After spending a certain amount of time either learning to play an instrument, or being a member of an existing band, many musicians decide the time has come for them to start their own project. But while it's always exciting to create a new musical venture, finding new members can be a challenge unless that person plans on filling out the new band entirely from his or her circle of friends.

Yes, you may be on speaking terms with that bass player who lives under a bridge and exposes himself to passers-by, but he's probably not the best choice even if he can rock a mean groove. So, most people forming their own band from scratch are probably going to have to get creative to find members...but these six strategies might work.

6. Network Within Your Music Scene This is an option for any musician who has already been kicking around his or her local scene for a few years. If you were the guitar player for beloved local band Death Hippie, for example, then you've probably made lots of friends and acquaintances within this community. Unless, of course, you're a total asshole who has alienated everyone in your scene.

If that's the case, perhaps moving away and starting over in Germany is your best bet. But if not, networking locally may help find you some new bandmates. Chances are other musicians may have recently left their own bands and are looking for a new gig. A little networking could quickly put you in touch with the people you need to get your new band going. Nowadays, the Internet and social media offer plenty of forums for this as well.

5. Put an Ad In the Local Papers This was traditionally one of the most common strategies for people looking for band members, and is appealing because it's simple. Rather than scrabbling around the local scene trying to meet the right musicians, a person simply pays a few bucks and places an ad in the local music paper and waits.

The downside is that they never know who might respond to an ad, and might miss out on some good players simply because they never saw someone was looking for that "rock guitarist willing to wear clown makeup who sounds like a cross between George Lynch and Jerry Garcia." If anyone does answer the ad, then he or she will be a complete stranger, and there's almost as much chance of a serial killer showing up as the perfect match for your new project.

4. Hang Out in Music Stores Makes sense, right? Go where other musicians shop, and you might actually hear a person actually play before approaching them blindly. Nothing is worse than having someone respond to an ad and turn out to be a weirdo who's been casing the joint, or some well-meaning time-waster who can barely play.

Still, I've known several bands that have found a member by hanging out at a guitar shop and listening to people come in and play. Anyone who has sat around a Guitar Center on a Saturday knows this experience might not be fun, as most people who seem inclined to test-drive gear tend to do so loudly and often badly; but every once in a while someone really talented will show up.

This method also gives a person the chance to see what people look like. Image could be important to a new musical project, and some dude who is 20 years older than everyone else or who looks like Frankenstein's Monster in drag might not work for yours. (Or maybe that's the perfect image. Who am I to judge?) Even if finding the perfect new bandmate jamming at the music store results in failure, just being there gives you a chance to check out the bulletin board. Speaking of...

3. Put an Ad Up On Bulletin Boards I've never been to a music shop that didn't have some sort of bulletin board for people to put up notices looking for others to play with. I've joined a couple of bands by responding to ads on a music store bulletin board, and this might just be the ticket to finding the right bass player for a new Gothic Space Jazz Metal band. The downside is the same as placing an ad in a music paper: fielding calls from people who will be bad matches for the band, or who might be murderous psychos looking for the perfect head to complete a human jigsaw puzzle.

The bulletin board also brings a certain a supply-and-demand issue into sharp focus. Most music scenes have a LOT of guitar players and singers, fewer bass players and fewer still drummers. I don't know why this seems to be the case, except that more people grow up with dreams of being a lead singer or guitar player, but whatever the reason, the bulletin board will make this imbalance clear.

Typically there are 100 "Guitar player and singer seeking bassist and drummer" flyers for every "drummer and bassist looking for a metal (or whatever) band" ad. Anytime there IS a flyer for a drummer looking for a new band, it's likely that all the little tabs with the person's phone number on it are already ripped off. Contrast that to those flyers for people looking for a drummer; most of those look unmolested and lonely.

It's still worth a shot, but a guitarist or singer looking for a drummer or bassist to hook up with might be waiting for a long time for that call to come in. On the other hand, if a person plays drums or bass, he or she is probably in good shape. Sure, he or she may live in a beat-up minivan down by the park and have to eat at the Dumpster buffet to get by, but these people will be in high demand when it comes to joining local bands. Chances are they're in ten bands already.

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