The Girls' Guide to Rocking: How to Start a Band, Book Gigs, and Get Rolling to Rock Stardom

From greats like Patti Smith and Cyndi Lauper to TV's Miley Cyrus (Hannah Montana) and Demi Lovato, girls want to rock. They want to start bands, write songs, get up on stage, and kick out the jams. Here's the book to teach them how.

Written by an obsessive music lover who's spent her life playing, performing, publicizing, and writing about rock 'n' roll, The Girls' Guide To Rocking is a hip, inspirational guide for rad girls who want to make their rock dreams come true.

It's everything a rocking girl needs to know:

• How to find your instrument-and if your hands are too small for the bass, try the guitar.
• How to get your band together: ask everyone you know, put up flyers, check the local music schools.
• Temperamental old-school tube amps vs. uncool but supersmart digital amps.
• Giving your band the right name, plus a cautionary glossary of overused words (Wolf, Star, Crystal, Earth, etc.).
• The freedom of going solo, and how to handle performing alone in the spotlight.
• Songwriting tips, with eight prompts to get the lyrics flowing.
• The ins and outs of recording, whether at home or in a studio.
• Taking care of business: publicizing your band, making money on T-shirts, legalese and the creative personality, your MySpace page, and the four signs that say time to hire a manager-in other words, you've arrived.

Includes a girls-in-rock timeline, essential listening lists, and quotes from the greats: Nina Simone, Chrissie Hynde, Debbie Harry, Carrie Brownstein, Kim Deal, Kate Bush, Kim Gordon, and more. Now get out there and rule the world.

From greats like Patti Smith and Joan Jett to legends-in-the-making like Taylor Swift and Demi Lovato, girls want to rock. They want to start bands, write songs, get up on stage, and kick out the jams. Here's the book to teach them how. Written by an obsessive music lover who's spent her life playing, performing, publicizing, and writing about rock 'n' roll, The Girls' Guide To Rocking is a hip, inspirational guide for rad girls who want to make their rock dreams come true.

It's everything a rocking girl needs to know: how to choose the right instrument for you, where to shop for instruments and where to avoid. How to get your band together and keep it together--tips on playing in a band with your friends and staying friends. How to turn your bedroom into a soundproof practice space. Giving your band the right name, plus a cautionary glossary of overused words (Wolf, Star, Crystal, Earth, etc.). How to set-up and promote your own shows. The freedom of going solo, and how to handle performing alone in the spotlight. Songwriting tips, with eight prompts to get the lyrics flowing. The ins and outs of recording, whether at home or in a studio. Taking care of business: publicizing your band, making T-shirts, legalese and the creative personality, and the four signs that say "time to hire a manager"--in other words, you've arrived.

Includes a girls-in-rock timeline, essential listening lists, and quotes from the greats: Nina Simone, Hayley Williams, Gwen Stefani, Carrie Brownstein, Amy Lee, Kim Gordon, and more. Now get out there and rule the world.

Jessica Hopper is a music and culture critic whose work regularly appears in Chicago Reader, LA Weekly, SPIN, ANP and Chicago Tribune and has also been included in DaCapo's Best of Music Writing 2004, 2005 and 2007. She is also the music consultant for the public radio show, This American Life. Her widely-anthologized essay, "Emo: Where the Girls Aren't" was described as "influential" by The New York Times.

Holding fast to the music-is-my-life credo, Hopper has also done time as a tour manager, band publicist, DJ, touring bassist, Girls Rock Camp booster, and fanzine publisher. She lives in Chicago.

Introduction

Chapter 1: Let's Get Ready to Rock

Take It From the Top

Play What Your Mama Gave Ya

FIY (Find it Yourself):   

• Guitars
• Drums
• Amps

Picking the Right Instrument

Proper Care and Feeding

Guitars--All Kinds!

Pedals

Keys Open Doors

• Keyboards in a Nutshell

Your Voice

Hot for Teacher

Finding a Teacher

Chapter 2: Making the Band

Band Together

Start Where You Are

Best Friends, Best Bandmates

Wild Combination:

• Finding Your Match

Style Wars

Let's Stay Together:

• Keeping the Peace in Your Band

Endless, Nameless:

• Finding a Name

Solitary Girl:

• Being a Solo Artist

Express Yourself:

• Lyrics and Songwriting

Writing it Down

The Rules of No Rules

Practice, Practice, Practice

How to Practice

Feeling Discouraged

Chapter 3: Recording

Is This Thing On?

Do It Clean

Ballad of Big Something:

• Setting Goals

It's Gonna Take Time, A Whole Lot of Precious Time

How Do You Know You Are Ready to Record?

All I Need is One Mic

Recording Your Drum Sound

Preproduction for Recording

What is a Producer, and Do You Need One?

In the Basement:

• Home Recording for the Solo Arteest

GarageBand

Gang of Four:

• Tascam Four-Track

Chapter 4: All The Way Live

Ready, Steady, Go

Some Notes on Stage Fright and Bad Shows

I Was Meant for the Stage

One is the Loneliest Number:

• Performing Solo

The System and the Packer Who Abides by It

Putting On Your Own Shows

Going Book Wild

Promotion

Chapter 5: Turn It Up

Mind Your Own (Band) Business

Duty Now for the Future

Legalese

Accessorizing Your Band

Touring

Appendix A: Essentials of Rock

For Your Listening Pleasure

Movies and Films

Appendix B: In the Garage

Getting Started in GarageBand

My Rock Profile