How long after starting......

I started in a band with a couple of my frinds within about 5 months of picking up the guitar. I had only really learned some chords by then, so I strickly stuck with rhythm guitar. I didn't sing back then either. (i was lucky to be able to play in tempo & breathe at the same time!) I was learning along with the bass player, but the drummer and lead guitarist had been playing for awhile, and they helped and encouraged us along. It was alot of fun.

I played in a "band" around 3 years after and i started a real band around 4 or 5 years after i started. It took me a long time.

i'm not playing in a band as such, just playing a few acoustic oldies with a few other old (Over-40's) in a pub once a week.....been playing in ther now for about 4-5 months, the main thing I've learned is how to watch other people's chord changes....but after 2-3 weeks, I felt as if I was fitting in - you get to learn strumming patterns, you get to FEEL the songs you're playing and the rhythm of the people you're playing with....

A couple of us are trying to get a band together, doing mostly originals and possibly a few covers....it'll take a lot of hard work, but you know what they say......no pain, no gain......

I'll be practising some songs tomorrow, if my mate comes round, we'll work on them together...if he doesn't, I'll try and record something.....

Why don't you try recording something, then play it back and either play along with it, or jam with it?

:D :D :D

Vic

I have a question to the guitar players that are presently, or have been playing guitar in a band. This is just out of curiousity. How long after you started playing guitar did you start playing in a band. And what were you doing once you started in a band? Were you the lead, rhythm? Did you sing back-up or the lead as well?

I played in my first band back when I was 13, which would have been 1970, and my answer is yes. I did what was needed for me to do.

Playing in a band can start the day you buy the instrument, really. You might not sound the best but its a start. The best time is probably as soon as you have a few basic chords down and can change between them decently. Not perfectly.

You progress much faster playing with people. I dont think I have heard a single person every deny that.

As for what you do. You do whatever you feel comfortable doing. I've been in two bands. In one, I just sang lead vocals, in the other I sang and wrote orginals. I didnt know how to play guitar at the time but I would suspect if I could find someone to join now, I would do all that plus play guitar.

Once you get a few of the right people around its a pretty natural thing as far as who does what.

Good luck
Geoo

My younger brother and I formed a band with two friends about 4 or 5 months after I started. My brother had only been playing a month. I think it was the best thing I ever did. It forces you to learn things quick. We started out with simple 2 or 3 chord songs. Within 6 months we could play some pretty difficult tunes. We weren't great by any stretch of the imagination, but we sounded pretty good. And it was lots of fun. That was over 30 years ago and my brother and I still talk about it. When we get together (live in different states now) we even play a few originals that we wrote. We laugh cause they still sound just like they did back then. :D

I sang, played rhythm and lead guitar. I have a pretty good voice and have been the singer in almost every band I have ever been in.

I have a question to the guitar players that are presently, or have been playing guitar in a band. This is just out of curiousity. How long after you started playing guitar did you start playing in a band. And what were you doing once you started in a band? Were you the lead, rhythm? Did you sing back-up or the lead as well?

I played in my first band back when I was 13, which would have been 1970, and my answer is yes. I did what was needed for me to do.

lol

1970 wasn't that long ago

As for me, I met up with my friend and played white room for the firt time. We were me (singing, lead) friend (rhythm) and my other friend (drums). It went pretty good, we almost got the whole song. That was after about a year and 8 months after I started

I'd been playing for a couple (2-3) years before a friend of mine got a group of us together as a band to play a concert. It was pure serendipity. I was 48 when the band formed, so I wasn't really ever looking to be in one but it's one of the best things I've done.
I started out playing mostly rhythm and did some lead fills and the lead guitar on the Beatles' "Because" for that first concert. I've added some more lead work to what I do, but still I like playing rhythm.

Playing with others will really help you make progress. And as someone said, do it as soon you have the opportunity. You'll eventually become addicted to it. It's a wonderful feeling -- making music with other people.

I started playing guitar at age 15. a year later I was in a band. we played our junior high school dance. our equipment wasnt the best. we had no distortion pedals, but we knew the songs we idi and played our heartts out.

another year goes by and werte still playing. mostly high school dances now.
we all sang, three guitars, an organ and a drummer who did long solos. that was great because we didnt have enough tunes for more than an hour and a half.
here it is forty years later and I left a band to pursue solo work.

I think because I began playing with others right away I became better faster and more importantly learned how to play with others.
it was fun and work and very little monetary reward.
having the crowd dance to your playing tho is the best.

Long ago (the first time I picked up the guitar, before I put it down for several years), I picked up the guitar and mandolin 3 weeks before going out to play for some old folks at nursing homes in the area. It didnt matter that I stunk, that we played everything in the key of G, or anything else. They were just happy to hear people play.

Fast forward many years later. I picked the guitar back up (after having only played it a couple of times in the last 7 years) so that I could fill in for someone in my brothers band. Yes, that was the entire reason for picking it up the second time was to help with a band. I knew the chords well enough, had a good grasp of musical theory from other places (I used to play the alto sax, trombone, and the baritone when I was in high school) and they had no one else.

Fast forward again, to just over a year ago (only 3 years of difference this time). I decided it was time again to play guitar. I went out and bought a cheap amp, and found a Hammer Slammer in a pawn shop really cheap. I outgrew it quickly, but I was having a bit of fun, so I sold it off and bought my Washburn and borrowed my Rogue MHT 1000. It took just over a year, but I'm back in a band.

I have never played lead outside of my own house, I have belted out some songs (I'm not bad with AC/DC, but otherwise you really dont wanna hear it).

Oh, and I have to agree with everyone here that's said it. You will learn much more quickly with someone to play with. I've mentioned my friend Mike before on here...he's been playing for 6 years, and is a very good guitar player. Unfortunatly, the last 2 years he was stagnant because he was playing by himself. I am a bit of a slow learner because without someone to play with I dont devote the time I should to it. We started playing together, and I'm making up tons of lost time that I should have been playing in the first place, and he is learning all the different modes to spice up his leads. I'm with geoo on this one. As soon as you can get a few chords down and make the changes, go play some music with someone.

Been playing for about a year and joined a "band" with two mates after about 4 months of playing. I picke dthe guitar up pretty quick so I played lead. I call it a band, we made one song and thats it. Shows how sucessful it was.

Anyway, I quit that band after a while because I was getting bored and wanted to play some covers and start doing some gigs. I am now in a new band and we are playing covers. The drummer and bass player are new learners but are getting along really well. Much better than my last band. And I again play lead, but don't sing. We have a lead singer for that. ;)

the general consensus is to start playing as soon as possible with others.

call it a band. we had fun coming up with a name.
before we actually had a gig. we played in my dad's garage.
we'd get him to back the car out so we would have room.
it wasnt long before we had an audience.
sure it was a bunch of six year olds. it was great. we were awesome.
we sucked royally.
it didnt matter.
it was fun.

we did get better.

Two houses down from me there is an apparent punk rock startup band practicing. They'll set up in the garage and start annoying the neighborhood. What they lack in talent they make up for in volume. I'm pretty sure they are young kids, maybe early highschool age. I'm half tempted to walk down there next time and see what's going on. From what I've heard, I would fit in just fine given my lack of talent. :D

Go annoy people with them. I've lived in neighborhoods that had bands playing different styles of music (most of which I could live without) throughout the day with no talent, but it was so much fun. I used to annoy the neighbors by wandering over and being their audience so they had a reason to keep on playing.