Members Just a bassist Posted May 4, 2017 Members Share Posted May 4, 2017 I recently co-founded a youth band at my church, and so far it's been going fairly well. We have begun expanding our song list and practicing those songs after service. The band consists of a bassist (me), a drummer (another co-founder), two to four vocalists, a pianist, a rhythm guitar (other co-founder), and a lead guitar. The rhythm guitarist is the "leader" of the band, as he is not a student in the youth, so he instructs us and guides us through practices. Now for the problematic part: Whenever we stop so the rhythm guitarist (let's call him J) can address something, the lead guitar and drummer start noodling at full volume and the vocalists begin chatting among themselves as though completely oblivious to J's instructions. As you can probably guess, we get very little done in the 30 odd minutes we have to practice. J tries numerous times each practice to try and get them to listen, but to no avail. Being the one person who complies is extremely frustrating. I welcome any suggestions with an open mind.P.S. Everyone in the band at the moment is in youth (excepting J) with the oldest being 18 and the youngest 14, so it very well may just be a maturity problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted May 4, 2017 Moderators Share Posted May 4, 2017 turn the power off...this type of thing, sadly, happens with adults too. We call it 'herding the cats'. Make it plain when things stop, things STOP. Whe nadvice is being given, it may be directed at only one member, but may be of value to all members of the band. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vito Corleone Posted May 4, 2017 Members Share Posted May 4, 2017 What Daddymack said, basically. I've been doing this for decades and "noodling" is always an issue. Just be glad you guys are a church band and young and therefore probably aren't drinking at rehearsal! Really...all you can do is just set the ground rules that everyone stop noodling and to shut up when the group is not rehearsing. And repeat it over and over and over. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 1001gear Posted May 5, 2017 Members Share Posted May 5, 2017 Turning musicians into a performing instrument is harder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Pat'sStrat Posted May 8, 2017 Members Share Posted May 8, 2017 I have done bands for years, both in public and in church. I found the best way to stop the noodling and to keep everyone's attention during rehearsal is to set up in a circle facing each other. There is something about being spread out in a line that doesn't command as much attention as facing each other. An added plus is it's easier to keep the stage volume down when you're in a circle, the tighter circle the better. At my band rehearsal, we aren't more than 5 feet away from the next guy on either side. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted May 9, 2017 Moderators Share Posted May 9, 2017 Five feet is decent range to throw something at a noodler... My experience is that many musicians are afflicted with some variant, at some level, of ADD/ADHD, and short of spiking the water [or beer] with Adderall, there is no absolute prevention. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DeepEnd Posted May 10, 2017 Members Share Posted May 10, 2017 Sad but true. When I still worked days I was in the choir at church. The tenor section rarely pays attention to the Music Director and one of them is married to her. Short of consequences like temporary suspension from the band there's not much you can do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MartinC Posted May 12, 2017 Members Share Posted May 12, 2017 My favorite noodle story: When I was in the junior high school band, I played baritone. I was just learning to play and learning to read. So were most of the kids. We did have one guy though, who could already play, and improvise. The poor teacher, who had to try to herd us cats, used his baton to frequently stop the band by banging it on his wooden podium. In fact, he had worn a huge gash in the podium from years of doing it. Anyway, this one kid, Miles, who played the sax, was the worst offender. Once the band stopped, that was his cue to launch into a cadenza, showcasing his developing jazz chops. So, the teach would not only have to beat his podium relentlessly, but at the same time scream "Miles! Miles! Miles!!!!" I can still hear his voice in my head, more than 40 years after the fact. I lost touch with Miles, but never forgot him. I heard years later Miles became a pro. I wonder if he's still playing.....hopefully the teacher found peace. Imagine being a jr. high school band teacher.....worse than working in GC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted May 13, 2017 Moderators Share Posted May 13, 2017 stun gun...pepper spray...there are alternatives... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted May 13, 2017 Moderators Share Posted May 13, 2017 yeah, but he switched to trumpet...the rest, as they say, is history... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MartinC Posted May 17, 2017 Members Share Posted May 17, 2017 That would have been something Daddy but Miles was definately not Miles.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members RoadRanger Posted May 22, 2017 Members Share Posted May 22, 2017 No BS - I bring a small battery powered megaphone to rehearsals as I don't usually have a microphone. $5 from fleaBay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted May 22, 2017 Moderators Share Posted May 22, 2017 probably better than a taser or a cattle prod... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Voltan Posted May 30, 2017 Members Share Posted May 30, 2017 dont bet on that... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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