Finding a Band...

[Kombo]

I'm a senior in high school. Many of you have seen my posts about me hungering for a Rick (Which i'm pulling the trigger on soon!) But aside from gigging at church, I have been unable to find musicians near me wanting to gig. All of my friends aside from church are into blues, and the few kids in college I know who play rock are total druggies (which I'm going to stay away from...)

So here I am. I need to find people - do I just wait? Or is there some cult I just haven't joined yet?

Thanks all in advance, Eric.

 

[saltydude]

Just practice practice practice. Be that person or player everyone wants to play with and opportunities will find you.

 

[RoadRanger]

Sad thing is most younger (and many older) musicians are into 420 and alcohol. You could wait until you're my age and find plenty of AA members to play with - two of the five of us jamming tonight were LOL.

 

[tangentmusic]

I'm a senior in high school. But aside from gigging at church, I have been unable to find musicians near me wanting to gig. All of my friends aside from church are into blues

Thanks all in advance, Eric.

If your friends are into Blues, play some Blues. Blues is the basis for much Rock anyway.
Blues is cool.

You're young. Playing with people is the first step.
Hone some skills, gain some experience.

You'll be gravitating towards the music you really want to play eventually.
Most likely sooner rather than later.

 

[Twobass]

I'm a senior in high school. Many of you have seen my posts about me hungering for a Rick (Which i'm pulling the trigger on soon!) But aside from gigging at church, I have been unable to find musicians near me wanting to gig. All of my friends aside from church are into blues, and the few kids in college I know who play rock are total druggies (which I'm going to stay away from...)

So here I am. I need to find people - do I just wait? Or is there some cult I just haven't joined yet?

Thanks all in advance, Eric.

Blues might not be your favorite type of music to play but at least it's something to play. You will get some great experience playing different genre's of music. There is nothing wrong with being a versatile player. The drug thing is a little tougher to avoid, most of the musicians I've played with have smoked weed a lot. Not all of the bands, I don't smoke so it's always a little weird. I just like playing music.

 

[vulturedog]

Keep looking there are plenty of musicians that don't do drugs and luv to just play music typically if they have full time jobs usually means they are responsible and probly don't have time to do drugs

 

[filmtex]

If your friends are into Blues, play some Blues. Blues is the basis for much Rock anyway.
Blues is cool.

You're young. Playing with people is the first step.
Hone some skills, gain some experience.

You'll be gravitating towards the music you really want to play eventually.
Most likely sooner rather than later.

Absolutely. I think you would be well served to consider "the blues" as a musical blank canvas. You can just hammer (or walk) your way through all those blues songs and find yourself bored, or you can look at I-IV-V progressions as a way to hone your skills. Find your groove and jam away. If the drummer can keep the beat well and the other musicians are doing what they need to do, you'll soon find yourself with plenty of room to experiment, jam and improvise. As Twobass observed-blues is the basis for much of rock-you might even find yourself getting in to the blues! Have fun.

 

[RoadRanger]

I love the blues - but most "Blooze Dudes" suck at it. Had to do my usual rants last night about Folsom Prison being a @#$%^&* ELEVEN bar blues not 12 - and that Johnny B Goode doesn't go to the four in the tenth bar except in the intro. The blues is great if you can find folks that can actually play the songs right and not make every song sound the same (AKA boooooooring).

 

[dreamadream99]

Frequent your favorite music stores, and check out the community bulletin boards. There are almost always requests to jam or form bands. If there aren't, put up one of your own.

 

[bassbully]

I am from your area and there are plenty of bands with youngsters around. Try forming your own with people and music you like. With School starting soon see who plays and if you have anything in common musically.

 

[Bodeanly]

Total druggies? You know this because you've seen them doing drugs? Or do you know this because that's what people say? Not trying to be a Richard, but if I had a dime for every person that looked at me and thought I was on drugs, I could buy that Rick for you.

Put yourself out there. If you're good enough, even the total druggies will jam with you and not try to make you do their dirty drugs.

Sorry for pulling this train off course. I am stepping down from my little soapbox.

 

[3Liter]

I love the blues - but most "Blooze Dudes" suck at it. Had to do my usual rants last night about Folsom Prison being a @#$%^&* ELEVEN bar blues not 12 - and that Johnny B Goode doesn't go to the four in the tenth bar except in the intro. The blues is great if you can find folks that can actually play the songs right and not make every song sound the same (AKA boooooooring).

What kind of people were you playing with? A jam? Or your personal rehearsed band? Keep it simple until people "get it" then refine it. I play with a semi perfectionist who wants to play songs like they were recorded 50 years ago. Ok great if you're paying us or there's a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. As we learn it or just jam through it, that kind of approach is unfun. (These are small issues the OP picked out however).

 

[RoadRanger]

What kind of people were you playing with? A jam? Or your personal rehearsed band? Keep it simple until people "get it" then refine it. I play with a semi perfectionist who wants to play songs like they were recorded 50 years ago. Ok great if you're paying us or there's a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. As we learn it or just jam through it, that kind of approach is unfun. (These are small issues the OP picked out however).

Sorry, but to me the blues sucks if not played with the correct chord progressions and timing - YMMV. It'd probably be fine after a 420 session but that's not my thing LOL.

 

[StraffordMike]

Dude half the people in your church probably smoke. (Maybe not, but you'd be surprised how prevalent pot is these days) Just say no. Most stoners don't care and would rather not have to share anyways. I understand you're trying to live a righteous life but maybe you'd help someone else clean up their act. You can be a force for good in someone else's life.
Good luck, stay true to your beliefs but if you want to play rock you're gonna have to deal with the situation sooner or later.

 

[Scraunchy]

My advice is, play, with everyone. You find a group you like eventually, if you go to school and get a job you will meet people. Just stay away from boozers and space cadets and you'll find it.

 

[Grumry]

Take any opportunity you can.

Join a new band later down the road.

You don't have to shoot up their pots or snort the alcohols.

Any experience gained is a good thing.

Most of the music industry is filled with drug users and alcoholics, get used to it now.

Go try one session and if it's crap then you can bail with no commitment.

Playing more music is better than playing less music.

 

[lfmn16]

You know drugs aren't catching right? You know you have to take them to get high, you don't get high by osmosis, right?

Despite my appearance, I haven't used drugs in over 30 years. During that time, I don't think I played in ANY bands where someone wasn't using drugs. I don't drink alcohol either and I can't remember any band where nobody drank.

Be responsible for yourself and don't worry about what the other guy does ... unless it affects their performance. If you limit yourself to only playing in situations where no one uses drugs, you are really going to limit your opportunities.

 

[obimark]

Stay strong OP- I dropped out of a band because the clowns were smoking 420 the whole practice. I don't want to have my kids smell that on me and I don't want to be arrested if the cops show up. (they aren't going to ask who is doing it and who isn't, they'll arrest everyone and sort it out later). And there are plenty of people doing jail time in the USA for having just a little mj on them.

 

[bwoodman]

Craigslist

Musicians Contact.com or other similar sites

Music Dept @ your school - put up an ad on the bulletin board

Music Dept at local Junior College - take some classes / meet some folks

Since you're under 21, check out places / restaurants that have live music that are not 21 & over etc - meet these musicians etc

Go to guitar & drum clinics at local music stores - meet players

Post notes on music store bulletin boards

 

[funkymonk13]

I dont really see the problem with playing with people who smoke weed or drink. If its because you think you'd get sucked into it, or if its the main thing and they get too messed up to play the music i understand. Otherwise theres no need to bash people whos beliefs are different than yours. Mostly with pot and alcohol...really its not that serious.