5 Ways to Keep Your Band Motivated

Details: musicians blog; Updated: 24th October 2022

Are you struggling to get your new band off the ground? Having a hard time keeping your rehearsals fresh and exciting? Is the flow of ideas drying up?

We’ve got the solution for all of these problems and more, and it all comes down to a single word: motivation!

Keeping your bandmates motivated is the key to running a productive and successful group. When you feel like your heart’s not in it or it’s too much trouble, that affects your other bandmates, bringing everything grinding to a halt - but when you’re all motivated to push your band forward, that’s when you can help each other to achieve great things.

Here are 5 ways you can keep your band members’ spirits up:

1. Keep your eyes on the prize

Above anything else, you need to work out what sort of band you are and what you want to do with your band. Have a specific goal in mind, and ensure you’re all working towards it.

Here are two questions for you to think about when deciding which road to take your band down:

Do you want to be an originals band?

It would be best if you focused on writing songs and building a fan base. Songwriting is a craft that can take a lifetime to master, and you’ll leave many ideas on the cutting room floor, but it’ll all be worth it when you’ve written a stone-cold classic and wonder what you were thinking with the songs you cast aside!

Building a fanbase is a gradual process, but again, something that you have to keep working towards together. You will need to write and record your music, maintain an active social media presence, book your own gigs and promote yourselves regularly - it sounds like a lot. Still, it’s what all originals bands must do, and you can always share the load with your bandmates.

It can be more difficult to get gigs as an originals band, especially in the early days before people become familiar with your material, but you can aim for support slots and slots at local festivals. Make sure you have plenty of quality photos, videos and recordings of your band so you can showcase your talents to the event organisers, and don’t let a few rejections here and there get you down.

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Do you want to be a covers band?

There’s no shame in giving people what they want. If you want to play Mr Brightside and Sex On Fire every weekend, you’re guaranteed to make pub-full after pub-full of punters extremely happy - plus, you’re more likely to be paid for your trouble!

Like with an originals band, you will still need to have a decent EPK (electronic press kit - photos, videos, a bio of your band, etc.) so the owners of the pub or the couple planning their wedding can get a good idea of what your performance will be like on the night.

Playing covers of other artists’ music is still a creative pursuit - you need to choose songs that suit the style you play in, whether they’re songs that are originally played in that style or they’re songs which you can adapt to fit your style. You also need to keep your set list up to date and engaging - even if you’re not focussing on songwriting, as musicians, you still need to stimulate your creative minds.

TIPThe trick to finding success as a covers band is having something unique about you - by finding out what makes you stand out from all the other bands that play is crucial. Finding the right balance between meeting people’s expectations and subverting them with a few surprises will turn casual viewers into returning fans!

Either path can be as rewarding as it is difficult, but it’ll be a lot less of the former and a lot more of the latter if you’re not all singing from the same hymn sheet. Suppose you all agree you’re less motivated by getting regular gigs and making money but are more motivated by creative pursuits and artistic integrity. In that case, you need to agree to put more effort into the songwriting side. If you want to play at least once a week and start earning money from your band straight away, the best way to get on the pub circuit is to play covers.

Some bands want the best of both worlds and play in a covers band as their ‘day job’ while treating their separate originals band as a passion project. It could be the best route for your band - but make sure you’re all happy to put in the time and effort needed to play in two bands because it takes a lot!

Once you’ve agreed on what sort of band you want to be, it’s time to decide what you want to do - and when you want to have done it.

Setting deadlines and goals is essential because otherwise, you might find yourselves a whole year into your band’s career and still not have agreed on which songs you want to play!

2. Good vibrations

A positive atmosphere is essential for keeping yourself motivated, so do what you can to keep the mood light.

We’re all guilty of feeling frustrated with ourselves when we make a mistake and with each other when we think we’ve done our part, but the results still aren’t up to scratch. How we choose to react to these frustrations, however, is what separates bands like Muse, who had kept the same friendly lineup since 1994, from bands like Oasis, who, despite forming only three years earlier, had 11 different members before the constant in-fighting eventually caused them to implode.

Like any group of friends or colleagues, bands need to follow a few basic rules to function.

Be respectful to each member of the group
Be sure that every member of the group feels valued
Be open and communicate effectively and regularly with each member
Be sensitive to any mood or behaviour changes

Bands also have to overcome obstacles specific to the music world, but these same rules still apply. If something goes wrong at a gig, or someone’s having difficulty getting their part right during a rehearsal or recording session, then the last thing you want to do is start playing the blame game.

On the other hand, if you’re dealing with a disagreeable sound technician or the venue promoter is trying to blame you for not drawing in a big enough crowd, you’ll have something other than each other to point your finger at. Do your best to handle the situation civilly, but take the time to talk through what happened between yourselves afterwards to see whether you could have done anything differently or whether you were all just unlucky enough to have to put up with a real piece of work!

Remember: you’re building something together, so build each other up too. A challenge you face as a band is also an opportunity to overcome, so take the high road and show each other that you can deal with whatever is thrown your way.

3. Put another dime in the jukebox, baby

Listening to music can get your creative juices flowing, but listening to music together can give you all a creative boost.

For the average listener, a great song can make them feel good, dance to the beat, and sing along to the melodies.

For musicians, on the other hand, a different set of gears start turning when we hear a great song, and it has us reaching for the nearest guitar or pair of drumsticks.

Now imagine that this happens to you when you’re listening to a great song with your bandmate - the next thing you know, you’ll be jamming together, figuring out what makes this song so great.

It could lead to all kinds of exciting discussions and exchanges of ideas - should you cover this song in your band, or could you adapt it and play it in another style?

You might even take things a step further - would you have done anything differently if you’d written it? Could you use the rhythm or chord progression to write your own original song?

The best thing about finding inspiration together is that you’ll each find something inspiring of your own to take away from it. If you find the same parts inspiring, that means you’re on the same page, and if you find different parts inspiring, that means you’ll have even more ideas to play around with - ones you may never have had by yourself!

Take me out

Is there a band playing locally this weekend? Turn it into a band outing!

Watching other bands play is a great way to bond with your fellow band members by sharing a fun experience - plus, it’s a great way to see what other bands are doing well.

Most music lovers would agree that there are few more exciting experiences than watching live music, so share that excitement with the people you make music with yourself. It’ll help you to visualise yourselves on that stage, with your music giving onlookers the same buzz that the band you’re watching is providing you.

Seeing an example of what you want to do before your very eyes is a great way to make it feel more achievable, especially when you’re with the people you’re trying to achieve it with. It’s an excellent opportunity to scope out what songs go down well with a crowd and what equipment other active bands are using (it’s always worth taking a peek at the guitarist’s pedalboard!).

If you have any criticisms of the band you’re watching that you want to discuss with your bandmates, keep them to yourselves until you’re out of earshot. You never know - you might end up sharing a bill with the band you’re watching one day, so don’t burn your bridges too early!

4. He could play the guitar just like a-ringin’ a bell

Whenever someone does a good job, tell them!

Compliments and praise will work wonders for your bandmates’ motivation, especially if you know they’ve been putting a lot of time and effort into perfecting a complicated part.

If, for example, a song requires your singer to reach beyond their usual register - whether it’s much higher or much lower than they’re used to - it might take a few attempts to get it sounding right. It can knock a singer’s confidence, as they don’t have an instrument to blame - so make a point of celebrating every time they get the part right or even get close. After all, you want to be part of a song that sounds great just as much as every other member of your band!

By way of a full band example, you might have a song with a complex structure or unusual time signature that you’ve been struggling to get right. Even if you believe you know how to play it correctly yourself, break the song down and encourage everyone to get through it one bit at a time.

Getting all your bandmates through half a complicated song is far more rewarding and a much more significant achievement for the band than just knowing it yourself. Always be generous with your time, as well as with your praise!

It’s also important to show an interest in each other’s equipment. If your bassist is struggling with a faulty connection, offer them some support and advice - one of you might own a soldering iron and be able to help them out, or, better still, show them how to fix that connection for themselves in the future.

Equally, make sure you make a fuss whenever a member gets a new instrument or effects pedal. We all love getting our hands on some new toys, but it’s always better when everyone else is just as excited as you are - and anyway, any kind of gear upgrade is bound to make your band sound even better!

And finally:

5. Fun, fun, fun!

Even the most serious musicians know the value of keeping their bands fun. After all, it’s called ‘playing’ music!

As well as treating your bandmates with respect, you should treat them as you would your other mates. Show an interest in each other’s lives outside the band, meet up on days other than practice night, and forge meaningful connections with each other. These connections will soon start to show in how you play music together, and audiences always enjoy watching a band that is just having a blast together.