Losing band members isn’t fun, and it isn’t easy, especially when the members who are leaving are original members of the band. Many questions have to be addressed: Should you keep the same band name? Should you try to replace the departing member by recruiting and training another musician? Or should you just forge ahead without them and turn the band into an entirely new entity with new songs?

Photo by Flickr User bfick

While it might sound tedious to have to take the time to train a new member, sometimes this sort of change can be positive, leading to new arrangements of old songs and bringing fresh energy to the writing process. Other times, this sort of change leads to the end of the band entirely, especially when auditions don’t go so well and the weeks stretch into months and nobody seems willing to step up to the plate. A floundering band quickly loses momentum and ends up like so many other broken musical dreams, smashed to pieces upon the cruel rocks of apathetic procrastination.

But luckily, there are a few ways to avoid these types of laissez-faire burnouts and keep those rock-band dreams a-rolling.

Start Writing New Material with the New Member

The best way to inculcate a new member into the already existent dynamics of  your band is to simply start jamming new material right off the bat. Don’t focus too much on teaching them the old songs right away because that sort of approach is frustrating to everyone involved. Give the new member a chance to feel their way around the old songs and figure things out for themselves. You will never be able to recapture the same feel that you had with the outgoing member, so why try to force it? Nobody (except session musicians) want to be told exactly what to play, so accept the fact that the new member is bound to put their own unique twist on the old songs and let them play around for awhile. Songs should be allowed to evolve and change as the band grows and mutates, taking on new perspectives and different layers of musical interest. Don’t worry if the songs don’t end up sounding the same in person as they did on the recording; it only adds to the live experience. Hopefully, as you jam on new material, the new member will feel more comfortable and take the initiative to tackle the old material on their own, potentially coming up with something unexpected and amazing.

Switch Instruments and Change Things Up

It’s a known fact that it’s often easier to find a new guitarist than it is to find a new drummer. No offense to guitarists, but everyone and their dad plays guitar — it’s an unabashedly popular instrument. So what do you do if you lose a drummer or a bass player? Another way to reinvigorate band dynamics is to try switching instruments. If your guitarist is also a budding drummer, then maybe think about giving him a chance to hone his craft by taking over the throne. Even if he’s not as good as the departing member, at least he’s already familiar with the songs and has a rough idea of what to play. Or maybe have your guitarist switch to bass in order to free up that easier-to-fill guitar spot. Another option is to bring in a keyboard player instead of a bass player, using the synth to fill out the low end in a different way, thereby lending a new feel to the old songs. Or maybe use a drum machine if you’re really desperate; midi players can do everything these days. There are plenty of options if you’re creative and open to new ideas and approaches — don’t let the dream fizzle just because you’re too stubborn to branch out.

Establish a Timeline and Become a Cover Band

Unfortunately, there’s always the outside chance that you won’t find a suitable replacement — or any replacement for that matter — but don’t let that fact drive the band off a cliff. Give yourself a realistic timeline from the very beginning, something like: “If we don’t find a new bass player in 6 months, then we become a double-guitar, ZZ Top cover band and we grow long beards and get lotsa ladies.” Joking aside (unless that actually sounded rad to you), playing covers is a great way to keep your musical endeavors afloat while you search for that elusive new member. By inviting your friends to join your Jimmy Eat World cover band instead of your faltering punk-nu-metal band, you just might get more people out to play with you. And plus, after bonding over this common musical interest, the potential new member might be more amenable to playing along with blast beats and off-tempo chugs. Try playing a couple live shows under this cover-band moniker and feel how awesome it feels when a crowd starts singing along with you, then bring that energy to your next jam session and make a fresh start.

Ultimately, the future of your band comes down to your willingness to make the best of this change. It’s not the end of the world, but it certainly changes the look of it. So, with that in mind, remember to ruthlessly harangue the departing band members until they feel really bad about choosing to move on with their lives, whatever the reason — it’s their fault that your band is about to go through a whole boatload of existential turmoil.