Show of Hands

No doubt. What kind of gigs?

Coffee houses, a bar, one famous concert venue (don’t ask how i got the slot lol my mom set it up). I had a guitar player. I covered some classic/blues rock, indie/pop and jazzy stuff. Now im too busy with school forever but guest on some songs occasionally with my friends and their bands

Would like some advice from those who have gone before me.

I did 15 years in a bar band. I’d be happy to answer any questions you have.

Is it an acoustic duo?

We're currently a duo, playing generally various rock songs from the 60's to the early 00's, but we've thrown some country in there, because of who we're likely to be playing for (mass appeal kind of thing). We're not necessarily acoustic duo only. I plan to play electric a lot, depending on what's being played. I'm also wanting to get ahold of a bass player and a drummer (or be the drummer if my living situation works out for it again). What are thoughts on what I'm trying to do?

So you’re looking to do a full band, but currently it’s just a duo type of thing, is that correct?

I think it’s great! The more songs you know the more opportunities you’ll have. I’d also visit some of the bars in the area you want to play when a band is playing and see what kind of crowd they get (bands will usually have a following of people that always come to see them, but the bar should also draw a crowd) and what that band is playing ie more classic rock, more newer, etc. Unless you plan on making a career out of it, don’t take it too seriously. Make sure you have fun. If you’re having fun, the audience will have fun. When you’re not, your crowd will go somewhere else. When it stopped being fun for me and felt more like work, is when I decided to quit.

Let me know if you have other questions. I love talking this kind of stuff

Currently duo. I've been trying for years to find someone who was currently practiced at guitar and bass (even to the point I was training friends on bass who were interested) but they always fell through. Had a band just out of high school years ago, but once again our guitarist was sketchy so it never went anywhere. I'm just looking for like local fame. Like a side thing, because I've always enjoyed playing. I'm currently having us practice a couple hours of day, few days a week to get prepared (in a timely manner), but that's the most structure we have at the moment. We have a list of songs we're working on. I'm also thinking about starting a Facebook page and YouTube account dedicated to this. I would get a GoPro and have us record our parts of covers and mash them together in a way that just kind of promotes us, but I think it would be fun even if didn't go anywhere.

I meant practiced at drums. I started out on drums but I haven't been able to play for years due to apartment living.

Definitely get a Facebook page and do videos and all that. Perfect. Some bars will ask for a promo pack and you can just point them there. Find a good practice space since you live in an apartment so you can make as much noise as you want. Put fliers up at music stores that you’re looking for a drummer and bassist. Hopefully the drummer comes with a practice space.

We were a 5 piece, me singing, 2 guitars, bass and drummer. We went through 8 drummers in 15 years. We were popular enough that we didn’t have to cancel any gigs due to a drummer quitting, but it still sucked having to audition drummers.

Oooo, I like that. I forgot, I put up a note at a local music store once upon time when I was still practiced at drums. I'm moving to this town that's bigger at the beginning of the year and there's several stores there. I'll do that. I'm looking for a four or five piece ultimately. I prefer five just because I think there is more intricate guitar parts that can be done when you basically got two lead guitars not having to have one of them also sing too. I know there's people who can do both well, but they seem a rare breed ha.

How many songs do you think is a minimum should be recorded and posted on a Facebook page or wherever? You may not have a specific number of what is ideal, but you got any rough estimates?

Thanks for the insights. I've got a rough idea of how to do all this from second hand experience, but it's these specifics that I'm unsure and don't have a lot of people around here anymore to bounce ideas off of.

By here, I mean real life.

and just to give you an idea of what you're looking at, I'm mainly focused on lead guitar (and bass if a song is less about the lead and more about the rhythm, but that's not showing up as much as I thought it would yet), while my friend is going to sing and mainly play rhythm, but he's good enough to play lead if it came down to it.

I would do at least 5 songs, and a good variety too. The more you can do the better. Not everyone will look at all of them, but the bigger picture you can provide the better off you’d be.

No doubt. Seems like a good route and do able. Thanks for advice. I really appreciate it.

Anytime! Good luck!

Youtube is great, use a lot of hashtags for the videos. Instagram too, Facebook page, social media is good for exposure.