How do you run your rehearsal sessions ? I'm trying to push my current lot to be certain they know the songs inside out before we waste time lugging all the gear into the practice hall, but it doesn't seem to be working. There still seems to be uncertainties over the song formats (we're doing covers). The other guitarist seems lost in several songs, the singer doesn't seem certain of the formats re the lyrics.
I don't want to get all schoolteacher on them but from what I can see, it's all down to them not fully learning the songs in advance. The problem is then that I end up spending so much time playing musical director as well as 'bandfuhrer' that I don't get to concentrate on my own playing.
How do you run yours ? Is anyone in particular in control ? How do you deal with people who are plainly playing the wrong thing ? etc.
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Having said that - in one of my bands, I email everyone an mp3 and a break down of the chords/structure just to make life simple. I'm going to make notes as I transcribe so its no big deal to pass them on .
I'm very much in the "DO YOUR BLOODY HOMEWORK!" camp, but there are the odd bits you can't quite get your head around sometimes that need a bit of work.
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It's ok if there's no immediate performance to use a session to collectively learn a song. As long as all are up for it. There's no point doing note bashing if you only meet twice a year, might as well have a larf with Blues in A
My first band wasn't a covers one and the writer would turn up with a half-baked chord sheet, that we'd have to copy by hand, with lots of time signature changes un-annotated and then expect the rest of us to be immediately note perfect - wasn't fun at all (basically an ego trip for the writer to demonstrate how great he was and how crap we were).
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In my pub rock band the rehearsals were the point of the band really with gigs a vague distant goal so everyone just had to be familiar with the song to be learned and we spent some time on working through it. I really enjoyed that but the project collapsed under its lack of momentum.
For the new band we agreed a set list and are working through it. Learned 4 songs, IIRC, at home for the first rehearsal and have added a couple each week since. It isn't too serious but we are making progress nonetheless. Rehearsals are two hours - set up, play couple of familiar songs for level and warm up, go through new songs, fag/ tea/ urine break and go back over what we struggled with. It's fairly low level stuff but it is moving on. Everyone has day jobs/kids so learning a dozen new songs each week isn't on the cards. I don't think this would cut it for a pro or semi pro band but I am not playing guitar to pay the mortgage so I want to enjoy it.
I think for any band you do need some kind of MD. So, this currently seems to be me, sorting out the set list, reminders of what to learn, I plot out structures on a bit of paper ( verse, chorus, solo type stuff as this is where we usually get lost), send a link with which version we have in mind ( or two versions often eg can we do it like this but take the ending from this - although I'm playing 3 chord ska and reggae songs it ain't Mozart) and that kind of thing.
I think the other thing about pace is that the singer will probably dictate it to some extent. Learning guitar parts is usually quicker than lyrics. We are supposed to have learned Do the Dog by the Specials for tonight. Complete bastard lyrically and far too fast to sing off a lyric sheet so our singist will have to have it 90% down before we first rehearse it and I just had to learn a three chord guitar riff, short solo section and will wing the other solo bit.
I do all my work at home on my own and rely on the rest of the band knowing what they're doing
However our band leader doesn't hand out proper lead sheets. He gives out lyric listings with guitar chords written above (sometimes the wrong) syllable with naff all timing info on it, which is unreadable. The bass player usually knows how the timing goes, so he helps me add barlines. Learning from youtube is not all that satisfactory as the bandleader's arrangements are often different to the original.
My parts are usually improvised from the guidance on the chord chart but over the last 6 weeks have started to settle down into something fairly predictable. I'm trying now not to rely on having the crib sheet in front of me, but I confess to still needing it because just telling me the title of a song doesn't cause automatic recall of the key, time signature, tempo, etc. Our bass player also plays in a big band and he's used to the idea of being given sheets full of dots that he's supposed to sight read.
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We used to practice once pw, but stopped that in Oct. We've just ploughed through four gigs of late without rehearsal, so it seems to be working. We'll now only book the room if we need to run through a 'block' of new stuff or if something's a bit tricky and we're not confident of gigging it.
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Always start the session with one or two well liked numbers from the set to chill the groove and then go over any 'accidents' that occurred at the last gig (bad endings, false starts, forgotten middle eights etc). Polish last times new material with a run through to get familiar.
Then approach new song one, if after a couple of runs it is apparent someone is not up to speed find out what the problem is. We all have bad weeks when the goldfish has died or the gas has been disconnected or the laminate flooring been laid. People who have a succession of excuses will be making those excuses to the whole band and wasting their time. If a song doesn't work for the band (it happens) or requires the arrangement to be reviewed now is the time for action.
Repeat the above for song Two.
Repeat the above for song three(?)
Decide which material will be on the agenda for the next rehearsal.
Run through each new song once to polish/familiarise.
Run through an old favourite to finish on a high.
Pack the gear and retire to the bar.