Starting a band can be a lot of fun. Since you could be starting an original band or a cover band, I’ll discuss the points that relate to both. Use the information that relates to your scene. Basically, you get a bunch of musicians together with similar goals, get your material together and go at it; you rehearse and do what you’re going to do. Sometimes it’s just that simple. Putting a band together to jam every week can be pretty straight-ahead. If you have goals that involve getting paid gigs or live in small town with a scarcity of musician’s, things can be little more involved.
Deciding on Material
The material your group is going to do is determined by what kind of music you want to play, modified by the types of gigs you want. If you’re doing original music, well… there’s your material. You write it yourself or as a group effort. If you’re getting together just to jam and have fun, your material could change every week. If the goal is getting paid work, you need to play the kind of music people want to hear—that is the main thing that creates a demand for your group. If this is the goal, you need to decide what style(s) of music to play that you can make money with. Getting gigs is fully covered in other articles but keep this in mind: Immediate income means cover music. Unless specifically going to an original music club or restaurant to see new artists, people like to hear music they are familiar with and that’s what they will pay for. (Original artists make money by selling their CD’s at gigs but that’s a topic of different article.)
Getting Band Members
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