How To Start A Band

Band playing on a stage. Female guitarist, male bassist and female drummer. Shot with strobes and slow shutter speed to create lighting atmosphere and blur effects. Slight motion blur on performers.

Starting a band can be a great way to develop your musical skills and even make a little extra money. Here's a basic guide to finding a few bandmates and setting up your first practice.

Making Basic Arrangements

Before finding band members, it's important to consider practice space and gear. There are plenty of great acoustic bands that don't need a PA system or huge rooms, but if you're forming a rock, metal, or jazz band, you'll need to find a large enough space to practice.

If you're using your home as a practice space, talk to the neighbors first. Nothing stops a jam session faster than a noise complaint.

Bands with singers will also need a PA system an microphones. Many colleges rent out band practice spaces, and in larger cities, there are often companies that provide space and essential gear rentals at an affordable rate.

Finding Band Members

You can use the Internet to find band members through websites like Craigslist and Facebook. Post an ad that describes the type of music you want to play and your experience. Don't make the description too long and try to effectively communicate your vision for the band in as few words as possible. Something like "guitarist seeks a drummer and bassist for an indie rock band similar to the Pixies and Wilco" will explain what you're trying to find quickly and result in far more responses than several paragraphs of text.

It's also helpful to include details like how many times a week you'll want to practice and what type of experience you expect from the other band members. Make sure that there aren't any unpleasant surprises in the first practice by getting the details straight.

You can also advertise locally in record stores, music instrument shops and venues. It's okay to put your phone number and email address on a flyer, but leave your address off of it--posting your address and information about your gear could attract thieves.

Schedule your first practice with the other band members as soon as you can, but keep things laid back and fun. The most important part of starting a long-term band is to make sure that every band member's contributing and having a good time.

You can use the Internet to find band members through websites like Craigslist