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  • Advice on joining/start a band

Right, this is probably a silly topic for you old hands out there, but I still see myself as noob/greenie/beginnerish, so bear with me.

I've been playing for roughly over a year now. I think I'm doing well. Not the next Hendrix, but I'm slowly moving from beginner to... well.. whatever the next level might be. And as most guitarist, the idea to start of join a band is constantly nagging at me.

What I wonder, should I practice on my own for a couple of more years or start trying out on auditions. Is it better to start getting your name out there as a sucky/beginnerish guitarist or wait and be the best you can be before going out and trying your hand at a band?


There are some really great guitarists in Bloem, so I won't be able to "compete", but I just want to make music for the love of the game. Not really to be in the biggest and best band.

So do you guys think I should rather practice on my own for a coupll of more years or suck it up and get out there?
    Suck it up and get out there, you'll be amazed how much you learn playing with someone 8)
      If you get the opportunity to start playing with other people, go for it. Jamming with others will increase your rate of progress, especially if they are a bit better than you. Plus, you'll get to practice playing in front of other people, which is great too. Also, keep in mind that you won't always be at the level you are at now, and soon you will be able to "compete" with the better players in your area. Good luck!
        Go for it now, its part of the learning experience to play with different kind of people, along the way you will meet alot of musos and make good friends as well.

        So first maby find someone you can jam with, if you like the person and its all fun, then look for some other members, vocals, bass, drums.............


        what style of music to you wanna play?
          Happy Birthday Manny ?arty:

          Playing with people definately improves your own playing ?
            Well, I'm always open for learning new styles and all that. But I just love my pure rock. Wolfmother, White Stripes, Zeppelin, etc.

            I think the thing is, I should rather find someone to practice with first. Instead of going to auditions. I guess its the confidence thing of never thinking you are good enough ?

            I think I need to start finding people locally to jam with, but that is much easier said than done ?

            How on earth do you start finding people to jam with?
              As all the guys have said ........go and do it, you never know until you try! As long as you have doubt, it becomes more difficult, like ...."when is one really good enough??".....so what the hell, go do it, you'll learn faster!!!!
                thanks squonk, i got the day off ? ? ?
                extra long weekend
                How on earth do you start finding people to jam with?
                Gumtree , advertise in local ads, hang out at music shops and ask the stuff i they know of anyone wanting to jam(your best bet would be to advertise at the music shop self, they useally have a board against the wall for such things), or just advertise on GFSA?
                  Go jam with others, like the guys here have said. The only problem is that once you've done that, playing by yourself is a little boring.

                  You need to play with a few different people who have different tastes in order to find the ones that work. But that said, don't shoot down all blues guitarists just because of one that you didn't gel with.
                    Spyke wrote: don't shoot down all blues guitarists just because of one that you didn't gel with.
                    In fact, don't shoot down any blues guitarists, it's a waste and you'll wind up only playing Jail House Rock. The best thing is to merely hurt them, this improves the 'feel' they have for the music.
                      Gearhead wrote:
                      Spyke wrote: don't shoot down all blues guitarists just because of one that you didn't gel with.
                      In fact, don't shoot down any blues guitarists, it's a waste and you'll wind up only playing Jail House Rock. The best thing is to merely hurt them, this improves the 'feel' they have for the music.
                      hahaha that is funny ?
                        Gearhead wrote:
                        Spyke wrote: don't shoot down all blues guitarists just because of one that you didn't gel with.
                        In fact, don't shoot down any blues guitarists, it's a waste and you'll wind up only playing Jail House Rock. The best thing is to merely hurt them, this improves the 'feel' they have for the music.
                        Just hurt them enough so they can wake up the next morning...
                          The best and fastest progress you will make is when you start to play with other people.

                          It enforces a discipline on timing (unless you are metronome accurate) and allow you to gain confidence.

                          Go and see other bands and take your instrument with you.

                          Ask them if you can join in in the background at an interval.

                          Most musicians worht their salt, and without egos on their shoulders will let you at least for a couple of songs.

                          GO FOR IT LAD! !
                            +1 on what Selby said.

                            I probably wouldnt have started and gotten serious about music if I hadn't done the same.
                              selbydoodl wrote: It enforces a discipline on timing (unless you are metronome accurate) and allow you to gain confidence.
                              To add to this it forces you to learn a full song. I use to only learn the interesting bits of a song. A whole song isn't made up of interesting riffs so it helped me learn what holds it all together.

                              let us know what happens
                                Thanks for all the advice guys.

                                I posted up an ad on Gumtree, which for me is a big step as I'm a bit of a new-people-phobe ?

                                I'm also going to start hanging out at more local live shows to get exposure and what not. I think the hardest part is finding people in Bloem, as the "scene" here is fairly clicky and relatively "elitist". Or at least that's what I've experienced so far. I'm going to start pimping myself more actively.

                                I'm just gonna practice harder so that when opportunity knocks I'll be ready

                                @selbydoodl: Do you mean at band practice or at actual shows?
                                  What Selby and I were trying to say is to go to gigs and find if the band plays music you feel comfortable with, and go see tham at an interval and ask if you can play a coupel fo songs with them in the back ground.
                                  95% of the time you wont be dissapointed if the band isn't on an ego trip.
                                    After school and varsity me and most of my friends have moved elsewhere, but Bloem is still where my heart is. Very clique orientated indeed, but understandable if you look at the size of the community and how many popular genres there are in Bloem. Dont let it discourage you. Ask Nico at Music Shoppe if you can put up a classified in his store. Its close to varsity and theres a lot of likeminded players in the dorms who might be interested in jamming. Otherwise Deon at DeeVees might help. He knows a lot of the ins and outs and is quite involved in the local scene. He might be able to hook you up as well. Sterkte!
                                      Shot dude.

                                      I'll go around to DeeVees sometime. Really like the old toppies there. Also going to a Rock Spiders gig in a couple of weeks. My fiance's uncle is playing in the (umpeenth time reformed) band. Hope to build up some contacts there.

                                      Maybe put some ads up at varsity. You never know.

                                      Yeah... I'll stay in Bloem as long as I can... we have the prettiest ladies in SA ?
                                        Ja nee kyk, Bloem is blessed. (although I met the missus in Kimberley and will thus deny any knowledge of current female hotness in Bloem ,even under torture or threat of death) I also like DeeVees. Always a big friendly Hello and the same service whether you buy a new guitar or a packet of strings. They've opened a branch in Kimberley as well, with which I'm super chuffed. Then again Music Shoppe is bit cheaper. (or it used to be). So good times either way.