Rehearsals - making them pay

[TimR]

We play modern pop/rock but we just have singer/guitar/bass/drums. No brass, strings, keys etc.

 

So we have to be very creative with the arrangements and usually just keep the chord structure, form and signature parts. It means that often the guitar and bass aren't playing what's on the reference recording. 

 

So initially we will listen to the reference and pick out what we think will work and the first few band practices will be just jamming round the chords to see what works.

 

It's not feasable to learn the parts or practice them at home and then hope what you have learned fits what the rest of the band are playing. 

 

Rehearsals are different to practices. They're when we have nailed the parts and are ready to gig them.

 

A gig is worth a thousand rehearsals. 

 

I have played in bands where everyone has gone away and 'learned' their part from the 'orginal recording' and it's been a very frustrating experience, espescially if one member insists other players aren't playing it right, or I've spent hours learning something exactly as per the record only for it to just not work with the band and be shelved. 

 

 

[TimR]

11 hours ago, chris_b said:

 

That's a*rse about face.

 

Come up with a set list, learn it at home and play it all at the rehearsal. Then everything has been dealt with and nothing needs "revisiting".

 

Until you rehearse something, you don't know what needs work. That's the whole object of a rehearsal. 

[peteb]

At this point, the bands that I am in only ever rehearse if there is a point, i.e. if we need to learn new material, or if we've got gigs coming up and we haven't played together for a while. No regular rehearsals or anything like that.

 

If somebody wants to get together for a jam session, then I'm happy to do that (depending on who it is) as long as it is understood that is what we will be doing. 

 

Edited 6 hours ago by peteb