To play a show in the park…or at a festival, a band normally needs to play about 1 hour. To play in a night club or other similar venue, a band needs 4-5 hours of material minimum. Most bands play 45 minute sets with 15-20 minute breaks in between. Songs vary in length but a good rule of thumb is about 10 songs per 45-minute set. So in order to get a gig in the local pub which hires bands to play from 9:30pm until 2am, you’re going to need about 50 songs.

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Okay, now you have a band and hopefully you have a room to rehearse in. Try to be aware of other people when you rehearse. The guy next door is unlikely to drop $10 on your first CD if you’ve been keeping him awake until 3am for the past six months!

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At this point, you need to decide what type of music you want to play. Many groups do a variety of music including country, rock and bluegrass all in the same show. This works fine in some cases but generally you’ll want to choose one style and stick to it.

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Before you call up the fine folks at Madison Square Garden and try to book a gig there are a few things you should consider. Playing in a ‘working’ band is not all fun and games. While it’s true that this is the most satisfying job that I’ve ever had it is also lots of hard work. Depending on the type ofmusic you’re playing, you’ll need to schedule rehearsal times for the band. You’ll need to find a place to rehearse. It varies with

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