Starting a Band (2) - Finding Musicians

Some people naturally start here first. That' OK. Even though I have numbered these points, they're not necessarily in any particular order. You and a friend, or even a sibling, may have an idea to start a band, but if you need other musicians, you'll need to look around. First though, be specific about the the style of music you desire your band to play. There is nothing worse than trying to play rock with a country player (or vice versa).

This is why you must be specific about the genre (rock, country, pop, R&B etc.),and even more importantly, the style (metal,punk, emo,hip-hop, etc.) of music you are playing. If you want water, you go to the well. To find musicians, go to music stores. You will find that most music stores have a place where you can post a flier or ad for musicians. If they don't have one, ask if you can start one. Also, talk to the sales people at the store. They are probably musicians themselves and they talk to other musicians on a daily basis.

Be sure to leave your e-mail address and/or contact number. Churches are another great source for finding musicians. But again, be specific on the style of music your are going to be playing. The most obvious place people say to look is of course, the Internet. I personally haven't had much success there, but others have. There are web sites, board post,chats and blogs that you can Google. The problem her though is that these musicians are mostly in other cities, towns or states (even other countries). Personally I have found that it is best to just get out and find musicians who are playing.

They are typically "in the loop" and have musician friends who are looking to jam. Best advice? Get out there, talk to people and network. It may take some time, but finding the right musicians to play in your band is very well worth the search.

For this and other music related articles go to http://www.stevecheeksstudio.com

Steve Cheeks is a Producer, Arranger, Songwriter, Teacher and Musical Psalmist. Having produced and/or written over 1000 songs, Steve is on a mission to get the world playing and singing music. He resides in Evans Ga.