# band practices - need some input.



## bluesmostly (Feb 10, 2006)

Having issues with my main band in the last couple of years regarding practices and I am running into some difficult scenarios that I have to sort out.

Although this band has been together for about 14 years now and we are pretty good performance band, we are losing our edge because practice time has been gradually widdled down to once, sometimes twice an month. 

I have a different philosophy of why and how we should practice than a couple of members, who are more restless and impatient and would rather just learn new material all the time. 

I would like to get some insights from some of you guys. Two questions:

1. what do you think the purpose of a band practice is?

2. what should a good practice look like?


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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

*grabs popcorn*

Definitely would like to hear some opinions as well. I'm a big proponent of regular practices, whether or not there's new material or a big show on the horizon. I think a band needs to rehearse constantly to stay nice and tight. If the idea is to put together a solid show with really tight changes and keep the ball rolling to keep people dancing, you gotta keep oiling the machine. Otherwise, if the goal is to just noodle around and do things that please you and not the customer, then sure, go do whatever you like


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## mario (Feb 18, 2006)

1. what do you think the purpose of a band practice is?

I think that one is pretty obvious....to get tighter with one another on a musical level. Whether it's playing songs that you already know or learning new ones it's all good.

2. what should a good practice look like?

Everyone should be there on time and ready to play. If you are planning on learning a new song and were asked a week or 2 before practice you should at the very least have the basics of the song down. If you are honestly having difficulties with the song that's cool....just move on to another one. IMHO trying to learn a song from scratch at a practice is a waste of time.


And the most important part.....keep it fun and get along with your fellow bandmates!


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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

mario said:


> IMHO trying to learn a song from scratch at a practice is a waste of time.


Agreed. This is my BIGGEST pet peeve when it comes to a band. I hate when people waste others' time because they haven't done their homework. 

My second biggest pet peeve (and this seems to be isolated to singers, mostly) is the notion of "I don't have to practice" - this just blows my mind. Just because you don't play an instrument doesn't mean you don't need to practice, whether it's on your own, or as part of a band. Anyone else bump into this mentality???


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## mario (Feb 18, 2006)

hollowbody said:


> Agreed. This is my BIGGEST pet peeve when it comes to a band. I hate when people waste others' time because they haven't done their homework.
> 
> My second biggest pet peeve (and this seems to be isolated to singers, mostly) is the notion of "I don't have to practice" - this just blows my mind. Just because you don't play an instrument doesn't mean you don't need to practice, whether it's on your own, or as part of a band. Anyone else bump into this mentality???



I'm pretty lucky with the guys I am playing with at the moment. They love to practice...especially our singer. He's really keen one us two doing an open mike type of thing every now and then. Acoustic guitar myself and vocal and harp by him. He's actually quite good.


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## bluesmostly (Feb 10, 2006)

mario said:


> 1. what do you think the purpose of a band practice is?
> 
> I think that one is pretty obvious....to get tighter with one another on a musical level. Whether it's playing songs that you already know or learning new ones it's all good.
> 
> ...


this is how I think too. 

the last statement you made is coming up as the main issue for me. practices are not fun anymore because there is too much complaining and criticizing. so, although I think we should practice more, I really don't look forward to them.


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## mario (Feb 18, 2006)

bluesmostly said:


> this is how I think too.
> 
> the last statement you made is coming up as the main issue for me. practices are not fun anymore because there is too much complaining and criticizing. so, although I think we should practice more, I really don't look forward to them.



That's not good. When it stops being fun that might be the time to give some thought about leaving.


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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

mario said:


> That's not good. When it stops being fun that might be the time to give some thought about leaving.


Absolutely. This isn't the kind of stuff that benefits from negative headspace. It translates into your playing and how you and the band appear on-stage. If it ain't fun, move along. There are tons of other bands out there!


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## mario (Feb 18, 2006)

hollowbody said:


> Absolutely. This isn't the kind of stuff that benefits from negative headspace. It translates into your playing and how you and the band appear on-stage. If it ain't fun, move along. There are tons of other bands out there!


No doubt. About 3 months ago we auditioned a keyboard player. He could play really well but was a total DICK. After about half hour playing I was just mailing it in.


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## bw66 (Dec 17, 2009)

Our rehearsals generally take one of two forms.

The "jam" rehearsal: This is where we just try out new material and generally fool around. If something works or we think it might someday work we'll try it again.

The "performance" rehearsal: If we know we have a gig coming up, we'll polish up our best and favourite stuff - intros, endings, harmonies, breaks, dynamics, etc. 

We're all busy parents so "start times" are when people are welcome to arrive - everyone is really good at letting everyone else know when they'll be a bit later so we are never sitting around waiting. We usually will run through the changes to a couple of tunes or "jam-out" a couple of new tunes until everyone gets there.

We try to get in a "jam" rehearsal at least once a month and if we have a gig (3-4 a year right now and we try to schedule them close together) we'll try to get together weekly for a "performance" rehearsal though in reality we're doing well to get together every other week.

As our kids get older, we anticipate being able to rehearse more often.

Have you talked to the rest of the band about how you're feeling? A couple of times, we have gone out to the local pub as a band just to have a bite and a few drinks and to talk about our respective visions and concerns with regards to the band.


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## Big_Daddy (Apr 2, 2009)

Not trying to be a dick, but I think "practice" is what we all do on our own time. "Rehearsal" is what we all do together after we have all practiced our parts at home.

Semantics aside, I think that the purpose of band rehearsal is to all come together after we have learned our respective parts of a song (or songs) and fine-tune the arrangement into the finished product we want to present on stage. Of course, this only works when everyone has practiced and learned their parts _before_ rehearsal (which rarely happens at ours). I personally feel that it shows a lack of respect for other members of the band when someone comes to rehearsal totally unprepared. 

How the rehearsal goes totally depends on how well people are prepared. I like to know ahead of time what we are working on and what our goal is for the night. If things go well, then we all decide on what to work on for the next rehearsal.

We recently had a long break between rehearsals because we just couldn't line up peoples' busy schedules. We were under the gun to work in a new bass player and learn about 10 new songs for our first 3 gigs of the summer (3 weekends in a row). We had five rehearsals in two weeks and still weren't very prepared for the first gig. And it showed. We couldn't get together again the following week because everyone was so busy, but, our next gig we were a lot tighter and got a great crowd response. I think that playing in front of a crowd is the best way to tighten up. I think people tend to dig deeper and concentrate harder when in a live gig situation.

Just my 5 cents.


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## Guitar101 (Jan 19, 2011)

Some great answers to your post here and I had to think back a few years on this one but in my opinion, it comes down to respect for your bandmate's. We all have busy lives and it's not easy preparing for a band practice but if one person doesn't put the time in, the other band members have to pay for it. We have all been there and a few times I was the one not prepared for the practice. This can go well if everyone is prepared. If one person is not, the rest have to wait until they catch up.

A good practice should involve everyone arriving on time with all your gear in good working order. Going over the pre-determined songs for that nights practice until they sound pretty good. If everyone knows their material, it can go pretty fast. Hopefully, there will be a little time at the end of the practice for a little jamming. We have fired people over the years for not putting enough effort learning the material and therefore, wasting everyone else's time. Unfortunately, it's too late for the offending member as there's always someone ready and willing to step in and take their place. That's what's surprising to some people.


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## 4345567 (Jun 26, 2008)

__________


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## Chito (Feb 17, 2006)

Practice/Rehearsal for me means, the band is going to practice with the expectation that each one has already done their homework. I always set up a day for rehearsals, usually Sunday 1-3pm. Which becomes our baseline. If someone can't come as long as it's not the singer or me, we practice. I included myself because we practice at my house.  But I always set aside Sunday afternoon for band practice. There's been a few who come without doing their homework, although we've been more forgiving in the sense that each one has their own schedules. Also the more practices, the better the band gets. 

As for what is a good band practice, it's when the band is tight, when we have our starts and ends figured out with no hesitation, when everyone gets "into it" and playing off each other. Those are the days when you'll hear everyone say, that was a good practice. 

Which reminds me, I always record our practices. When people hear themselves screw up, they mostly do something about it. I remember a few years back, everyone was so elated about their playing and I recorded one of our practices and then sent copies of it to everyone. They were shocked at how we sounded. A lot of times, someone would think they did really well only to find out later on that their playing or singing sucked. LOL Recordings keep everyone honest.


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## bzrkrage (Mar 20, 2011)

Ditto.


bluesmostly said:


> this is how I think too.
> 
> the last statement you made is coming up as the main issue for me. *practices are not fun anymore* because there is too much complaining and criticizing. so, although I think we should practice more, *I really don't look forward to them*.


That last bit became a problem. It *WAS* fun, then the guys got to serious. It *SHOULD* be fun.

So, I left.


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## bluesmostly (Feb 10, 2006)

some great responses and advice, thanks guys. I am going to incorporate some of those ideas. 

I appreciate the distinction between practice and rehearsal BigDaddy, it is a good one. I like the email agenda for the next practice idea too since I already send out email reminders a few days ahead of time.


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## surlybastard (Feb 20, 2011)

A lot of good points in this thread, but a major one that keeps coming up again and again and should be highlighted: Good rehearsals cannot happen unless people come prepared, it's really that simple. If you're in a simple cover band environment it's fair to ask people to learn a song per week as a general rule IMO (it can be more songs if it's a professional gig, but for weekend warrior types like myself I've found most people can find enough time in a week to learn a song). But also, people need to work existing material to improve, and if your band plays less than once a week everyone will need to practice existing material on their own time just to stay sharp on it because rehearsals will not be enough for everyone to continue to improve the material, you'll spend more time correcting the same mistakes people make every rehearsal that they could've fixed themselves if they'd played the song once or twice in the week off.

Anyhow, that's my major pet peeves when I play. I've got a gig coming up this weekend with a band I'm quitting precisely because certain members either don't practice, or certainly aren't practicing enough. Yes, I've encountered the "I don't need to practice" idiots, they are always 100% wrong and are the same idiots who won't learn songs they don't like (that's another huge pet peeve), or will say they'll learn something then show up to the rehearsal having not practiced that song so therefore the band plays it poorly and they say "Ya I don't think that one works for us". I've observed all of this in my current band (the one I'm quitting after Saturday) and have been trying to quit for awhile but a gig was booked and I won't quit and leave them hanging on principle.

Sorry, got sidetracked with a rant there, but you get the point!


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## Moosehead (Jan 6, 2011)

Lots of good advise here so I'll try not to re-iterate what has been said.

When I go to my buddies that i've been playing with for 15 years we just jam for the first 15-20mins or more if the inspirado is flowin. 
Then rock out to a few favs, THEN maybe some new stuff. Doobie break and a cold one. Then a 10 minute space jam (I knew i bought (insert crazy effect pedal here) for sumthin) and then segue into some pink floyd. This is an example of a impromtu show up with beer unannounced jam but we have fun. We sometimes just jam blues, try differnt time signatures for a different feel. We like to play blues in 6/8.

The last band i was in I left because it wasnt fun, guys were continental drift slow at learning new stuff and the other guitar player wanted to go over and over and over stuff. When I have to sing the same shit over and over I get really annoyed. And Im somewhat impatient to start. I didnt even play a gig with these guys, lasted a month. All covers and no play makes jack a dull boy. 

I think a practice after 14 years of playing together you guys should be pretty in sync with each other so it then depends on what you want to accomplish. Do you play covers? learn new material, and play a few of the harder tunes that you know to keep everyone on their toes.
Do you guys do any originals? Or ever just jam? Its important that people are into the music, If one person likes the song and wants everyone to learn it, its important that they like the tune or they wont bother with it. I've been in a couple of bands where I played the tunes because I joined an already formed band and didnt have much say. Im somewhat of a music snob and didnt care for some of their song choices but when it came time to learn new songs My suggestions of tunes that rocked were not always taken into account even though I had the drummers support it was usually the singer that veto'd. Pisses me of when people are all about their own agenda, there are more people in the band therefore maybe a band agenda may be in order for you guys. Bring it up over a couple beers and talk about what direction you guys want to take it in. 

Current band is awesome and we are having fun. More work getting ready for gigs (playing our first one in 2 weeks) but I needed to get into better playing shape anyways. We are just doing covers but last practice I broke into another brick in the wall and everyone got into it. Sometimes its cool to do something on the spot and have everyone get into it and loosen up. We just do covers but have no problem messing the arrangement into a 10 minute version. 

On weeks you guys gig do you still expect the guys to practice? I think a gig is worth 5 practices so in the past we would skip practice that week.
After 14 years things im sure can get stale so keep it fresh and try something different. If you play blues mostly try jazzing up your blues or make it funky and upbeat. Ha! see what i did there! I didnt until now when i re-read it lol. Hope something here helps and it wasnt just me rambling.


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## bluesguitar1972 (Jul 16, 2011)

I've been in a number of different bands for over 20 years.
For me, practice frequency can depend on a few things. 
- If I'm gigging frequently with the band, we practice less. Usually, when we're busy, practices are for newer tunes, or ones that still need polishing. 
- What kind of project? I was in a band doing originals for a while, and we were once a week working on tunes. 
- What's the skill set? If you're breaking in a rookie drummer, sometimes practicing more often is needed to help a certain member catch up.

As to the substance of practicing, it also varies. Typically, I don't think it's where you learn cover tunes. You ideally should know your shit before you get to practice. But I'm not opposed to introducing tunes either, and giving them a test jam. Really for the most part, my only real rule for practice is that it's productive. We cut some songs short to move on to something that may need more work. we'll go over others songs several times, or a certain part where the timing just isn't quite there. I try to be flexible, as most of us are weekend warriors, and have kids, spouses, and lawns to mow.


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## -ST- (Feb 2, 2008)

Hi bluesmostly,



bluesmostly said:


> Having issues with my main band in the last couple of years regarding practices and I am running into some difficult scenarios that I have to sort out.
> 
> Although this band has been together for about 14 years now and we are pretty good performance band, we are losing our edge because practice time has been gradually widdled down to once, sometimes twice an month.
> 
> *I have a different philosophy of why and how we should practice than a couple of members*


I think that you've identified the heart of the problem. 


> , who are more restless and impatient and would rather just learn new material all the time.
> 
> I would like to get some insights from some of you guys. Two questions:
> 
> ...


I think that you and your band members need to come to agreement on the answers to these questions. I'd start by asking the others for their answers and see where that leads..


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

The best practices for me:

1) Practice any current material that has gotten rough. This could be whole songs, intros and outros, solos, or whatever.

2) Practice new material. I refuse to practice something new if the band members haven't individually done their homework (listening, parts), it's a waste of time otherwise unless everyone is a good sight reader and the music is written (in one band this is never the case, in another it's always the case).

3) Business meeting. Money, gig and practice schedules, gear, travel, recording, membership, etc. 

4) Practice should be regular in day and time, frequent, start on time, organized with a minimum of social time (that can happen after if wanted). Rested, nourished, prompt, with gear, in tune. Good light, ample seating, no guests or audience (unless by agreed invitation). No power issues, ample p.a. and instrumentation, refreshments (non-intoxicating) at hand. Internet handy if necessary.

5) Two physical setups I like are either as a stage with musicians oriented as if there were an audience, or in a circle so that everyone can face each other. In both cases the person next to you should be who would be next to you on stage.

6) Time to be divided between new/old/business/etc depends on need. Band leader or practice leader calls the shots with input from members. I'm not the band leader in any of my bands but I am relied on by the leaders a lot so it sometimes feels like I direct things.

7) An end of practice debriefing often helps set the agenda for the next gig or practice, clears the air of issues, and makes everyone feel like they are valued.

Peace, Mooh.


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## bluesmostly (Feb 10, 2006)

Moosehead said:


> Lots of good advise here so I'll try not to re-iterate what has been said.
> 
> When I go to my buddies that i've been playing with for 15 years we just jam for the first 15-20mins or more if the inspirado is flowin.
> Then rock out to a few favs, THEN maybe some new stuff. Doobie break and a cold one. Then a 10 minute space jam (I knew i bought (insert crazy effect pedal here) for sumthin) and then segue into some pink floyd. This is an example of a impromtu show up with beer unannounced jam but we have fun. We sometimes just jam blues, try differnt time signatures for a different feel. We like to play blues in 6/8.
> ...


yeah, the biggest problem I have run into is that some of the guys just don't want to, or think we need to, work on songs after we have learned them. And basically don't want to rehearse or even jam unless we really have to. I always want us to take our renditions to a higher level and be more tight, more dynamic, etc. Moreover, they don't want to just jam, which I love to do cuz it really helps pull together the group and develop musical skills that you don't get by just playing through songs the same way every time. 

I find we all have to compromise and agree to do things that aren't our fav because others are into it and more importantly I have discovered that, as a band, we just do some things better than others and you have to work with what you've got. If your drummer can't do funk, you ain't doin' funk.


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## Beatles (Feb 7, 2006)

As far as band practices go, I've always been inclined to have a structured approach. I expect fellow bandmates to show up knowing their parts, understand the structure of the song, have a fairly good understanding of any vocal parts, and bring a copy of any words/charts that they can refer to. Bring a pen and paper to write down what you should be learning or reviewing on your own time. I also think it is courteous not to expect whoever hosts the practice not to suppy food, beverages etc. Bring your own. Communicate with everyone. There is no room for hidden agendas. Be honest. We are all adults. Everyone has to be on the same page.

With respect to rehearsals, running the set list from top to bottom would be the norm for me. No stopping, no going over anyone's part, no rethinking a new ending to a song, everyone has a copy of the established set list to work from. If you make a mistake, move on. You'll remember where you went wrong. 

I recently left the band I started three years ago because a) no one (the other two guys) wanted to spend their own time learning or brushing up on the songs b) the bass player took pride in the fact that he never practiced. He would constantly ask "what key is this in?" So he would just wing it whether it was a practice or a gig. c) the drummer would show up and say lets learn a new song. Just like that, as if there is nothing involved in putting a song together d) seldom would they bring any written material to refer to. Songs were always "good enough" with no willingness for improvement. Complaceny crept it. e) too many unforgivable mistakes were made at gigs due to the lack of effort at practices. It was getting more and more like working at a job you hate. It stopped being fun.


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## bluesmostly (Feb 10, 2006)

Beatles said:


> As far as band practices go, I've always been inclined to have a structured approach. I expect fellow bandmates to show up knowing their parts, understand the structure of the song, have a fairly good understanding of any vocal parts, and bring a copy of any words/charts that they can refer to. Bring a pen and paper to write down what you should be learning or reviewing on your own time. I also think it is courteous not to expect whoever hosts the practice not to suppy food, beverages etc. Bring your own. Communicate with everyone. There is no room for hidden agendas. Be honest. We are all adults. Everyone has to be on the same page.
> 
> With respect to rehearsals, running the set list from top to bottom would be the norm for me. No stopping, no going over anyone's part, no rethinking a new ending to a song, everyone has a copy of the established set list to work from. If you make a mistake, move on. You'll remember where you went wrong.
> 
> I recently left the band I started three years ago because a) no one (the other two guys) wanted to spend their own time learning or brushing up on the songs b) the bass player took pride in the fact that he never practiced. He would constantly ask "what key is this in?" So he would just wing it whether it was a practice or a gig. c) the drummer would show up and say lets learn a new song. Just like that, as if there is nothing involved in putting a song together d) seldom would they bring any written material to refer to. Songs were always "good enough" with no willingness for improvement. Complaceny crept it. e) too many unforgivable mistakes were made at gigs due to the lack of effort at practices. It was getting more and more like working at a job you hate. It stopped being fun.


playing the set list from top to bottom without stopping, or correcting... mmm... interesting.

the last paragraph sounds way too much like my current situation. time for a change.


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## kat_ (Jan 11, 2007)

I'm in 2 different bands with 2 very different rehearsals. The band that has been together for years and gigs regularly starts each rehearsal by running through one set and then we work on new material. Total rehearsal time : 2 or 3 hours. We go out afterward about once a month.
The other band I'm in is much more social and barely gigs at all. We spend all of Saturday afternoon together. We usually start with lunch, then run through some old material, break for coffee and snacks, work on new material, more coffee and often some booze, play a little more, then drinks and sometimes dinner. We knew from the start that we're friends who happen to play music, and the other band I'm in is a band who happens to be friends. The difference is very obvious in how we spend our time.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

1) My biggest problem with band practices is not having been in one for over 30 years. I miss it.

2) I thought "band practice" was mostly "slow blues in A" or playing the opening riffs (but nothing after that) to as many songs as you know.

3) More seriously, I'll repeat the declaration others have made about the good points raised in earlier posts.

- People do need to come prepared. But one _has_ band practices because one of the things you can never prepare ahead of time is how things are going to sound when you're playing with everybody else in the band. So practice serves the purpose of fostering synchrony, and sonic balance. The amp settings that sound great at home may be overkill or lost in the mix when everyone else is there. The cues that will be most evident and useful for playing a tune in precise manner may not be evident at home. And that is the difference between "practice" and "rehearsal". Actors practice their lines ahead of time, but you have play rehearsal because it is difficult to have any sense of the timing of transitions between scenes and such when practicing on your own. Similarly, if we're going to go from tune A to tune B in a set, without forcing people to wait 5 minutes while we set stuff up, then we have to have a sense of what makes for the most efficient and effortless segue.

- Absolutely nothing wrong with improving. Pro sports teams watch game films together and take paper and mental notes of what worked well and what didn't, so performance can be optimal next time out. I would consider a band listening to a recording of a recent or otherwise representative show, and discussing what should be retained, or what could be improved upon, and how, a perfectly valid rehearsal. Even better, it doesn't have to be loud or necessitate schlepping in gear from the car.

- Practice/rehearsal makes for smoother more error-free transitions, but too much practice can also induce mindlessness. One does want to keep material feeling fresh, such that whatever enthusiasm the individual player had for the material can be kept afloat. If a group doesn't gig all that often, too much practice can also induce feelings of resentment towards the music that you do have mastered. If you do gig often enough, though, the flexibility to take a tune in any direction you want at a moment's notice, will come naturally. I remember an interview with James Taylor I read in Rolling Stone some 35 years ago, where he suggested starting every set with "a song you could play if a tiger was chewing your foot off"; in other words, something that comes fluidly enough that you don't have to concentrate on _how_ to play it, but are able to ponder how you _want_ to play it. Band practice/rehearsal can sometimes help you to get there, but is not a required path to get there. Sometimes steady gigging is enough.


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## bluesmostly (Feb 10, 2006)

kat_ said:


> I'm in 2 different bands with 2 very different rehearsals. The band that has been together for years and gigs regularly starts each rehearsal by running through one set and then we work on new material. Total rehearsal time : 2 or 3 hours. We go out afterward about once a month.
> The other band I'm in is much more social and barely gigs at all. We spend all of Saturday afternoon together. We usually start with lunch, then run through some old material, break for coffee and snacks, work on new material, more coffee and often some booze, play a little more, then drinks and sometimes dinner. We knew from the start that we're friends who happen to play music, and the other band I'm in is a band who happens to be friends. The difference is very obvious in how we spend our time.


Kat, those two scenarios sound great to me!


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## Hamstrung (Sep 21, 2007)

Great insights here. 
Can anyone comment on how to set expectations for your average "weekend warrior" cover band with a full set list replacing a member? What's expected? What should be offered?
For the sake of this question lets assume a part time band that gigs infrequently but practices weekly to a couple times per month.


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## Guitar101 (Jan 19, 2011)

I don't think anyone's mentioned crib sheets or cheat sheets. Years ago I didn't have to work as hard learning the songs if I had the chords in front of me. I had a book that I sat on the piano in front of me with all the songs with chords. Big mistake. I used to dream about what trouble I'd be in if I lost "The Book". I never did lose it and it took awhile but I now realize that if a songs worth learning, it's worth learning properly. Again, it comes down to respect for your bandmates. I now memorize all the songs I play and it's a lot less stressful when playing or practicing the songs. It's also great for exercising your mind for when you get older. It's the old "use it or lose it" thing. If your using cheat sheets. Get rid of them.


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## bw66 (Dec 17, 2009)

Guitar101 said:


> I don't think anyone's mentioned crib sheets or cheat sheets. Years ago I didn't have to work as hard learning the songs if I had the chords in front of me. I had a book that I sat on the piano in front of me with all the songs with chords. Big mistake. I used to dream about what trouble I'd be in if I lost "The Book". I never did lose it and it took awhile but I now realize that if a songs worth learning, it's worth learning properly. Again, it comes down to respect for your bandmates. I now memorize all the songs I play and it's a lot less stressful when playing or practicing the songs. It's also great for exercising your mind for when you get older. It's the old "use it or lose it" thing. If your using cheat sheets. Get rid of them.


I know lots of good bands that use crib sheets, but personally I don't like them. For me its also about respect for your audience. 

Having said that, our vocalist sometimes uses them - she is busy with a number of very different projects and has a _lot_ of lyrics to remember. She keeps it subtle and only uses them for a couple of less familiar tunes. 

In the end, if it allows you to squeeze out an extra set, then I'm okay with it.


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## Fader (Mar 10, 2009)

Not everybody in the band is going to have the same goals. Trying to get three of four people to agree on anything can be a challenge.
Some just want to play for pleasure and when you have to play songs over and over to get stuff right, well, thats a lot like work.

So song perfection doesn't hold the same value for all of us. Its more fun to say screw it, that's good enough, what's the next song?

I recorded a few of our sessions to demonstrate how bad we sucked on some songs and the boys were bummed when I played it back.
They were all in agreement that no further recordings should be made because they made us sound bad.


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## kat_ (Jan 11, 2007)

bluesmostly said:


> Kat, those two scenarios sound great to me!


They really are. Honestly the more social band only functions because we have a very strong leader who emails everyone mid-week with a practice schedule so we know the drinking can't take over until everything on his list is done.


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## Big_Daddy (Apr 2, 2009)

Fader said:


> Not everybody in the band is going to have the same goals. Trying to get three of four people to agree on anything can be a challenge.


This brings to mind an old joke....

How do you get 5 musicians to agree on an arrangement?
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
Shoot four of them.



BD


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## bluesguitar1972 (Jul 16, 2011)

Big_Daddy said:


> This brings to mind an old joke....
> 
> How do you get 5 musicians to agree on an arrangement?
> >
> ...


lol 
Too true.


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## davetcan (Feb 27, 2006)

yes he is, but so are you!



mario said:


> I'm pretty lucky with the guys I am playing with at the moment. They love to practice...especially our singer. He's really keen one us two doing an open mike type of thing every now and then. Acoustic guitar myself and vocal and harp by him. He's actually quite good.


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## davetcan (Feb 27, 2006)

As for opinions on what practice should be I have nothing new to add. All very good points. Completely agree on the preparation thingy. You should at a minimum have the basics down so that the "practice" can be used for working out the details. I'm not exactly proficient with this thing I've chosen to try and play but I'm willing to put in the effort to learn what I need to. If it's outside my ability I'll speak up  Having said that it's still got to be fun or there's no point. You need to enjoy playing with your band mates, no room for tension or conflict. If you don't get along why bother?


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## mario (Feb 18, 2006)

davetcan said:


> yes he is, but so are you!



LOL...I think I suck but thank you. Same to you!evilGuitar:


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