Bands that don't practice

[Monkey Steve]

[quote name='yorks5stringer' timestamp='1487696330' post='3241939']
I have heard it said on here that if you practice /rehearse all the time, you just get good at rehearsing/practicing and actually playing gigs is a different skill.

My Americana Band rehearse every week (and it does my head in) unless we bring on new material, which we are doing this year, thank goodness!
[/quote]

Not sure I agree with this, but playing live is definitely a different skill which improves the more you do it - playing the odd gig every few months won't do much to polish your tightness as a band, but playing live every night for a fortnight most definitely will.

I can also notice when the band tips from being a well rehearsed machine into being over-rehearsed and mechanical, and it's usually because there hasn't been enough live playing. Things don't quite click like they should, and that vital spark has been squeezed out.

[yorks5stringer]

A good rehearsal can mean a bad gig and vice versa too...!

[Adrenochrome]

I've played in a couple of mainly covers bands which only rehearsed when adding new songs, or to improve/change an arrangement (eg vocal harmonies).
Both bands rehearsed really hard to get to that point, and had 4+ gigs a month which was plenty to keep tight.
I think it's horses for courses. I hate rehearsing too much.

Edited February 21, 2017 by Adrenochrome

[Les]

I feel the OP has got a bit of a rough deal to be honest. We're a band that doesn't practise often at all but a new member would get as many as they needed to to get up to speed.

Like many who've posted previously the parctise to gig ratio has to be seriously low for us but leaving somebody floundering/struggling or pissed off enough to leave is a waste of everyones time.

Les

[TimR]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1487695261' post='3241923']


In my case the alternative versions were by the same band but the album versions that they played had whole extra sections with completely different chords that never appeared anywhere in the single version that I had learnt.
[/quote]

Ha. Yes. What's the point in that?

Our singer is a bit odd when it comes to that sort of thing. We suggest a well known song by an artist, he'll then say no, he prefers X obscure version or some completely different tune by the same artist form an obscure album that no one will ever have heard before.

It's hard work.

Just choose a well known song. Learn it. Play it. It's not rocket science.

[blue]

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1487701745' post='3242013']


Ha. Yes. What's the point in that?

Our singer is a bit odd when it comes to that sort of thing. We suggest a well known song by an artist, he'll then say no, he prefers X obscure version or some completely different tune by the same artist form an obscure album that no one will ever have heard before.

It's hard work.

Just choose a well known song. Learn it. Play it. It's not rocket science.
[/quote]

All bands are different. We have a band leader, so there's no " we suggest " option. The BL picks what songs we play and the version.

Makes life a lot easier.

Blue

[blue]

[quote name='Les' timestamp='1487701113' post='3242002']
I feel the OP has got a bit of a rough deal to be honest. We're a band that doesn't practise often at all but a new member would get as many as they needed to to get up to speed.

Like many who've posted previously the parctise to gig ratio has to be seriously low for us but leaving somebody floundering/struggling or pissed off enough to leave is a waste of everyones time.

Les
[/quote]

I agree with Les. The only time we really practice is if we're getting a new band member up to speed.

Blue

[TimR]

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1487730452' post='3242273']


All bands are different. We have a band leader, so there's no " we suggest " option. The BL picks what songs we play and the version.

Makes life a lot easier.

Blue
[/quote]

Is your band leader the singer?

I can't see any band working unless the singer has a big say in the songs. However, the B/L and singer need to have a very close understanding of exactly what direction the band is going in.

I'm not sure that our singer asked exactly the right question when he joined the band, and seems to want to pull in a different direction to the rest of us. Which does keep it fairly fresh and away from 'the usual suspects' when it comes to song choices but it can become a chore choosing new songs.

Although, he was already there when I joined.

Like you, I just turn up and play and make the odd suggestions, whether or not they're taken on board doesn't bother me as long as the leader has an idea of direction. It does make suggesting songs that will work a lot easier.

[sprocketflup]

Current band rehearse once in a blue moon as we are dotted around the country so getting everyone together is a mare. If we could get a Skype type thing going then I'm sure we would.

Done plenty of different bands ranging from rehearsing weekly but never gigging to, just diving straight in, all manners have their plusses and minuses IMO. I don't have a great deal of time these days so I'm cool with the arrangement my band has got at the mo

[DaytonaRik]

Think Lizzy may get together for a single rehearsal with everyone attending prepared and ready if we're adding a track or two to the set list but (un?)fortunately for us there hasn't been any new material written by Phil Lynott for a while

[la bam]

For me rehersal should be something you really look forward to. The challenge of learning new songs, getting all the dynamics in, getting right and having a laugh.

Once band members say they don't want to reherse I get worried that it's all about to collapse, and cant understand why they wouldn't want to reherse.

[mrtcat]

Happy to rehearse if there's something that needs sorting. In that situation I want to see a proper plan for the session and it needs to be focused and productive.

Rehearsal on a weekly basis is, in my experience, rarely beneficial. If drummer and bass player are good then being tight should be possible after very limited time together. If you have to rehearse week in week out to get tight then there's a limiting factor at play somewhere.

[TimR]

[quote name='mrtcat' timestamp='1487768178' post='3242592']
Happy to rehearse if there's something that needs sorting. In that situation I want to see a proper plan for the session and it needs to be focused and productive.

Rehearsal on a weekly basis is, in my experience, rarely beneficial. If drummer and bass player are good then being tight should be possible after very limited time together. If you have to rehearse week in week out to get tight then there's a limiting factor at play somewhere.
[/quote]

I ageee. If you're playing gigs regularly, rehearsals aren't necessary and if you're not gigging regularly then targeted rehearsals on the lead up to gigs are beneficial. There's a balance.

I'd also call a rehearsal if a number of tunes that you've been playing for a long time start to fall apart. Sometimes parts of tunes just disappear from your memory for no real reason and get replaced with something that doesn't quite work. Then you're in a situation where everyone on the band starts questioning what they're playing and the trainwreck occurs. If the same tune train wrecks in the same place twice then it's time for a rehearsal.

[blue]

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1487751360' post='3242330']


Is your band leader the singer?

I can't see any band working unless the singer has a big say in the songs. However, the B/L and singer need to have a very close understanding of exactly what direction the band is going in.

I'm not sure that our singer asked exactly the right question when he joined the band, and seems to want to pull in a different direction to the rest of us. Which does keep it fairly fresh and away from 'the usual suspects' when it comes to song choices but it can become a chore choosing new songs.

Although, he was already there when I joined.

Like you, I just turn up and play and make the odd suggestions, whether or not they're taken on board doesn't bother me as long as the leader has an idea of direction. It does make suggesting songs that will work a lot easier.
[/quote]

Yes, our BL sings the majority of lead vocals.

Blue

[TimR]

You have the perfect scenario then.

[Les]

[quote name='la bam' timestamp='1487766738' post='3242565']
For me rehersal should be something you really look forward to. The challenge of learning new songs, getting all the dynamics in, getting right and having a laugh.

Once band members say they don't want to reherse I get worried that it's all about to collapse, and cant understand why they wouldn't want to reherse.
[/quote]

We do 60 gigs a year so rehearsing for the sake of it would break the camels back with familys etc. For me it's a chore but I'm happy to do if it's needed.

We are actually rehearsing tomorrow as we have a new dep drummer we need to get up to speed for Saturday.

Les

[Dave Vader]

I'm somehow in 4 bands at the moment, with a few regular deps chucked in.

If they all wanted to practice all the time I couldn't be.
I enjoy the sheer terror of turning up to do a gig having never met half the band before, hoping against hope that they do the songs the same way they said they did in the email - followed by the fun of watching the guitar player/bassist's fingers as they rip into some tune they never told me about and I have never heard before. Amazingly I can still just about busk most stuff that way - well enough for most bands round here anyway (yes that was a derogatory comment about most bands round here)

[mcnach]

[quote name='la bam' timestamp='1487766738' post='3242565']
For me rehersal should be something you really look forward to. The challenge of learning new songs, getting all the dynamics in, getting right and having a laugh.

Once band members say they don't want to reherse I get worried that it's all about to collapse, and cant understand why they wouldn't want to reherse.
[/quote]


when I was younger and had lots of time, I'd have been happy rehearsing every day all day!
But time is limited now, and I enjoy it when we get together to work on new song ideas (originals) and 'jamming to summon the muse' or when we play live. That's it. If it's covers I have no interest rehearsing every week once we know what we're doing...

[spectoremg]

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1487669922' post='3241598']

contempt for the punters? where do you get that from???

the band has chosen the OP to play bass for them, and they are clearly happy he can do the job. Where you assume contempt there may just be confidence on their part that the OP is doing a good job. The OP may have doubts about his own ability, and feel a bit under pressure, understandably... and having self-doubts is not a bad thing if it makes you work harder to make sure you're prepared.

"oh we don't do that version"... yeah it happens... but that's a different matter altogether and not what we have here.
[/quote]Contempt in the sense that a band should be at its best ie well rehearsed. Sorry for having an opinion.

[Chienmortbb]

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1487696767' post='3241945']


At our last gig we made a car crash of the stuff we practiced at the previous rehearsal yet I was apprehensive about the songs played on double bass as I hadn't practiced at all, they were our best songs all night!
[/quote]last rehearsal syndrome. If it goes well the gig sucks if rehearsal sucks the gig usually goes well.

[Subthumper]

Wow that's thrown up bit more than I anticipated. The rehearsal situation isn't the only reason I'm leaving the band. I wasn't expecting week in week out practices, just a couple of proper run through the set ones. The drummer is very very different to the last guy I played with, who played everything like it was his last leg over. So it's taken several gigs just to get his measure which I could have got sorted at practice and hit the ground running at gigs.
I respect all the opinions posted it up and I'm sure it's very much a case of what suits you.
Anyhow I'm calling it a day for pub covers, at least for a while. I have limited time to play at the moment so want to spend that time on writing/recording original stuff.

[Downdown]

[quote name='ambient' timestamp='1487641701' post='3241487']
The Stones would rehearse not necessarily the playing of the songs, there's an awful lot of technical stuff that goes on in shows that they have to get right. Cues and ends, lighting and projection etc.
[/quote]

Good point. A few times I've been to a couple of gigs close together on the same tour and a lot of the chat, jokes and one-liners between songs were the same!

I guess there's more to putting on a show than just knowing how to play a few tunes and then winging the rest.

[steantval]

[quote name='Subthumper' timestamp='1487633100' post='3241453']
Hi all, I was just wondering if anyone else is in a band that pretty much doesn't practice. I recently joined but am now leaving a cover band. It's classic rock stuff, some of it slightly tricky some of it difficult. They gave a list of about 45 songs to learn and we had one run through quietly at someone's house with electronic kit etc, and then straight into gigs. I've felt like I'm constantly depping at short notice, always playing catch up. I'm used to bands that rehearse their arses off so they can perform not just play. It seems to suck the passion out of playing. I've played very well in some great bands over the years and done hundreds of gigs, both cover and original but I'm genuinely struggling here. I've been through and through the songs but find having no full rehearsals makes it very difficult to get a feel for how the band play it. Has anyone else had this experience?
Thanks for reading.
Cheers
[/quote]

The rest of your band mates seem to come over as selfish ars*holes.
To learn 45 songs seems over the top for a Rock covers band, are all the songs about two minutes in length ?
Twenty five songs would be ample for a two set gig in normal circumstances.
We would give any new member at least six to ten rehearsals to get up to speed, it's only fair.

[mcnach]

[quote name='spectoremg' timestamp='1487786254' post='3242922']
Contempt in the sense that a band should be at its best ie well rehearsed. Sorry for having an opinion.
[/quote]


don't give me that "sorry for having an opinion" because I have one too and disagree, please...

I disagree with your notion that not rehearsing as much as *you* think appropriate is showing contempt for the audience. I would never go unprepared because I don't want to do a bad job and much less be part of a train wreck onstage where I cannot hide
We just disagree about what we think rehearsals are for and what they should accomplish, and how long it takes to be prepared.

[Phil Starr]

Oh dear, I was in a grumpy mood when I last responded to this I Just felt the OP's frustration.

A couple of people have picked up on some things I said. I think I was the first person to mention contempt for the audience which others have repeated. For me standing up in front of an audience is still something special, my 'contract' with them is to do the best I'm capable of, never to say 'oh well that was good enough, the audience won't notice'. I'd be the first to say there are people way better than I am, whose half committed efforts would surpass my bass playing by quite a distance but I still think it is disrespectful not to do your best.

Ambient made the points about the quality of the musicians and the difficulty of the music and there have been plenty of comments about not needing rehearsal for gigging the same songs you did last week. All true of course but most of those bands will have rehearsed at some time in the past.

There's a balance between rehearsal, personal practice, regular gigging and the skills of the musicians. There's no point in rehearsing if people haven't learned their own parts at home, you can't stitch things together if they are full of holes. There's no point in rehearsing stuff you are already on top of and did last night. Better musicians may need less rehearsal, though I suspect they are better because of lots of practice. Simple songs need little work other than perhaps the starts and finishes. Sometimes for weekend warriors you have to reach a practical compromise between music and the rest of your life.

But, I don't suppose any of us couldn't improve what we do with a little bit of intelligent time together in a rehearsal room. Sure the Rolling Stones would have been rehearsing in session men, staging and lighting and so on but shouldn't we all if we can?

It's OK for me, I enjoy any time together with freinds making music and I enjoy the social side but I don't buy the claim that 'me and my mates are so good nothing could be improved by rehearsal' either. The rest is just about compromising between what you need to do and the practicalities of how to achieve it.

As for the OP I think with a new band member I'd want to have a run through, just to check starts, ends and any odd bits of arrangements rather than do that in front of an audience, if at all possible.