The Garage Band Handbook - Chapter One: Equipment, Part One

Like everything else these days the competition to own the best is also intense. There seems to be two different kinds of personalities in garage bands. The first kind is the talent. He or she is the kid that plays whatever is available and doesn’t give too much thought to the technical side of things. These kids become the standout musicians, the soloists, the lead singers, the song writers. The song is what is important to them. They’ll play the cheapest old guitar and play all day under a tree in the park, they don’t care. The other garage band personality is the techno freak. These types won’t even listen to a demo tape if there’s too much hiss on the leader. They somehow manage to get the best equipment and use their equipment, rather than their talent, to get into bands that otherwise wouldn’t be interested in them.  Of course, the bands are using them for their equipment and eventually as the band progresses, the music becomes more important and the equipment takes care of itself so these types end up without a band. Many times this is where recording engineers come from (no offense intended).

    Most parents of teenagers are very supportive of their children’s musical endeavors. Even if they find the music itself irritating, the activity is wholesome, safe, creative, helps to develop hand and eye coordination and cognitive thinking. Although musical instruments have become very expensive, they are still a reasonable investment providing they are enthusiastically used. Many parents may not want to make the investment as they see their child as only wanting it on a whim. Tennis gear one week, skateboards the next week, video games the next week, electric guitar the next week... The instrument seem one more in a string of seldom used and then discarded items. However, piano lessons followed by guitar lessons or bass lessons does not indicate a lack of commitment but rather a searching process to find the instrument that best complements one’s natural musical personality. Borrowing or renting instruments is a good way to get through this selection process. Most kids want to own an instrument right away but it is far better to learn on a cheap or borrowed instrument and then after all uncertainty is erased,  buy a real good one.

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