“Or find myself a rock and roll band that needs a helping hand…”
From the song “Maggie May” by Rod Stewart / the album “Every Picture Tells a Story” 1971

Once you’ve been playing guitar for a while there will come a time when thoughts will lead to taking your music to the next level.
What that next level actually is for you may be different than for someone else. For some it may mean learning new songs just to play for personal enjoyment. Others may contemplate furthering their music education with sights set on a teaching career. For many (including this author) the dream culminates in only one successful outcome…a band.

The desire to play in a band is a natural progression in your musical journey. You’ve paid for guitar lessons, practiced for hours, bought some cool gear – now it’s time to take it out to the world.

You’re probably anxious to jump out there and get started jamming on stage, but paying attention to some careful considerations at the outset will make playing in your first band a more exciting and memorable experience.

First of all, keep in mind that playing music with other musicians is different than playing by yourself. There are outside emotions, ideas and egos to deal with so it is a whole different animal than you may be used to.

When it’s just you and the guitar alone in the room, you call the shots. No one is there to hear the mistakes, and you can play whatever you want, whenever you want.

Going from that, to playing with a group can be a shocker for many. Suddenly there are others in the room, listening, giving their opinion and – yes – even criticizing!  

One way to make that transition smoother is to start slow and focus on finding just one other person that plays an instrument that you can build a relationship with.

By finding another “kindred spirit” you have a small nucleus to build a band on in the future, as well as a musical and songwriting partner. It is also a great way to get used to all the ins and outs of playing with another musician. Plus, there are a ton of small, unanticipated details involved with running a band and it helps to have someone to share the load.



Once you have connected with someone and started working on the musical direction you want to go in, then you have a solid foundation to begin the search for other like minded musicians to form a band with.

You might find other players at your school or you may have to go out and expand your search further. Sometimes you can connect with other musicians by running a classified in the local newspaper, or by posting ads in area music store bulletin boards. There are also many online resources available like Craigslist, MySpace and referral sites like BandMix.

Eventually you will want to set up auditions with players that have responded to your ads. When auditioning, try to assess not only the musicianship of the person, but the attitude and personality as well. Keep in mind that the hottest picker may also be the hardest person to get along with. The player that is a notch or two down on the skill level – but with a great attitude – may be a better fit for the long term health of the band.


If your goal is to hook up with an already established band then make sure your chops are up to par with the rest of that band. They may have gigs and a following already established so do a little prep work prior to an audition and wow them with your knowledge of their material.  

In regards to playing with an established band, always try to play “up”. In other words, try to get gigs with musicians that are better than you. It may sound intimidating at first, but it will make you a much better player and more in-demand down the road.

...Next, we will discuss some practical, day to day issues to consider when playing in a band...

Staff - www.TopMusicLessons.com

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