OK, so you’re thinking of starting a rock band and not sure where to start. Playing an instrument is fun for many reasons. Whether you are playing for your own enjoyment or to entertain others, doing so becomes even more fun when you have a group of like-minded friends to play with you! It’s also a great way to stay motivated and keep up with practices. Even if you never intend to perform, getting a rock band together can have some great benefits, no matter your age.
But where do you start? Read on to get some tips on why and how to start your rock band.
Why you should start a rock band
Starting a rock band has many benefits for musicians of any age.
- Having a group to keep you accountable helps to motivate you to constantly improve your skills
- Playing with others who share your love of rock music improves your social life
- Hearing how instruments sound together might encourage you to learn how to play a second (or third!) instrument
- Having scheduled band practices prevents you from shying away from practicing regularly
- It’s fun!
At Capstone Music – we love to Rock! So much so that in addition to music lessons of all kinds, we offer a Rock Shop program for aspiring rockers, or those simply looking to learn and play in a group setting.
How to start a rock band
Step 1: Find your bandmates
This is the most important and possibly most difficult step in starting a rock band. Finding 2-3 others that share your passion, can play instruments that sound good together, and who are also interested in being part of a band sounds like an intimidating process!
There are several ways you can find your bandmates:
- Make a poster and hang it up around town. Coffee shops, music stores, schools and community centers are great places to post them.
- Put an ad on Craigslist
- Post in local Facebook groups
- Ask at your local music school
- Join a rock band music program
- Ask in a local choir group
Step 2: Song selection
Rock is a pretty broad genre so you’ll need to sit down with your new band mates to discuss your musical influences and favourite songs. Pick a few favourites to start with, and as you grow together you can start evolving your sound to be more unique and truer to who you are.
Step 3: Figure out where you’ll practice
Now that you have a group and your sound, it’s time to find a place to practice! Think of where you have access to that might be a decent place to play some music. A basement, garage, backyard shed, a music venue before they open or a local community center might all be options to look into.
Step 4: Start playing music!
As you get more comfortable with each other and the music you’re playing together you can start thinking about writing your own songs and booking some gigs.
Starting a rock band makes for a fun and motivating hobby
If you’ve been playing an instrument for awhile, it might even be a natural progression to decide to get a few people together to play. Finding musicians who share your love of rock and are interested in joining your band might be the most intimidating step in the process, but it doesn’t have to be difficult!
If you’re still not sure where to start or are feeling intimidated, give Rock Shop a try. Our rock-centered program will help musicians hone their skills, work as a team and feel comfortable on stage all while sharing their love of rock music with their peers.
