I always loved music class and took it throughout school. I played a handful of instruments casually and also took choir and drum line for 2 years. But by the time I graduated high school, I realized that I really wasn’t that talented in music. I never practiced any instrument regularly enough to be proficient, nor could I create and improvise on the spot. My voice as well definitely wasn’t anything special.
It was hard to accept as it was my identity growing up, but I knew I didn’t have a future in it. I was also a bit bitter towards my older brother as he grew up being interested in art, but suddenly switched to music production in his final years of high school, so teachers would always compare us or think that I got into it because of him. We didn’t really have a relationship as he was kinda my bully, so if you know, you know.
So throughout my adult life, I pushed music aside and tried to find another hobby or interest, but due to lack of money, space, and privacy, I really didn’t have much opportunities. Or if I did try something, it would be much harder than expected so I’d lose interest. Or I just got lazy and never actually learned or practiced it beyond a day or two.
But when I watched K-ON!! in 2014, it re-sparked that childhood band dream within me. Since then, I’ve been trying to make a band, and it’s certainly been a journey. I picked up guitar years after, and while it was certainly a difficult instrument, I didn’t want to wait 5, 10, or 20 years to make my dream happen. I was hoping to cross it off my bucket list asap! [I’m actually crying hearing the opening now ^^” While I haven’t been playing guitar long, I’ve been working at this band thing for 10 year regardless].
I figured other beginners or rookies may share that dream of wanting to get on stage, but may need that extra push, or at least someone who believed in them. And thus, the Chromatic Dreamers Band Project was born. While it’s certainly been an uphill battle and it certainly was not smooth sailing, I’ve learned so much about guitars, bands, and Japanese music on this journey.
This article would summarize my story, the lessons I’ved learned, and I’ll also share my most valuable tips for others who have yet to really put themselves out there as a musician. I highly recommend checking out some of my other articles on this site as I have truly spilled out my heart on this blog throughout the journey so that others can gain more insight and courage for theirs.
So let’s go!!
My Musical Background
If it’s your first time on my blog, Hi I’m Nostalgia! And I’ve been pursuing my childhood band dream for a very long time now. I took music all through school, playing various instruments casually like keyboard, clarinet, and viola, and I was also in drum line for 2 years, but I didn’t have friends to create a rock band with back then.
After watching K-ON!! in 2014, I found people online and we met in 2015. I was initially considering playing drums since I had a foundation already, but without a kit to play on at home, I didn’t want to risk holding everyone back, so I switched to keyboard. While we sounded good and I was positive we had great potential, everyone had different schedules and priorities that made it impossible to plan a second rehearsal. It was hard to give up on it, but the chat went dead eventually.
Years later, I got caught up playing Guitar Hero in the arcade at Yorkdale Mall (I usually went to DDR, but was excited by a new music game) so I bought a secondhand set and a few games for my Wii. After a few months of playing, I was like, ‘I could put this time into learning the real thing’. I was actually quite hesitant at first. I’ve avoided guitar for so long because everyone played it, and I would hate to work so hard just to be average…
But then I recalled the band dream I had, and how most of the songs I like are rock. I still can’t play drums, and I wasn’t very interested in bass at that time, so guitar was the best option. However, after picking up many hobbies and never pursuing them seriously, I promised myself that if I got a guitar, I will practice daily, and I was ready to make that commitment. I got my first second-hand guitar in early 2017, and self-learned without the internet at home. I relied on printouts and some library books.
I made quite a bit of progress in 8 months practicing daily after work so I started looking for people to make a band with. Once I put them in a group chat together, they stopped talking, but I would still consider that my second attempt. Trust me, it’s hard enough just finding people, learning about them, discussing songs and so on. So it was a little upsetting that it didn’t get anywhere.
I also felt I was serious about guitar and had a real spark with it, able to improvise and understand chord progressions which I wasn’t able to before. So, to take it to the next step, I decided to invest in lessons. By the 3rd lesson, my teacher pushed me too far, expecting me to do many new things on the spot and I got discouraged, putting the guitar down indefinitely.
In 2018, I had my first solo trip to Japan. Crazy, I know, but I was tired of waiting on people and being scared of the world. I was terrified, but after getting back safely, I had newfound courage to cross other things off my bucket list. In 2019, I got to see my favourite band, ONE OK ROCK, in concert. Something I’ve wanted to do for years but always missed out. I also got to perform with a Jpop dance group (THS.Go!) and it made me realize getting on stage didn’t have to be so hard or far away.
So in 2020, as a new year resolution, I picked up guitar again. My family now had internet, but there was just so much content that was all over the place. After seeing some ads for Guitar Tricks, I decided to take a chance, and it helped me fill the holes in my technique.
When the pandemic started a little while later, I took full advantage as this was a time where I, and many others, can stay home and practice as much as they can. Thus, I started asking my friends and putting ads up for a band, with the idea that we’ll have our songs learned and be mostly ready to perform by the time society opens up again. I managed to find a couple friends, including Cloud, but people online didn’t want to commit until we met in person, thus the wait until summer 2021.
I still took advantage of all the free time I had to get better at guitar and start learning some songs that us 3 talked about and really wanted to cover. This was definitely the period I practiced the most as I certainly had a long ways to go.
The Band Project Begins
Once I did get a group together in June 2021, we decided on some songs and stared rehearsing twice a month in August 2021. After a few serious rehearsals and seeing that everyone was motivated and dedicated to the project, I asked them ‘Do you guys want to take the casual route (social media, open mics, a simpler path), or the serious route (website, business cards, gigs, potentially make money)?
They voted for serious, so I created this website in September, got a photoshoot for us in October, and I started blogging like crazy after that, even writing over 100 articles in my first year. My plan was, within a years time, the traffic on here would be decent and we should be able to garner new fans more passively. I was hoping to gain attention as being like a real life K-ON!! band, instead of trying to advertise us as professionals.
I figured at this pace, if everyone would just memorize and perfect the songs we were already able to get through, we could easily have 12+ songs ready by next summer and have some real gigs. Sadly, it did not go that way at all. Not only did we barely improve, but we even regressed at points.
For the drummer, mistakes were predictable and I actually adjusted my rhythm playing to match him. The bassist always needed his tabs in front of him, and would often make mistakes. He really wanted to sing, but didn’t have his lyrics memorized either.
The lead guitarist had more confidence due to his background, so he was able to play by ear, but he was inconsistent. He’d change up riffs many times, add when he feels like it, etc, but he also made quite a bit noticeable mistakes (messed up lick, missed his cue, notes didn’t ring out).
I would constantly ask them to memorize and master their parts as I knew that was the only solution for the mistakes and inconsistencies, but no one wanted to do that in their own time. We could never get a clean runthrough. It’s not that they couldn’t play the songs, they just didn’t care to take 60% to 90%. The singer, Cloud, would attempt to sing over us now and then when asked, but I could tell she didn’t enjoy it as it really through her off.
My plan was to focus on live performing and I made that clear in my ads. We were beginners, so I knew we weren’t ready for the expectation and scrutiny that comes with Youtube covers. At least when you perform live, mistakes are permissible and you can grow your fanbase as you work up to the level of online covers and global stardom.
However, by December, they were all super eager to record. I knew we weren’t ready for it, but they persisted. I said okay, thinking they’ll realize they’re not camera ready, and maybe they’ll hear what I hear. It was frustrating for me more so as the rhythm guitarist because I couldn’t strum consistently, and the other guys wouldn’t even know where they were if I wasn’t playing (we tested it haha).
But even after our recording day, pointing things out for them and asking them all to memorize and be consistent, my advice fell on deaf ears. I knew that was the only way for us to move forward, but it didn’t happen. Eventually, spirits were dying down as people didn’t feel confident with the drummer, and they also got tired/bored of playing the same songs. We would add or try other songs now and then, but the same pattern would continue. I didn’t feel we could truly move on from a song because I knew they would forget them right after.
Eventually, I had to boot out the drummer. I gave him one last firm talking to, letting him know the importance of his role and need to memorize so he can be solid for us, but he would always brush off my advice and suggestions. He thought he played well enough and that we sounded good enough. He also had no real interest in playing on stage, so it was impossible to motivate him. It was clear he was only using us to get practice in. I confronted my discoveries about him and that I don’t think it would work. He agreed and said it’s best he leaves….
But then he immediately threatened to sue me if I didn’t take down all photos and videos with him in it, which was all our content over the last 8 months. I said ‘no’. I knew my rights, I knew I did everything legally, I have evidence he agreed to them in our chats, and I told him that. But he made his statements (I knew it was so he’d have something to tell them later), and I stood my ground. I told my bandmates what happened, and that I wasn’t going to let him intimidate me.
A couple months later, I saw the email his paralegal sent in my blog’s email a bit after that day. The letter states that I shared ‘his’ photos/videos without ‘written consent’ and demanding that I take them down. I responded to the email sharing the whole story, explaining I took all the photos/videos, I have written consent, along with him paying his portion for the photoshoot, him showing up for practice in a room booked under my name, and of course witnesses that they all knew when I was recording and posting.
I also said that content is valuable, so unless he wants to pay us all back for our rehearsals and photoshoot to replace it, especially because he joined this band knowing what I intended to do but he had no real intentions of performing or stepping up, he will have to wait and stop being so entitled. When you leave a job, all the work you do for them doesn’t suddenly dissappear with you.
They didn’t reply so safe to say they realized he was lying/in the wrong and I had every right to the photos I took and shared with his consent. But the situation really made me second guess things. I already wrote over 100 articles for my blog just to help promote the band, so I’d hate to lose everything if a selfish member tries to ruin everything out of bitterness. It’s very scary to think about. My enthusiasm was already fading as I felt I had to keep nagging the guys, but I was defeated after that.
So I told the remaining bandmates ‘after I fulfill my promises to them, I would end the project’. To my surprise, they actually said ‘they wanted to keep it going as long as possible’. So I said ‘okay, but someone else would have to lead’. I’m only a good leader when we have a goal that I’m passionate about and all the members are doing their part, but I didn’t have that, and it was very draining on me. I didn’t mind being in a band, but I wanted to sit back for once. To my surprise the bassist was excited to take over.
So that summer, we had two performances. One was an acoustic gig at the Pretty Heroes convention, where we covered two songs that were quite difficult for me, but I worked long and hard and them. The second was a gig that Dolly who I danced with hosted. Once she told me she was hosting another Idol Revolution, I simply asked if my band could perform and she said of course!!
So the Chromatic Dreamers band project attached to this website was complete in September 2022, and we continued forward as Gimme Mochi under the leadership of the bassist…well, kinda.
The new leader immediately added a keyboardist, and since I was the only active member in the chat and also the only one who knew about keyboard, music theory, and knew the songs inside and out, he naturally came to me with all his questions, asking me to review his renditions for errors and so on. Keyboard isn’t usually included in band tabs so he made his parts by ear.
Now, I didn’t want to add a keyboard cause I didn’t feel we were at the level to incorporate one yet. I made sure to choose songs that didn’t need keyboard so we can work up to it. Since it was the bassist’s friend, I didn’t mind…but I did mind that as I was trying to sit back for once, I was forced to speak more than usual to fill the keyboardist in and help him.
We practiced about 3 times and patterns continued. No one had anything memorized, even the songs we previously performed. We added “Don’t Say Lazy” to the list, which only had 1 guitar part and 2 singers, so I wasn’t going to play for that one. While it has been proven before, this was the first time the band couldn’t get through a song the first day because everyone usually depends on me to know where they are. The other guitarist wouldn’t know his cues, the bassist will make mistakes and get lost, and the keyboardist would wonder why no one else was playing.
The new leader was eager to record in early January despite all our issues and I didn’t know why, but it felt off. While he was the weakest player who struggled to memorize his parts, let alone his lyrics, he said he would be ready by then after his winter break. I didn’t trust that since he said a similar thing later year before we tried recording then.
He also lost a lot of trust from me and Cloud when he recorded our rehearsal one time to “test his camera” but then secretly uploaded the video to Youtube without telling anyone. I only found out because I would occassionally check out the new website that I helped him build and saw it there. I confronted him in the band chat and he took it down. I always gave the band over a month’s notice if I planned to record, and I would always let them know when I posted, so it was really shady.
Our last rehearsal before break proved we weren’t ready, so I gave them an ultimatum: Until everyone can play their parts 3 times in a row to the drum track and send a video of it here, then we shouldn’t meet again. We were practicing at his house which was 2 buses+train, and a good 1.5 hour ride both ways through construction. It was a waste of time and money since they were using it to practice and relearn parts.
The same night I said that, I looked on Kijiji as I usually do to scout out potential competition and groups, and saw that the leader had ads up for various roles, clearly making a new second competiting band. I confronted him and informed the others and left the group. The others finally spoke up and they were willing to change to bring me back, but their words didn’t match their actions. So by Christmas Eve, I officially left the band.
Cloud tried to explain my side along with her own frustrations, as she felt they weren’t considerate of her time or feelings. She came out every week even though we weren’t solid enough for her to sing to most of the time. She may sing 2-3 times at most per session, but sat around the rest of the time. She still paid for bus fare and rehearsal rooms, but didn’t get to work on her singing much. The guys continued and have since rebranded again.
Going Acoustic: Band Project 2.0~
Now for me, I really wasn’t planning to be in a band again. After 3 band attempts, I knew for sure I didn’t have the time, energy, or patience to do it all over again. While I am the leader type (ENFJ), I prefer to work alone and have peace in my life. I wasn’t really motivated to practice guitar as I had no other plans for it, but I still wanted to as well as it was a talent I worked hard on over the years.
However, Cloud kept nudging and hinting that I make another band, saying we just need to find friends or girls, and I’m like, it’s really not as easy as you think. Read the forums, bands rarely make it. Whether it’s due to egos, drama, lack of talent, no motivation, unwillingness to promote, etc. A lot of things need to come together perfectly for a band to be successful. If a relationship with 1 person is hard, imagine a relationship with 3-5 people.
Eventually, she suggested it just be us 2, and I was somewhat open to it. As a goal-oriented person, having anything to do would at least push me to keep playing the instrument, but I was quiet anxious and insecure. At least with a band, I can blend in as a member, and mistakes aren’t as noticeable. I also get to play more power chords so I can have more fun on stage.
Acoustic though? I’m the only one making the music. Japanese music doesn’t stick to the basic open cowbow chords. I’ll have to take on a wide variety of unique and hard chords, and any little mistake could be noticeable. But I was still open to it if it meant I will improve exponentially.
We chose just 3 songs to start with, but I ended up learning and getting through them pretty quickly, so I said we could add more…and more…….and more. Within just a month, we had 25 songs on our list, and I memorized and had down most of them already. I started asking a few cafes if they’d be open to having us, and also asked Pretty Heroes about performing again, and she offered us a set.
We set a recording date for end of May. We only practiced together 2-3 times, but we were pretty good already. The only unfortunate part is that I was sick and my throat was quite sore, but I was only doing backup vocals so I was able to push through it. We chose the room Cloud wanted and we did Monday early on as it was half price…it was right beside the kitchen and the factory next door, so there was a lot of additional sounds throughout our time there.
A few days later in June, I thought we sounded pretty good and asked if she wanted to do Japan Festival Canada. It was quite a big event, so I wouldn’t have emailed them if I wasn’t feeling confident, but I thought we definitely had the potential, and she said ‘sure!’. Even if they would say ‘no’ to a small and relatively new group like us, it never hurts to ask. And to my amazement, they said they’d love to have us!
I started putting everything together for Japan Festival Canada, choosing our songs, dividing lyrics, making promotional material, while also preparing for our gig at Pretty Heroes. We were surprisingly calm for that convention. I think having been there before, even knowing the sound guy, there’s not as much anxiety. We both knew our stuff really well and could trust each other. Everything ran really smoothly.
And now, we had a month to prepare for Japan Festival. I knew I wanted to stand this time around, so I chose songs that didn’t require anything too difficult or streinous, also chose songs that were more in my vocal range. But yeah, we were super excited and prepared for it.
We only had 3 rehearsals to prepare for the festival. You would think that for such a big gig, we’d be more nervous and such, but it definitely makes a difference when you can both learn your stuff quickly and actually spend time working on banter, positions, and other choreo. I even ensured we practiced the end where we asked for photos and made sure she knew how to work my phone since I wouldn’t be able to capture us both from the side I’d be on.
The festival was great! Positive vibes, some familiar faces, and the staff was very sweet. Only downside was that there was no pre-show rehearsal or soundcheck. I plugged in my guitar, they gave us some mics, and we were expected to get started. One placed a monitor a bit to close to me, so it caused a lot of feedback on my side. We could barely hear the guitar the whole time, and our mic volumes kept adjusting…but we powered through and made the most of it ^_^
And that brings the Chromatic Dreamers Band Project to a close. A lot has happened in the span of two years, and I was certainly pushed and challenged, but it was worth it to have such amazing experiences. My only goal when I started this was to play with a band on stage, but I definitely didn’t expect to be playing acoustic at a festival!
Now that the grand finale has come and passed, I’ll certainly be going on hiatus! Over the last 3 years, my main focus was on rehearsing and mastering songs that the band was planning to record or perform one day. As a rookie, I needed all the practice I could get, but now, I’ll have more freedom to explore and play guitar for pure enjoyment.
I certainly learned way more and excelled way faster through this short term band project, and it has given me a lot of confidence as a guitarist. New chords are no longer intimidating. Long chord progressions don’t take as long to memorize. But it will be nice to spend more practice time working on improv or fingerstyle or lead guitar.
Final Thoughts On The Band Project
This project is as much a learning experience for me as it is those who read my articles on my blog. I’ve done my best to be open and honest about my struggles and flaws not to discourage people, but to mentally prepare them for what may come. I’ve written an article on Nightmare Bandmates with various stories from across Reddit, so I know that what I’ve experienced is quite common, and perhaps mid-tier compared to other crazy stories.
I wanted a short term project to begin with because I’ve learned from that past that planning too big or too far in the future usually doesn’t work. We’re not in school anymore. As adults, we all have different schedules and priorities, and you never know if someone will have to pull out due to a job offer, or moving away, or maybe building a family. A lot of stars will have to align for any band that did not start with high school friends to work.
One member was in his last year of nursing school when the band was running, and I knew time with him will be greatly reduced once he starts working full time. With motivation running low as well, the longer it would take us to get on stage, the more chances of someone dropping out for whatever reason. A year of rehearsing was already long, but the risks were higher if it went longer.
My patience was greatly tested. If they were beginners who couldn’t play their songs, or if their mistakes were more consistent in which I can point it out and work it through with them, that would be one thing. But we were able to play through the songs the first time we rehearsed them together, we just weren’t able to be solid and consistent with them.
I know in my heart, if they all just made that extra effort to memorize the songs we’ve worked on for so long, we could have learned way more songs, could have recorded some really cool music videos, and also could have had a lot more fun on stage…..but instead, I had to keep nagging and begging for this basic thing, and they usually walked out feeling disappointed with their performances.
By the time I officially dropped out from the band, my blog was getting over 15K views a month, even nearing 20K, so trust me when I said, I could have drove a lot of traffic to our first videos when they were ready to drop. I could have promoted us like crazy….but we were just never ready for it. I knew we’d be wasting money at a studio because no one truly had their parts down, so it was disappointing.
While I was fine with leaving the band since I at least got to cross my dream off my bucket list, I’m happy I decided to try again with Natsukashii Kumo. I started thinking we could just do background music at cafes, but no one really responded to us, so I started looking at Japanese events and conventions instead. Since we had some history along with this established blog to make a pitch, it was easier landing some gigs.
While it was quite short notice (considering we started in April, and started rehearsing in May), we were both serious performers who would learn our stuff and could keep time. It was also nice being able to meet at my place (our first rehearsal was the first time she ever came here) and make the most of our rehearsals. Practicing, discussing, and just chilling for a bit. The only thing I invested in was a karaoke speaker that came with two mics, and a more portable mic stand should we get a cafe gig.
With the previous band, she really didn’t get to sing much since we weren’t solid enough to sing over, and us throwing her off definitely annoyed and frustrated her, even if she didn’t say it out loud. With me, she was able to sing more often and with more confidence. And since she was the only one I had to listen to, I was able to notice technical problems like pitchiness and her way of sliding up to match the note as she sings. Often, awareness makes the biggest difference, so she greatly improved in such a short time.
And me as well. Since band songs was all I really practiced, I admittedly got lazy since I was playing power chords 95% of the time. While my strumming was decent, my chord library and changes were quite stagnant, so the acoustic project really pushed me to conquer rhythm guitar. It was amazing how much quicker I could learn songs compared to the year before for our first gig. Like I could actually learn, memorize, and play a complex song within a couple days.
It became very clear how much the band held me back. I would only practice the songs we were working on. I may learn a few other songs out of boredom, but since they weren’t on the list, I didn’t work on them to perfection, like “Butterfly” from Digimon. But the second they were added to our list, I took it seriously and learned them much faster. That’s how goal oriented people work.
And honestly, it’s so cool to be able to end this project at one of the biggest Japanese festivals! Honestly, a little intimidating, especially for a rookie like me, but it was amazing to be able to prove what I wanted to prove when I started this whole thing…that beginners can get on stage too. You don’t need 10 or 20 years of experience, you don’t have to be one of the greatest out there….I did it in under 5 years.
I knew it was possible when I started this. While it may have sounded unrealistic to my bandmates, I knew from pursuing past dreams that if there’s a will, there’s a way. Hearing experienced musicians give tips when they don’t remember what it was like to be you is nice but not always helpful. I, on the other hand, was as rookie as they come and was still figuring out things as I wrote about it.
So I really hope my experience not only helps you but really encourages you to just take that step, be vulnerable, be humble, and start on the path towards your goals.
My Best Tips For Rookies
There’s a lot of tips and lessons for guitarists, along with tips for experienced musicians on how to move up in the industry, but there isn’t really a good list of tips for rookies who are trying to move up in the industry. I’ve certainly tasted the highs and lows of trying to create a band and get on stage. While we were given opportunities, I also got quite a few “No’s” or just no responses, and it sucks…but you gotta keep pushing regardless. If you have a dream, don’t let anyone or anything stop you. Here’s my best tips!
1. Just Put Yourself Out There
The biggest thing holding most musicians back is themselves. It’s not that they can’t go places or that they aren’t good enough, it’s that they never take that first step. There’s even guitarists who have been playing for 10, 20, or 40 years who have never put themselves out there, and some will say they ‘still feel like rookies’.
The biggest realization in my life in regards to anything is that, no one’s going to make your dreams happen for you. No prince is going to come out of no where and completely transform your life. No manager or producer is going to somehow pop up in your room and make you a super star. No one is going to find you or hear you if you continue to be a bedroom guitarist.
But even if you don’t plan to be big or famous (that certainly was never my goal) experience is valuable. It’s easy playing for yourself in your room where no one can hear you. I’m sure some of you are amazing shredders or improvisers….but can you do the same thing if you were on stage? Or if the camera was rolling?
The thing about music is that it’s a performance art. It is mean to be shown, to be heard by others. And the reason why professional and orchestral musicians practice so much is because they may only get one chance to play things right, only one time when all your work counts. So that’s a lot of pressure on it’s own, but now you also got people watching. Now, you’re in an unfamiliar space with lights and AC.
Can you still deliver with the anxiety and adrenaline? You can prepare all you want at home, but only when you actually go out there and get experience can you truly prove yourself as a musician. That takes many performances and lots of time to truly feel confident playing in front of others. So the sooner you can start doing that, the better.
As a beginner, I already don’t have much confidence. I already know I suck. I can’t fake being good the same way I could on keyboard or clarinet, cause guitar is a very technical instrument. But by recording my progress on Instagram from the beginning, even sharing my 50% speed versions and uploading audible mistakes, I got used to people seeing me at my worse. But it also gave me more courage since people encouraged and cheered me on regardless.
So then when I started performing and recording videos, I wasn’t as worried bout the comments cause I already felt accomplished within myself. I can see how much I’ve improved since then and I’m excited to be able to play through songs. Of course there’s still nerves, but it does get easier each time. And I’m sure I still sound like a newbie in some ways, but non-musicians won’t notice, and instead, will still clap and cheer because you had the courage to take the stage in the first place 🙂
2. Make Connections And Value Them
If not for my first band attempt, I wouldn’t have met Yumiko who introduced me to Dolly, and Dolly introduced me to other girls in that realm. Also, I met my bassist through my first band, and while we didn’t end on the best note, he still committed and went through with this band project, providing his house as a place to discuss and practice as well.
I sent a lot of messages and emails to other guitarists, potential hosts, and other people in the field. I even called some rehearsal studios so I can promote them in my article. I would say ‘hi’ to people at events and gigs and followed each other on social media. I would take photos or videos of other groups and share it on social media where they may reshare or thank me for the content. And all in all, just try to be nice and maintain positive relationships.
Don’t just suck up to the big guys and disrespect others because you never know who can give you an opportunity or positive word of mouth down the road. It’s sad that has to be said, but there are many people who only care to talk to or connect with people who are bigger than themselves, and may only reach out to them when they can gain something. Usually those people can see right through them because there are many who are just like them doing the same thing.
I always say if possible, maintain your connections. Even if you don’t become best friends or anything, it’s cool to check in on them, catch up, attend their events, support their causes, not expecting anything in return. Then, when that person is asked if they know someone who plays guitar, they’ll think of you. Or perhaps they know you’re looking for opportunities, so when one comes, they’ll tell you about it.
You really never know where connections can lead, so the more you have, the better. Just don’t be fake. Don’t be the kind of person who disappears for 10 years, but then you see that this person works at a place or is hosting something, and you slide into their DMs. Even if that person is kind enough to let you in, if you go on to disappear again right after, they will know you’re just using them when convenient…and no one likes to be used.
3. Be Serious About Social Media
I don’t know what it is about rock musicians, but from what I’ve seen and heard, they’re some of the most reluctant bunch to create an Instagram page and actively promote themselves. Compared to the past where your only way to make it in the industry is to be discovered and signed under a label, now you have free reign and an easy way to spread your name around the world…and you aren’t taking advantage of it!
There’s so many types of social medias so you can join a couple that you think fits you and your personality more. For example, if you’re a man of few words, Twitter is your friend. If you like to write more and just post pictures, stick to Facebook. You only want to upload short cool riffs, then Tiktok is your best bet. You plan to upload full videos and want to be known worldwide, of course Youtube is the way to go. And if you like a mix of everything and plan to socialize more, then Instagram is best.
And if you or your band is very serious about being seen as professionals and potentially making money, you can take it a step further by investing in photoshoots and/or your own website. The more sites you are on, the easier it is to stay connected with potential fans, but don’t spread yourself so thin that you can’t maintain them. Start gathering people early on so when you plan to perform or sell merch or release your album, you’ll have people waiting for you! Never wait until you’re ready to release an album to start promoting it on social media.
And honestly, the best asset one can have is a Youtube channel. There are so many musicians who may not be the most talented or most amazing player, but because they make cool and relateable content, they have gathered a huge faithful following and that opens the door to so many other opportunities. It’s also awesome cause you want to sell tickets, merch, or albums, you’re going to sell out fast. Many Youtubers can drop their first song and it will go viral because they have so many fans waiting for them.
If you don’t believe me, look at musicians like Davie504 (Bassist), TwoSetViolin, or Lilypichu. While they are all certainly talented, there are still many other musicians who can play like them or play even better, but because they have a platform and countless fans, they are invited places, asked to collab, and given many other opportunities that other musicians could only dream of. And if they want to release music, you can see how easily it will start trending because they already have a supportive following.
So for you as a guitarist or musician, are you telling your story somewhere? Are you taking the time to tell your fans what a song means to you? Maybe sharing your creative process online, and even some bloopers and embarrassing moments? People aren’t always looking for perfection, many just want someone who they can connect to and support. And a Youtube channel or blog is a great way to open up and really create a bond between you and your followers.
4. Finding The Right Mates Takes Time
Have you ever noticed that most successful bands usually consist of friends, and sometimes they started playing together in high school years, practicing in the music room or in someone’s garage? I think these people are very lucky to have people they like who also plays instruments and have similar music taste, and to connect while they were young and had so much free time on their hands.
For the rest of us, finding strangers who plays instruments and that you vibe with and share the same music taste in…who actually want to play in a band is really rare. And then even if they agree and you make some progress, some will be consistently late or flake out, or they don’t learn their parts well, or they got quite an ego and want to be the star of the show.
I feel like at the same rate bands come together, many are breaking apart…but that’s life! A band is honestly more complex than relationships. Relationships are 1 on 1, and there’s no real obligation to stay together. But a band? There’s at least 3 relationships that need to be at peace, and you all need to be of the same or similar mind if you were to move forward together and be successful. It’s like a mix of business, family, and relationships all in one!
Some personality types just may not get along or see eye to eye…but can they look past it for the sake of the band? Even if your drummer is a friend you knew since elementary school, if he can’t keep a beat and has no interest in improving, will you keep him for the sake of your friendship, or find another so the band can move forward? Do you let the talented guitarist who is a Diva get his way all the time, or do you put him in his place even if you risk him walking away?
There’s honestly so many factors that can determine if a band will last or if they’ll disband in no time. And even if they do last, are the members driven to actually promote and put themselves out there, or will they play in the garage all their years? Are you going to be the only one trying to push them toward a goal, but they all just want to jam and have fun?
What I’ve learned in my 3 band attempts it that, it’s better to wait for the right people than to hold on to hope with the wrong people and be frustrated all the time. People don’t change unless they personally want to, so always keep that in mind when trying to get your drunk, late, and lazy drummer to take the band seriously. You can always get farther faster if you start over with a new motivated group than with old friends who don’t respect you or your dream.
5. Never Be Afraid To Ask
Being rejected sucks. And I’ll even argue that not getting a response at all sucks even more. Many of us shy away from asking because we assume the answer will be ‘no’, but if you keep asking, someone will say ‘yes’ to you eventually. You may even be lucky and get a ‘yes’ on your first try…but you do need to ask. If you never ask, the answer is always ‘no’.
When you’re new, no one knows who you are so don’t expect opportunities or invites anytime soon. You can always show up to open mics and such, and it’s great if you want experience, but the best way to grow is to actually get your name on some kind of poster that will be going around, or to be part of guest performers so the organizers will promote you to their fans and people will get curious.
Depending on your music and target audience, be creative! I wrote this article on Places where a Band can perform, and it includes open mics, cafes, restaurants, bars, on the street corner, and so on. I personally prefer to email places so I can include my story, along with blog links and Youtube videos. I didn’t care for the money, I just wanted to gain experience and share the love of Japanese music, but you can say what you need to when you make your pitch.
And you don’t always have to wait for a venue or host to organize an event, take control! Pitch ideas to them, or if you have a following already, host your own event by renting out a venue or make a deal with them about tickets and drinks being sold. Just get going!!
6. First Impressions Matter…A Lot!
A lot of bands carry this ‘I don’t really care what people think’ mentality and it shows. While you may feel cool, it’s not always attractive. You can’t even smile while introducing yourself to the host? You look and smell like you haven’t showered in a week? Maybe you show up drunk and get caught harassing a staff member backstage? Please don’t be dumb.
Many will say that the music industry is very small. Many venues know each other, and so do many bands. You crashed and burned on stage, you threw up backstage, and then stole another band’s amp when you left? You don’t want to be the person or band where bad news spreads and now no one wants to book you.
But even if you don’t go that far, it’s still about entertaining people and creating a good experience. Make eye contact with your audience. Actually say something to those who are listening, be sure to thank the sound guy on your way out. Wear something nice and clean, try not to wear all black cause you can blend in with the background etc.
In a world where everyone has a camcorder in their hands, the last thing you need as a newer musician is footage going out and circulating about something horrible or disgusting or illegal that you did. Don’t go in feeling entitled. You are at their mercy, regardless of how big or popular you may think you are.
7. Learn Your Songs Really Well
Whether you’re a new or more advanced musician, you can never learn your song ‘too well’. Even after playing it 100 times, you can still make mistakes. That’s natural. But if you do plan to perform or record, memorization and consistency is the standard. Even for those who do have sheets out, they have gone through their songs countless times beforehand.
You want to get to the point where muscle memory kicks in. Why? Because once you step in front of an audience, once you have cameras pointed at you, or you’re in a recording studio and you’re paying $75/hour for a technician, pressure and adrenaline will hit you like a brick. If you can play a song perfectly 98% of the time, it may drop to 90% now, but if you only had a 30% success rate, there’s an even greater chance of bombing on stage.
They say every musician makes mistakes on stage, and that is very true. However, the best musicians can jump right back in within a second or two because they are so familiar with the track, the chords, scales, or whatever they may need. Whereas those who only learn the lick, or who doesn’t memorize it well can easily get lost and will have to wait for the next section to come back in.
I have noticed that those who only ever play at home or who only record stuff for social media get too comfortable and lazy when it comes to learning because they know they have all day or all week to get the perfect take. There are also those who will speed learn something that is trending, make a cover, and instantly forget it. Just like the video above mentions, most of them couldn’t even imagine playing on stage because it is a truly different dynamic. You only get one shot.
When you have this mentality of only having one opportunity, you do prepare better than usual because you don’t want to cause a shipwreck. You don’t want to have your sheets fly off the stage and now you don’t know what to play next. You don’t want the eyes of the audience make you so nervous that you forget everything…hard to remember something you only practiced 6 times before anyways.
It’s great to be able to improvise or play by ear, but if you’ve never done that on stage in front of an audience when your nerves are high. Once you make your first and second mistakes, you may get even more nervous, or those mistakes throw you off and you make more noticeable mistakes. If you’re new, just learn your stuff well and go on stage with confidence like every other professional musician out there.
8. Record and Listen Back To Yourself
The biggest mistake anyone can make as a beginner guitarist is not recording themselves. What you hear will be different from what others hear, especially if an amp is facing them and not you. It’s also easy to get caught up in your head about what you have to play, remembering and being anxious, instead of really being attentive to how you sound to others.
Perhaps your chords aren’t ringing out properly. Maybe you have lots of gaps when changing chords, or your timing is off, or it lacks any kind of flavor and seasoning. Maybe scratching or buzzing can be heard audibly. For all you know, even if you tuned before you play, your guitar has issues that make it get out of tune very quickly and you don’t even notice.
But also, if you do plan to record or perform later on in life, recording yourself prepares you to be seen, and allows you to start working on your posture, stage presence, and eye contact. A lot of people don’t think about this stuff at all, so when they go on stage and realize they look awkward and stiff, it’s because they never took the time to record and look at themselves performing beforehand.
By me having an Instagram account, I was forced to listen to all my recordings multiple times, more so if I was editing a video or clips. Sometimes, I thought one take was better when I was playing it, but then listening to it back, I realized another sounded better. It’s also really encouraging hearing my tone and rhythm improve over the months, and it keeps me going.
I have noticed some musicians are more focused on what they’re playing so they’re caught up in the visual aspect, looking at their tabs or fretboard, but aren’t actively listening to the output. It can be hard in the moment, especially if you’re listening to other band members like the drummer or singer, but recordings allow you to focus on the sound, so I highly recommend recording and listening whenever possible.
9. Don’t Neglect Music Theory
I’ll admit to being a bit biased about music theory having gone to school for music, but I’ll also admit that I didn’t truly understand music theory back in school. I learned how to read music and I may have memorize some scales, but I didn’t truly understand the theory behind it to create music. I mostly played melodic instruments (recorder, clarinet, harmonica, ocarina) so chord progressions wasn’t something I had to pay attention to.
But once I picked up guitar and started learning some box scales and basic chords, patterns started to pop out at me. Like D and Dm are only a note apart, or F is just E moved up a fret, and I could use the same box scale shape and move it around because all scales follow the same pattern. Everything was just so clear on the fretboard so I started looking more into that, and it didn’t take long before I was able to improvise and put chords together.
Japanese music is a lot more complex though, so while I understood how the West makes chord progressions, nothing I could create sounded Japanese and I had to look for so long for answers. Turns out, they use a lot of borrowed chords, they actually utilize diminished and augmented chords, they love to modulate (change keys) multiple times per song and so on, which led me to digging in more.
Even if I may not use all that on a day to day basic, understanding how it works has made learning chords 10X easier to remember. I don’t just remember “C-D-Em-Bm” I’m also thinking IV-V-iii-vi. So later, when I come across another song that has F-G-Em-Am, I can recognize that it’s the same chord progression, just in a different scale.
Sometimes, chords that don’t belong to the scale show up, but as long as I remember it’s a borrowed chord in my head, or at this part, the song modulates into another key, it’s generally easy for me to remember a song with 20 chords and various chord progressions.
I find remembering the flow of the song helps trememndously, and that’s even more important if youre a lead guitarist so you’re not just sticking to one scale but can improvise more creatively and confidently.
10. It’s Okay To Start Over Or Re-Direct
Speaking from experience, sometimes you need to just start anew, or find new people, or take things in a different direction than initially planned. Sometimes we can get attached to a certain project or group, and while it may be good at first, it’s possible to end up at a crossroads: stay with people who hold you back or break off and restart elsewhere.
It’s easy to feel like a failure when plans don’t work out, but it’s better to take all of these as a learning experience instead. I met some really cool people at my first band who allowed this band to get to where it did, and I also learned that it’s hard to work with people who are in other bands and have other projects as it wouldn’t be a priority to them.
I also learned how to work more with different personality types. Sometimes when we choose friends, we do want someone who we vibe well with, but I had to really push myself to work with various types. As they say, a band is like family. It’s hard enough finding musicians who like the same genre and style you do, or who want to work towards the same goal, so matching personality types is just an extra benefit that is rare. Why do you think so many bands break up due to egos and drama?
And even when it comes to your personal life as a musician, if something seems out of reach, it’s okay to take a detour and work up to it. Even if you would love to be a lead guitarist, they are a dime a dozen. More bands are looking for rhythm players, so if you can settle down for a bit, it’s great to get experience and exposure in the meantime and work up to that role. Just like jobs, there’s no shame instarting from the bottom and working your way up to what you truly desire to do.
And remember that nothing comes easy. I feel a lot of guitarists join bands with pride and entitlement, thinking they’re amazing and expecting the band to revolve around them. Yet, these same people can’t be bothered to promote themselves or the band. Many just think if you have talent, opportunities and fans will find you and follow you, but that’s not true. You need to stand out from the crowd.
Conclusion
I hope you found this article informative and encouraging. It can be scary just starting to make a band, and many things may beat you up on the journey, but if you keep pushing, it will be worth it. Some bands click and they start gigging within a few months, while others takes years before they release something, but it’s all in due time.
While electronically made music is certainly what’s most popular, there is still a very active live music scene, and venues are always looking for entertainment. Or maybe you prefer more niche genres or foreign music like me so you have to find special events where your people can be found. Regardless, there’s a place for everyone. You just gotta keep looking.
If you’re a rookie, take all the opportunities you can as they may not come often. And be sure to promote yourself and build a portfolio of sorts. This will definitely come in handy when trying to find a band/band members or pitching for a spot at an event. Hosts would prefer someone with a good track record and sound than a stranger who they can’t hear before hand.
And lastly, don’t beat yourself up when you do make mistakes. It is natural. What matters is how you learn and move from there. For the most part, people generally won’t notice mistakes unless you visibly look distraught about it…and even if they do, they don’t really seem to care in live scenerios. I can recall my 1-3 mistakes per gig, but you wouldn’t notice in the recording because I fixed them very quickly and kept going.
Let me know if this article has helped you! And feel free to share your own experiences and lessons in the comments. I would love to hear from you! ^_^
Sincerely, Nostalgia