Hey I read the first half of this a long time ago and just started reading the rest of the lessons, but can I make a suggestion?
Make an off-page site with the lessons on it by themselves (possibly with "chapter" styled links leading to each lesson?) to make it easier for anyone who hasn't read it yet. Of course keep posting them in here too, but that'd be a swell idea IMO.


A suggestion to any band that's wanting to be SERIOUS about it:
Rent a Rehearsal Studio if at all possible.
My band just rented a studio with 24/7 access, a 12x24 room for $250 a month (4 members, so $62.50 each per month)
Sure you have to pay, but you can practice ANYTIME you want, there's an in-house studio ($38 per hour) who now has a label that will distribute their CDs online for them.
And then there's the garage band's nightmares that are gone with this option:
1> Police
2> Parents getting upset/mad at the noise
3> Neighbors getting upset/mad
4> Siblings/friends messing with your expensive equipment

[QUOTE=PowerStamp]Hey I read the first half of this a long time ago and just started reading the rest of the lessons, but can I make a suggestion?
Make an off-page site with the lessons on it by themselves (possibly with "chapter" styled links leading to each lesson?) to make it easier for anyone who hasn't read it yet. Of course keep posting them in here too, but that'd be a swell idea IMO.


A suggestion to any band that's wanting to be SERIOUS about it:
Rent a Rehearsal Studio if at all possible.
My band just rented a studio with 24/7 access, a 12x24 room for $250 a month (4 members, so $62.50 each per month)
Sure you have to pay, but you can practice ANYTIME you want, there's an in-house studio ($38 per hour) who now has a label that will distribute their CDs online for them.
And then there's the garage band's nightmares that are gone with this option:
1> Police
2> Parents getting upset/mad at the noise
3> Neighbors getting upset/mad
4> Siblings/friends messing with your expensive equipment[/QUOTE]

you are SO RICH


a rehearsal room can be as little as £25 a day, but you have to book.

Actually renting out a room 24/7 works out cheaper than single days.

A room for 1 hour in toronto, with an 800 watt pa system, standard drumset and cabs, costs 15$.

Usually a band needs minimum 3hours so 45$.

If you rent out a 24/7 room, u get 672 hours. Of course let's say you can only practice weekends, so that's 8 hours each weekends. 32 hours per month.

24/7::
250$ the rehearsal room itself
75$ the pa system with speakers
50$ for drums,
50 more for cabs..
TOTAL: 425$

BOOKING:
32*15= 480$ if u practice the same amount at a practice studio.

If you also rent out a 24/7 one, the personnel is friendlier, you can leave your equipment overnight, you don't have to worry about it being not available, and many other plusses.

So uhm.. Just decide yourself. If your band's income is unstable book.
If you think you are responsible enough, rent out the rehearsal room 24/7.


Hope this helps.

-LivingDeadBoy

[size=6]an 800w PA IN A REHEARSAL ROOM?!?!??!?!


OMFG!!!![/size]

that is 4x bigger than anyone would ever need ever in a practise room.

*Singer sees 800w PA*

[I]"Cool, check this out!"[/I]

*Walks over to speaker and sits on it*

*Drummer sees mixer*

[I]"Hey, what does this knob do?"[/I]

*twists volume knob to full*

[B]SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECH!!!!!!!![/B]

*Bassist scrapes remnants of singer off ceiling*

[I]"Anyone know any good singers?"[/I]

*bump*

[QUOTE=Jason101]*Singer sees 800w PA*

[I]"Cool, check this out!"[/I]

*Walks over to speaker and sits on it*

*Drummer sees mixer*

[I]"Hey, what does this knob do?"[/I]

*twists volume knob to full*

[B]SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECH!!!!!!!![/B]

*Bassist scrapes remnants of singer off ceiling*

[I]"Anyone know any good singers?"[/I][/QUOTE]

HAYO!!!

You will learn more about band life from [URL=http://www.homestarrunner.com/sbemail126.html]this link[/URL] than from the rest of this thread put together

seriously... this is awesome.

Still waiting on next issue but seriously best thread ever!

Same as but My band has improoved alot noe with 7 songs woo.

guys, why no lessons???? im dying here!

Wheres the next post. My band is crapping out and I need this to LIVE.

Ok guys, what do you want the next one on? I feel I've taken enough of a break now :)

[QUOTE=KKKKKocaine]Ok guys, what do you want the next one on? I feel I've taken enough of a break now :)[/QUOTE]

i think based on some of the recent threads i've seen something on songwriting would be pretty handy.

*bump*....
still no new lesson.... i'm not sure wat i want next tho...

Totally great thread here. Just wanted to say about the band naming thing. Incubus means summin about a demon. Which you wouldnt have expected from their music. But i guess not many people know what incubus means so thats ok.

Also can you do one on a band crew like what people would be good for support. (Manager, Techs etc..)

can anyone explain the whole key concept.....like how some people say their songs are in key of d or e and ****.....i jst put together chords that sound good wiht the lyrics and they turn out ok......

incubus is derived from the latin word for nightmare, not demon.

[QUOTE=airborne50caliber]incubus is derived from the latin word for nightmare, not demon.[/QUOTE]

(Ĭng´kyoobes) , lascivious male demon said to possess mortal women as they sleep and to be responsible for the birth of demons, witches, and deformed children. According to one legend the incubus and his female counterpart, the succubus, were fallen angels. The belief in these demons was especially prevalent in the Middle Ages, and stories of assaults by incubi were not uncommon. There are similar spirits in many cultures. In current usage, incubus means a person or thing that oppresses, such as a nightmare.

Encyclopedia.com :)

Iv'e only just started a band and wondered if the money gained from gigs etc.. if you are doing at least half good would support you for recording, promotion, touring etc.. or would you need another job (I rele dont wanna stack shelves in a supermarket)

[QUOTE=Divine Drummer]Iv'e only just started a band and wondered if the money gained from gigs etc.. if you are doing at least half good would support you for recording, promotion, touring etc.. or would you need another job (I rele dont wanna stack shelves in a supermarket)[/QUOTE]

You will naturally need some personal investment, but you can support yourself from gig money, stick it somewhere safe and save it. If you play 3-4 gigs a month and get paid even a fairly small amount like 20 pounds per gig, it's still 80 pounds a month. Plus any money you make from selling cd's and other merchandise.
And by the time you get to touring, you'll be playing much better paying venues with larger crowds. So you could help support a tour from there (albeit a small one, in a transit van sleeping in the van) I'm not talking about a tour bus with hotel stops for 2 months, and I'd expect to have to rent the transit van because gig money or not, 4000 for a second hand transit van is a hefty price.

Another job always helps for paying for stuff and extra support but if you're serious about the band and plan financially you should be able to manage it, although you don't want to get a job, I might reccomend it, or at least make sure some people in the band are working at least, you don't want to run out of funds and have recording costs to pay or printing costs.

If you want to drive costs down further, DIY stuff, we just DIY'd the production for our debut E.P. 'Put Pen To Paper And Hope It Holds"
Instead of it costing us 120 pounds for 50 cd's in sleeves with full colour on the cd and a 2 page full clour booklet. It's cost us about 30 pounds for 50 cd's in jewel case with colour insert and back and printed cd.
I'll admit it doesn't look as clean and polished as if we'd spent 4 times as much, but it's presentable, and that's all it needs to be.

Don't bother going to printers for gig flyers, get an ink cartidge and make your own black and white ones.
The same for t-shirts, buy wholesale shirts (heavy ones to prevent warping in the wash) get printer shirt transfers, and if done correctly, they'll last around about a year before starting to peel.
Or you could screenprint with a printing board and squigie for cheaper simpler designs.

For the things you can't make yourself, make sure to shop around, you may as well spent a few hours sitting on google and with the phonebook on your lap seeing who can get it done the cheapest.

Hope that helped a bit :)

Koolios thanks for that, also i was just wondering can you park up anywhere and sleep in the van (in UK).

[QUOTE]Koolios thanks for that, also i was just wondering can you park up anywhere and sleep in the van (in UK).[/QUOTE]

Do you have a drivers licence..you should probably know if you do..

You can park pretty much anywhere, aslong as its not on double yellow's or anything - deffinatley not on a hard shoulder. Just try not to pick anywhere too out of the way or dodgy..some weird people around these days...

Oh little tip for you all - Free copyrighting
When you've recorded your stuff, doesn't even need to be good quality, just recognizable as your song
Stick the cd or whatever in an envelope/parcel whatever and mail it to yourself - DO NOT open in when it arrives stick it somewhere as evidence (in court if it needs to go that far) that they are your songs, not some thieving faggots its is FULL evidence

i just have a quick question relating to the last post you made. i know if you record your own cd's you get all the profit, but what if you get a record deal, do they pay you up front or do you get a percentage or what? thanks

[QUOTE=devildriver421]i just have a quick question relating to the last post you made. i know if you record your own cd's you get all the profit, but what if you get a record deal, do they pay you up front or do you get a percentage or what? thanks[/QUOTE]

They'll give you an advance payment at the start, a big cash amount for recording, touring costs e.t.c.
Then per album sold you'll get a small percentage, such as 5% of the album cost once a few things are deducted. This is known as royalties.

alright thanks ive been wondering that for a while

next issue of what?

[QUOTE=Divine Drummer]Koolios thanks for that, also i was just wondering can you park up anywhere and sleep in the van (in UK).[/QUOTE]
there are some places you can, but many car parks forbid it. remember you need access to water at some point: to fill up your bottles.

here's a hint: it usuall costs only a few pounds to go swimming and get a shower. If you ask nicely, some pools will let you have a shower for free, if its quiet.

quick question:
who has rights to band names if u split up? i've heard very mixed things about it
not that i really need to know, i'm just curious