General Music Chat

Hey I am curious how to get into a band or get playing experience. I have had a few guys over to jam and have been playing a few years. How do you actually find musicians who want to practice and work on getting tight. All I have seen is guys who dont want to take the time to bring anyone up to speed. I have tried craigs list and the local City beat. Most are cover bands or Guitar pickers who cant take the time for a freshman to learn a few songs.
All Atittude! The finding bandmates has been such a chore I wonder why I bother anymore. Tell me is this the way it is these days everyone can just going to log on and find someone else.................NEXT. Reminds me of dating woman on the net. They just want Prince Charming or Mr Right or else because they are not settling on a dimond in the rough. Its funny because were only talking a few hundred bucks extra a month and it seems the friendship and commradery would be worth much more then a few bucks made in a smokey club. But then I must realize my place in line and that I have to pay my dues and work your my up. I cant expect a descent muscian to actaully give me a pointer a tip a suggestion unless I was to drop some cash. Then well money talks. I didnt realize being a muscian was like joining some secret club of specailized snobs.

Getting discouraged is something we all experience, but as a freshman you should have a more positive outlook. Remember that in the end it doesn't really matter if you're in a band or not. If you really want to do it though, make sure you have done your homework. Take lessons, pay a more experienced drummer, practice with headphones everyday - in short, become someone that a band would want. It takes time, be patient yet persistent.

You posted a similar thread a while back: http://forum.bandmix.com/viewtopic.php?t=11817

There was some good advice in that thread.

I'm going to be straight with you:


It seems to me you want people to accommodate you as a beginner... That's just not going to happen man. You have UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS. You are not fit for a working band.


Expectations are everything. And if your expectations don't match reality, you will be frustrated and so will the people you play with.


If you are slow to learn songs because you're a noob, then you have no place in a band. Period. What you need to do is work on your craft; figure out how to learn songs quickly and how to play them well, free of errors. This is something that any good musician can do. My cover band just hired on a new kid to play 2nd guitar, and the kid not only comes prepared knowing how to play stuff, but the stuff he doesn't know how to play he can actually learn ON THE SPOT at rehearsal.


Workings bands do not have time for someone like you. What you need is a garage band; a band that has no aspirations of playing out; just a bunch of guys who want to jam and have a good time. Start there. Then work on your craft.


Because from the sounds of your posts, you do not sound ready to be in a working band. You do not sound like you can learn songs quickly or play them without making mistakes. Honestly, if you were auditioning for my band and I thought you couldn't learn a song quickly, I'd pass. There are drummers everywhere. Working bands do not have time to babysit a noob while he learns his craft.

Reminds me of dating woman on the net. They just want Prince Charming or Mr Right or else because they are not settling on a dimond in the rough

What makes you think you're a diamond in the rough? You? Your opinion? That doesn't mean jack.

Show us. Show people you have your sh*t together. Show people that you can learn songs fast and play them well.

Like I said, working bands do not have time to babysit you. They don't have time to determine if you have a diamond underneath all the noob-ness.

Sorry, that's the way it is.


You are overreaching. You're trying to get somewhere without first putting in the work to walk the path.


Getting to where you want to be as a musician is a process. It takes time, and you have to understand the process and the steps that are required.

If my words sound harsh, just know that I was where you are two years ago. Played in my basement by myself for 15+ years. Finally decided to get serious and get into a band. I played for a year and half before I finally was able to keep a band together long enough to play a show.

I had to do TONS of work to become a better musician. I had to learn how to learn songs fast and accurate; I had to learn how to play better; I had to learn how to deal with people who were different skill levels from me; I had to learn how to work with other musicians... There's a process here.

Now, I am in two bands with a 3rd trying to recruit me to play lead guitar.


It would have been unrealistic of me to expect this 2 years ago.



Good luck to you man. Sorry for the Craig-length post, but I just felt like someone needed to give it to you straight man. If you really want to play in a working band, you have to work to do.

I cant expect a descent muscian to actaully give me a pointer a tip a suggestion unless I was to drop some cash. Then well money talks. I didnt realize being a muscian was like joining some secret club of specailized snobs.

Musicians don't generally give away their advice or skill for free man. Lessons cost money. That's the way it is. If you want to improve, you'll invest in your skills. It's that simple.


If you're going to try and have a pity-party here on Bandmix, it's not going to go over well. You're talking to a bunch of musicians who are working hard at their craft and had to go through exactly what you're going through. There is no sympathy there.

Stop whining. Start working. Take lessons. Work on your craft. Don't have unrealistic expectations. Understand that getting into a quality band is a process and you're going to have to go through it like everyone else.


There is nothing about you that makes you so much more special than everyone else that you deserve extra special consideration. You don't get to vault to the front of the line with an EasyPass.

Ill just sell my sh*t.......................thats the stuff I am talking about.


To much god like attitude from you guys. I dont want to ever be like you .....................................ty

Ill just sell my sh*t.......................thats the stuff I am talking about.


To much god like attitude from you guys. I dont want to ever be like you .....................................ty

Don't worry, you won't.

I wish it was that easy to get 90% of the musicians out there to quit, life would be so much simpler.

If you want smoke blown up yer ass ask yer girlfriend. If you want honest advice stick around.

So you would rather everyone quit rather then try to help them out. Hmmm

Maybe listen to some of their covers and actually say something constructive instead of calling me a noob and that nobody needs a person like me in a band.

Would it be to much to say well the stuff sounded so so. You need this or that ........................................oh I should already know if it sound like sh*t why ask the rock gods.

And no I do not want anything from you

Yes I would rather have most of the dumbasses that think they're going to be rock stars quit and get the hell out the way but that's just wishful thinking.

Go re-read my advice to you. I believe it was sound and I stand by it.

In this short exchange we have pinpointed your issues of why you're having a hard time. Don't bother thanking us just get to work.

no you gave advice based on what I asked but that was not what I asked you last time. Now if you had told me you had listened to the songs I played and told me what I was lacking then well Thank You. What you told me was work hard practice and learn your stuff and maybe someone will let you in.................................Ok I already know that. I was asking for advice not retorical rambling belittling remarks.

So in reality you didn't really want advice you just wanted someone to go listen to your tunes? Maybe if you had just asked nicely someone might have. I don't think you have much of a chance of that now. I've been playing in bands for over thirty years, I've seen my share of "musicians" who think they already have all the answers. Open your mind, drop the pity party and just do the work. Over and out.

You need to get together with a good teacher who can help with tuning your drums & keeping time through the fills, first, imho. (Yes, I listened to your samples in your profile.)

As far as playing with others, I'd get myself to some open mics to meet ppl. Also, check out your local music stores, theater groups, instrument repair shops, & lest I forget - go to other band's gigs & TALK to them. You might wanna start up with a bunch of guys just for fun, or you could try to get some gigs, but your level of playing isn't necessarilly what I'd call 1st rate pro material.

If you were closer, I'd suggest a cpl of guys who could really help you out on those pesky little problems & get you in touch with ppl at your level of playing or better. (I always try to find musicians better than I am...makes me work harder & improves me.)

Finally, & this is the single most important thing I could tell you, here - do NOT undersell yourself to musicians. If you say you aren't ready, we'll take you at your word, & miss everything else you say. If you say you have problems, we tend to ignore everything else you say. If you start up by bitching about how musicians treat you, we're likely to be wary of you from the outset, cuz we're musicians. A good 50% of the time, the mistakes that YOU hear won't be heard by others unless they're glaring huge drops of the beat. Remember, you don't hafta be a note for note player when you're doing covers, & if you try & miss some little thing, but stay with the overall tempo & feel of the piece, few if any others will notice. You can't expect to come to pro musicians & have them give you the secrets of success after you told us you aren't good enough to be able to use them. The advice you have gotten was, at first, well-meant, & when you argue & thrash out because we can't give you the perfect answer you seem to want, we will tend to become a bit nasty in return. This all started because YOU undersold yourself & expected us to coddle you & give you sage advice to get what you don't deserve, if what you say about your abilities is true. Ain't gonna happen, certainly not in this field of endeavor. You'll need some thicker skin to get by without getting mad & frustrated.

That being said, I'll give you this final bonus piece of advice - if you want to be a drummer, then drum! Do it every day, either with recordings or with ppl. Do it with a metronome (your new best friend!) & record yourself to make sure you're on the beat. Get to the point that nothing can distract you from your duty, nothing alters the beat, not an out of time guitarist or off-beat bass player or a dragging or rushing singer. Make sure that if there is someone speeding up or slowing down, that it isn't you. You have to be a rock-solid master of tempo. Fills & flash are icing. If you can be on time, every time, you are pure gold. If you can't, you're tin foil. Improve yourself in your craft at every opportunity.

To much god like attitude from you guys. I dont want to ever be like you .....................................ty

So you don't ever want to play in a working band? Then what are you doing?

It's not a "god" attitude dude. It's reality. I'm a long way from being a guitar god, jeez... lol. I wish. But I learned how to be a better player - good enough to be in demand as a player in my area.

You want the world handed to you... That's no way to get what you want.

There are a lot of people who are willing to help those who help themselves. Begging for help, whining that you can't get any help, name-calling to those of us who actually are giving you GOOD advice... why the f*ck would I want to help you now?

I'm willing to help anyone who has genuine passion and doesn't bitch and whine and complain. Anyone who is willing to put in the work, who understands that nothing is going to be handed to them...

You don't fit into that category..... yet.