Felken, there’s more to this than meets the eye. My very first recommendation is, since you seem new to this, find an existing band that wants you. That way you can see firsthand what goes into the band environment and what can go wrong.
But you say you need to start a band. Being a band leader brings a whole lot of headaches. Here are some thoughts. I’ve tried to put a few bands together over the years and have made more than a few mistakes. First of all, full disclosure: I’m not an expert of this. I’ve just made a bunch of mistakes in the past and here are some lessons I’ve learned. The reason this is so long, is probably because I’ve made so many mistakes. I think the question of how to find band member is really two questions; how to find candidates and how to know which candidate is the right one for you. Hopefully I have learned a few lessons that will make it easier for you.
Step 1 – Finding candidates. In finding the right candidates, first you need to consider your level of experience and the goals of band you are trying to put together. Here are some levels I can think of. It’s very important that you look for bandmates with about the same level of experience as you and have the same goals. Those items pretty much dictate what kind of members you are looking for.
Beginner – You’re in school, have been taking lessons for a year or so and think it would be neat to play music with some of your like-minded friends. You’ll rehearse and play mostly in someone’s garage/basement and occasionally play a backyard party for free.
Building some chops – You and your bandmates know a short list of songs front to back, people say nice things about the band’s sound and will come to hear you play. You might occasionally get paid. Occasionally mess up a song on-stage.
Hobby band – This is a pretty broad category. Generally, you’re playing paid shows, expanding your list of songs you play, you have a good following, might even have a manager. It’s tolerated if someone makes an occasional mistake on stage but usually only the band notices and plays through it.
Pro level – When you reach this level you probably know it.
I’m writing this from the standpoint that you have been in some kind of band now and you’re looking to fill a slot though it might be helpful if you’re trying to put a new band together as well.
Where you look really doesn’t matter. You can try Craigslist, post a note at your local music store, ask friends if they know of someone who’s looking, ask other bands, go to jam sessions, open mics and there are various on-line sites that specifically try to match musicians. Don’t be afraid to try the obvious approach of going directly to someone you would like to play with and asking if they would like to play with you. None of these are guaranteed to be successful and none of them have zero chance of being successful.
Step 2 - How to know which candidate is the right one for you. Once you have people lined up that want to play with you, You’ll need to find the ones that are the best fit. When considering potential bandmates, there are some attributes you should consider when comparing them. In no particular order;
1) No drug or alcohol problems,
2) Does he/she have gear and is it suitable,
3) Interest in playing the same kind of music you want to play
4) Good fit with the personality of the rest of the group
5) Easy to get along with – “plays well with others”
6) Confirm their musical goals the same as yours?
7) Musicianship
8) Dependable/able to commit to the band
9) How much previous stage experience do they have?
Depending on the level of your band, the priority of these attributes (the way you rank them) will be different.
Before you start looking, though, you should have a good idea of they type of player you are looking for. That way when you talk with them, you can get a good idea of whether or not there is a good fit. Here are the things I look for when I need to replace a band member ranked in my order of importance to the success of the band. I would say I’m in a hobby band. We all have day jobs that we’re not looking to give up, we play well, people like us, etc. We get paid but occasionally have to turn down a show because of someone’s prior commitments. Our definition of success is not necessarily how much money you make or how famous we become, but rather, how long the lineup stays together. It’s not fun for me at all to constantly be in the mode of auditioning candidates and them bringing them up to speed on the songs. If a promoter offered a chance to go on a long tour, most of us would have to turn it down.
First, a candidate needs to have the same goals as you (meaning the current members of the band). There are two parts to this.
a) Musical goals – Do you want to play originals or do you want to play covers? If you play classic rock and they want to do want to play world music, it’s not going to work. They may say they are happy playing classic rock when you first connect but over time they will become dissatisfied. If the band is doing country originals and their heart is in techno-pop, same thing. It’s not going to work. If there’s NOT a good match, the new guy views the band as a temporary stop until he finds the right guys. One of the worst things is to get two and a half sets down and then have the guy quit, to play what he really wants with some other guys. That is a tremendous waste of time.
b) Performance goals - What do you want to do as a band? Are you “weekend warriors” or do you want to make a living at it? Are you still in school and just want to impress the girls (not concerned about $$)? Are you trying to put a band together to support a tour for someone with a hit record? Maybe it’s a recreational band where you pretty much rehearse only. Do the current members of the band have day jobs? Kids? If you have 3 guys who can only get together on Sunday afternoons, don’t consider a person who wants to make a living by gigging 6 nights a week.
Second, what is their level of commitment? Do they have a wife, young kids, an important job requiring a lot of travel, get called into meetings on a moment’s notice? Can they learn songs quickly? Did he ask questions about the band and listen to the answers? Do they have any substance abuse problems? Can you count on them to make rehearsal dates or gig dates? Do they depend on mom to get them to rehearsal? Will they show up early in case someone needs help loading in. If your band has stage attire are they OK with that? Do they have the means to pay their share of a rehearsal space? Do they have good enough gear? Will they go out and buy something new if they need it?
Do they fit in personality-wise with the rest of the group? Does it seem they will quickly integrate into the band or will they always seem like a guest? Do they seem to be a whiner? Constant complaints about their last band during your first meeting is a red flag. Do they seem too needy? Do they always have to have it their way? Everyone has problems but do they seem to struggle and not perform for things that are not that significant? Does their sense of humor match the rest of the group? Is there a sense of arrogance or entitlement (ignore this for vocalists because it always applies)? Does he seem overly dramatic about small things? When he first met the band did he look you in the eyes when he shook your hand? Does it seem he will go out and hustle gigs for the band or will he wait for someone else to do it.
Musicianship. Some may be surprised that I don’t rank this at the top. It’s important but I’ll take a satisfactory player with enthusiasm and a positive outlook over an obnoxious music school graduate any day. Things to look for: Does he sing? Does he sing back-up? Does he play another instrument? Is he knowledgeable on his instrument to about the same level as the rest of the band. This is all he really needs. If he’s having trouble with a part, chances are there’s a video on YouTube showing how to do it. Maybe he needs to sign up for some specific lessons. Often one of the other guys can show him the part. This is assuming he’s not way below the level you need. The other problem to avoid is if he is way better than the rest of the band. If this is the case, again, you’re probably just a temporary stop until he can find a band that matches his ability. A marginal musician can always improve. A jerk will pretty much always be a jerk.
Stage presence. Does he show any enthusiasm? Does he seem to enjoy playing or does he stand in one place looking down like he’s serving a sentence performing community service? Does he come across onstage as likable? This is down the list because it can be taught and with practice will become natural.
These are the 5 things I look for when trying to find a new band member. You’re not going to be able to answer all these questions based on a phone call or even an audition but, depending on the importance to the goals of the band, you may want to consider a probationary period. If the goals of the band are more social than musical, it may be most important that he is/is not a Packer fan.
For any others with experience, reading this, feel free to add any additional criteria that you may have found important.
Chuck
