Eat, sleep, and play guitar! :D
Click here to hear my music :)
Click here to hear my music :)
Music Freak
Hello, my name is Stuart and I'm a 16 year old musician. I've always wanted to be a rock star ever since I was little. I play Piano, Guitar, Bass Guitar, Violin, Harmonica, Cello, and sing. I pretty much do NOTHING but play music and my family hates it but love that I'm crazy about it and are totally behind me. I write my own music all the time and everyone tells me I'm freakishly good but I don't know what to do now!! My family is really musical so I got my brother and sister and my into a three person band and we played at the battle of the bands at my school. We won, which was the most amazing moment of my life, but now my brother doesn't want to perform anymore (Music was never really his thing) and my sister really isn't that good. Now I'm stuck cuz its my dream to have a band and everyone knows I can do it. Does anyone out there have any advice for me in putting songs together with more then one person though cuz thats what is holding my back the most. I've been in about three bands and they all had no idea what to do when they got together. Right now I'm in a youth band for my church and are youth paster is totally in charge so we don't have much say in it, but I would like a band were we all shared our ideas.
# 1
start writing, get a program to record with, drop in some drum loops and a bass line. try posting on a bunch of different music sites telling your story and saying where you're at so other like-minded musicians can find you. my friend's entire band was formed by a bassist posting on some local music site.
# 2
Thank. I do have a ton of musicians I get together and jam with all the time so I really don't have to look that hard to form a band but I guess I just was really rethinking this whole thing. I love music but it sometimes feels like I play soooo much nothing sounds good anymore and I don't know when or if I'm ready.
Eat, sleep, and play guitar! :D
Click here to hear my music :)
Click here to hear my music :)
# 3
The big thing I have learned with any skill is just doing it. If you want to play in a band and write music than just do it, no need to spend years practicing before you start, your ready right now.
Some really great bands have been formed by people who could barely play their instruments and their music reflected that but it was still great music because they wrote it well. You sound like you can play so just form a band with the most like mined people you know and start playing. Get your stuff out there and get peoples reactions. Do what you want and don't listen to them but let them listen to you. Just make sure that whatever your doing your doing what you want.
Play, play, play. write, do whatever. Just do it. whatever that is. don't wait.
Some really great bands have been formed by people who could barely play their instruments and their music reflected that but it was still great music because they wrote it well. You sound like you can play so just form a band with the most like mined people you know and start playing. Get your stuff out there and get peoples reactions. Do what you want and don't listen to them but let them listen to you. Just make sure that whatever your doing your doing what you want.
Play, play, play. write, do whatever. Just do it. whatever that is. don't wait.
# 4
Originally Posted by: Drew77The big thing I have learned with any skill is just doing it. If you want to play in a band and write music than just do it, no need to spend years practicing before you start, your ready right now.
Some really great bands have been formed by people who could barely play their instruments and their music reflected that but it was still great music because they wrote it well. You sound like you can play so just form a band with the most like mined people you know and start playing. Get your stuff out there and get peoples reactions. Do what you want and don't listen to them but let them listen to you. Just make sure that whatever your doing your doing what you want.
Play, play, play. write, do whatever. Just do it. whatever that is. don't wait.
Dang it, Drew! That is the most inspirational thing I ever heard you say and you are absolutely correct. Some of the guys have been after me to do a few gigs around town. Though I played in the service and at family reunions and such, I never thought I was good enough to play in front in a real live don't know nobody audience. I'm not really the kind of guy anyone would pay good money to go see. I'm a SLUFF, Short, Little, Ugly, Fat, Fellar, plus I'm old, near 60. You really gave me some inspiration. I might just do a few gigs locally.
I especially liked your phase, "Don't listen to them, but let them listen to you". That is great! I would have said, "make them listen to to you", but what you said said was great. I think there's a song in there somewhere. Gotta go!
Thanks,
# 5
Originally Posted by: Drew77The big thing I have learned with any skill is just doing it. If you want to play in a band and write music than just do it, no need to spend years practicing before you start, your ready right now.
Some really great bands have been formed by people who could barely play their instruments and their music reflected that but it was still great music because they wrote it well. You sound like you can play so just form a band with the most like mined people you know and start playing. Get your stuff out there and get peoples reactions. Do what you want and don't listen to them but let them listen to you. Just make sure that whatever your doing your doing what you want.
Play, play, play. write, do whatever. Just do it. whatever that is. don't wait.
Hey Drew!
Just thought you would want to know. I wrote the lyrics to a new song based on your phase "don't listen to them, but let them listen to you". I haven't wrote the music yet, but it's crying out Blue Grass! Sorry, it's not your style!
# 6
Haha, cool man. I can dig some bluegrass.
I'm glad someone is writing music lately cause I sure as hell am not. Too busy between work and finding a third job (but it's at a vintage guitar shop, so it's alright) and working my first two, plus trying to get some art done and gather content for the magazine I m trying to start (self published no big deal really, just a lot of work). I am exhausted, but I gotta pay rent somehow.
I have actually written/recorded some acoustic stuff lately, although mainly just for practicing vocals.
I think my original post was just as much for me as anyone else. Glad to hear someone got something out of it though. If you record your song you should put up a link, I don't think I've heard any of your stuff ever.
I'm glad someone is writing music lately cause I sure as hell am not. Too busy between work and finding a third job (but it's at a vintage guitar shop, so it's alright) and working my first two, plus trying to get some art done and gather content for the magazine I m trying to start (self published no big deal really, just a lot of work). I am exhausted, but I gotta pay rent somehow.
I have actually written/recorded some acoustic stuff lately, although mainly just for practicing vocals.
I think my original post was just as much for me as anyone else. Glad to hear someone got something out of it though. If you record your song you should put up a link, I don't think I've heard any of your stuff ever.
# 7
Originally Posted by: Drew77 If you record your song you should put up a link, I don't think I've heard any of your stuff ever.
I might post some stuff in the future. I copyright all of my stuff, so I wouldn't post anything until that's done and I don't copyright until I have 15-20 songs on the cd. It's more economical that way and a lot easier to keep track of. Also, I sell most of my stuff and all rights to it. I get a pretty good one time check and the artist claims it as their own, so I can't do anything with them. It's theirs, after all they paid for it. Ha! Ha!
It's like false teeth. Yes, they're my own teeth, I paid for them!
I'm working on putting together 2 CDs for my own publication, but I don't plan to perform on them. I am looking to put a group together to record my songs. I may do some on them, but not much. I had a real good artist (singer/guitarists) set up to do one CD, but at the last minute, he backed out. He said his backers felt that wasn't the kind of image they wanted for him. Oh, well!
I do mostly comedy stuff. Old country, Blue grass, Folk, etc. I don't look to perform. Never did. I just like writing. This should be posted under a Songwriter's Life, not a Musican's Life.
Well, I better get back to work.
# 8
Hi Leaf,
I can see my old self in you. I also played in a youth band during my highschool days. It was a really great experience for me both musically and spiritually. I suggest that you must exercise your right to open up ideas, after all you are the one playing. YOU are the one making the music. Never be afraid of sharing what you know because of fear of some criticism or being accustomed that "someone else" has to do the job for you.
Ok, the next time that you are with your band mates, be proactive. Don't wait for your friends or members to open up with their ideas. Start sharing your notions that you want to contribute. Be the role model and then your mates will eventually follow. And always make the sharing healthy. In my experience, I used to collaborate with musicians who let their ego surmount them and in some cases I too often let my ego unconsciously conquer me too. If you are starting to sense some ego with your members or from you ,as you are now collaborating, control that ego and let that go.
Persistently remind yourself or your members that that will only hold the band back from the level of success that all of you are seeking. Let the sharing be as productive as possible. ALWAYS be positive.
It might be a good idea to spend a great amount of time talking with your band mates about this before attempting or setting up a practice routine. Schedule a meeting. Tell them that all of you needs to talk about specific things. You can start something like this, "Hey guys, I was thinking that if we are serious in being great at what we do, I think we need "team work". We need to work in a way where we can talk freely about what we really want to achieve. Let us think in a way successful rockstars think. Let's not wait for someone to do the job that we want. That would be great but that would also unlikely happen. So, we need to start collaborating about future goals and plans now and not wait for someone to do the job. Let's be creative, I know that you guys know something. When we start sharing remember to let this be healthy and productive. Leave your egos behind the door please. " Just some ideas. Anyhow, In my experience during those years, we used to cram at the last minute... and then we end up fighting or have hidden regrets instead.
When you start creatively planning and sincerely collaborating before doing the actual process of whatever that is (songwriting, practicing, etc.), only productive things will be the result.
So in summary:
Be proactive. Be the role model. And think of creative ways on how to do things and be sincere with one another. Never wait for the right moment. You create that moment. You hold the pen, you write the story that you want to read before you die. Now the question is: What is your story?
P.S.
If you have other questions man. Feel free to PM me. Take care!
Keep the Fire burning,
Jose Daniel
I can see my old self in you. I also played in a youth band during my highschool days. It was a really great experience for me both musically and spiritually. I suggest that you must exercise your right to open up ideas, after all you are the one playing. YOU are the one making the music. Never be afraid of sharing what you know because of fear of some criticism or being accustomed that "someone else" has to do the job for you.
Ok, the next time that you are with your band mates, be proactive. Don't wait for your friends or members to open up with their ideas. Start sharing your notions that you want to contribute. Be the role model and then your mates will eventually follow. And always make the sharing healthy. In my experience, I used to collaborate with musicians who let their ego surmount them and in some cases I too often let my ego unconsciously conquer me too. If you are starting to sense some ego with your members or from you ,as you are now collaborating, control that ego and let that go.
Persistently remind yourself or your members that that will only hold the band back from the level of success that all of you are seeking. Let the sharing be as productive as possible. ALWAYS be positive.
It might be a good idea to spend a great amount of time talking with your band mates about this before attempting or setting up a practice routine. Schedule a meeting. Tell them that all of you needs to talk about specific things. You can start something like this, "Hey guys, I was thinking that if we are serious in being great at what we do, I think we need "team work". We need to work in a way where we can talk freely about what we really want to achieve. Let us think in a way successful rockstars think. Let's not wait for someone to do the job that we want. That would be great but that would also unlikely happen. So, we need to start collaborating about future goals and plans now and not wait for someone to do the job. Let's be creative, I know that you guys know something. When we start sharing remember to let this be healthy and productive. Leave your egos behind the door please. " Just some ideas. Anyhow, In my experience during those years, we used to cram at the last minute... and then we end up fighting or have hidden regrets instead.
When you start creatively planning and sincerely collaborating before doing the actual process of whatever that is (songwriting, practicing, etc.), only productive things will be the result.
So in summary:
Be proactive. Be the role model. And think of creative ways on how to do things and be sincere with one another. Never wait for the right moment. You create that moment. You hold the pen, you write the story that you want to read before you die. Now the question is: What is your story?
P.S.
If you have other questions man. Feel free to PM me. Take care!
Keep the Fire burning,
Jose Daniel
Many drops of water make a river, many grains of rice make a large basket, do not underestimate your own potential, and do not think of any good deed as too small to do. - Master Shih Cheng-yen
Positive and negative emotions cannot occupy the mind at the same time. One or the other must dominate. It is your responsibility to make sure that positive emotions constitute the dominating influence of your mind. - Napoleon Hill
Positive and negative emotions cannot occupy the mind at the same time. One or the other must dominate. It is your responsibility to make sure that positive emotions constitute the dominating influence of your mind. - Napoleon Hill
# 9
He there,
I've been in a load of bands over the years - I've been on national radio, tv and on a few cd's as guest/session player. Now that I'm married with kids my solo project is where its at - everything is 100% mine which is a refreshing change from the band situation.
That said, I have been in some great bands that had some time in the spotlight My advice is that if you want a band then you should consider having it YOUR band. Eg you call the shots, you produce the music and direction and veto ideas that sound bad. This doesnt meen you have to put your ego on a pedestal but a band is just like anything else, without a manager or a 'head' it will lack direction and decision making power.
Sounds a bit selfish but most of the bands that make it have one very talented musician that controls the music and produces the overall direction. You don't have to run around like the boss but if you put the band together then you should own the name and have control over the direction.
I've been in too many bands that were going in different directions and one in particular that was pure virtuoso that had amazing potential but we never really went past a song or two and load of jam sessions because nobody took control and structured the sessions and said 'this is what we are going to do'.
Just something else worth considering, taken from personal experience!
I've been in a load of bands over the years - I've been on national radio, tv and on a few cd's as guest/session player. Now that I'm married with kids my solo project is where its at - everything is 100% mine which is a refreshing change from the band situation.
That said, I have been in some great bands that had some time in the spotlight My advice is that if you want a band then you should consider having it YOUR band. Eg you call the shots, you produce the music and direction and veto ideas that sound bad. This doesnt meen you have to put your ego on a pedestal but a band is just like anything else, without a manager or a 'head' it will lack direction and decision making power.
Sounds a bit selfish but most of the bands that make it have one very talented musician that controls the music and produces the overall direction. You don't have to run around like the boss but if you put the band together then you should own the name and have control over the direction.
I've been in too many bands that were going in different directions and one in particular that was pure virtuoso that had amazing potential but we never really went past a song or two and load of jam sessions because nobody took control and structured the sessions and said 'this is what we are going to do'.
Just something else worth considering, taken from personal experience!
# 10
