Tech: Planning productive band rehearsals

Subject: Tech: Planning productive band rehearsals
From: quantock
Date: 07 Feb 08 - 12:48 PM

This is not really a Tech message, but there was no category that really fit.

Anyway, I have recently started a band in the Chicago Area. We hope to play for Folk dances and do stage performances with vocal and instrumental repertoire. It occurred to me that with the collective experience of all you wonderful Mudcatters, I would be a fool not to pick your brains a little.

I am looking for advice in two main areas, but anything relevant would be welcome.

1. What tips do you have on planning and executing productive practice sessions.

2. I still need a couple of skilled musicians to complete the lineup - a percussionist and a brass player (Tuba or Bass Trombone or similar). Do you have any suggestions as to the best way to find such people.

Thanks in advance
Rob Williams.

Subject: RE: Tech: Planning productive band rehearsals
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 07 Feb 08 - 02:54 PM

For a practice session to be productive, everyone needs to show up (reasonably on time), be prepared, and committed to working together. It helps to agree on what we'll work on next time, so members can practice between-times.

These may seem obvious, but they're pretty vital!

Subject: RE: Tech: Planning productive band rehearsals
From: Padre
Date: 07 Feb 08 - 02:58 PM

Once you begin to get bookings, it really helps to have a set list planned before rehersal, so you can get the timing of the material down, and see how long transitions from one number to another will take - this will help you not run over on your performance time (which drives the venue owner/manager a little nuts!)

Subject: RE: Tech: Planning productive band rehearsals
From: wysiwyg
Date: 07 Feb 08 - 03:07 PM

Three groups of music always in work:

A list: Surefire set openers and closers that really COOK no matter how bad the travel was, the day was, the sound system is, etc.
B list: New music: Songs where one or two members love these enough to teach them to the band and work them if/as quality warrants. Sometimes these are chick songs, drinking songs, hard blues, etc.-- the spice in the mix to use sparingly, and/or where one or two can solo/duet while the rest of the band retunes, takes a short water break, takes a leak, tweaks the sound system, etc.
C list: The ones the crowd will love that are not too hard for the band and that can fill in the middle parts of the sets

And at least half of these have to be fun to rehearse. More if possible.

Part of the rehearsal is revisiting well-known pieces to keep them fresh, then move on to the ones that are new and a little friustrating, then close with the C-list stuff. ALways begin and end with the stuff everyone will feel good about.

In rehearsal, unless it's a DRESS rehearsal, don't worry about nailing down arrangements, who will do what, what will happen in an instrumental or vocal solo break, etc.. Keep a loose hand on the rehearsal till the whole band feels a consensus while playing, and the songs COOK.

~S~

Subject: RE: Tech: Planning productive band rehearsals
From: M.Ted
Date: 07 Feb 08 - 03:08 PM

You have to decide what your objective for each rehearsal is--this is a bit trickier than it seems, because it means that you have to all agree on where you're going and how you're going to get there--

Some like to play loose--get the bare bones worked out, then wing it for performance. Others like to be letter perfect before they take something out to play. There tend to be some of each in most bands, but if you agree on which way you're going to do which songs ahead of time, often, things can be worked out.

Subject: RE: Tech: Planning productive band rehearsals
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 07 Feb 08 - 05:31 PM

Decide who is the bandleader. "Frank discussions" about either what to do or how to do it can waste or poison an entire night.

Subject: RE: Tech: Planning productive band rehearsals
From: Suegorgeous
Date: 07 Feb 08 - 09:06 PM

Just in from a practice session that cooked - for the first time in months. I think mainly because we were VERY focused while playing (best part of 4 hours) but we made sure to take a long-enough break to eat and chill. Plus I lightened up and finally let go of worrying that we won't be good enough for the next gig... :) )

Things that really help:

People have to turn up nigh on every time (unless a good reason).

Having someone with music direction skills helps enormously - but you need to trust them to do it. I don't always agree with what ours says - but I've learnt to always go with it and try it out before refusing to do it!

Be organised - work on making a provisional set list, once you have it, keep working through it.

But also - play around, jam a little, have a laugh in between.

Sue

Subject: RE: Tech: Planning productive band rehearsals
From: Sorcha
Date: 07 Feb 08 - 09:21 PM

REHEARSE?????? Izzat?

Subject: RE: Tech: Planning productive band rehearsals
From: Beer
Date: 07 Feb 08 - 09:57 PM

Very good thread "quantock". You should get lots of help here.
Beer (adrien)

Subject: RE: Tech: Planning productive band rehearsals
From: quantock
Date: 08 Feb 08 - 04:32 PM

Great ideas everyone, thanks. Do keep them coming!

Any thoughts about my other question? What is the best way to find additional musicians, in my case, brass and percussion?

Thanks,
Rob

Subject: RE: Tech: Planning productive band rehearsals
From: Beer
Date: 08 Feb 08 - 04:40 PM

You probably thought of this as I see it take place often. Place an add in the local paper or throw up a notice of your request on the bulletin boards in your supermarkets and other store outlets.

Subject: RE: Tech: Planning productive band rehearsals
From: ClaireBear
Date: 08 Feb 08 - 05:33 PM

I've been in two bands, and the two had practice styles that were as different as possible. In band #1, we practiced the same tune -- or even the same eight-measure passage, if we were having trouble with it -- as many times as we had to until it was perfect, before moving on to the next tune or part of the tune. I found this a bit frustrating at first, but soon I became just as much a perfectionist as my partner who demanded that level of practice, and I grew to love the attention to detail we always took with our tunes (and vocals -- we sang, too). (You know what else? I still remember many of the tunes/words/arrangements we practiced, 20 years later.)

After our own musical venture folded (which it did when a third partner moved away), both my perfectionist partner and I eventually joined band #2, an existing group with its own set practice style that could not be stretched to accommodate our preferences. The preference here was to practice a song or tune set by running through it once just to make sure everyone remembered it; there was little to no discussion of what the chord structure, dynamics, or even instrumentation should be...you just did whatever you felt was right and the musical product...well, it was what it was. (It still is, in fact.) If we needed to go over a song or tune a second time, we did it at the end of the evening after we'd gone over everything once. My perfectionist partner didn't last long in this environment; it was just too frustrating not to have any quality control in place. I have survived it (though I took a LOOOONG break from it and only came back when the addition of a couple of first-rate performers made the effort seem more worthwhile), but I can't say I've ever grown to like the lack of discipline, and on the rare occasion when we do come up with an "arrangement" no one remembers it by the time we rehearse next. Still, most of the group seem to like it and I guess we sound OK, so it must be a reasonably valid approach to a practice style.

So, the moral of the story is that it might help if you decided how you want to approach practicing before you find yourself doing it ad hoc...possibly one way will be more to all your liking than the other (or some third way that I haven't thought of will win out).

Or possibly you will find that your preferences are hopelessly incompatible, in which case it's good to know that before you commit to performing together for the long term.

Just my tuppence...

Claire

Subject: RE: Tech: Planning productive band rehearsals
From: Suegorgeous
Date: 10 Feb 08 - 04:06 PM

Rob

Try putting an ad on your local section of the Gumtree site. There must also be one or two local music scene/local bands sites - eg for us, it's Bristolbands.com - try googling etc.

Sue

Subject: RE: Tech: Planning productive band rehearsals
From: Ned Ludd
Date: 11 Feb 08 - 03:54 PM

Sorcha I agree...Plannin' rehersal? Whazzaaa....!

Subject: RE: Tech: Planning productive band rehearsals
From: Suegorgeous
Date: 11 Feb 08 - 04:47 PM

Oh, to not need/want to practise!! what's yer secret?? :0