Will Your Band Ever Be As Big As The Beatles?

By Features Desk

Thursday, April 20, 2017.

That’s an interesting question, but it all depends on how you interpret it. Arguably, many artists have been as popular as The Beatles; even One Direction have achieved a wild, screaming and near-insane fanbase in much the same vein as Paul, John, George and Ringo achieved back in the day. Arguably, other artists have been reputed more highly by certain critics than The Beatles were. A better question, perhaps, is whether your band will ever achieve the same crossover of mass success, timeless appeal and rave reviews from the hardest-to-please critics as The Beatles seemed to achieve.

Picture Source

It’s hard to say whether any band will ever achieve that again, as the world of music has changed and people have a tendency to view the past through rose-tinted glasses; it’s hard for anything new in the realm of music to compare to the old classics when everything’s been done before. Still, that’s not to say that your band can’t prove the stereotype wrong. Plenty of bands are still making waves in alternative and indie scenes in the modern age, and there are certain routes to take which work more effectively than others. Here are a few tips which might just help your band get ahead.

Record your music.

I’m not saying the covers aren’t great because they most likely are, but there’s only so far you can get by covering other people’s music. There are exceptions, such as Marilyn Manson, but the majority of artists become big off the back of their own work. People might appreciate your talent and have fun watching you perform live, but if you dream of being more than a tribute band, then you’re going to need to be brave and write your own music.

Perhaps you already have tinkered with your own riffs or lyrics, but people need to hear these ideas in a physical form; you need to put together some recordings. If you don’t have the money for studio time, you’re lucky that it’s the modern age and bands can make music in their bedrooms or garages. Where do you think the Beatles started out? Well, things are much easier for you in the twenty-first century, as Garageband and other great free software can turn you into a music producer who uses nothing more than their iPhone.

Picture Source

Practice.

This is the most obvious piece of advice, but it’s one that shouldn’t be forgotten. You still need to hone your art even if you already know how to play piano, guitar or that little known instrument known as the voice. Simply knowing how to play an instrument doesn’t mean you’re at a professional level or even that you’re playing it in an exciting way; you need to find your own style, and that can only come with practice and experimentation.

You could check out these tips from Bold Music if you think you’re a little rough when it comes to fancier techniques such as licks or riffs. You need to be pushing yourself out of your comfort zone and letting yourself make mistakes. And it’s okay to hit the occasional bum note in live performances. People feed off raw energy more than stale, boring “safe” performances.

Get a good drummer.

This may seem like a weird closing point, but you should make sure your drummer is the foundation of the band. The beat is everything in a piece of music, and a drummer who plays too quickly or too slowly is going to throw every other member of the band off. You also don’t want to end up with a drummer who is obsessed with fills, as their role is to keep the song structured and precise rather than chaotic and messy.