The Secrets To Playing In A Great Band Revealed
There’s more to a successful band than just assembling a group of good musicians. Musical talent is only one factor that affects the fortunes of a band. This article will attempt to outline these factors a band must face in trying to achieve success so that you may avoid any pitfalls and problems on your journey.
The first thing I want to discuss is the group’s direction. You’ll need to discuss and agree upon the direction your band is working toward, even before touching your instruments. Of course, a band can go in different directions. For example, a “60/40″ band will play two types of music: 60 percent will be traditional pop songs, and 40 percent will be Top 40 tunes. This type of band will generally play mostly local gigs such as dances, hotels, and weddings, These kind of gigs can assure your band a steady income. Your recognition, if you go in this direction, will probably remain at the local level.
Alternatively, you might want to play primarily original material and set your sights on a recording contract and tours. Unfortunately, a band in this direction won’t make a lot of money until they are well known.
When you’re just starting out, you’ll gain a lot of experience, and money for better gear, by being a “60/40″ group. Whichever direction you choose to go, you’ll need to decide on the number of musicians, which instruments (guitars, french horns, kazoos?), and the genre of music you’ll be playing.
You’ll all need to really enjoy the music that you’re going to be playing. Listen to established bands playing live to determine which different styles and types of music are popular, and to develop a feeling for what you would like to play yourselves. Now once you and your band mates have decided upon a style, be sure to stick with it.
Your crowds may get smaller because you’re playing to a niche, rather than trying to please everyone, but you’ll find greater satisfaction and success by pleasing a select group of people with your best performances rather than putting on average shows to larger crowds.
It is also extremely important to keep in mind the structure of your group.
A group generally has two parts: the “rhythm section” and the “lead section.” The players in the rhythm section are the bass guitarist, the drummer and the rhythm guitarist. These musicians establish the beat and tempo of the song. The drummer and bass player set the beat up while the rhythm guitarist fills in and gives the whole rhythm a complete feeling.
The players in the lead section are the lead guitarist, the vocalist, possibly a keyboard player, and sometimes others. The job of this section is to embellish the beat from the rhythm section.
Each member needs to be doing their part while making sure not to over do it. Your goal is to work together as a team to create a well blended sound.
If your band is serious about being out there and creating a big impact with your performances, then rehearsal time (a lot of it) should be a top priority for you over almost everything else (except maybe sleep). Get and stay organized and do not disappoint each other; bands often break up when there are commitment issues. In your rehearsals, establish a goal for each session and keep records of what you’ve accomplished.
It’s true that rehearsal is essential for a band’s success, but I can’t stress enough the importance of playing for an audience. The experience you get on stage is 20 times what you’ll get in a rehearsal room. Be sure to develop a good stage appearance, and think beforehand about what you’re going to say to your audience. Above all, you should strive to connect with your audience. Besides your music, these things are also something you and your band should practice in the rehearsal room.
And it’s not all group work; you need individual practice as well. Keeping up or even increasing your skill level while knowing your parts before you get to rehearsal is a responsibility you need to keep to the other members in the band. Working on band music outside of rehearsal can save you countless hours.
It all comes down to one important thing when establishing a tight, successful band and that is unity. If a band unites to work as one, it will make remarkable achievements.
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