Jump to content

Tired of wasting time at band rehearsal?


Phil O'Keefe

Recommended Posts

  • Members

I think I trained that group I'm working with last night that if they want to practice keyboard songs they should do it while I'm there because I have an hour and a half drive and at 8:30pm I'm out the door and down the road!

 

 

(1/23/2018, post gig) Looking back on this post it might appear to be rather negative but it really wasn't meant to be. This was a HUGE project and far from just an ordinary gig, it was a major production with several different lead vocalists in a professional venue that routinely hosts big time talent far beyond me. I was part of the rock band that did this show with the symphony orchestra ferchristssake! There were costume changes, a number of elements you could easily associate with a Vegas style show and a first chair violinist that made it difficult for me to hold back tears of emotional joy so yeah, it was difficult for the organizers to coordinate all the elements of this production and I was extremely fortunate and honored to be a part of it!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

The biggest thing for me is figuring out the start time. Some groups I work with specify the arrival time. Others specify the time we are expected to start playing. I prefer the latter!!! But there is nothing more annoying than getting this wrong.

 

One more tip - for cover acts - have the commercial recordings available so that you can reference them if needed. We just had an entry point question last night; one member was convinced his part started on 2 but was supposed to start on 4. 3 minutes of messing around did not yield an obvious answer. 30 seconds of listening did.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

I sent that link to everybody in the band. We have one guy who has been an incurable noodler since 2004, even -- no, especially -- when we're trying to discuss something, and looks like his feelings are hurt whenever someone asks him to stop. Another insisted that his drinking during practice didn't affect his playing, but he finally stopped anyway... after recently getting a ticket for driving while intoxicated. That guy lives an hour away, so we're all wondering what's going to happen if he loses his license. >:-(

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Nice article Phil. I would add make sure everyone is working from the same version of a song and knows which parts to learn, key, etc. EG: I am first guitar but I share some lead duties with our other guitarist so we discuss who is to learn what. My current band is super organized; mp3's and charts are put up on a site. We gig about 4 times per month and only practice once every 3rd or 4th month when we are adding new songs. Everyone does their homework and we usually add 4 songs per practice going through each 2 or 3 times and then coming back and repeating all to end the session.

 

Another thing I like about this band is we always play the same setlist and when we add songs we drop an equal number. Makes gigs easier and everyone always knows what we are playing next.

 

This is both the most professional and most fun band I have ever been in. Communication is key!

 

On the other hand, I am also in a jam band that gets together most Monday evenings and is not focused on gigging. We are completely unstructured and also have a blast. We do have certain songs that we have gotten down and we have gigged a few times, however, our focus is on just playing what we want and, well, jamming.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
  • Members

Band rehearsals can drive me crazy. My tribute band cuts too many corners when learning songs with the attitude "it's good enough" or "no one will know the difference". For the most part they are right, given our usual venues and audiences (and that the performances are enthusiastically received). But you never who is watching. My view is that we need to do it like the record in order to break into the next level, something that depends entirely on the players as the vocals are stellar. Maybe the biggest frustration, however, is that with the "roll your own" chords/breaks/modulations you can't refer subs or members not present at practice to the record as a point of reference, and on the gig you have to just remember whatever the hell it is you did, with no means of refreshing your memory before a gig.

 

Ideally, country bands would have members well seasoned and steeped in country music standard songs and styles, who have good ears and can quickly and accurately pick out sig licks, and if not copping leads note-for-note, at least get the gist and flavor of it. Who can write and read Nashville number system charts (players who say "oh I don't need to do that, I just play from the heart" seem to be the ones who need that skill the most). And tribute bands would have members who genuinely like and are into the material, who listen to it for their own enjoyment. Fortunately, the band is undergoing some personnel changes that will bring us closer to that ideal. And hopefully lesson the need for a rehearsal before every gig.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Update:

When the noodler was still noodling at the last rehearsal, I asked him, "Did you read that article that I sent?" He replied, somewhat defiantly, "Yeah." Sigh.

 

The other guy, who has supposedly quit drinking, lost his license for 7 months. So far, it looks like he has alternate transportation to rehearsals & gigs, though.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...
  • Members
Then you might want to check out this article for some tips on how to make your band practices more efficient.

 

If you have any tips on how to make band practice more fun and productive, please share them with everyone! And if you have comments or questions about the article, feel free to post those here too.

 

 

This is an old thread, but the article is great!

 

"Learn your parts at home first" is something that should probably be written in every country's constitution. In my experience I've only really had one bad case of this, a singer that would do absolutely nothing between rehearsals. Having to read the lyrics because you don't remember then is not a big deal, but not even knowing the song structure and when you're supposed to sing your part is definitely a dealbreaker (in fact we kicked her out). I've had other players coming to rehearse unprepared without good reasons, and generally speaking my suggestion is just rehearse whatever you've planned and let them feel miserable as they can't play along: eventually, if they have some self-esteem, they'll learn to be more reliable.

 

"Don't invite your SO or your friends" was never really a big problem for me, as long as such friends are not allowed to disrupt the practice. Which can happen if they are the kind of people who need to grab everyone's attention when they become bored... those should definitely be not invited.

 

"Turn off your phones" is like the modern-day plague... seriously if someone cannot put the phone down for one hour to do something which they supposedly like, they need therapy.

 

"When the music stops, STOP PLAYING!" this is the only one which admittedly I have been guilty too! Tho definitely not nearly as much as our old drummer, to whom we often had to confiscate the sticks from (or beat him with a chair) to make him stop. To me this is often a sign of not being engaged enough with the rest of the band, possibly even a bit narcissistic. If there's a prolonged break (say, more than a minute) it's usually because there's something to discuss, and that is where it shows how much each player is devoted to the band's mission. Even if the discussion is unrelated to your own instrument!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...
  • Members

I have to say, at first, I was like, hell yes we need to get serious and use these suggestions...

 

Then, I thought back to a recent band I was in that did actually follow those rules, not literally, but for the most part, the same rules.

 

It was a Rush tribute band, and I LOVED the music, but hated the band. Everyone was incredibly talented, maybe even gifted.

 

The issues were, (not in any particular order):

 

The guys seemed too serious, conversation was uncomfortable and awkward. No personal meshing

No alcohol, the room needed to loosen up, I needed to loosen up, and had no method to do so

Stress, knowing every little mistake I make would be noticed, recorded, and evaulated later. I made FAR more mistakes just because of the reasons above combined with the dirty looks every time a mistake happened.

 

When they kicked me out, for not being good enough, I was relived as much as disappointed.. I really can play the material note for note, and can mimic most of the tones pretty well, I have the talent and the gear, but it dawned on me...

 

The drummer in my cover band is laid back, yet a total rush fan, and we often break into various Rush songs on a whim, and I don't make the same mistakes, I'm laid back, and nailing it. That's the difference.

 

Nothing wrong with some structure, but writing a rulebook, especially when nobody knows each other well or at all, is a recipe for disaster.

 

It's worth noting that these guys who formed that Tribute, that they failed over and over and over to successfully launch anything. When I joined up with them, it was about revision #5 or so, I'm told that they are past 10 at this point. Sure, they were d-bags, but in a rule-oriented, way too serious kind of way. Talent is great, but wasted if you can't lighten up and make the experience enjoyable for the other players in your group.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members
Thanks for checking the article out folks! :wave:

 

I just discovered this.

 

Last year I gave up being in gigging bands for good because of stuff like that. Well, except for one caveat: I will be the BL of my next band. However, I can't do that until I get my rehearsal space completed (really, my large garage, which will be used, among other things, as a rehearsal space). And when I do, that article is going on the wall and being handed out to band members.

 

It lays it all out, and effectively so. Thank you.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members
I have to say, at first, I was like, hell yes we need to get serious and use these suggestions...

 

Then, I thought back to a recent band I was in that did actually follow those rules, not literally, but for the most part, the same rules.

 

It was a Rush tribute band, and I LOVED the music, but hated the band. Everyone was incredibly talented, maybe even gifted.

 

The issues were, (not in any particular order):

 

The guys seemed too serious, conversation was uncomfortable and awkward. No personal meshing

No alcohol, the room needed to loosen up, I needed to loosen up, and had no method to do so

Stress, knowing every little mistake I make would be noticed, recorded, and evaulated later. I made FAR more mistakes just because of the reasons above combined with the dirty looks every time a mistake happened.

 

When they kicked me out, for not being good enough, I was relived as much as disappointed.. I really can play the material note for note, and can mimic most of the tones pretty well, I have the talent and the gear, but it dawned on me...

 

The drummer in my cover band is laid back, yet a total rush fan, and we often break into various Rush songs on a whim, and I don't make the same mistakes, I'm laid back, and nailing it. That's the difference.

 

Nothing wrong with some structure, but writing a rulebook, especially when nobody knows each other well or at all, is a recipe for disaster.

 

It's worth noting that these guys who formed that Tribute, that they failed over and over and over to successfully launch anything. When I joined up with them, it was about revision #5 or so, I'm told that they are past 10 at this point. Sure, they were d-bags, but in a rule-oriented, way too serious kind of way. Talent is great, but wasted if you can't lighten up and make the experience enjoyable for the other players in your group.

 

After reading your post, I don't think the problem with that band was the use of those kinds of rules, but the execution of those rules. The line that really jumped out at me was this one:

"... the dirty looks every time a mistake happened."

 

That is an attitude problem. People can be serious, but still forgiving. Well, unless you just really suck. ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

After reading your post, I don't think the problem with that band was the use of those kinds of rules, but the execution of those rules. The line that really jumped out at me was this one:

"... the dirty looks every time a mistake happened."

 

That is an attitude problem. People can be serious, but still forgiving. Well, unless you just really suck. ;)

 

 

Rule #1: Music is supposed to be fun & enjoyable.

 

I know I mention that last in the article, but it really should be the first rule. If you're not getting that part right, none of the rest really matters very much IMO. But there's a balance that should be maintained. Things can be too strict, serious, and judgmental (which can kill all the fun and enjoyment), but they can also be too loose, flippant, and carefree to the point of being careless - and that doesn't work very well either.

 

There seem to be more bands that are lazy and loose than bands that are too strict and serious, at least from my experiences. YMMV on that, but I do think it's important to try to find a good balance that works for everyone.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...