# how did your band form?



## blam (Feb 18, 2011)

so it's a new year and I'm looking to hunker down and make some progress in my playing. unfortunately, the band parted ways last spring and I lost my way most of last year. 

how did you all form your bands? 

I really have no idea where to start looking for a real connection when it comes to band mates. I've used kijiji in the past (that's where the last band came from) and I tried again at the end of 2014 with little luck (kijiji flakers). 

needless to say, I am quite tired of dealing with flakers on kijiji. 

i made ads, and answered ads and all that resulted was a few email exchanges and no traction. 

I guess the other limiting factor is my skill level. I'm somewhere in the beginner-intermediate range (about 4 years of playing-self taught) so I tend to shy away from the more "professional" groups, to avoid embarrassing myself, maybe I'm going about it all wrong?


----------



## Hamstrung (Sep 21, 2007)

If Kijiji isn't working you'll need to start networking with other musicians. Go to open mic's and play when you can. Get to know the people hosting them. Make yourself a fixture at these things. Eventually you'll connect with musicians who know other musicians etc. and you'll have a better chance of hooking up with like minded players.


----------



## Chito (Feb 17, 2006)

I would start by just looking for people to jam with. Find a bass player first or a singer. That's how I always start a band. I always start of with that except for the last one were it was just me and a drummer. Then we moved from there. Fortunately, his then girlfriend who was originally from Las Vegas, used to be in a band before. Even before she moved in here, we already had a 3 piece going by then.


----------



## marcos (Jan 13, 2009)

I have been very fortunate through the years to hook up with the right people. Word of mouth is what works for me. All the guys and gals i have and play with have been recommended by another musician or friend. I guess there is a bit of luck involved and i found that auditioning with other musicians did not pan out for me. May you find some good people and enjoy the ride !!!


----------



## blam (Feb 18, 2011)

Hamstrung said:


> If Kijiji isn't working you'll need to start networking with other musicians. Go to open mic's and play when you can. Get to know the people hosting them. Make yourself a fixture at these things. Eventually you'll connect with musicians who know other musicians etc. and you'll have a better chance of hooking up with like minded players.


unfortunately i don't think there are many open mics in Edmonton and I'm simply not proficient enough to step on stage without some prior practice. my repertoire is not that big and the open mics i've been to were mostly older gents (nothing wrong with that-my last drummer was in his 60s) playing classic rock, which I know little of.



Chito said:


> I would start by just looking for people to jam with. Find a bass player first or a singer. That's how I always start a band. I always start of with that except for the last one were it was just me and a drummer. Then we moved from there. Fortunately, his then girlfriend who was originally from Las Vegas, used to be in a band before. Even before she moved in here, we already had a 3 piece going by then.


I find bass and singers are actually the hardest to find. drummers and guitar players are unfortunately a dime a dozen.

Marcos - yeah, my network of musician friends is actually pretty small. they're all mostly waaaay above my level and already in bands. and all my friends are all non-musical and not interested in learning.


----------



## Chito (Feb 17, 2006)

blam said:


> I find bass and singers are actually the hardest to find. drummers and guitar players are unfortunately a dime a dozen.


Then try to hook up with a drummer first or another guitar player. It's a lot easier to convince people to form a band when there's at least 2 of you already in it.


----------



## 4345567 (Jun 26, 2008)

__________


----------



## blam (Feb 18, 2011)

nkjanssen said:


> I've gotten a bit out of the loop, but I think there are actually quite a few. I think. Check Vue magazine for listings. A couple of years ago I remember being shocked that they had nearly a full page of open-mic listings for Edmonton. Any day of the week there were half a dozen to choose from.


yeah, there are a couple websites for Edmonton open mics. I've been to about 4 or 5 different ones and the vibe wasn't really for me, for the ones i went to. it was mostly guys that already jam together booking a time slot to lay down a few tunes with the odd random lead guy that joins and solos in with them. unfortunately my lead skills lack big time and it would be a total train wreck.



nkjanssen said:


> I have a friend who's a bass player and in a similar situation to you. He's been taking lessons and practicing a lot for three or four years. He's gotten pretty decent. He has no idea where to find a band, though. What kind of stuff are you into?


pretty wide range of things. I don't even know what the genre is anymore. but my favorite bands are stuff like foo fighters, greenday, metric, tegan&sara, jack white, black keys, etc. sonic 1029 stuff. the only stuff I don't really do is metal and hard hard rock. I'd even be open to country and pop to be honest, as long as it has a good beat to it.


----------



## 4345567 (Jun 26, 2008)

__________


----------



## Chito (Feb 17, 2006)

nkjanssen said:


> There might be a match there. PM me your e-mail address. I know my friend is headed out of town for a couple of weeks right away, but I'll pass on your contact info. Maybe you guys can chat in February and see if you're on the same wavelength.


Guitarscanada is just awesome. 

Maybe I should post in here that we are looking for a keyboard player. LOL


----------



## 4345567 (Jun 26, 2008)

__________


----------



## blam (Feb 18, 2011)

nkjanssen said:


> I've always thought it would be great to have a match-making website for musicians. It would pretty much be just like one of those dating services - you enter all kinds of information about yourself, what instruments you play, how much experience you have, your musical influences, what you like to play, what you dislike, what kind of band you want to be in, how serious you are, how much time you want to devote, how much you want to gig, originals vs. covers, etc., etc. and then you get matched up with people in your area who are a good fit. If only I had a clue how to code!


there already is. bandmix.ca though i dont see much on there. as well its not a free site. without knowing the quality of posts there i am hesitant to join.


----------



## Chito (Feb 17, 2006)

blam said:


> there already is. bandmix.ca though i dont see much on there.


Bandmix??? I just joined that place coz I am looking for a keyboard player and it wouldn't let me contact the person unless I pay $12.99 for one month of access. And the names in there are mostly usernames so there's no way of finding out who this people are.


----------



## keto (May 23, 2006)

Blam, I'm at a similar playing level with you I expect, and my taste in music is similar. I'd play bass just for the experience, if you found a drummer & singer - I have a decent bass, would have to figure out the amp or go direct part. Oh, I'll sing, I'm not shy, but I'm probably the 2nd or 3rd worst singer on the face of the planet  I can do servicable backup.


----------



## neldom (Apr 29, 2009)

I'm in exactly the same predicament.
I sing and play guitar, but for me trying to find a commited drummer or bassist has been a serious PITA.
Looking for something southside(ish) or county side of things.
So if anyone knows of anyone....


----------



## Chito (Feb 17, 2006)

I think you guys from Edmonton should have a meet and jam kinda party especially those who are looking for other people to play with. Could be a once a month thing or even quarterly jam. You never know what would come out of it.


----------



## blam (Feb 18, 2011)

Chito said:


> Bandmix??? I just joined that place coz I am looking for a keyboard player and it wouldn't let me contact the person unless I pay $12.99 for one month of access. And the names in there are mostly usernames so there's no way of finding out who this people are.


yah. they make it very hard to take the plunge. I understand they have fees to pay for the website to run, but considering most musicians are of the "starving" variety, they've kind of painted themselves into a corner.



keto said:


> Blam, I'm at a similar playing level with you I expect, and my taste in music is similar. I'd play bass just for the experience, if you found a drummer & singer - I have a decent bass, would have to figure out the amp or go direct part. Oh, I'll sing, I'm not shy, but I'm probably the 2nd or 3rd worst singer on the face of the planet  I can do servicable backup.


ha! i have a bass as well, but my bass skills are far worse than my guitar skills. I usually run it into my macbook into garageband, then out into the mixer at line level through my PA speaker. this gives me a bit of options when it comes to effects and slight tonal changes.


neldom said:


> I'm in exactly the same predicament.
> I sing and play guitar, but for me trying to find a commited drummer or bassist has been a serious PITA.
> Looking for something southside(ish) or county side of things.
> So if anyone knows of anyone....


hmmm...it sounds like the 3 of us need to find a drummer and start something :sFun_dancing:

I do know of a drummer. I used to jam with him often. if you guys are serious in giving it a shot I could wrangle him into drumming for us.


----------



## 4345567 (Jun 26, 2008)

__________


----------



## Chito (Feb 17, 2006)

This website works for us very well here in Ottawa. It's a simple site. But very effective. You might want to look into it. Check out the other sections too. 

http://www.theottawamusician.com/musician.htm

I just realized I've got an ad in there right now. It's under Band/Event and posted on January 5. I've already gotten 2 hits since.


----------



## Lincoln (Jun 2, 2008)

too bad there isn't a good way to take an existing site.....like Linkedin for example and use it as a hook-up for musicians. Everybody would just have to put in a music based profile............I know, I gotta lay off the drugs 

Most of the bands I was in formed from friends jam'n together. The only exception was when a local band called me up out of the blue one day and said, "bring your gear over and jam with us". That turned into a steady gig for a couple years. But back then, there were a lot more bands and many, many, more gigs.


----------



## neldom (Apr 29, 2009)

I have a pretty good idea what would come of it, we would spend 15 minutes setting up, three hours debating the merit of true bypass and bumblebee caps and run out of time.


----------



## Swervin55 (Oct 30, 2009)

Brian:

This was my experience about 12 years ago when I decided to concentrate on music. There was a guitar store in Millwoods at the time that ran a program called "Weekend Warriors". The deal was that when you signed up you would specify your instrument (or particular skill) and type of musical interests. Then the administrators would hook you up with 3 or 4 other like-minded folks and you would form a temporary band. There would be about 5 or 6 of these "bands" on the go for about two months of practice time (at the store) after which the admin's would select a venue and all of the bands would play their 6 song set.

After a few WW sessions, I got to know enough of the other musicians we would form our own band for the next round. I continue to be in a band today that was spawned from that early experience.

I just checked their website and Fusion Music in Sherwood Park is advertising a WW program. BTW, if I recall, WW is sanctioned out of the US and quite well supported and organized. 

Anyway, you might try giving them a call. I'm sure if Kent and Marshall were interested you could all go in together for the first session. The nice part of it is that you don't have to worry about a PA or practice space up front and you'll meet a few other players in the same boat. Also, you don't have to be a rock star to participate.


----------



## blam (Feb 18, 2011)

Swervin55 said:


> Brian:
> 
> This was my experience about 12 years ago when I decided to concentrate on music. There was a guitar store in Millwoods at the time that ran a program called "Weekend Warriors". The deal was that when you signed up you would specify your instrument (or particular skill) and type of musical interests. Then the administrators would hook you up with 3 or 4 other like-minded folks and you would form a temporary band. There would be about 5 or 6 of these "bands" on the go for about two months of practice time (at the store) after which the admin's would select a venue and all of the bands would play their 6 song set.
> 
> ...


Marv, that sounds awesome actually. thanks for the heads up. I will look into that.


----------



## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

I haven't auditioned for a band in years, but there were a couple that started that way. Others started by me answering an ad, others still by just hanging out with guys and someone says let's start a band. Other times I answer the phone and I'm offered a job. One started because two of us looked at each other at a bluegrass jam and decided we'd go it alone as a duo.

I don't care how it starts, just how it proceeds from there.

Peace, Mooh.


----------



## neldom (Apr 29, 2009)

blam said:


> hmmm...it sounds like the 3 of us need to find a drummer and start something :sFun_dancing:
> 
> I do know of a drummer. I used to jam with him often. if you guys are serious in giving it a shot I could wrangle him into drumming for us.


I would be up for giving that a try, I'd have to wait until we're done our move here at the end of the month. But if people can be that patient I'd give 'er a go.

- - - Updated - - -



Swervin55 said:


> Brian:
> 
> This was my experience about 12 years ago when I decided to concentrate on music. There was a guitar store in Millwoods at the time that ran a program called "Weekend Warriors". The deal was that when you signed up you would specify your instrument (or particular skill) and type of musical interests. Then the administrators would hook you up with 3 or 4 other like-minded folks and you would form a temporary band. There would be about 5 or 6 of these "bands" on the go for about two months of practice time (at the store) after which the admin's would select a venue and all of the bands would play their 6 song set.
> 
> ...


Fuzion is where I took my vocal lessons, Rita, one of the owners, was really good to deal with. 
No complaints about that place, other than getting there, until road construction is done...


----------



## blam (Feb 18, 2011)

neldom said:


> I would be up for giving that a try, I'd have to wait until we're done our move here at the end of the month. But if people can be that patient I'd give 'er a go.


I'm not in any rush to start anything. I actually have a busy month at work so feb works best for me as well.

I'm in the south side, & IIRC Kent is in the west side. If we can't find a drummer by then we could always hook up a drum machine until we do.


----------



## 4345567 (Jun 26, 2008)

__________


----------



## neldom (Apr 29, 2009)

I do have a Boss DR-3, but it's not really any better of a drummer than I am, not to say he doesn't have potential.
I'm fairly confident that it's operator related.


----------



## Hamstrung (Sep 21, 2007)

Looks like there's a Weekend Warriors program through Axe music...

http://www.axemusic.com/store/content/259/Axe-School-of-Music-Weekend-Warriors/


----------



## keto (May 23, 2006)

I (and a buddy) have debated that Fusion WW program a couple times...I wouldn't be adverse.

I'll drive anywhere in the city to play music - I'm in a band now, but we only jam alternate Saturdays ((noon-5pm) so that time on those days would be out) and I go to the south side for that. Otherwise, I can get out any time any day of the week. Also, I won't play country 

My place could be used, basement in winter and/or garage when it's not below zero....the basement isn't finished or set up to be hugely spacious (staircase in the middle of the floor), but the garage is huge. Volume friendly home and neighbourhood fwiw.

My son's a drummer but he's in high demand, in I think 4 bands at the moment so can't offer him up


----------



## blam (Feb 18, 2011)

you've got a pretty decent setup from what I recall, kent. 

perhaps the 3 of us should revisit this in a few weeks and set something up on alternate weekends to your other rehearsals?


----------



## neldom (Apr 29, 2009)

Unfortunately Sundays are a no go for me, gots to be evenings and preferrably a weekday for me, so I'm close to the city working anyway.
To save an hour and a half of driving...
I'm not high maintenance at all, I swear.


----------



## blam (Feb 18, 2011)

neldom said:


> Unfortunately Sundays are a no go for me, gots to be evenings and preferrably a weekday for me, so I'm close to the city working anyway.
> To save an hour and a half of driving...
> I'm not high maintenance at all, I swear.


If that is the case, Friday evening would probably be the best for me. where abouts are you located?


----------



## neldom (Apr 29, 2009)

I work in Nisku, but live out by Camrose area.


----------



## blam (Feb 18, 2011)

oh, I'm not too far from nisku. used to work in nisku and drive through camrose a lot for work as well. dont blame you for not wanting to make that drive on a weekend.


----------



## LanceT (Mar 7, 2014)

In order to get some public playing experience, I did a few volunteer performances at an assisted living facility playing some classical guitar back in the day.
The nice thing was the audience could have cared a less about ability, they were just happy to have someone visit.

I also have discovered that in speaking with various co-workers, it turns out many of them play - I am currently organizing some jam time with a guy who plays drums who I've worked with for years.
The bonus to this is we know each other well with temperaments, interests etc. so some of the learning curve is looked after.


----------



## blam (Feb 18, 2011)

LanceT said:


> In order to get some public playing experience, I did a few volunteer performances at an assisted living facility playing some classical guitar back in the day.
> The nice thing was the audience could have cared a less about ability, they were just happy to have someone visit.
> 
> I also have discovered that in speaking with various co-workers, it turns out many of them play - I am currently organizing some jam time with a guy who plays drums who I've worked with for years.
> The bonus to this is we know each other well with temperaments, interests etc. so some of the learning curve is looked after.


I get some playing time in with the Boys & Girls clubs when I host guitar nights for them. they are the same as well. they dont care about my ability as long as they get to make some noise as well.

none of my co workers plays. well, one does but super beginner. I actually contacted an old co worker from the last engineering team I worked with to see if he was interested in getting back into it. he used to tour when he was younger and gave it up for a blue collar job and hasnt played in ages but definitely sounded intersted


----------



## marcos (Jan 13, 2009)

blam said:


> I get some playing time in with the Boys & Girls clubs when I host guitar nights for them. they are the same as well. they dont care about my ability as long as they get to make some noise as well.
> 
> none of my co workers plays. well, one does but super beginner. I actually contacted an old co worker from the last engineering team I worked with to see if he was interested in getting back into it. he used to tour when he was younger and gave it up for a blue collar job and hasnt played in ages but definitely sounded intersted


Congrats on doing that.


----------

