United States

GA, almost all software (including the free stuff) lets you add distortion.
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You do not need an amp to record something . . .
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The cable you need is under $10 from Radio Shack.
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. . . you can probably get it for $4 at Wal-mart.
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The gas money to get there is probably more then the cost of the cable . . .
. . .
Methinks it's fast approaching time to 'put up' . . . no more excuses . . .

RhythmMan, you are like my conscience... You are trying to drive me insane (By making me do something I should be doing, lol). Yeah, alright, alright. I will look into that, I think I forgot that was possible.

It is a good investment. That is going to be odd, but it is a good idea. I will go look it up now online.

Thanks for the tip. I am going to put up, and end the excuse stuff... *Sigh*

Neh, just kidding around. I hope I can get some decent stuff up here. I am not sure what to throw up on the profile. Should I do originals or covers? Or both?

Peace out, GuitarAnatomy.

Why it is hard to keep the crew in one box?
Lack of chemistry
Too much individual ego
Too far apart in skills
Lack of commitment
Weak leadership (if any)
Lack of direction
Lack of management
just to name few...

I hope I was of some help

cheers and rocks your way!

Czeslaw

Ya just gotta keep dem bitches in check yo. Slap em with your pimp hand.

I'm with the originator of this thread.. the first band I had.. I didnt' even try. We just started jamming together, started playing out.. and we were the biggest band in town for years! We eventually broke up and the last 10 years have seen different musicians in and out.. and up and down times.. with nowhere near the success of the first band.. and it's all comittment issues! I just can't find any committed musicians anymore. It's crazy.

Ah well...

About Band I've played in: I thought I might impart what I have learned about people and bands after playing lead guitar for 43 years for money and also for free: Don't complain. Thank God if you believe in him if you get to play anything anywhere at anytime. Take the good with the bad and there is far more bad than good about this when you involve other people which is unavoidable if you only sing back up or not at all like me. Only play music you like but try to stretch your abilities by taking from other styles of music to develop your own way and style of playing. Sometimes you will be in a situation where you have to patronize a particular person in the band or they will leave, you have gigs coming up and if they leave you can't replace them in time to to play 4 hour casuals but in the long run be looking for a replacement without their knowledge, it's the only way to protect the band, it hard to keep a band together without money gigs or some kind of near future goal. Many people don't love music the way you do and will not commit the way you will to a band, rehearsal, PA gear, a room to practice in, doing the home to learn songs BEFORE you come to rehearsal, Of all the women I've played music with for all these years only 2 come to mind that were really dedicated players/singers and did not let there boys friends or emotions get in the way of breaking up a band or quiting, ill prepared. Yes you are ALL correct about musicians being flakes, most of are. Learn your instument, get a car, pay your bills, be responsible and somewhere in there you will play for fun, money, God, and enjoy the some songs where a perfect monment takes play and there is nothing you can do wrong and band is in perfect unity. Playing music is like surfering, when the big waves comes in everyone rides it, there are gigs and bands everywhere! Those big waves are gone for me now, my full time playing days are gone forever, I enjoyed them while I could, never got famous, but I had a real good time trying, made some friends along the way, played once infront of 65 thousand people, what a rush that was back in 1976! I can still play but can't do late night stuff, can't stand on my feet 8 hours anymore, can't move gear anymore, but I have my memories, I never quit a band, never missed a gig, late once in 43 years, always knew my chops and songs and always tried to keep things together and encourage band mates not to quit, I see that most of you on this site have many of the same feelings I have and that's good if you are going to get past the "bedroom practice" so enjoy whatever level you play at or can commit too because one day it will all end for the most part. So keep playing, it's good for the sole.

I think it all boils down to ego. Sure, there's always a ton of issues as to why each person is often hard to keep, but in the end, it's the self-centered ego.

The original definition of "band' in the original Websters is "four or more people of like mind"..there's generally the problem..both business and musically. Also, one must keep them booked, working, promoted, and have laid a 'track" for the band, the music and the "career aspect' to go the distance before just "putting together a band"..so everyone sees not only the fruits of their labors $$ and recognition), but the light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak.
You can always make a direct comment at my record company site
(BetaWaveRecords.com)..and hit me up directly from there, Cheers, Ken Morris

"Too many Chiefs, not enough Indians."

That is why, if I meet someone that talks too much and really has nothing to say, my daughter will bite their face off and all is good again

"Too many Chiefs, not enough Indians."

That is why, if I meet someone that talks too much and really has nothing to say, my daughter will bite their face off and all is good again

This made me laugh my ass off... the project I just joined is over half Native American. (I am half myself....)

Se... the question is, do we have enough NDNs?

Interesting topic and one that has been my BANE for a very long time. I started playing in 1978 with the simple (or so I thought) goal to get in a band and be like all my rock heros...yeah I know it sounds corny as hell but hey when you boil it all down that's why we all started playing really isn't it?

I mean who here started playing so they could get sore fingers (or arms and legs for drummers...hmm, do drummers even get sore?), burn through wads of cash, waste years of thier lives, maybe develop serious drug and/or alcohol habits, and put up with all the wanna be critics that play guitar hero video games and think they can play better than any musician alive (GOD I really wanna pound those guys into a puddle of lameburger).

But after all this time, and after being in countless bands, the things that have killed them all has been a plethora of stuff generally derived from an attidude that they we are all disposable. At least that's my opinion. Here are some of the excuses I have gotten as to why people are quitting the "Band".

1. I just wanted to play and have fun, I wasn't serious about starting a band. (How many have gotten this one?...Does it piss you off as much as it does me?).
2. I had a kid and don't have time for it any more. (I had a kid and still had my band playing at my house. It can be done.)
3. My wife/girlfriend does't like me spending so much time with the band instead of waiting on her hand and foot...excuse me, I gotta run to the store and buy some tampons and vagisil...(Time to ditch said wife/girlfriend in my book.)
4. (One of my favorites) I have decided to quit the band in favor of pursuing a promising career in the recreational drug industry.
5. My (insert name of relative or pet here) died and I am too emotionally distrought to play anymore.
6. I decided to sell all my stuff and see just how much drugs/alcohol I can buy with the money and if it will kill me if I do it all at once.
7. I lost my job and can't afford to play anymore. (Sad one and becoming all too frequent as of late).
8. My amp blew up and I can't afford another one (or any other equipment failure, again sad).
9. My car died.
10. My girlfriend/wife kicked me out and I don't have a place to live.

Well there's 10 excuses I have gotten...there's probably alot more if I thought more about it, but I'm getting depressed just thinking about them. Better stop before I go and do a #6...lol.

But really I don't think it's all that much about leadership as much as it is about desire to make it work. I kinda hate to use this metaphor but here it is. Believe it or not I think keeping a band together is like marrige in a way. If you really want to keep a band together then do it - Don't let anything or anyone get in your way and all the members have got to feel the same way. That is the trick right there.

If you have a dissagreement you need to be able to step back, calm down, think if it's really worth destroying everything all of you have worked for just to get your way*, compromise, and move on. Then this is the important part, once you have compomised and made an agreement on something there is no going back, no regrets and it's never brought up again.

Just remember the world is full of out of work, no band musicians who "Showed them and got thier own way".


*(Really, if you think long and hard about something with a calm head it should almost never be worth throwing all that work away for and hopefully you will see it the way others do. It was really something that just happened to rub you personally the wrong way. Try to be respectful of how the rest of the band feels and give a little here and there and you might find they return the favor later on.)

Why is it so tough? Cuz ppl are assholes. I know. I'm a ppl, & I'm an asshole, too.

Why is it so tough? Cuz ppl are assholes. I know. I'm a ppl, & I'm an asshole, too.

Ha Ha, Ok you win. That's gotta be the best answer I've seen so far and completly honest.

Why is it so tough? Cuz ppl are assholes. I know. I'm a ppl, & I'm an asshole, too.

Ha Ha, Ok you win. That's gotta be the best answer I've seen so far and completly honest.

More than you know LOL