How to Start Your First Band

I started playing drums when I was around 10 or 11 and was performing publicly with my first band shortly after that. After nearly 30 years of playing, I can safely say that being in bands has been one of the most fun and rewarding things I’ve ever done. However, while starting a band gets easier over time, it’s never been what I’d call “easy.” So, I’d like to give you some tips to get your first band up and running. You’ll notice that most of these tips involve planning before the band has even played a downbeat together. While there’s something to be said for casual jamming and just having fun, I’ve found that my most successful bands — whether you base success off money, longevity, number of streams, or any other metric — were the bands that had some goals in mind before attempting to book shows or record songs.

Decide What Kind of Band You Want to Be InFind Your PeopleFind a Rehearsal Space & Make a ScheduleReady, Set, Rehearse!Gear Recommendations

Decide What Kind of Band You Want to Be In

Assuming you’ve already selected at least one instrument and have been practicing regularly (you have been practicing, right?), the first step toward starting a band is deciding what kind of band you want to be in. In addition to choosing a genre, you might consider which part you’ll be playing. For example, rock bands often have two guitarists, with one guitarist handling rhythm parts and the other handling lead melodies and guitar solos. When you’re starting, there’s nothing wrong with copying from a musician, band, or genre that strongly resonates with you. In my early years, my hero was Neil Peart from Rush, and so I was eager to join a progressive rock band whose music had odd time signatures and, of course, lots of busy drum fills. To me, that was the most fun style of music to play, so that’s what I gravitated toward for my early bands.

Consider whether you want to play mostly cover songs or focus instead on writing original material. For beginners, playing cover songs may be easiest, as everyone has a clear idea of what to play. Plus, playing cover songs makes it obvious when things sound good — or not. However, if you’ve got your own lyrics, riffs, or beats, then absolutely share them! Also, playing covers versus originals isn’t a hard-and-fast rule. Many bands that mostly play cover songs often sprinkle in a few original songs as well. Likewise, most original bands put their unique spins on songs from other artists. The most important thing is that everyone is having fun!

With the quality and proliferation of audio recording technology, another option has emerged: Do you want to emphasize recording your songs first, or do you want to be more focused on live performances? Many successful bands have a healthy blend of both, but it might be easier for beginners to focus more on just one at first. Both approaches have their merits.

Recording your songs first gives you valuable experience, whether at home or in a studio. Plus, it can provide you with material for social media and even streaming platforms. Also, you can include your recordings in an electronic press kit (EPK), complete with band photos, videos, individual member biographies, and more. Most professional and aspiring bands have an EPK of some sort because it can make it easier to book bigger, more profitable gigs. However, it’s essential to realize that your recordings are more valuable if they sound good, and teaching yourself how to record well can take a substantial amount of time. It will also require a significant investment if you want to record with a professional audio engineer in a proper studio (Sweetwater Studios offers reasonable prices).

Why Your Band REALLY Needs an EPK

On the other hand, focusing on live performances first gives you valuable stage experience. It can be beneficial for networking with other musicians, venue owners, and artists in your community. Initially, performing live also pays better. You can earn money selling show tickets and band merchandise. Finally, performing live requires less money upfront than purchasing recording equipment, like audio interfaces and plug-ins, or outboard gear, like preamps and compressors. And performing live is cheaper than booking time in a professional recording studio! Ultimately, you’ll need both recorded music and a great live show if your band is to be successful. However, I would suggest beginners focus more on performing cover songs in front of a live audience.

Maybe you don’t know what kind of band you want to be in or even what you want to play — and that’s OK! Many bands play various genres, and many musicians are multi-instrumentalists. There’s also nothing wrong with getting together with friends and having fun. Eventually, you may sort out a more specific vision for your band, but not everything needs to be goal-oriented. Plus, everything discussed above can be decided after meeting your bandmates... which brings me to the next step.

Find Your People

While it seems obvious, the next step is finding people you enjoy playing with! What instrumentalists you’re looking to cover will depend on what you already play and your chosen genres for the band. Your school is the most obvious place to look for other musicians. Simply asking friends if they would like to jam sometime or if they know others who would is a time-honored tradition. Many famous musicians met in middle and high school. Community centers, such as churches and YMCAs (and Sweetwater!), are also great places to hang posters and advertise for bandmates. Local cafés may work for this purpose as well. It might seem a bit “old school” today, but it works.

Going to local concerts and shows is also an excellent way to meet potential bandmates. Oftentimes, the audience members at local shows may be musicians themselves! It also never hurts to approach band members after their performances, compliment them on a great job, and start a friendly chat. Once you reach a natural point in the conversation, you can ask them if they know anyone else looking for a band. You might get in touch with potential bandmates and make friends at the same time.

There are also various apps in which you can reach out or collaborate online with other musicians. Some of the most popular are Vampr, BandLab, Blend, Sessionwire, and Soundtrap. But please be careful: it is the Internet, after all. For musicians of middle and high school age, it’s safer to meet bandmates organically at school, church, etc., or to have any online accounts overseen by a trusted relative or adult friend.

However you meet people, the most important thing is that you like each other! You will spend a lot of time with each other in rehearsals, before and after performances, and maybe even on tour buses and airplanes someday. It is crucial that you get along. It’s also not a bad idea to arrange a “pre-band” meeting at a café or other quiet social spot to spend some time talking to each other about musical influences, goals for the band, etc., before you try jamming with each other. This way, no one lugs their gear across town only to discover that the group doesn’t mesh.

Finally, if you are local to Fort Wayne, then Sweetwater’s Rock Camp and Build-a-Band programs are fantastic ways to try to meet musicians your age, get experience playing live, and record a song!

Find a Rehearsal Space & Make a Schedule

I lived in China, where most people have apartments instead of houses with garages and basements. Finding rehearsal spaces for my bands was often tricky and almost always expensive! Thankfully, the US has more options, but there are still some things to consider.

Firstly, you don’t want noise complaints from neighbors. Nothing will derail a rehearsal faster than having the police show up (trust me on this one). Urban legend states that you should hang up blankets, pillows, and egg cartons to soundproof your rehearsal space. While this may help your room sound better, it does very little toward keeping invasive sounds from leaking into your space and keeping your bass frequencies from leaking out. In actuality, truly soundproofing a room is a costly and time-consuming process. So, what’s a fledgling garage band to do?

Studio foam does NOT equal soundproofing!

Tips for Soundproofing Your Home Studio or Practice Spot

If no one in your band has a home with a basement or some other quiet rehearsal space, then the first option is to find somewhere else to practice. Many cities have businesses that provide rehearsal space for bands, and recording studios may also open their tracking rooms as rehearsal spaces. There are some pros and cons to rehearsing in this way.

Pros:

Equipment can be provided. Guitarists usually only bring their guitars, picks, and pedals, and drummers usually need to bring cymbals, sticks, kick drum pedals, and maybe a snare drum. Singers may be asked to bring their own microphones. However, a PA system for the singer(s), amps for guitarists/bassists/keyboardists, and drums are usually provided. So, overall, it means less gear for everyone to haul.The space is probably soundproofed and acoustically treated, so you can play louder and sound better.Many places can record your rehearsals. Listening to recordings of your band playing is one of the best ways to identify what you need to improve. Plus, if your band and the room both sound great, then these rehearsal recordings could be used as a demo or EPK until you’re able to record in an actual studio.The ambience is different. Rehearsing in someone’s home feels more casual, whereas rehearsing in a business can inspire a greater sense of professionalism. This can make your band feel more motivated and thus take rehearsals more seriously. It also improves productivity.Other bands use these spaces as well, so you’ll have opportunities to meet other musicians, make friends, swap shows, collaborate, and network in general.Other artists also might advertise in these spaces, so this can make it easier to locate, for example, a graphic designer when it’s time to work on your band’s logo or your album’s artwork.

Cons:

COST! Some businesses offer discounted rates or even subscription/membership plans for bands that know they’ll be rehearsing regularly. This will save you some money. Still, a private business will never be as cheap as a private basement or garage.Planning is essential yet sometimes difficult. Because other people also use this space, your band will need to schedule a regular practice time and try their best to stick to it religiously. If you need to use a private business’s rehearsal space, then late-night group text messages saying, “Hey, wanna jam tomorrow night?” probably won’t work out.While equipment is provided, it might not be the best gear for your group. This Fender ’65 Twin Reverb 2×12-inch 85-watt tube combo amp is a fantastic-sounding amp... but I’ve never seen a metal band use one! Plus, because other musicians also use the gear, even if you get your perfect tone dialed in, you will return next week to find that other musicians have changed the settings. YUCK!You may encounter distractions or interruptions from business employees or other customers using a practice space adjacent to the one you’re using. While I’ve never had a problem with this, it can happen.You’ll have a strict rehearsal window. Let’s say you’re rehearsing from 6PM to 8PM. When 8PM rolls around, you’ll be expected (possibly even forced) to end rehearsal immediately. If the creative juices are flowing or the band is playing well together, then this can be a huge buzzkill.   

If you can’t rehearse regularly at home, and renting a space isn’t viable, then your next best bet is for everyone to start using a personal mixer. These nifty devices enable everyone to hear exactly what they want and effectively remove limitations like room size and layout. Even if the drummer is crammed into an alcove, they’ll still be able to hear everyone loud and clear with a personal mixer. Personal mixers are an upfront investment, and they have a slight learning curve if you’ve never used them. Still, they’re not difficult to use, and compared to renting a rehearsal space, they can save you money in the long run. You’ll also need a pair of headphones, specifically closed-back headphones. I use the Sennheiser HD 280 Pro closed-back studio and live monitoring headphones, and they’re fantastic.

How to Record Better Demos at Home

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Ready, Set, Rehearse!

Alright, you’ve got your people and your place, and you’re ready to rock. Now what? At the very beginning, it might be enough to get everyone in the same room together and have some fun jamming. Eventually, however, you’ll all probably want some direction and to accomplish some goals. Let’s review a few tips on how you and your musical compatriots can have a productive and successful rehearsal.

BE ON TIME! And by “on time,” I mean “arrive early.” Unless your band leaves all their gear set up and in the same place week after week, you’ll need to load in your gear and set it up first. So, if you need to set up drums, amps, and pedals or tune your instruments, then plan on arriving 20 to 30 minutes early so that you can set your equipment up and run through some warm-up exercises before rehearsal starts. And drummers, here’s a quick tip: don’t play when other instruments are tuning! Turn your snare off so that it doesn’t buzz while they tune. It’s a small act, but other musicians really appreciate it.Everyone should decide what to play before the next rehearsal. The number of songs you can rehearse depends on how much time everyone has practiced throughout the week. Generally, playing one to three songs is a reasonable goal. If your band has a singer, then choose songs that your singer can sing well! Guitars and basses can be retuned, and keyboards can be transposed, but your singer’s vocal range is all they’ve got. Work with it, not against it.  Band rehearsal is not the place to learn your parts. I’ll say that again because it’s so essential: band rehearsal is not the place to learn your parts. Your individual practice time is when you should be learning your parts, and band rehearsal is when you should focus on putting everything together.Though not required, I suggest you write any of your lyrics, chord charts, set lists, etc., out by hand. I know you’re probably rolling your eyes, thinking, “OK, boomer,” but I’m serious! Scientific research (such as ScienceDaily’s 2021 article “Study shows stronger brain activity after writing on paper than on tablet or smartphone”) has shown that writing things down by hand helps you remember things better than typing on a tablet or phone. Limit cell phone usage during rehearsals. Taking one photo or short video at the beginning or end of rehearsal for a social media post is fine, but don’t take the time to post it during rehearsal because that wastes rehearsal time. Post the photo/video after rehearsal or when you’re back home. If you don’t have a portable recorder or another way to record your rehearsals, then using your cell phone to record rehearsals is also a good idea. Just make sure that everyone gets the files afterward!Last but certainly not least: lose the ego. Foster an environment where everyone’s creative input, skills, and opinions are appreciated and validated. If someone submits an original idea, whether a riff, a groove, or whatever, then don’t be harsh and tell them it stinks. Try to work with them to shape the idea into something everyone in the band is excited about. Likewise, if someone struggles with a tricky section of a song, then don’t be condescending or try to shame them. Slow the tempo down and gradually speed it up until everyone can play in time together. Again, getting along with each other and having fun are the most important elements of a band, and nothing will break up a band faster than someone acting like an arrogant jerk.

Gear Recommendations

If you’re just starting out as a musician, then here are some excellent resources for you to check out, sorted by instrument:

Best Acoustic Guitars for Beginners | Summer 2023

Best Electric Guitars for Beginners | Summer 2023

Best Guitar Amps for Beginners

Best Guitar Pedals for Beginners

Best Basses for Beginners

Best Bass Amps for Beginners | 2023

Best Synthesizers for Beginners

Best Electronic Drum Sets for Beginners

Acoustic vs Electronic Drum Sets: Which Should You Choose?

“Music is THE BEST.” — Frank Zappa

I wholeheartedly agree! Some of my fondest memories are of playing in my first bands; many of my first bandmates have proven to be lifelong friends. I have no doubt it’ll be the same for you. If you need any help on your musical journey — with gear or anything else — then please call your Sweetwater Sales Engineer at (800) 222-4700!
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