Beginning Guitar Review

Before you decide to join a band or get some friends together to form a band, the first thing that needs to be discussed and determined is what direction everyone would like to see the band evolve. For example, if the direction of the band is to play a majority of "Old Pop" standards and a little bit of "Top 40" tunes, then the band will likely play most of its gigs at dances, hotels, weddings and places like that. A band moving in this direction will be assured of steady income but will probably be restricted to a local level only.

A second direction a band can take is to play mostly original material and shoot for doing tours and a recording contract. While a band moving in this direction would possibly end up being well known beyond the local scene, it is unlikely they will make much money in the beginning.

Which ever direction you decide to take, the important thing to remember is to make sure everyone in the band agrees on that direction, as well as the number of musicians to be in the band, the types of instruments that will be used, and the style of music that the band will be playing.

To ensure everyone will have a satisfying experience, the band will have to choose a style of music that everyone in the band enjoys. While a desire to play a certain type of music is probably what brought your band together, it be a good idea to listen to other established groups playing live so you can see the popularity of the different styles and get a better feel for what genre you all would like to play in.

Once you have decided on a style, stick to it! You will see your crowds get smaller because you will be playing to a more narrow niche market. The thing to remember is you can't please everyone so it is better to give your focused crowd a great show than it is to give a larger audience an average show.

The structure of your band is also very important. You will want to break your group down into two parts, the " rhythm section" and the "lead section". The rhythm section will include the bass guitar, the drums, and the rhythm guitar. The rhythm sections job is to lay down the beat of the song. The drummer and bassist should work together to setup the beat and the rhythm guitarist should fill in the beat to give the whole rhythm a full finish.

The lead section will include the vocals and the lead guitar and possibly other instruments such as the keyboards. It is the lead sections job to embellish on the beat that the rhythm section sets up. It is extremely important to realize that you are all working as a team to accomplish a goal and each member of the band needs to hold up their part without over doing it, trying to outshine the other members of the band.

While some bands are formed just to have a little fun, if your group is really serious about getting out and playing and making a real impact on the music scene, then you should spend a lot of time on rehearsal. It is important to be organized and to not let each other down. Every member of the band needs to be willing to make the same commitment or like so many other bands, a break up is on the way. Also, when you rehearse make sure you have a goal for what you want to accomplish during the session. It also helps to keep a record of what you achieve during each session so you can easily track your progress.

Obviously, rehearsal is important but if you are really serious about "making it" you have to get out in front of people and play to a crowd. You will gain 20 times more experience on stage than you will rehearsing. Connecting with your audience is a necessity so you should think about, and even rehearse, what you are going to say to them while you are on stage.

One last thing to remember is it's not all about group work. Every individual in the band has a responsibility to learn their parts before rehearsal (this means practice, practice, practice). You will save countless hours in rehearsal if everyone knows their part before the session starts. Remember, a rehearsal is for learning and practicing to play as a group not to learn how to play your part of the song.

The most important thing when it comes to making a successful, tight band is unity. If the band works as one, it will achieve good things.