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Just make sure they aren't wearing a human skin mask and have a chainsaw. That might be a bummer.
EDIT: Seriously, you just have to get out there and start meeting people. They are out there. You all have to find each other. I would say that is the way the 'magic' starts.
OP: if you decide to post in CL, just be prepared to meet all types of people, including:
- people who are normal and very nice
- people who are really good musicians
- people who are horrifically bad musicians (but have themselves convinced that they are good)
- people that are the opposite of normal and you want to get away from them as quickly as possible
Go to your local music stores and put a add up.
You can also check with Band teachers etc or you local music hall.
For real, go to shows at places that have "starter bands" and talk to the audience and band members on break. Make it clear you aren't trying to steal their guy's job. If you seem friendly and cool you may meet some interested people for a casual jam. Open mics and bluse jams aren't bad either. If no one in your area has an open mic, try to get a pub to let you start and host one.
Super easy
Go to music school ,ask teacher for some player .usually they get happy to help .(although I never ever saw a bassist search for band because in my country we are thatuch few usually we get shared between morr than 2 bands .)
Second way
Instagram ,make a post and let propel share it you can make contest too .
Third way ,this only works if you are good player .
Invite local musicians from social media .
To make bands .
Audio interface, DAW, free time, free vst's, cd-r discs. I mean, when I first got started, I skipped the audio interface part and I at least had a good time. There's nothing like hearing what double bass and blast beats sound like at 400+ BPM.
every band i formed or joined for years happened via CL. it's all about giving the right information, right amount of information and having realistic expectations. and keep in mind that everyone was a stranger one. i not only found this awesome guitar player on CL who i played with for years - i'm married to him. also found and joined or formed several more bands. admittedly auditioned some truly weird people, as well, but that's how finding people to do anything goes.
I mean, it takes a lot of meeting strangers to get out there! Think of it this way, you meet people you normally wouldn't, and maybe it takes you places. The bonuses are you meet more people than you do shedding at home; you go to gigs, you make contacts based on your band, if the project chokes, you may or may not know people who want to do other stuff.
So you had the pros, now the cons. You may not play what you want tho, so that's a different angle. Also, this isn't like meeting lifelong friends; it's business, especially if you're meeting people at some studio that charges a rate for you to practice there. All depends on what you can live with/without.
Luckily, I started my band with my friends. None of us were in any music classes at school or anything, no one knew we played instruments. The rhythm guitar player had his dad teach him guitar, the lead guitar player was taught by a tutor (£20 a lesson, douchebag when it comes to actual help, waste of time, but that's my opinion of him). I was fully self taught, the only so called lesson was when I was 8 at school, the teacher hated electric guitar, and viewed me badly for it, so I didn't go back to him, and learned literally nothing, not even a chord or 'twinkle twinkle little star'.
Anyway, enough rambling. See if any of your friends or family are musically talented and you don't know it. If not, then try putting an ad in an advert page in local newspapers, or even check if someone is looking for a player. Bass players are rarer to find than guitar players. I know a band that are missing a bass player, and they can't progress without one (I wouldn't recommend them though, they're all angry and ego driven).
In the UK, we have a website called joinmyband.co.uk which is a advert site for bands looking for players, and players looking for bands, you could probably find a similar website for your area.
Anyway, enough rambling. See if any of your friends or family are musically talented and you don't know it. If not, then try putting an ad in an advert page in local newspapers, or even check if someone is looking for a player. Bass players are rarer to find than guitar players. I know a band that are missing a bass player, and they can't progress without one (I wouldn't recommend them though, they're all angry and ego driven).
In the UK, we have a website called joinmyband.co.uk which is a advert site for bands looking for players, and players looking for bands, you could probably find a similar website for your area.
There's a fair amount of action on the Ottawa-Gatineau kijiji - artists and musicians category. Also check out ottawamusician.com. Some stuff there, but things have slowed down in recent times.
madbass6
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in this day and age with all the social media out there what I'm trying to figure out is why you can't figure it out! Back in the flyer/poster days was so much more complicated and bands where formd with no problem !
even high school kids form bands thru social media these days!
in fact in my city a j.r high school band was formed thru facebook! Here's what to do..
Hi I am ?
I'm Lookinking to start a Band
Then Include. The following info
(in no particular order)
.Influences ?
.Style ?
.Size of band
.Location
.list What your expecting from rest of band such as contributions for practice etc. (or not) be upfront let people know if you're looking to be a giging band or a jam band for fun etc.
Then include
if interested please Contact
Contact info:
Then you guessed it,
post it everywhere! do social media !
.Craigslist
.Facebook share with friends!
.Google etc.
Not rocket science!!
Good luck!
Get out Of that basement!
P.S
maybe you should consider posting an ad to join a band first
(to gain some experience)
before trying to form one !
even high school kids form bands thru social media these days!
in fact in my city a j.r high school band was formed thru facebook! Here's what to do..
Hi I am ?
I'm Lookinking to start a Band
Then Include. The following info
(in no particular order)
.Influences ?
.Style ?
.Size of band
.Location
.list What your expecting from rest of band such as contributions for practice etc. (or not) be upfront let people know if you're looking to be a giging band or a jam band for fun etc.
Then include
if interested please Contact
Contact info:
Then you guessed it,
post it everywhere! do social media !
.Craigslist
.Facebook share with friends!
.Google etc.
Not rocket science!!
Good luck!
Get out Of that basement!
P.S
maybe you should consider posting an ad to join a band first
(to gain some experience)
before trying to form one !
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What she said, first.
Same experience with me. Ya don't have to be afraid of 'stranger' musicians if you know how to ask questions in emails, and talk to people on the phone. Five minutes on the phone can alert most people to an axe murderer. If I suddenly disappear from Talkbass next week, I take that back. I'm selling some basses....
Anyhow, as others have suggested:
That's all I've got right now.
Good luck.
Oh yeah... starting your own band from scratch is much MUCH harder IMO, and likely to take you much longer. Not saying it's not possible, nor that you might not be wildly successful - only that the odds of success are much more in your favor if you do it as I and others have suggested here.
Same experience with me. Ya don't have to be afraid of 'stranger' musicians if you know how to ask questions in emails, and talk to people on the phone. Five minutes on the phone can alert most people to an axe murderer. If I suddenly disappear from Talkbass next week, I take that back. I'm selling some basses....
Anyhow, as others have suggested:
- Post an ad (bass player available), and look through the ads on craigslist. Daily. You can save search preferences which makes it really easy. If you search for bassist and bass player in the title you can weed through posts pretty quickly.
- Respond to ads, to all bands that come even close to what you're looking for.
- Prep for those bands like you never prepped for anything in your life! It will be one or two weeks of crazy commitment, that will pay off. Learn whatever they want you to and know it inside out, upside down and backwards. If they throw you any curve-balls, post on Talkbass and everyone here will help you through.
- Get the gig you auditioned for, be happy, and if ya don't - hold your head high and consider it practice for the next audition. The next step is the same, regardless of whether you got the gig or not.
- Repeat steps 1-4.
- Repeat again.
That's all I've got right now
.Good luck.
Oh yeah... starting your own band from scratch is much MUCH harder IMO, and likely to take you much longer. Not saying it's not possible, nor that you might not be wildly successful - only that the odds of success are much more in your favor if you do it as I and others have suggested here.
Some of my best musician colleagues and band mates I met (after a 15 year music playing hiatus raising kids/learning how to make $$) through a CL ad advertising a jam band/experimental music oriented jam session at a local art center. I just lucked out and met some awesome musicians, who after another 15 years are still playing music with me. Yes, I am an old fart... get off my lawn. But, I still kick some holy poopie on the bass.
Look on Facebook for a local musician group. I looked quickly and found at least 2 Ottowa are musician groups. If you put up an ad one of these groups, you can at least cyber stalk respondents before deciding to meet them. It's not a perfect system, but at least you can get some feel for potential band members.
OP, Ottawa can be a tricky place to break into depending on what music you play.
There is an Ottawa musicians Facebook group and kijiji may be helpful.
Also the local rehearsal places have notice boards if you want to put up an ad.
I would suggest that the best thing you can do is get out to some shows and start talking to people.
There are lots of small venues doing every kind of music most evenings, if you want some specific pointers let me know what sort of music you're into either here or drop me a pm.
There is an Ottawa musicians Facebook group and kijiji may be helpful.
Also the local rehearsal places have notice boards if you want to put up an ad.
I would suggest that the best thing you can do is get out to some shows and start talking to people.
There are lots of small venues doing every kind of music most evenings, if you want some specific pointers let me know what sort of music you're into either here or drop me a pm.
