1) Learn an instrument. Some common instruments in ska-punk are electric/acoustic guitars, electric bass, double bass, drums, piano, trumpet, trombone and sax.
2) Next you need people who play instruments and/or can sing. At the very least, you will need someone to play electric/acoustic guitar, bass, drums, and a brass/woodwind instrument such as trumpet, trombone or sax. Some popular variations are the use of an upright bass as opposed to the usual bass guitar, or the inclusion of keyboards, which are vital if you want more of a traditional two-tone or classic Jamaican Ska sound.
3) Get together and write some songs. Some people prefer to write a complete set of lyrics before building a song around them, while some write the music first. Meet with your bandmates often and find out what works for you.
4) Practice! Often. Ideally, find a place where you won't bother anybody with noise and where you won't be interrupted.
5) Record everything so that you can listen to it and make changes. Sometimes listening to yourself on tape can help you to pick out things in your performance of a song that you might not otherwise have noticed.
6) Get booked. Once you have a solid set of songs, go out and play as many shows as you can. You want to get people in your local area excited about your band, and want to see more.
7) Do what you want with your recordings. You may want to record a short album or demo album, which you can send to labels or sell at concerts!
And speaking of albums, when riding in the back of my limo to the airport, if you want me to take you through a drive through, please turn down the CD player in the back so the clerk can hear your order. You're wasting their time, you're wasting my time, and you're wasting your own time, otherwise. That's just common courtesy. I can't believe I have to say it in this day and age. Be safe, kids.
