Band Practice - How many Songs

[oldrocker]

We had a 4 hour band practce last night - we played 8 songs. We played half of them twice and the rest of them once. I think I need to find something better to do on a saturday night.

How many songs do you guys usually play in a session?

[jtc_hunter]

We usually practice 3 hrs. once a week. In that time we will hit 2 sets (20) songs in 2 hrs., then work on new songs for 1 hr. How many new songs depends on how easily they come together. Practice time is a delicate balance between having fun, a small amount of kidding around/BS, and constructive accomplishment. Too much of any of these 3 (or too little) makes for a less than steller practice.

[Depth_Charge]

Originally Posted by oldrocker

We had a 4 hour band practce last night - we played 8 songs. We played half of them twice and the rest of them once. I think I need to find something better to do on a saturday night.

How many songs do you guys usually play in a session?

In a typical 4 hour practice session we can play as little as 8 songs or as many as 30, depending on what the goals of that particular rehearsal are.

If your bands goals are to play 8 songs to an agreed standard in a 4 hour practice and you achieve that, that's OK.

If on the other hand you are standing around waiting for people to learn their parts, argue over arrangements or chat about their Friday night and the bands goals aren't being met then yeah, I'd wonder if I was wasting my time as well.

[kissmybASS01]

One thing I find that burns up valuable time during rehearsal is always starting tunes from the top (when we don't need to). We don't need to practice solos,nor do we have to always start at the beginning. Yes, there are times you play songs from "A to Z."

If we get mixed up coming out of the bridge, or need work on the ending, let's just fix these areas - THEN do a quick run-down to make sure everything works.

Rehearsal times are just that - running thru "performance ready" tunes. Practice is what you need to do at home (wood-shedding) - learning chord changes, locking in a groove, learning lyrics, whatever.

Just my two cents...

[Joe Nerve]

A 4 hour rehearsal and you only play a total of 12 songs (we played 8 songs. We played half of them twice and the rest of them once)?

I sure hope you guys have are getting drunk or have some girls hanging with you. I don't drink, but rehearsals like that could get me started again.

[The_D]

Originally Posted by Joe Nerve

A 4 hour rehearsal and you only play a total of 12 songs (we played 8 songs. We played half of them twice and the rest of them once)?

I sure hope you guys have are getting drunk or have some girls hanging with you. I don't drink, but rehearsals like that could get me started again.

I was thinking the same?! We usually practice for 3 hours maybe just over and go through the whole set (25 songs) then any new ones we may have been working on. So sometimes 30 songs and we go through the new ones a couple of times if something isnt right.

And dont think its tune after tune with no break. We have a laugh, a pint and then have a 5-10 minute break in the middle for the dirty smokers in the band.

[Munjibunga]

Originally Posted by jtc_hunter

We usually practice 3 hrs. once a week. In that time we will hit 2 sets (20) songs in 2 hrs., then work on new songs for 1 hr. How many new songs depends on how easily they come together. Practice time is a delicate balance between having fun, a small amount of kidding around/BS, and constructive accomplishment. Too much of any of these 3 (or too little) makes for a less than steller practice.

That's pretty much the same as our band.

[Munjibunga]

Originally Posted by The_D

And dont think its tune after tune with no break. We have a laugh, a pint and then have a 5-10 minute break in the middle for the dirty smokers in the band.

That's why smokers aren't allowed in our band. It's a gargantuan waste of time. We get more done in this band in three hours than we could in six with my last band for exactly the reason you describe. There's no drinking at rehearsal, either. We do stop to laugh between songs.

[nsmar4211]

Smokers not allowed in your band? Sheesh around here you wouldn't have a band! I have no prob with taking a 5 minute break once an hour, my hands could use a quick rest.

We don't usually go through a lot of songs in practice. Now that we're adding a drummer we'll be running through a bunch, but before we'd only do a few. We'd run over whichever ones someone wanted to do for whatever reason, run over last weeks new one, and then work on a new one for this week. Course, our rehersals are only like 2.5 hours long......

[i_got_a_mohawk]

We usually have a run through all our songs (all 8 of them, woot ). Maybe twice.

Then have a break so the guitard can have a smoke.

Then spend the next half of practice working on new material, or just fannying about (which happens more often).

At least its only usually 2 hour pracs.

If its the last prac before a gig tho, we will just hammer through the setlist a few times.

[oldrocker]

Thanks for the feedback guys.

For us what gets in the way is a combination of smoking (all substances) and drinking and general hanging out and wanking. (I'm a reformed smoker on all counts)

We do a couple of songs and then take a smoke break, then it's a bathroom break then someone needs to get a beer and maybe another smoke. A couple of more songs and repeat.

[Munjibunga]

Originally Posted by nsmar4211

Smokers not allowed in your band? Sheesh around here you wouldn't have a band! I have no prob with taking a 5 minute break once an hour, my hands could use a quick rest.

We don't usually go through a lot of songs in practice. Now that we're adding a drummer we'll be running through a bunch, but before we'd only do a few. We'd run over whichever ones someone wanted to do for whatever reason, run over last weeks new one, and then work on a new one for this week. Course, our rehersals are only like 2.5 hours long......

California is a non-smoking state.

[nsmar4211]

They've banned smoking outside your own home?

[Phalex]

My band practices to learn new tunes. We play out often enough that the ones we know stay pretty polished.

We usually practice 3 hours at a time a couple of times a month. We'll usually work on five tunes, actually like 3 and put those into rotation.

[Pilgrim]

My band has been together for 3+ years, so we know our sets pretty well. We usually play through both sets, totaling 2 hours. In that time, we'll play 20 or so songs. However, if we're adding something new (which we do once a month or so) we'll probably spend nearly half an hour on it.

Most of us bring a beer and sip it during practice. But we have no smokers. Smart people don't smoke.