Hey RockGuitarDudes!
Steve here again....It's been a little while since my last post. There's been lots of cool stuff going on in my life. But it's time to get back on track and talk about rock guitar.
One of the most rewarding experience with being a rock guitarist is to play with a band. It sounds cool to tell people you have your own band or play in one. But how do you put one together. That's the hard part. Clayton Couch wrote this article on how to find musicians for a rock band. Take a look.
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How to Find Musicians for a Rock Band
Searching for band members for your band or trying to join one? Auditions resembling American Idol in the early weeks? Here’s some ideas to help.
You’re tired of playing to You Tube clips and the family dog. You know your instrument and material, you just need to put it together with a group. How do you find like-minded individuals with whom to collaborate on your rock and roll schemes?
In the olden days, you’d run or respond to an ad in the local newspaper’s classified section. In smaller towns this may still be a viable option, but in most metropolitan areas, Craigslist is the most accessible tool for finding band members.
In a perfect world, this system would also be perfect, but the shocking truth is that some musicians exaggerate their proficiency. Yes, it’s true. Whether you are running an ad or reading one, here are some suggestions to make sure you maximize your chances for success.
Rock and roll, country, jazz…
If you’re just starting out you may want to cast a wide net, but if you have a particular type of sound in mind, then of course you’ll want to narrow the field. You know what you want, you just have to verbalize it to the musician’s network. There’s not much point in auditioning a bass player who digs country music if you’re in a death metal band. But it can be a challenge to present your ad in a way that conveys your niche.
You don’t have to put too fine a point on it; listing three or four influences, bands, or songs helps give a general idea of where you are headed. You want to convey your musical goals and expectations such as “want to play out once or twice a month and practice once a week”. Remember, Craigslist readers are from all walks of life, beginners to professionals, so you’ll need to let them know where you are coming from.
You’ll also want to paint an attractive but accurate picture of your endeavor. Mentioning that you have a comfortable practice space is a big plus. Your location is important as well. When band members have to travel too far for practice they are more likely to cancel a session due to logistics than if they live closer to the practice space.
Do you play bass or guitar?
There is no need to do all your screening with your ad. You can do further screening when you receive email or phone responses. This is where you will “qualify” your candidates. As stated before, some musicians, in hopes of securing a position within your band, will over sell themselves. There is no free lunch and if it sounds too good to be true, you’ll have to screen further.
A good first step is to ask questions. What kind of music do you like? Who are your favorite bands? Don’t pepper the person with queries, but ask open-ended questions that will encourage them to expound on themselves and provide you with a snapshot of their personality and skill level.
Next you can share your set list with the potential band member. This will give him or her a better view of your direction. Note: this only works with cover tunes that are fairly well known. Original songs probably won’t offer much insight.
One of the best methods of screening the dreamers from the players is to ask for a recording of the candidate’s performance. If you are trying to get into a band, it is almost a necessity to have something recorded to give bands a chance to sample your wares. Often, bands request video of a live performance to ensure that you have the stage presence and ability they seek. If a candidate doesn’t have a recording, either audio or video, there is a good chance that they do not have the experience needed for an intermediate or higher band.
Setting up the audition
Most bands practice once a week which makes rehearsal time valuable. If you have hesitation about a potential candidate, consider setting up a meeting before scheduling the audition. This will give you an additional opportunity to learn more about the candidate without committing the rest of the band to the time required for an audition.
Lastly, if you are searching for a band or if you are a band searching for a player, be patient. Just as in sales, you are likely to meet with a few rejections before winning the contract. Stay positive and focused and learn from the experience. Modify your ad to reflect lessons learned. Keep the band moving forward even if you don’t have all the players in place. The more established you are as a band, the more attractive you’ll be to potential players.
Go here for link to article:
Session Guitar: Why We Need So Many Guitars!
Why do session guitarists need a variety of guitars?
Reason 1: Be prepared. Just like a plumber or carpenter, the right tool for the right job goes a long way to making the music we are playing sound more appropriate for the situation. When you walk into a session, you never know, or most of the time, are unaware of the style you will be asked to play that day. A jingle can span the realms of classical to country to metal to jazz. And sometimes all in the same cue if you are playing a soundtrack!
Budgets are usually tight and you may be required to do an instrumental choreography to switch in the middle of a cue from acoustic, to classical, to electric and back again…all in one take…while sight reading. THANK GOD I do not get called for those! Well, never say never…but you never know, and it is important to be prepared. By the way, often enough, a certain guitar is often requested by a client! If it worked for them before, they know it will work for them again. I rarely sell guitars. You never know.
Reason 2: Attitude. I find that I play completely different on each of my instruments. They tend to sway my attack, attitude, feel. When I pick up a Strat, I tend to do more chimey chordal things. My playing is bluesier. My feel is looser. I play fewer notes, but find I play with more emotion.
A polar opposite is a Les Paul. On a Paul I tend to play with a harder edge, more attitude. I dig in deeper and play heavier, more in your face. On an Ibanez RG I play faster, want to shred more. I use a more modern approach, dial in more distortion … actually as much as I can get! And those are only three. I have some specialty instruments that may not get used often, but when they do, I know exactly what’s going to happen. I pick up my 1949 L7 and it’s nothing but jazz. Old school bop. I pickup my custom made Ted Crocker Hot Rod (Thanks again, Robbie Sambat!) and I am down south in Mississippi and playing the dirtiest deepest low-down blues and wishing I were a better slide player!
Maybe it’s the history, or maybe my own influences, that cause me to play differently. I see a Strat and I think Rory Gallagher, Jimi Hendrix and Eric Johnson. I see a Paul and I think Joe Perry, Jimmy Page and Paul Kossoff. I see and Ibanez and I think Steve Vai and Paul Gilbert. These players are burned into my guitar mind and they aren’t going away. Maybe you see things differently. It’s all good.
But the way I play is seriously influenced by the guitar. Or maybe it’s the wood, the neck, or the sound of the pickups. I am certain they all contribute greatly. So when I am playing on a session, I want to give it the best I’ve got. Not only the right notes, but the feel and appropriate sound.
Reason 3: There is one final reason we carry, own and cherish so many guitars. BECAUSE I CAN’T THINK OF ANYTHING BETTER THAN BEING SURROUNDED BY A BUNCH OF BADASS GUITARS AND GETTING TO PLAY THE HELL OUT OF THEM EVERYDAY!
Go here for link to article:
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Now I'm getting the urge to buy another guitar. Decisions, decisions. What to buy next. That's part of the fun of it. Happy guitar shopping. Steve is out of the building.....
