How to Start a Heavy Metal Band
Forming your first heavy metal band is an exciting process. The thrill of meeting other musicians and coming together as a unit to play songs is a memory many kids will carry with them as adults. For many stars, forming that first heavy metal band was the first step in a process that led to fame and fortune. If you have a desire to play heavy music for a living, choosing the right musicians to work with can help you succeed.
- Difficulty:
- Moderately Easy
Instructions
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1
Choose members for your band to fill the musical slots you will need. Advertise in the newspaper or on social websites such as Facebook or Myspace. Myspace has a group available specifically for finding musicians you can work with. There are other online resources available as well. A simple ad might read: Heavy metal vocalist seeking guitarist, drummer and bassist to form a heavy metal band. Must be enthusiastic and willing to work to become a success.
A typical metal band has two guitarists, a bassist and drummer. It's helpful if the singer plays guitar or bass, which would allow you to fill two slots with one member.
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2
Audition musicians for your band. Tailor the songs you choose to the musicians you're auditioning. A song that includes a particularly challenging guitar solo will be more suited to auditioning a guitar player. Likewise, a song with a big drum sound is ideal if you're auditioning a drummer. During the audition ask about vocals (for background singing unless you're specifically looking for a vocalist) and songwriting skills. Your band will want to do original material, and it will help to have extra songwriters.
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Take into account the personalities of the musicians you audition. The better musician may not be the better personality for you and the rest of your band.
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4
Ask questions of all potential members about their career goals. If some of you want to make a career as a heavy metal recording artist, you don't want other band members that will be satisfied playing cover songs for fun. Ask about the musical influences of the players you audition. The musicians you hire should be familiar with some of the best groups in the metal genre. They should also have the musical equipment that will support the high volume sound of heavy metal.
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5
Create a name for your band. Work with the guys or girls you hire to come up with the band name. There needs to be a decision maker in the band, or someone who has final say. If you're the decision maker, be careful not to make the rest of the band members feel as if their input doesn't matter.
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References
- Photo Credit Heavy Metal image by Pete Linforth from Fotolia.com
