No time to practice, time to quit

sevenyearsdown · #1 02-20-2008, 12:19 PM

Ever been in a band that was more interested in "practicing" on there own? The band I just quit decided it was easier to send youtube links to each other to learn songs, walk through them once in an hour long practice, and then drop them into a setlist rather than actually getting in the room together for 2or three hours and getting it right. (sorry for the run-on) Two shows in a row we opened with new songs that I barely knew. Their logic was "the songs are easy". Easy yes, tight no.

Am I the only guy who actually likes practicing, 'cause every band I've hooked up with lately would rather just work it out onstage.

Sorry for the band rant, but this seemed like a good place for it.

N8116B · #2 02-20-2008, 12:20 PM

Practicing and jamming are what is fun about playing music. I am with you. Time to go elsewhere.

jakusx · #3 02-20-2008, 12:25 PM

Everyband I've been involved in likes to get together at least once a week to rock out for an hour or so, then work on some songs. Most of the writing is done alone, but then it's all tightened during practice, and songs won't get played live for at least a few months until they are super tight.

steve66 · #4 02-20-2008, 12:27 PM

Find a new band. Practice together as a group.

sevenyearsdown · #5 02-20-2008, 12:29 PM

Yeah I already quit. If I felt like doing all the work on my own I wouldn't be in a band in the first place.

shwashwa · #6 02-20-2008, 12:41 PM

many times as a professional you are expected to be able to play like you've been playing together for 20 years with out rehearsals or with minimal rehearsals. if they gave you the songs in advance and they were easy, one run through should be all that's required. jamming is fun, but many people want to maximize the time and not go over things that dont or shouldnt need it. i once had a cruise ship gig and when i got to the ship i asked the leader if there were going to be any rehearsals, and he said "if you need to rehearse then you don't belong here" (and i didnt get the stuff in advance. i got it the day i got on the ship). it was a great gig. the other guys already knew the stuff and i didnt have to waste anyone's time.

SnoMan · #7 02-20-2008, 12:44 PM

Well, that's just stupid.

Bassin' · #8 02-20-2008, 12:46 PM

I played in a band once and had been thinking seriously of quitting because I didn't get along with the guitar player. Around the same time we lost our rehearsal space because the guitar player got booted out of the house by the girl he was living with. So since we had no place to rehearse, we did a lot of songs where we would learn them on the fly and literally play them for the first time together at gigs. We did a lot of open jams anyway and the musicianship was actually top notch so we didn't have any real issues getting away with it. The funny thing was since I only had to see the guitar player at gigs, where there were a lot of other people around, I started to have fun in the band again. I stayed in that band for another year or so when I definitely would have quit well before that.

shwashwa · #9 02-20-2008, 12:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SnoMan

Well, that's just stupid.

it's called being professional. sink or swim. i'm not sure the level of playing in this thread, for hobbyists jamming is where the fun is. pro's dont always have time for that since they're always gigging.

rappa29 · #10 02-20-2008, 12:47 PM

The main reason I play music in bands is:

1.) The spontaneous interaction and creativity, be it covers or originals.
2.) The comradarie.
3.) Playing with good players and listening to them play their instruments.

I don't know WTH is up with the whole thing about learning songs on YouTube??? Our last 2 singers did that and still never learned all the words and arrangements correctly!

I guess I'm old school and still get a copy of the tune and listen to it over and over and over and over and learn it.

Although I'm somewhat up with the times as I do this via Itunes and my Ipod instead of mix tapes or mix CDs!

Edited to add: Agree regarding the 'pro' musicians. Get your part down tight on your own or be a hella good chart reader (if they're provided). Then again it's your job to get yourself tight on your own, so it's expected. If someone's gonna pay you the 'big bucks' to play on their gig\session, then you better have it together before you show up.

But I believe the OP's situation is not a pro session and for many of us that aren't Pros, it helps to spend time together in person. Especially for the rhythm section and really especially if you're playing original music.

QORC · #11 02-20-2008, 12:49 PM

I think it really depends. I've practiced with my band exactly twice and we have a pretty tight sound. We're all good musicians and everyone learned their parts and it all comes together at the show. I learned all my music on my own on a tascam bass trainer.

Given how often we've been gigging, I'm grateful for not having to lose a weeknight for practicing.

Every other band I've been with in the past practiced once a week. Funny thing is, none of them were as good as the band I'm in now.

sevenyearsdown · #12 02-20-2008, 12:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shwashwa

it's called being professional. sink or swim. i'm not sure the level of playing in this thread, for hobbyists jamming is where the fun is. pro's dont always have time for that since they're always gigging.

Well I'm not a "professional" (most over-used word by bar musicians ever) bassist. Maybe I should have clarified. I'm a competent bassist who plays in bar bands on the weekend for fun.

sink or swim? don't be such a snob.

shwashwa · #13 02-20-2008, 12:57 PM

i just re read your origional post and you say that the tunes werent tight. your band mates should only be using the no rehearsal or minimal rehearsal approach if they're good enough to pull it off. if they just dont realize that the tunes arent tight enough to play in public well then that's a whole other issue. i guess the point is, if the tune is done then it's done. dont rehearse it if you could spend time on new stuff. sometimes once is all it takes or once is all you get. it's not an uncommon situation.

BackwaterBass · #14 02-20-2008, 12:58 PM

Practice night is one of the highlights of my week, second only to gigging. My band members are all pretty good friends so we enjoy the time away from home and girlfriends/wives to play music, chill with our buds, and maybe drink a few beers. I guess we see it more like fun than like a job... so yeah, you have to find people with the same goals and expectations from the band.

shwashwa · #15 02-20-2008, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sevenyearsdown

sink or swim? don't be such a snob.

that's just reality. sorry to break it to you. believe me, there have been plenty of times when i sunk

tycobb73 · #16 02-20-2008, 01:06 PM

It depends on the song. We're learning 4 new tunes right now. 3 we will play the 1st time at a gig with no practice. 1 we will need to practice. Once we had time left before our quitting time and the guitarist said "do you know this song" I said "I do" I hadn't played it in a year and only then 15 times in 2 months. The drummer said "I'll make something up" The other guitarist said "I'll catch on" It went great and has been a staple in our setlist since then.

BillyRay · #17 02-20-2008, 01:07 PM

Sink or swin only works with people that are able to take one look through a song and fake it (go with the flow): i.e consumate pros who have been playing for years. I know I can do this stuff moderately well, but I also know that my bandmates cannot and this is why we rehearse two times a week: the drummer needs this time to know where to stop, do fills, change tempo, etc.

Not all projects are standards: sometimes, writing or covering intricate (tribute bands cannot fake it, for example) stuff needs a lot fo work getting it tight and good, even if everybody know their part well.

sevenyearsdown · #18 02-20-2008, 01:14 PM

My point was that I like to actually practice with a band, get tight, learn how to play off each other, interact socially....that type of thing. Anyone can sit on there butt and learn songs by themselves. It never was a sink or swim thing. Like I said.....bar band.

shwashwa · #19 02-20-2008, 01:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sevenyearsdown

My point was that I like to actually practice with a band, get tight, learn how to play off each other, interact socially....that type of thing. Anyone can sit on there butt and learn songs by themselves. It never was a sink or swim thing. Like I said.....bar band.

the No. 1 thing in music is that you enjoy yourself. if it wasnt the situation you were looking for then you did the right thing by quitting. i was just trying to point out that it's not a very unusual situation.

Sahm · #20 02-20-2008, 01:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sevenyearsdown

My point was that I like to actually practice with a band, get tight, learn how to play off each other, interact socially....that type of thing. Anyone can sit on there butt and learn songs by themselves. It never was a sink or swim thing. Like I said.....bar band.

The key is what was suggested earlier, you have to find a band that has the same goals, and the same expectiations of rehearsing and gigging.

I am a full time musician ( I don't say professional as much, 'cause I agree- it sounds snobbish!). For my original projects, rehearsal is a must.

For my cover bands, I prefer to rehearse only enough to get the first 50 tunes to start gigging, then practice on my own time to learn new tunes. We run through them at soundcheck, then premiere them!

However, there are part-time musicians in my groups too, so with some cover bands, I rehearse more than with others.