Top 5 Things I Need To Play In A Band
Sounds fun?...
I play in bands and I have a really great time doing it...
It can also be NOT FUN...here is what I avoid...
Recently, a viewer commented on one of my videos. The person asked how to get along, function in, or start a band. I consider the following five things to be most important.
- I need to like the people that I'm playing with. I don't want to play with someone I don't like. You spend a lot of time with the other members when you play in a band. There are hours of rehearsal time before you perform, time spent while setting up, time spent while performing with the band, and finally, the time spent breaking down and packing up all your gear. Additionally, if you're in a situation where you are going to be traveling, you may also be spending time in a car with someone while traveling to your gigs. You may be carpooling or riding in a van and touring. Whatever the case may be, you will spend a lot of time with these people. You need to like them on a personal level and be able to get along with them; you will not have any fun spending time with people you don't like.
- I like to surround myself with rock-solid, consistent players. What I mean by rock-solid is someone who can execute what they need to and do it consistently and accurately every time. I don't need the best players in the area; someone can always get better at their instrument. Solid, always consistent, reliable, and knowing that they will be executing the songs well is much better than having the best player in the area who might be flashy, sloppy, or inconsistent.
- Everybody needs to pull their weight when they're in a band. More than learning the songs and showing up at gigs is required. There are many other things to do in a band, and everyone needs to take some responsibility or at least be willing to take responsibility to help out. There are additional requirements and actions required to make the band exist. For example: booking, promotion, marketing, graphics, networking, etc. If someone is not good at graphics, you don't want them doing the flyers. However, there will be some job somewhere that they can do. If I'm joining a band where all of these systems are already in place, I'm at least willing to help out and offer to help, even if they don't take me up on it. If I'm in a situation where we bring somebody into an existing band, they need to be willing to help even if everything's all taken care of. The willingness to do it and do it if asked is really important. I don't like it when people are riding on others' coattails, just wanting to coast through and reap all the rewards but not putting in the same amount of work.
- Everyone needs to show up prepared for band practice. Band practice is not the time to learn your parts. You should have done that at home. You should have learned your parts, practiced your parts, and been able to execute them well at home. Band practice is precisely what it says: a time for the whole band to play the songs. It is not time for a single individual to learn their parts while everybody else is standing around playing parts that they already learned at home and can execute well.
- Fun is the most important thing. If something is causing me not to have fun, then I need to fix the problem, remove myself from that situation, or replace a member if it is within my control. Fun is the most important part. The reason I play in a band is because it is supposed to be fun. It shouldn't be a chore and shouldn't be 100% aggravation all the time. Of course, there will be some stressful times and aggravations when you play in a band, but it shouldn't be a constant state of stress and unhappiness. You are supposed to be having fun. If you're not having fun, something is wrong and needs to be changed.
When I keep these particular guidelines in check, I have fun.
Remember to always have fun with your guitar and I’ll see you next time…
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About Mark Turko: Mark Turko is a professional guitar player and instructor with over 30 years of experience and teaches guitar lessons online.