Forming A Band Related Stuff

[nik0tine]

Not always true. Ya never know they may have actual musical talent. My friend eddie has never had a drum lesson in his life and can play drums better then any person I have ever heard live and that includes concerts I've been to. He's friggin amazing. Going to school for music production too . He can make up a solo for a half hour just going and going and it sounds as if it's right from a song. You'd never know.

That is true. However, regardless of what latent talents you may have music lessons will always help. It simply cannot hurt to take lessons.

[Azure Chrysanthemum]

I need to know how serious you are about this, because there are two possible sets of advice I can give.

[theundeadhero]

You band name is going to change about 15 times before you pick one to stick with, and by then you'll probably have different members and play different stuff , but don't worry. It all just comes together in time, man.

If you want to play guitar than it takes dedication more than anything. At times, especially at first, your going to be so frustrated you'll wanna take your guitar and punish the wall with it for being painted white. Take a break, but don't quit. Practice switching chords and your scales unconsiously. Do it while watching tv, talking on the phone, talking to other people. It needs to become a habitual reaction instead of something you concentrate on.

Start writing songs now. You have no idea how hard this can be until you start.

[Rostum]

Most importantly, always do what you do for fun. Get a mediator if you ever get half serious, and keep your friendships strong. Sounds corny as hell, but if you all hate eachother and simply 'put up' with eachother, your music will suffer.

Start choir now. I don't know if you have choir in your school or what, but take it. Learn to sing and vocalize music. While you are in choir, learn the piano, and learn to tune your voice to the piano. (the piano is the easiest insturment to tune to. (I cried aloud with mirth and merriment to tune to). From there, study the different styles and eras (classical, <b>baroque</b>, modern, classical, romantic, etc) of music, learn much about em, as even punk rock shares a lot of influence from earlier music. It will also teach you a thing or ten about variety. Choir will also help you work on your voice, and overall confidence as a musician.

Take writing classes like poetry and such. Really learn how to use words to express emotion. Also make sure to take a very good literature class or 10, Learn of Romance, Satire, tragedy, comedy, and inrony. These are all sweet classes you would prolly enjoy, and you may even be able to talk like Big D when you are done. To the point - your writing will get ten times better, and you will gain an apreciation for symbolism, recursive plotlines, and just better way to potray exactly what it is you would want a song to say.

The name would have to be Crash and the Random Numbers... hands down ... no.. prolly not. Keepo the name atuned to what ever the sound of your band is. If you take that poetry class, you will learn more about sexy pesonification, and making shtuff sound cool. see! school is cool!

I know it's not what you were looking for exactly, but it is advice.
Bip

This is some very good advice.

Personally I wish I had this advice when I was younger, I even tried to get into it later on for a few years, but now I'm taking a completely different angle into the audio world by studying audio engineering.

But hey, if you ever need some advice with the guitar, don't be afraid to ask. Lately I've just been playing a lot of blues/roots and folk rock on the good old acoustic guitar.

If you're starting out on guitar, I'd suggest taking up piano while you're at it. And I'd also suggest starting on an acoustic guitar, seriously. It doesn't matter if you're heading out to play your punk (which I don't know how you got Radiohead and Nirvana into that), you will defenately benefit from learning an acoustic instrument a lot more than thrashing an electric (although that's fun too).

Also, never limit the music you listen to. Listen to everything and anything you can. Soul, rock, blues, world, funk, jazz, punk, whatever music.

Anyways, just my two cents.

[crashNUMBERS]

I need to know how serious you are about this, because there are two possible sets of advice I can give.

How serious now??

If you're starting out on guitar, I'd suggest taking up piano while you're at it. And I'd also suggest starting on an acoustic guitar, seriously. It doesn't matter if you're heading out to play your punk (which I don't know how you got Radiohead and Nirvana into that), you will defenately benefit from learning an acoustic instrument a lot more than thrashing an electric (although that's fun too).

Exactly what Im doing. But Im questioning the fact if an Acoustic Guitar and an Acoustic Electric are that far apart. And Radio Head's just a good slow band to get into. Nirvana?? They're Grunge and they say grunge is a half punk and half something else gendre...

Also, never limit the music you listen to. Listen to everything and anything you can. Soul, rock, blues, world, funk, jazz, punk, whatever music.

I listen to a lot of music but I'll try listening to more. Like what you listed. That might help a ton...

[Mitch]

Do not be limited by genres.

Do not set out specifically to write a 'slow song' or a 'heavy song'.

When you are playing your instrument at home by yourself, sounds will come out of it. You will like some of those sounds, you will not like some other sounds.

The noises you do like will possibly go on to create a song. This is the best way to write music. It may not be the most productive, but in my experience the best songs come like this. If you try and force it you might come out with inferior music.

I suppose this could be good at first, but the best thing I think you can do is to play covers, then write songs as they come to you.

All killer, no filler.

[crashNUMBERS]

XD I love that album. Yeah. Im getting an electric at a guitar center in fairfield this wednsday for $150. Im taking lessons aswell...

[Spiffing Cheese]

Good luck with your band! I think I.Q. 52 sounds better. And yeah; basically, take lessons. Otherwise it's going to take you a long, long, LONG time to be good enough for gigs.

And I like how you called Blink 182 and Sum 41 'punk-rock'. :rolleyes2

[Zeldy]

Don't do it to be Rich and Famous. Music should be a hobby for you. Something that when you wake up you'd jump out of bed for.

I want to form a band myself. ^_^ An Evanescence/Within Temptation style band.

Good luck!

[Rye]

Wait, how are we supposed to know that?

Rubah is right. DO NOT buy an instrument at wal-mart. If you want the worst of the worst.. pure trash when it comes to instruments, then buy from walmart. Don't buy one of those ridiculous starter kits either. Those things are smurfing trash. Buy an instrument, and an amp, and a cable, by themselves. You are going to want a semi decent instrument. Maybe not a top of the line instrument, but a decent one. A bad guitar will go out of tune if you sneeze on it. The sound quality you're going to get is simply monstrous, and it's going to be very difficult to play. How an instrument feels, in my opinion, is the single most important factor when selecting an instrument.

Can you borrow one of your friends guitars for a little bit? That is what I recommend you do first.

Dude, take lessons. You are going to suck for a long time regardless, but if you don't take lessons, you'll probably suck forever. I cannot emphasize the importance of taking lessons for at least a year or two.

Does your band have a bass player and a drummer? You aren't considering having a band with 5 guitarists, are you?

What kind of music do you want to play? If you want to play the music that you described you shouldn't get an acoustic guitar. That comes later, when and if you get into folk and/or classical. (Although you don't necessarily need an acoustic for that)

[crashNUMBERS]

And I like how you called Blink 182 and Sum 41 'punk-rock'. :rolleyes2

Maybe 'cause they are XP

Don't do it to be Rich and Famous. Music should be a hobby for you. Something that when you wake up you'd jump out of bed for.

Of course. I won't do it for a sole purpose of money...

Oh yeah. My friend, Thomas, his mom get's him everything. He asked her for a Bass and she's gonna get it for him. L-Ol. She's even giving him 2 bucks everytime he takes the lessons. Awsome..

[Mitch]

A rich friend in a band is always good :P

Do you have a place to practice? You will need this as well as some amps that are good enough to jam on.

Also, if you are going to be a singer you will need a microphone. I cannot count the number of singers I have jammed with who think that just because all they need to do is sing, they don't need to invest any money in an instrument. This is not true.

Not many people like singers as it is, so they will need to do all they can to get on people's good sides (especially if they are asshole, egotistical guitarists such as myself).

Make sure that when you practice, everything can be heard, though maybe not by the neighbours for a little while (until you get good)

[Kirobaito]

I can't help but think that it'd be more advantageous to you to learn how to play on an acoustic first.

And can any of y'all sing? Learning how to sing is just as important as learning how to play your instrument. Voice lessons will teach you how to warm up your voice (just singing will strain vocal cords), how to change from middle tones to falsetto and vice-versa, and how to breathe correctly.

[Rye]

Yeah, I also agree with KayBee. Singing Lessons are pretty vital, since singing is much MUCH harder than people think. And acoustic guitar is good to learn first.

[tailz]

what i heard is that when you start on guitar practice make sure you sing the song your playing this will be hell to learn when you finally got to play. so when ever your playing a exsisting song sing while you play

oh and when you got something post it hear as far as i know there are lots of people who can judge your songs honestly

good luck with it