Learning how to play an instrument, whether it is guitar (lead or rhythm), bass, drums or keyboard etc is a massive achievement, but learning to play is just the first step as when we learn to play an instrument we learn it for a reason and most of the time this reason is to form or join a band, this is because, like all art forms, music is all about giving.

Playing in a band gives you the opportunity to express yourself in a musical form, if you really enjoy the music that you play then you will find it very easy to get into the feel of the songs, which will ultimately affect the way in which you present yourself when you are performing. It is basically a skill to be able to play in a band with other people and I think it’s safe to say that some people are great at doing this where as others like to have complete creative control over their musical output. In a band the music that you are producing is a collective effort and no approach can be classed as being right or wrong, you just need to be considerate when it comes to the other members.

A prime example of the above can be seen within the time you spend practising as a band, you need to learn, listen and question as well as experiment as a band to get the sound that you truly desire so you need to ensure that your practice time is focused; it isn’t the time to show off, you need to write and practice your own songs as this will not only make you more productive but it will mean the process of practising is also more enjoyable. Before you can even decide to form a band however, yet alone practice you need to actually learn how to play your instrument.

Depending on the instrument that you are practising there are a number of ways that you could go about doing this. One of the most effective ways that I feel you can learn the guitar for example is by practising step by step with video instruction. Think about it this way, when you are simply reading tabs or instructions you have no visual aid so if something sounds a bit complex you have nothing else to help you, meaning there is a possibility you could get it wrong. With video instruction however you don’t get this concern. You are talked through exactly what to do, what fret you need, what notes you need and which strings you have to strum as well as how long you need to strum the strings for, but that’s not all. On top of this you are able to see exactly how you should be doing all of these things, so if there’s something that you don’t understand you will be able to see how they play the notes and the song as the whole.

To aid you in the above the songs that you learn through video tuition are often split into various sections such as the introduction, first verse, and chorus and then second/third etc verses. By learning in this manner you are able to easily pick up key changes etc and note exactly where the song’s rhythm or pace alters.

If you’ve ever wanted to play in a band the right tuition is a vital factor to your success so invest your time and effort into it wisely.