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Band Practice
Getting a guitar and learning how to play was an experience and skill that has stayed with me and served me throughout my entire life. Joining my first band and learning how to rehearse, write a song, work together as a team, and create a musical performance collaboratively was the best and most important activity I did as a teenager. I still carry the lessons I learned to this day and still battle the same bad habits (as a group) that I did in my first band and all the friends, groups, and professionals I have payed with until now.
Fast forward more than 20 years and here I am still putting these lessons into place and battling the same bad habits. For your consideration, here are the top 5 things you should be doing to make your band practices great and productive:
Have goals - I mean, really specific, actionable, SMALL goals.
I’m talking:
“Learn three songs as a band.”
“Be able to beautifully start and end those three songs as a band.”
“Film a video of the band playing a song.”
“Make a studio recording of a song performed live or using studio multi-tracking techniques as a band.”
“Practice repertoire all the way through to simulate a live show as a band.”
“Showing the ringer(s) how to play the songs as a band.”
“Vamp on problem portion of songs to ensure accuracy of musical performance as a band.”
The point is to be always be playing music in a group setting and agreeing to and executing some sort of song structure from beginning to end. Recording or filming the performance of the songs will provide critical feedback about the good and bad aspects of your playing in the group. Do that if you can every practice at least at the end of the rehearsal to capture your best shot of playing the tunes.
The biggest downfall of any rehearsal is your time being spent as an unfocused affair, mostly concerned with talking or needless and unproductive jamming or “noodling.” Stay on track with what you want to do and execute.Have a plan for practice informed by your goal(s) - and stick to it. Everyone should be on the same page about the goals and the plan. Stick to the plan, take a (quick) break after every hour of rehearsal and get right back into it. If you have multiple items on your to-do list, you should try to organize the least enjoyable agenda item and beat it in practice until you are sick of it or have mastered it to the point of it being unrecognizable.
Pack lightly - In most cases. If you’re reading this you need to pack smaller unless (as above) you are simulating a live performance. Only bring what is critical in service of the song. There is no need to bring a “rig” for every rehearsal. There is definitely not a need to bring the entire rig for a first rehearsal.
Smaller amps, smaller pedal boards, one guitar/pedalboard/keyboard, and smaller and fewer drums is what is required for intimate home or practice space rehearsals.Prepare heavy (individually) - Decide what you will do ahead of time, get everyone on board with it, and then do whatever you can to prepare as if you are walking in to a professional recording session. Listen to the recordings provided—multiple times. Play through the recordings. Get your sound tight for every song ahead of time and make your equipment or settings a non-issue.
Wear hearing protection - I haven’t had a hearing test in a while but I know it was probably damaged significantly during all those concerts and Sunday afternoon practices I attended as a younger person not thinking anything of the resource that your hearing is as a musician. When it’s gone, it’s gone. Don’t be stupid. Spend $40 and get badass hearing protection that will lower the db going to your ear and still preserve the sound in a way that is useful and enjoyable.
Your hearing is your best instrument as a musician and best music player as a consumer. Be thankful and protect it.
Playing in a group as a musician is one of the most rewarding, instructive, and fun things to do as a musician. Take the time on a person level to learn the songs and show up as the best version of yourself as a performer. Lead when practices get offtrack. You are there at the rehearsal to do a job and make art. Don’t forget that.
Also, it’s fun to get things done. Listening back or watching your recordings is a great motivator when you can hear progress rehearsal to rehearsal.
Tonight (02/26/2021) on Facebook live I’ll be chatting with Art Martinez of Art Martinez and the Sofa Kings about how he rehearses his band. “Like” the Hollis Webb and the Sleuth facebook page to get a notification when we go live at 7PM. https://www.facebook.com/holliswebb