Q: Dear Q & A, I haven't been playing long and would like to try to get a 'starter band' together. What should I do and should I try yet? Marcie, S. Cal.A: Hi Marcie,
BY ALL MEANS try to get a band together! It can't do anything but give you valuable experience in many areas besides actually playing music. I don't know if you live in a big city , if you're in school, how old you are, or any other of your life circumstances, so here's a general way to start: Go to any local music and record stores that are in your town or city and look for bulletin boards for musicians. Put a message up that says something like "Novice drummer looking for like musicians to play (name a style here) music, call Marcie at ...-....". You might find other messages there which would prompt you to call them, too.
You can also check the Classified Ads sections of various newspapers or local music magazines under "Music, or Musicians" and if you know of any local weekly newspapers in your area, be sure to check those. You can also place your own ad in papers and magazines. If you are in Southern California, check out BAM (Bay Area Musician) Magazine. It's usually found in music stores and record stores like Tower Music . A "music store" by the way, sells musical instruments and accessories, and a "record store" sells CDs, tapes, and vinyl. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area and have found the local weeklies to be the best source for connecting with other musicians, the top three being The East Bay Express, The Bay Guardian and The San Francisco Weekly.
If you are in or near L.A., you should have little trouble finding similar publications. If not, your search will have to be a little deeper. Ask your local librarian for help with finding appropriate publications-- there are also books on starting bands and playing every instrument -- and with going about finding other musicians.
If you can get into clubs and coffeehouses with live music, go up to the drummer or whoever on their break and ask if they know any budding maestros who'd like to start a band. In fact, let all your friends and relatives know you are looking for people to play with-- put the word OUT! And if you have access to a computer, check out some of the music newsgroups and bulletin boards on the Internet. You should have success with just a little diligence! Good luck and write again if you have other questions.
-Chris-
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Q : I have been looking for music to classic rock songs. Do you know if there is such a thing and where can I find them?
A: Yes, there is such a thing! Get out your Yellow Pages and go to Music. You will find several subheadings: Sheet Music, and Musical Instruments-Retail are two that should yield results, but look through the entire Music section to see what is offered. Most music stores have sheet music by the song or in books of collections of songs. Collections are organized by artist (Best of the Beatles, for example ), era (Top Songs of the 70's), style (Rock of The Late 50's), and other criteria. You can check your local library's Arts & Music Room too, both for resources and for actual sheet music.
There are Mail Order houses that offer sheet and book music : one is : Music Dispatch, PO Box 13920, Milwaukee, WI 53213. It has transcribed scores for groups such as The Beatles, Blood Sweat & Tears, Steely Dan, INXS, Iron Maiden, and others; and also offers a History of Rock 7-part series of books of 30+ songs each by era from the early 50's through the late 70's. They have a wide selection of instrumental instruction books and videos too. You didn't say whether you are looking for drum parts in particular or for the written music of songs.
Most sheet music doesn't have a drum part. If you need drum parts, try Drum Charts International, PO Box 247-MD, Nanuet, NY 10954-0247. They advertise hundreds of charts available for rock, metal and fusion. A good resource for any drumming need is the Classifieds section of Modern Drummer Magazine. James Morton of P.O. Box 663, Lakeside, Ca. 92040 advertises Classic Rock Drum Charts from the 50's to the 90's and a free chart and catalog just for writing. Tell him you heard it in FDN and MD! -- Chris --
All questions considered and answered! DO WRITE IN!
