Musicians Struggling?

[SantoUno]

Any of you musicians out there have ever struggled to either find a band? Get your act together? Etc

Currently I'm still trying to look for a band to join, it's tough simply becaused I currently don't have the equipment necessary to play at local shows if I did join a band. Also I cannot seem to create songs anymore. Before I used to come up with so many riffs in my head and now I can't even get something going.

Share your struggles, because we musicians are a brotherhood that must always work to support each other right? That's one of the greatest things about music.

 

[arc101]

Well i'm a drummer and finding a band that has a guitarist who can actually play is sooo hard. Well done, you can play chords, so can most 6 year olds. I know that i'm just being amazingly picky, but i really do not like the idea of playing in a band in which one of the guys can't play their instrument. Last band i was in we had an amazing bassist and we still to jazz sets together at school, anyway, we did a cover of rage against the machine's killing in the name of, and i could do the drums fine, the bassist was sick, the singer was great, but our guitarist was... ¬¬...

So i left the band, and i have only found one guitarist in my school who is actually any good, but he lives 40 miles away and i cannot be arsed to travel that far every weekend for a practice, and our school don't let us practice there.

 

[The Rockerfly]

I'm 17, trying to find a band who doesn't one to do one genre of music and talk all the time during every single band practice is impossible

 

[Monkfish Acc.]

I'm struggling to not sound like a retarded chimp.
Seriously. I've been playing guitar for like three, four months now, and I still can't play wortha shit.

Also, bar chords are just fucking impossible. I don't know how you freaks of nature do them.

 

[Inverse Skies]

This is one of those times playing the piano and violin comes in handy. Solo efforts all the way! I wouldn't want to be in a band... they wouldn't play my style of music anyway which doesn't help.

 

[Crofty]

I'm struggling to not sound like a retarded chimp.
Seriously. I've been playing guitar for like three, four months now, and I still can't play wortha shit.

Keep at it, three/four months is nothing, I've been playing for about eight months now and I'm still pretty shite, I can play the rhythm for about four songs and the lead for three. My problem is I learn a riff for one part of a song, struggle on the next bit, then get distracted by another song. And can't keep up a regular practice plan, I practice every day but never with any structure, I just pick my guitar up and play whatever I feel like at the time. Don't make that mistake, get yourself a practice plan and stick to it, and you will improve.

Also, bar chords are just fucking impossible. I don't know how you freaks of nature do them.

I have no idea either, I think to do that you need some finger strenght training, try getting a set of those things that you grip in your hand and clench your fist to improve your finger strength.

 

[GrinningManiac]

I'm in a small Jazz band. We have a crappy Tubist who is also a complete 'tarded douche. Seriously, he thinks he's funny, but I swear he's stunted. No, he's not even a douche, douches do things because they're "cool". He's just a moron

I'm also in an adhoc Barbershop with a few friends of mine. We're trying to get stuff done, but I'm the baritone, and the stuff I have to do to harmonise you wouldn't BELIEVE

 

[MelasZepheos_v1legacy]

I'm struggling to not sound like a retarded chimp.
Seriously. I've been playing guitar for like three, four months now, and I still can't play wortha shit.

Also, bar chords are just fucking impossible. I don't know how you freaks of nature do them.

Four months? To get to an average sounding level you have to do I would say about 2000 hours of practice (not as much as it sounds) You're talking a year at least. Very, very few people are able to pick up a guitar and sound immediately good at it.

As for the OP. I've been playing the guitar for eight years now (bloody hell that's a long time) and now I'm at university musicians seem to have dried up.

It's more the style of music I play, very old fashioned, Aerosmith type rock and blues. Everyone I meet is either into heavy metal or pop, there's just no room for the old fashioned stuff anymore. I play open mic nights, and get a couple of pretty well paid gigs here and there, but it's not really going anywhere (I haven't been inside a recording studio for years, it's far too expensive)

 

[Ancientgamer]

This is one of those times playing the piano and violin comes in handy. Solo efforts all the way! I wouldn't want to be in a band... they wouldn't play my style of music anyway which doesn't help.

Hurah, hurah!

Most violin music works best with an accompanist, or at least another violin. Getting hired gigs is kinda tough, cause these days only the very rich or highly pretentious hire a solo violin to serenade their party. But I can generally make some good money playing weddings and the like.

"Open source" mall playing is always fun to. I'm not struggling in the sense I can get any jobs, but in that I can't seem to take it to the next level. I still couldn't live off what I make or anything.

 

[setvak]

I've been playing the drums for about 8 years (although I haven't been able to practice much over the last couple of years because of college) and never had much luck finding a band, bought a guitar about three years ago, couldn't really afford lessons but kept practicing, took vocal lessons last semester once I realize I wanted to sing but couldn't.

When I get home in a few weeks I'm planning on recording some of the songs I've more or less written over the past year or so (I've got about eight originals that are ready to go), drums, guitar, vocals, and bass. I just want to have something tangible, to have recorded versions of my songs, that I can use to show potential bandmates. It just seems much easier to give another student the myspace address and tell them to listen to a few songs to see if they're interested.

 

[BonsaiK]

I work in the music industry and have played in touring bands. I also teach guitar.

If you want to get in a band quicker, learn bass or drums. Both of these are much more sought after than the more ego-friendly guitar and vocal positions, that's what I did and I got to tour my country several times because I was willing to make that compromise and play the big thingy with four strings on it rather than the slightly smaller thingy with six strings on it.

Barre chords are not that hard. Roll your finger a bit, use the side of your finger nearest your thumb, there is more bone there and you will get a better hold. You do not need brute strength, exercises won't help. I can do barre chords all day on any guitar with any guage strings and even on bass guitar, and I've never done a finger exercise in my life. Wrist position also matters. Watch some videos and see how it's done. Go see a guitar teacher if you still can't get it.

 

[Inverse Skies]

Hurah, hurah!

Most violin music works best with an accompanist, or at least another violin. Getting hired gigs is kinda tough, cause these days only the very rich or highly pretentious hire a solo violin to serenade their party. But I can generally make some good money playing weddings and the like.

"Open source" mall playing is always fun to. I'm not struggling in the sense I can get any jobs, but in that I can't seem to take it to the next level. I still couldn't live off what I make or anything.

Would you be interested in recording yourself playing the violin and putting it up on this website?

 

[PlainTwo]

I've been playing drums for about a year and a half, I want to join a band, but I'm having trouble. I know a lot of people that play instruments, but only two or three of those people can play said instruments well.