When do I join a band?

That’s really something you need to think about right from the start. Even if you want to be a solo guitarist, you want to put the idea of performance into your brain right from the get-go. It’s a whole different world playing while other people are listening. You have to have your guitar in tune and your amplifier and other equipment in working order. The fact that another human being has their attention directed towards you changes how you do things! Everybody has some experience with some kind of stagefright. We all mess up simple, familiar jobs or routines if we’re under scrutiny.
The sooner you get out there in some small way, the sooner you add this all-important element to your daily practice. You need to know what YOU need to be a guitarist outside of that cosy universe which is your bedroom.
If you feel that you just can’t wait to get out there and play for an audience, okay, but you’re still gonna feel some nervousness when you get onstage. For many performers it never goes away, but you need this experience for your growth as a musician. Practicing according to your body’s ability and learning about the special kind of memory your muscles have will help you prepare for the realities of playing the guitar in public.
So take whatever opportunities present themselves, and don’t worry too much about whether you’re “ready”.
If you’re nervous your audience will know it, and more often than not, they’ll be prepared to cut you some slack. Now’s the time to mention that you should prepare simple stuff for your first outings on stage. Be more inclined to UNDERestimate your abilities at first until you find your own real-life experience of performing in public. So maybe this is the most important idea in this post - get rid of the idea that you’re gonna impress the hell out of everybody right off the bat. It won’t happen and it doesn’t need to happen. This is about finding who you are, not reinforcing the legend in your own mind.

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