Effective Band Rehearsal
Posted by Music Concerts | Posted in Music Concerts | Posted on 14-04-2009
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If your band is in rehearsals, either preparing for gigging, or practising new songs to add to your repertoire, the occasions are you’ll have to hire a rehearsal room. The costs of hiring a room could soon mount up if you don’t organize your time effectively. You could be has been ting time and resources going around in circles, with a growing frustration that your band does not seem to be making any progress.
The answer is to set a Schedule for your rehearsals. without a schedule it is c club enging to monitor progress if in fact any is made. Disorganized rehearsals could soon turn into chaos, with everybody throwing in suggestions and playing different things at the same time. The rehearsal is not the time for your guitarist to hone his right hand tapping skills, or your drummer to best his lightning fast paradiddles, it is valuable time for working together as a band, and ought to be used as such. band members ought to have their own private schedules for practising instruments and learning new techniques. During a rehearsal you ought to all be working towards the same goal and making each other sound as nice as possible. The rehearsal ought to never turn into a ’who could play the loudest’ competition.
What ought to your schedule consist of?
Set goals for your rehearsal times and WRITE THEM DOWN! You ought to know which songs you’re going to rehearse in advance. If you’ve planned your strategy, you’ll avoid getting stuck in a rut and your time will be used constructively. songs you already know can be perfected and the little nuances worked on, stamping your own identity on cover songs and putting the finishing touches to originals.
You ought to make a list of ‘finished’ songs, ‘work in progress’ songs, and ‘new ideas’. As each one progresses, move it up into the next category, thereby revising the schedule for your next rehearsal.
I would suggest starting with 2 or 3 songs you’re happy and comfortable with, simply to give the band a positive vibe to build on, and then start work on new numbers. set aside a certain amount of time for each song, and then move on! Do not has been te time trying to best something that just isn’t working, you could come back to it later or at the next rehearsal. best the numbers that do work, and you’ll see positive results as your repertoire builds up considerably.
Always take regular breaks. Coming back to a number that has been n’t going too well with fresh ears could ofttimes be all it needs to make a distinct improvement. If that does not advocate, there’s no point in flogging a dead horse, so move it to the bottom of the list or think about dropping the song altogether and concentrating on another one.
Work on band dynamics and expression, i.e. fast, slow, loud, and quiet. Get your fills as tight and as fluent as possible. What you’re working on is that elusive ‘feel’ that’s the club mark of a nice band. Everybody ought to not only be playing his/her own instrument, but also actively listening to the rest of the band.
Tape your rehearsal. You don’t need any fancy recording equipment – a easy tape deck and mic will be sufficient. The idea is simply for the band to be able to listen to their efforts following wards. Listening to a song while you’re not playing means you could listen more subjectively and discuss the merits. Take notes while you listen, that way you’re already forming the schedule for the next rehearsal.
And finally, recall ; you’re in a band! As such, the sum of the parts ought to be greater than the individual contribution.

