Join A Group - Go To The Next Level

Join a group and surmount those crippling obstacles of - plateau effect, boredom, lack of motivation, always playing alone in the bedroom. Don't give up and consign your guitar to just gathering dust.

If this is not really what you had in mind when you started out, what do you do next?

Answer - join a group, fast!

"But", you reply, "I'm not really that good."

Well I can assure you, you are.

Perhaps you don't realise how little you need to know to be a part of some groups, particularly groups that are just starting out. The chances are good that no-one in the group is a virtuoso.

Years ago in Liverpool I knew a bassist (double bass)(the big one) who bought a d. bass, and practically the same day did a paid gig with a band. He did not yet know any of the positions on the neck (no frets of course), so he marked them out on the back with sticky tape.

(I have to mention though that he was great on banjo, and so had a bit of a musical background, and that he probably knew some of the band members quite well.)

GUITAR CHORDS

In your case with your guitar, all you need to know to start with are the open  chords E E7 A A7 Amin7 D D7 Dmin7. That should take you about a week to learn if you put your mind to it. If you can manage a few more chords related to the key of E all well and good.

Meanwhile get yourself a capo (pronounced kaypo) - a clamp which in effect changes the key of your guitar so that you can continue to use the open positions you have learnt, no matter what tune they play. Don't worry, you will progress to the point where you don't need it any more.

Then go along and join in with a group - not in public probably - but in their practice sessions.

The keyboard player is generally the most literate, so pick his brains, and also any other more advanced guitarists in the group.

WHY A SMALL GROUP

Playing by yourself alone can easily get you into a rut so that you never ever break out. You never feel ready to take on the world - ever practising.

Solo playing in public is difficult. You have to be very good - unless you are a singer or comedian, or the guitar is only part of your stage offering. If you are only a beginner how long is it going to take you until you can keep people entertained for an hour or so? It's a tall order.

If you are practising to be a soloist you have years of hard work ahead of you - the competition is fierce in the music world. But a group can motivate you; you will be making contacts in the music  world; you will be getting a bit of social life and some fun.

When part of a group the audience attention will not be focussed on you. You will just be doing the backing. Most eyes will be on the lead musician or the vocalist.

Joining a big band is probably not an option at your stage. Because of the numbers involved - maybe 8 to 14 members - there has to be organisation and discipline, hence the need for orchestrations and the requirement for sight-reading your guitar parts.

BE CIRCUMSPECT

I would recommend joining up with 2 to 4 guys - rather more informal - more freedom of expression.

Caution: make sure they are compatible with your approach to life and ideals. Trap number 2: make sure your wife does not become a muso's "widow" - it happened in my family; your wife is number one.

Have a look in the ads in your local paper. Check out the ads in your supermarket. Write your own ad.  You will sometimes see a small group, or a singer, just starting out and looking for a guitarist. If they are just beginning then they will probably not be justified in demanding an expert. You can all learn and grow together.

Also don't make your commitment to the band open-ended. Arrange with them that it will be a 3 to 6 months trial period to see how it works out for each of you. In that way there will be no hard feelings if you decide to quit, or if they decide to 'quit' you.

THEN GO FOR IT

Play your part helping to set up for practice sessions, looking out for new numbers to play, always reliable, helping to write parts, giving lifts. Make yourself indispensable. Learn as much as you can, then re-evaluate the position at the end of the trial period.

At that point you may have already decided to start your own band !

Rob Clancy,  guitar-wise.com