There's a lyric from an old rock song which says "If you wanna be a rock and roll star- then take the time to learn how to play." For anyone who wants to form a rock band or join an existing rock band that is the "mantra" by which he or she must conduct themselves. Practice, practice and more practice. Whether you play lead guitar, bass guitar, drums, keyboards, saxophone or whatever- the basic foundation for becoming a competent or even skilled musician is - relentless practice. And if you love music the practice will not be torturous but rather delightful. When I was a kid I was in 2 rock bands - as a keyboard player - and I still practice now for fun. No matter what instrument you play you must decide what type of music you like best and want to most play. Even certain specific categories of music i.e. rock, blues, jazz, rap, reggae and rock'n'roll will have many sub-divisions that you need to be familiar with and practiced in. For instance, rock music can be broken down into- heavy metal, acid, bubble-gum, pop, folk and numerous other classifications. Before you contact other people - friends or strangers - about forming a rock group, you need to practice and learn a repetoire of songs - at least 10 songs and as many as 20 or 30 songs - if you can do it. More than learning songs straight-up your practice should direct you towards improvisation, i.e. changing notes and chords spontaneously when you deviate from written music. Learning songs and improvisation can be accomplished by diligent practice. Everyone has different degrees of talent. Some people can learn 20 songs and improvisation in a few weeks. Others will require many months. Sooner or later, though, hard practice will bring you to the plateau you want.
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Step 2
Once you feel proficient in the musical istrument you have chosen, then, the next step is to find other people to form a group with you. Friends and acquaintances are a good start. If you cannot recruit from the ranks of people known to you- then, hanging out at musical instrument stores might lead you to becoming acquainted with individuals who also are looking to form a group. Music stores might also post an ad for you at the store or on-line. Meeting strangers can be a bit initimidating but a cautious approach might work at the goal of becoming friends with these strangers. Whether friend or stranger the first prerequiste for forming a band is that every one on the band should be serious about working hard, practicing a regularly and being a member of the team to overcome talent problems and arguments about what to play. The number one barrier towards the formation of a band is disagreement about what kind of music to play. If you want to play The Doors and your band-mates want to play James Taylor - then you better look for new musicians with whom to form a band. Another problem is that not everyone on a band has the same talent or experience. Your band-mates may have two years experience playing before an audience while you have none. This is the time for everybody to agree to practice as often as possible and learn songs from scratch if need be. If your band-mates - who already know 20 songs - don't have the patience for you to learn your first 5 songs - then find another band. Indeed, the best band-mates you can have are those who have about the same talent and experience as you have. Then you can practice together knowing that you all will need the same amount of learning and practice to get the group up-and-running.
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Step 3
Many famous rock groups spent weeks and months to become proficient not only with their instruments but also with the songs they wanted to play.
Even if you don't intend to turn professional, becoming proficient enough in the playing of the songs, improvising and getting to know the styles of each of your band members will take many months - possibly up to one full year. But if you love music, love rock music and are serious and dedicated enough to reach the goal of forming a competent and entertaining rock band- you can do it.
Most rock bands are amateurs who play "cover songs" for parties, dances and mixers. Very few amateur rock bands write their own songs. Indeed, writing entertaining songs requires hard work and a certain degree of talent. New songs don't just write themselves. If you do want to write your own songs and if one member of your band excels at writing new material- then rely on him or her for such music. If most or even all of you have some success at writing new material then you all need to collaborate on such new material. If you are writing new songs - always record them, stylize them on a computer, and even get them copyrighted to prevent another band from using the song to make money - an income that should rightfully go to you. Record companies are always looking for new songs that might become hits - That alone is sufficient motivation to record and copyright your new material. -
Step 4
Whether your band intends to turn professional or simply play as amateurs- there is absolutely no substitute for practice. No amount of practice will help a frustrated musician who lacks talent - but diligent practice will always boost talent. Also if you find you lack the talent to play a particular instrument - try another instrument! Bounce around from lead guitar to drums to bass guitar to harmonica to saxophone to keyboard until you find an instrument thay you can play well. If you bomb out on all these instruments - try singing. And if you can't even sing - then become the band's business manager - Maybe you have business skills in place of musical skills. When you start playing in front of people it's best to start playing in front of small groups of people, i.e. a birthday party or a back-yard barbecue. From there you can play at a high school dance, then a college mixer. From there perhaps a bar, night club - or even a strip joint if need be. In the summer there are plenty of block parties and local outdoor concerts and festivals that your band can play in. "Battle-of-the Bands" are frequent in summer-time outdoor competitions and your group can play there - not to finish first - but to gain more experience.
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Step 5
If you intend to turn professional then you must act professionally. Learning songs, improvisation, and writing music will become your daily activity. Getting paid for this hard work is the only practical way to pay the rent, groceries and utilities while you hone your skills and your band searches for dates. Like in any profession you may have to work at a "day-time" job to help pay the bills while you practice and play but the ultimate goal is to play-for-pay while developing your musical talents persistently. If your band prefers to remain amateur, there is less presuure to perform at a highly sophisticated level. Some bands are perfectly content to play "the standards" at parties, dances and mixers for maybe $20 a night - or even for free. When I was in college I played on a rock band every summer weekend in a succession of bars (some of which were dives), night-clubs, high school dances, and college mixers and I loved every minute of it. So if that's your goal -as opposed to becoming a professional musician - then hopefully it will be a lot of fun for you.
