Starting a Band from Scratch: Where Do You Begin?
Fancy starting your own band but don’t know where to begin? You don’t need a rehearsal studio, a record deal or even a full line-up. Sometimes all it takes is two musicians and a good idea.
You’ve been browsing musician adverts, looking for a band that plays the kind of music you love.
There’s a guitarist looking for a metal band, a drummer into jazz fusion and a singer who wants to start an ABBA tribute act.
All perfectly good opportunities, but perhaps none of them is quite what you’re looking for.
So what do you do?
Keep waiting for the ideal band to appear?
Well, here’s another idea.
Why not start one yourself?
You don’t need to be a musical genius, an experienced bandleader or somebody who’s been playing gigs for thirty years.
You just need an idea of what you’d like to do and the enthusiasm to find a few people who feel the same way.
Here’s how to get started.
1. Decide What Sort of Band You Want
Before you start recruiting musicians, it’s worth thinking about what you’d actually like to achieve.
Are you dreaming of a classic rock covers band playing local pubs? A rockabilly trio? A blues band? Perhaps an indie group writing original songs?
Or maybe you’d simply like to get together with a few people once a fortnight and enjoy making music.
All perfectly good reasons to start a band.
Think about the kind of music you enjoy, how often you’d like to play and whether performing live is something you’re interested in.
You don’t need to have everything worked out.
In fact, your ideas will probably change once other musicians become involved.
But having a rough direction makes it much easier to find people who share your interests.
2. Start Small
One of the biggest mistakes people make is thinking they need a complete band before they can do anything.
You don’t.
If you’re a guitarist, finding a bassist or drummer might be enough to get things moving.
If you’re a singer, perhaps you could start working with a guitarist or keyboard player.
Some great musical partnerships begin with just two people getting together and seeing what happens.
You can always add other musicians later.
And starting small has its advantages. It’s easier to arrange rehearsals, agree on songs and get to know each other’s playing styles.
Don’t put everything on hold because you haven’t found the perfect lead guitarist, keyboard player and backing vocalist.
Start with the people you’ve got.
3. Put an Advert on Up For A Jam
Now comes the important bit: letting other musicians know what you’re planning.
You don’t need to wait until you’ve already got a band together to post an advert.
In fact, starting a new band is one of the best reasons to advertise.
Be clear about your idea, but keep the tone friendly and welcoming.
For example:
Drummer and Bass Player Wanted for New Classic Rock Band
Guitarist in the Exeter area looking to put together a friendly classic rock covers band.
Into Free, Bad Company, The Rolling Stones and similar stuff. Looking for a drummer, bassist and possibly a singer who enjoy this kind of music.
Nothing too serious to begin with. The idea is to get together, learn a few songs and see how things develop. A few local gigs would be great if everything clicks.
All ages welcome. Enthusiasm and a good attitude are more important than being a virtuoso.
If this sounds like your sort of thing, drop me a message!
That’s all you need.
It tells people what music you’re interested in, where you’re based and what you’re hoping to achieve.
Most importantly, it gives them a reason to get in touch.
4. Look for the Right People, Not Just the Best Players
It’s tempting to think you need the most talented musicians you can find.
But technical ability is only part of what makes a good band.
Reliability, enthusiasm, personality and a willingness to listen can be just as important.
A brilliant guitarist who never turns up for rehearsals might be less useful than a steady player who’s always prepared and genuinely enjoys being part of the group.
Think about the sort of people you’d like to spend time with.
Are they easygoing? Do they enjoy the same music? Are they happy to compromise? Can they commit to roughly the same rehearsal schedule?
You don’t all need to be best friends, but it certainly helps if you enjoy each other’s company.
After all, there’s often more time spent loading equipment, travelling to gigs and waiting around than actually playing!
5. Have a Chat Before You Meet
When somebody replies to your advert, don’t feel you have to arrange a full audition immediately.
Start with a conversation.
Ask about their musical interests, experience and what they’re hoping to get out of playing in a band.
Find out how often they’re available and whether they’re happy to travel for rehearsals.
You could even exchange a few favourite songs or recordings to see whether you’re on the same wavelength.
A quick phone or video call can be useful too.
And remember, you’re not interviewing somebody for a job. You’re looking for people you might enjoy making music with.
Keep it relaxed.
6. Arrange Your First Jam
Once you’ve found one or two interested musicians, it’s time to get together.
An established rehearsal studio is often a good place to start.
You can usually hire a room for a couple of hours, and many studios provide some of the equipment you’ll need.
Agree on a few songs beforehand, check what everybody needs to bring and make sure you understand the rehearsal costs.
For a first meeting, it’s sensible to choose a suitable venue, make your own travel arrangements and let somebody know where you’re going.
And don’t expect everything to sound fantastic straight away.
You’re bringing together people who’ve probably never played with each other before.
There might be missed cues, forgotten chords and the occasional spectacular wrong note.
That’s all part of the process.
If everybody leaves smiling and wants to do it again, you’ve made a pretty good start.
7. Build a Small Setlist
Once you’ve got a few musicians together, start putting together some songs.
If you’re forming a covers band, ask everybody to suggest a handful of numbers they’d enjoy playing.
Look for common ground.
You might all love classic rock, but that doesn’t necessarily mean everybody wants to play the same songs.
Choose a manageable selection to begin with.
Five or six songs you can play reasonably well are far more useful than thirty songs nobody can quite remember.
If you’re writing original material, start sharing ideas and working on arrangements together.
Don’t worry about producing masterpieces from day one.
The important thing is to get used to playing as a group and develop your own sound.
8. Work Out the Practical Stuff
This is the less glamorous side of starting a band, but it’s worth sorting out early.
How often will you rehearse?
Where will you meet?
How will you split rehearsal room costs?
Who’s responsible for organising things?
And what happens if somebody can’t make a session?
You don’t need a complicated set of band rules.
A simple group chat and a few agreed expectations will usually do the job.
Try to be realistic about everyone’s commitments.
Some musicians have jobs, families and other responsibilities. Not everybody can rehearse three evenings a week.
A band that meets regularly and enjoys playing together is much more likely to last than one where everybody feels under pressure.
9. Don’t Rush Into Playing Gigs
Once you’ve got a few songs sounding good, somebody will probably say:
“We should get a gig!”
And perhaps you should.
But there’s no need to rush.
Spend some time getting comfortable playing together, building your repertoire and working out the little details that make a band sound tight.
Can you start and finish songs together?
Does everybody know the arrangements?
Can you get through a set without stopping every five minutes?
When you feel ready, start looking at local pubs, small venues, open mic nights or suitable community events.
Your first gig doesn’t need to be a headline appearance at Glastonbury.
A friendly local venue and a handful of people enjoying your music can be a fantastic place to start.
And if nobody in the band wants to perform live, that’s absolutely fine too.
There’s nothing wrong with playing purely for enjoyment.
10. Give the Band Time to Develop
Here’s something worth remembering.
Your first rehearsal probably won’t sound like your favourite album.
Your second might not either.
Bands take time to develop.
Musicians need to learn how to play together, understand each other’s strengths and settle into a shared musical direction.
There may be disagreements about songs, tempos and arrangements along the way.
That’s normal.
Try to keep communication open, listen to other people’s ideas and remember why you started in the first place.
You might even discover that the band develops in a completely different direction from your original plan.
Sometimes that’s where the best music comes from.
11. What If Someone Leaves?
Sooner or later, most bands experience a line-up change.
Somebody moves away, gets too busy or decides they want to play a different style of music.
It can be disappointing, especially when things are going well.
But it doesn’t have to mean the end of the band.
You can always post another advert, meet some new musicians and carry on.
Sometimes a new member brings fresh ideas and takes the music somewhere unexpected.
The important thing is not to give up at the first setback.
12. Remember, It’s Your Band Too
If you’re the person who started the band, you might feel responsible for organising everything.
But once other musicians are involved, it’s worth remembering that everybody should have a voice.
Encourage people to suggest songs, share ideas and help with arrangements.
You don’t need to be the boss.
In fact, some of the most enjoyable bands are the ones where everybody contributes and nobody takes themselves too seriously.
Unless, of course, you’re starting a one-person band.
In which case, good luck carrying the drum kit!
Stop Waiting and Start Playing
Here’s the thing about starting a band.
You don’t need permission.
You don’t need a manager, a record label or years of professional experience.
You don’t even need to know exactly where it’s all going.
You just need to take that first step.
Post an advert. Contact another musician. Arrange a jam. Learn a few songs.
Perhaps it’ll become a gigging band. Maybe you’ll write some original music. Or perhaps you’ll simply end up with a regular rehearsal and a few new friends.
Any of those would be a pretty good result.
And who knows? Somewhere nearby, there could be a drummer, guitarist, bassist or singer thinking exactly the same thing as you.
They’re just waiting for somebody to get things started.
Why shouldn’t that somebody be you?
Ready to Start Your Own Band?
Up For A Jam is here to help you find local musicians, make connections and get playing.
You don’t have to wait for the perfect band to advertise for a new member.
Start something yourself and see where it takes you.
Find people. Start a band. Play some gigs.