I want to start a band but have no skills for it.?

Question

I'm 19 (20 soon) & want to start a band SOO bad but can't sing to save the world, can't scream (which I would love to be able to do but can't) and can't play any instruments at all nor do I have any to practice on (except a keyboard that I suck at and don't want to play in a band anyway) None of my friends really wanna start a band except one and CAN play guitar but we never can meet up anyway. I have no money to go out and buy a guitar or bass and don't know anyone that has one that I could practice with. I want to start a band for my life not just play a few bars around the city. I'm talking Warped Tour, touring with other bands. I have such a passion for music but don't have the natural talent for it at all. I would LOVE to be the screamer for a band or play guitar or bass but as you see I'm strapped for money to even buy one and know nothing about guitar tech or anything. ANY advice would be appreciated. From how to scream to how to get of my depressed *** and do something about it

Answer 1

well if you cant buy a guitar or other instrument, youre kinda sunk.  you could see if you could borrow one from a friend?, then teach yourself with online lessons?  you can find guitar lessons online jsut with a google search.  i'm a pro right now, same age as you, and i'll tell you i don't see alot of ugys like you, most people that start late start at around 16, and thats pushing it.  How bad are you at singing?  couldyou improve with practice?  Screaming wont get you anymore, and by teh way, warped tour is not a big deal these days.  Back in teh day, when multi billion dollar bands like blink182 and stuff would headline, yeah it was big, but nowadays even I've done the warped tour, and the first time i was only 16.  You could also look into non performing aspects of music, such as business and management

Answer 2

I'll be honest - sometimes it's not your lot in life at this point in life. Sometimes life favors some people, who have parents that will pay for voice lessons and buy musical instruments for them and have opportunities to advance in a musical career. That is, unfortunately, the way it is.

My advice to you is this: it is never too late to pursue your passion. I didn't start playing guitar until I was 18, and didn't pursue it seriously for years. Even ten years later I have had and still have opportunities to become involved in different musical projects, bands, gigs, touring, etc.

There are no rules that say bands can only be made up of teenagers just passing the cusp of puberty. Thankfully. (thinking of Helle's Belle's, Iron Maidens, etc)

What you need to do is make a plan for how to become involved in the musical community and bloody *act* on it.

Firstly, anyone can sing. Seriously. It's just that some people can only sing a little, while other people can sing a lot. You have to accept that your voice has a natural tone to it, a natural signature, and it's up to you to learn how to figure it out and use it the best you can. Screaming will destroy your vocal chords unless you know exactly what you're doing, or you get really lucky. There are "how to sing" websites, books, and other resources. Lessons are best, but you can get somewhere by singing in the car. Use the web and your local library to find learning material. It will take a bit of time, but do your research.

Secondly, musical instruments are very affordable, especially if you shop around. You will have to save up - accept this and be disciplined about it. Pick the instrument that you want to learn and read online customer reviews, talk to people at music stores, and physically play different instruments until you find one that is affordable and within your budget. I suggest getting practice amps for now, you aren't at the place yet where you can gig or anything.

Hit thrift stores, pawn shops, big stores like Guitar Center, and smaller stores (around here we have Connelly Keys, not small but not huge). Learn what your resources are. Look online. Get a price range, budget your saving, and make sure you maximize your dollar. Read your reviews so you don't buy c**p, it's important to have the best equipment that your budget can afford.

Lessons can be expensive if you're low on the cash flow. Fact of life. I taught myself how to play off of stuff from the internet and jamming with friends. Everyone who knew how to play, I'd bug until they would jam with me, or let me watch them play at least, or give me tips on how to play. Ask questions incessantly, because that's how you learn!

There are a lot of intangibles that revolve around playing music that you can't buy - the biggest is knowledge. I repeat, ask questions. Sometimes you can't trust the answer (internet cough cough) but try to learn from trusted authorities who know what they're talking about on a certain topic.

Learn music theory. You have a keyboard, right? Then bloody well learn how to play it! Music is music is music. Keys are the best way to learn pure music, and by learning how to play those keys, you can transition into other instruments with a much higher level of knowledge than a raw noob. This of course means going to your local library, spending hours on the internet, and asking people for help when you can find someone who knows what you're talking about. Having a solid grasp of what a key signature is, and how it relates to the circle of fifths, and how chords are built, these are powerful bits of knowledge that you can apply towards any instrument in any style of music.

Yes, [insert artist] said that you don't need to learn scales. Steve Vai (if you've heard of him - he taught ) disagrees - he holds that you should learn the rules so you'll know when to break them. I tend to agree with him.

Finally, there are ways you can create music with no instrument.... you already have a computer, so there you go. There are many free programs out there for creating music. Unless you've got the right samples it's not easy creating band-style music, but then again, there are a lot of samples out there, if you take the time to look. I use a program called Reaper to record my shtuff, but I also use it to create music. It supports midi and vst's, which means that I can type out midi notes and vst plugins turn those notes into musical notes, or will trigger samples, etc. VSTs are pretty sweet technology, but they're not the only thing out there. Learning how to make beats and getting the hang of a program like this isn't easy, and there is a huge difference between amateur and professional, but it's something to do while you're waiting to save up money for instruments. You'll learn something doing it, too.

You've got to be prepared to fail. There will always be other people who are doing it earlier, better, smarter, and faster. That's okay - you've got to do it for you and not let yourself get discouraged.

You can't form a band without some degree of talent. This takes time to acquire. You have to accept that it could be a couple years before this can happen.

Quick note: if you really want to be in a place where you can practice with other people and be able to gig, you will need at least a 100w amp for bass or approximately 50w amp for guitar. More speakers is better - 2 12" speakers will be able to put out far more volume than just one.

I figured you were talking guitar, so I put links below. These are some combo amps that I feel would work well on stage and in practice. I don't think I would vet anything less expensive as being able to cut it.

Anyways, what I'm trying to say is that if you don't think you can do music, well, you're wrong.... it's just that you can't afford to do your dream thing right now. So, work your way up to it. Save for the equipment, and while you're saving, develop the other skills a musician should have.

Saul

Answer 3

Ignore the first two comments. You gotta take action if you wanna get anywhere. You don't know how to sing? Get lessons! Get your parents to pay for it, that's what they're there for. My parents pay for my guitar lessons.

Rent a guitar from a music store. Take lessons for that if you want to play it for real. If you just want to learn a few chords but have no real desire to actually play for the long term, use these links:

http://www.cyberfret.com/chords/primer/i... (shows you how to read chord diagrams)

http://www.cyberfret.com/chords/power/in... (all about power chords, which are used in rock and alternative music)

You really wanna do this? You gotta work. Don't whine and sit around and put yourself down because that'll get you NOWHERE.

Answer 4

I just don't understand how you people can possible think you can start a band when YOU CAN'T SING OR PLAY AN INSTRUMENT... That DOESN'T MAKE SENSE... that is not being REALISTIC..  You can't get a simple JOB with no skills and being a professional musician is a whole lot worse than trying for a spot in the Steno Pool when you can't type.

Answer 5

good luck

Answer 6

your self-proclaimed lack of talent and funds is a problem.  but not all is lost.  Looking at a lot of current popular bands and performers, talent doesn't seem to be a serious requirement.  For the next couple years, work as many jobs as you can to save up as much money as possible.  Then you can afford to take lessons, buy equipment and practice.  With passion and drive, you can go far.

Answer 7

You need some skills to be a singer. But you don't have any, like you said. You can't play any instruments. None of your friends want to start a band, except one, who is always busy.

If you don't have any talent, you shouldn't work in the music industry.