OT: Rehearsal--Goals?

[ProfD]

I rehearse a band to work out arrangements and dynamics on new tunes added to the repertoire. It helps for everyone to know the form and accents.

 

It also provides a chance for musicians to gel. Of course, the real magic happens on stage in front of a live audience.

 

Generally, I do not use rehearsal as a place to "learn" a song (notes, chords) unless it is a group thing i.e. the tune just showed up.

 

We have a few pros and mercs around here who do not rehearse. They show and play. You are exempt.

 

For those who do rehearse:

 

How often i.e. once a week, month, quarter, etc.?

 

What are you looking to accomplish?

 

It is a few hours I could spend doing something else but sometimes it is fun. Almost like hanging out here.

[Legatoboy]

Sometimes a new chemistry evolves on any given day that could open a very interesting door rehearsing a band!

 

I like a once a week rehearsal, at least twice a month, my old band only practiced for a New CD or large high profile shows. Not enough as far as I was concerned but than again it was a repressive, fascist, totalitarian regime and I gigged constantly, so I kept me mouth shut as hard as it was.

 

Worked out to about 4-5 times a year believe it or not! Basically a Blues and Roots band, though we did have tunes, so!

It was a bred in the bone 'live' kinda band, partially because of the material! Peoples personal down time when they get into their 40's and 50's can get very precious. . . .

 

Alot of sloppiness and unsureness could have been adverted week to week and more coherence could have been given to the band if it just rehearsed 2 times a month and tried to nail down some simple things! Like the best of both worlds, on the fly but with alittle knowledge of what others where doing on forms/arrangements that developed over a long time from gigging the same tunes constantly. . . The Knuckleheads couldn't get with that, that's why I call them : The Knuckleheads!

 

 

Even if the tune stayed that way for 5 months until we saw it forming or pulling another way and tried to morf with that and codify it alittle bit!

 

I'm glad I'm out of there to a large extent, though I wish I was playing,so!

 

lb

 

 

[oscarr111111]

You mean rehersing like practicing songs you already know? Never really because I can never stay with one idea long enough to turn it into a song. Lots of jamming and hanging out though.

 

Tend to go through periods where I'll 'reherse' a lot (more than once a week), then periods where its pretty infrequent.

[Gismo Recording]

I'd say we rehearse 3 times a month. It's supposed to be once a week, but there's always at least once a month that someone can't make it. First if someone noticed something at the last gig that they think didn't sound right and they remember what it was, we'll work on that song to make sure that what everyone is playing is agreeable to everyone else. Then we work on new material. Sometimes songs are easy and we can rehearse them a couple of times during one rehearsal and be ready to play them at the next gig. More difficult songs may require more than one rehearsal before we're ready to play them out.

 

We'll sometimes rehearse older stuff, if it's been a long time since we played it to make sure we remember it.

[SilverDragonSoun]

Back in the day we started practicing once a week. In order to get things down we went to twice a week. I think alot depends on the skill of musicians your playing with. My first band was bad musically and it took us forever to even get our timing down. My last band practiced less bet were better and didn't have as many things to work out. We practiced about 3 to 4 times a month and really maximized our time well. If its a new band I think its important to spend some time together and learn about playing styles, tendencies ect.

[Dave Horne]

I don't rehearse in a group but I'll offer my opinion just the same. What I find extremely irritating in any group in which I was a member, not knowing what would be run at the next rehearsal. If you know what the work list is for the next rehearsal, you know what to work on at home.

 

Almost every group I've been a member of did not plan ahead.

[SpaceNorman]

We shoot for a once a week rehearsal to compliment 2-3 gigs per month. The "once a week" thing usually ends up being 3x per month (a little less if we're gigging more...a little more if we're gigging less).

 

Rehearsal time is split 60/40 - with 60% of our time spent learning new tunes - and the 40% reviewing existing material. We're reasonably efficient in terms of rehearsal time. We use email to communicate what's on deck to be learned - and ensure that everybody has an MP3 of the tune - and in some cases, will actually pass around what passes for a "chart" if the tune warrants it. Everybody in our group is pretty good about coming prepared with the new material. The "learning" part of rehearsal typically focuses on formatting our arrangement, working out the vocal harmonies and playing it enough that we find the groove instrumentally.

 

We're pretty efficient in terms of time spent reviewing material as well. We simply run down the list - and decide if a tune needs a "run thru". If nobody feels the urge - we skip it. In many cases we'll run though 1 verse and 1 chorus and mutually decide we've got it and stop playing mid tune to move on. Again, the focus is on basic format - and finding the groove.

 

We use minimal equipment and minimal volume for rehearsals - and get a surprising amount done in the 2-2.5 hours that we get together for.

[Trill]

The latest band I'm in is all instrumental, with a lot of freedom to play. Yet we have to devise some structure. We rehearse about 3 times a month. The best thing we ever did was start our own Yahoo group . We post everyones schedules,

questions about song parts and the best thing is we post charts and song files. When we come to rehearsal ,we can accomplish a lot of work and usually play through a song then polish it up with maybe a couple more takes,then on to the next song.

 

Rehearsal is for rehearsing and home is for learning The lack of vocals really helps in this matter

[RABid]

In all the bands I have been in one stands out for productive practice. The breakdown was as follows.

 

1. Any musician that has difficulty learning a part can ask for help. This is not a time to learn songs but to figure out that strange chord.

 

2. Practice and arrange new songs. These songs are determined ahead of time and players should already know their parts.

 

3. Insert new songs into sets and decide what old songs get tossed.

 

4. Pick song(s) to learn in the future.

 

As a working band with full sets we practiced an average of once a week. During slow weeks with only three nights on stage we practiced twice. The goal was ALWAYS to learn a new song and insert it into the set. Failure to learn a new song was considered a loss of precious free time for band members so everyone came ready. The sooner we got a song down and felt comfortable to insert it into the show, the sooner we got to leave.

 

It was also important to know when to bail out when learning new songs. Whether it did not fit the singers voice or the conversion of a big studio number to a 4 piece stage band left it empty, we could tell pretty early if something was not going to sound right.

 

Robert

[RABid]

In all the bands I have been in one stands out for productive practice. The breakdown was as follows.

 

1. Any musician that has difficulty learning a part can ask for help. This is not a time to learn songs but to figure out that strange chord.

 

2. Practice and arrange new songs. These songs are determined ahead of time and players should already know their parts.

 

3. Insert new songs into sets and decide what old songs get tossed.

 

4. Pick song(s) to learn in the future.

 

As a working band with full sets we practiced an average of once a week. During slow weeks with only three nights on stage we practiced twice. The goal was ALWAYS to learn a new song and insert it into the set. Failure to learn a new song was considered a loss of precious free time for band members so everyone came ready. The sooner we got a song down and felt comfortable to insert it into the show, the sooner we got to leave.

 

It was also important to know when to bail out when learning new songs. Whether it did not fit the singers voice or the conversion of a big studio number to a 4 piece stage band left it empty, we could tell pretty early if something was not going to sound right.

 

Robert

[oscarr111111]

Heh, my projects have always been despirately unproductive, this is the formula:

 

("hey, fancy playing some music tomorrow?" "yeah, morning good? "yeah, i'll call some people").

 

All who got called (usually 2-3 people practises) arrive by 4, set up by 5.

 

"So, what you feel like playing", "dunno", "dunno", "Lets just jam, start in B harmonic minor"... *2 hours jamming pass* "Wow, some of that was really good, we should get some of it down into some structure before we forget it", "nah, lets get something to drink first, we'll get it off the cassette later", "good idea".

 

Cassette gets taped over/lost/chewed up by cassette player.

 

 

Ahh, summer jam sessions

[Joe P]

Our rehearsals have become more productive, the guys work at home and iPods have helped tremendously. The rhythmn guitar player and I have lobbied for years to methodically and dispassionately run down our entire set list in alphabetical order every so often (we're both engineers... ), but it has never happened and probably never will.

 

Complaints include a bass player who doesn't know any theory which makes communication more difficult, and loud noodling on the part of the drummer. Other than that we have a blast and we all love it!

 

Regards,

Joe

[Mr. Nightime]

We rehearse about once every couple months, usually after a break or right before an important gig. What we practice is ever changing. We'll work up new material, bring it to the stage, where at least one of us will forget the arrangemant. Then we go back into rehearsal and fix the problem area. Or we'll find little spots in songs that don't quite work, and fix them.

 

One of the guitar players has a Roland Digital Multitrack, so we'll recored the final versions of the new stuff. Then wneh we come back to them, we're not struggling to remember the arrangements. The best part of our rehearsals is that we all have no egos to contend with, and everyone has a really good sense of humor. No one gets hurt by criticizm, and much of it gets laughed off, while it sinks in. Everyone is willing to try someone else's idea, and there is always an open mind. There have been times when I suggest something, we try it, and I'm the first to say that sucked. But, I don't get offended if the others say it sucked. And neither do they.

 

In all, personality wise, this is the best band I've evver been in. I'm still the newb after 5 years with the band.

 

[Mr. Nightime]

As far as working at home, I have a nice controller connected to my computer along with the Korg Legacy Digital Edition. I'll call up a piano patch on the M1 and play along with iTunes. All through headphones. Makes things a lot easier.

 

[ProfD]

The best part of our rehearsals is that we all have no egos to contend with, and everyone has a really good sense of humor. No one gets hurt by criticizm, and much of it gets laughed off, while it sinks in. Everyone is willing to try someone else's idea, and there is always an open mind. There have been times when I suggest something, we try it, and I'm the first to say that sucked. But, I don't get offended if the others say it sucked. And neither do they.

 

In all, personality wise, this is the best band I've evver been in. I'm still the newb after 5 years with the band.

 

Let me guess, the name of your band is Utopia?

 

Seriously, Mr. Nightime that is great to hear. I'm sure the blast you cats are having with each other shows up in the sound on stage too.

 

That is the place all bands should strive to arrive. While it is work, making music should always be fun too.

 

 

[Jeff_D_in_MD]

We rehearse every two weeks because we don't live very near each other. The goal is to cement old tunes, work on new tunes, and have fun. We record every rehearsal in order to permanently enshrine our mistakes and to catch any golden moments for a demo tape. This is a new band (<1 yr) looking for a first gig this spring. I feel fortunate that we have no ego trippers or too-loud players, and a great rehearsal space in the founding member's basement.

[Dave Pierce]

I don't rehearse in a group but I'll offer my opinion just the same. What I find extremely irritating in any group in which I was a member, not knowing what would be run at the next rehearsal. If you know what the work list is for the next rehearsal, you know what to work on at home.

 

Almost every group I've been a member of did not plan ahead.

 

+1

 

My personal time is precious to me, and I spend quite a bit of it in rehearsals. I definitely don't want to be wasting that time. I often take on the role of "rehearsal coordinator" -- while everyone's packing up I'll put together a list of what to work on at the next rehearsal, get everyone to agree to it, then email it out to everyone the next day.

 

Of course, that only ends up being useful if we actually stick to the agenda.

 

--Dave

 

[DanS]

We rehearse once a week, and it is for the purpose of geling the stuff with the band that you've learned at home. We often learn a tune at a jam, but one that's suggested right there on the spot, with the guy who kinda knows it tossing out the chords.

 

We also rehearse our beer consumption, and lately the drummer's wife has been putting out a spread during breaks....

Our singer is a mom, so she's always bringing us baked things.

Everyone looks forward to Friday night.