Please describe practice vs. rehearsal

[Bottom Feeder]

I have an ongoing debate with my guitarist and drummer about the difference between practice and rehearsal. We have a cover band and we are all pretty darn good at our stuff but can never seem to get work done and progress.

Practice: This is something that really should be done outside of rehearsal. Listening to the tunes for the week to learn or work on. Playing along with the tunes to a CD or iPod or whatever. Getting to where you know every part and nuance to where it is natural.

Rehearsal: Bringing together what you have learned in the past week while practicing on your own. Making sure you are all tight in intros, outtros, breaks and nuances. Determining volume levels to where each member fits into the sonic mix. Playing the list in order and limiting the breaks in between. Sort of a dress rehearsal for a gig. I don't believe rehearsal is the place to learn a new tune. "It goes A,C, A, G". Gimme the tune to learn and I will have it ready the next rehearsal.

Does anybody have any opinions on the difference? I would like to show them these responses so we can come to some conclusion.

[dxbass]

Were doing original music and there is a distinct difference between the two for us as well.

Practice = Songs that are Work in Progress
Rehearsal= What we do in the week leading up to a gig.

[theshadow2001]

Rehearsal is preparation for a performance.

Practice is repetitive action to improve a skill.

Now that you know and put an end to your argument maybe you can concentrate on actually getting stuff done instead of the specific meaning of words.

[gjsven]

To add to the above:

Rehearsal is a form of practice,

BUT

Not all practice is rehearsal.

[rockdoc11]

Practice is what you do at home alone to learn your parts, and to get better overall.

Rehearsal is what the band does together to make all the already learned individual parts mesh as music.

IMHO, you should spend two to four hours of practice for every hour of rehearsal.

[CincyBassMan]

I agree totally with gjsven. Just got in from rehersal (see sig) and we put together 3 new tunes. We learned them together as a group. Some of us worked on the tunes prior to this evening, some of us did not (we are a 9pc).

Russ

[winstonthecat]

Especially w/ cover bands, you will waste a lot of time if you try to learn songs during your time together. You should decide which songs to play a week before each practice/rehersal, and then practice the individual parts at home. The group practice should be dedicated to bringing the parts together.

[Curtybob]

Maybe it's just me, but learning the tunes as a group helps build bonds that make a band comprised of friends, as opposed to a strictly business situation. Sure, practicing at home is mega-important, but don't turn your back on group efforts.

But, then again... I don't have a band with a recording deal or anything.

[winstonthecat]

Especially w/ cover bands, you will waste a lot of time if you try to learn songs during your time together. You should decide which songs to play a week before each practice/rehersal, and then practice the individual parts at home. The group practice should be dedicated to bringing the parts together.

[nubs]

practice is what I do at home in preporation to rehearsal, its getting my homework done....practice is how"i" improve my skills, and rehearsal is how "we" put our skills together...

[rfclef]

Originally Posted by rockdoc11

Practice is what you do at home alone to learn your parts, and to get better overall.

Rehearsal is what the band does together to make all the already learned individual parts mesh as music.

IMHO, you should spend two to four hours of practice for every hour of rehearsal.

the analogy I use with my students (band teacher here) is that Rehearsal is like an assembly line in Detroit... Practice is the individual places the parts are generated... if they tried to construct the headlights, spark plugs, radios on the assembly line, it would take forever to get the car together... The individual parts are brought to the assembly line and put together there... so:

Practice at home... get your "spark plug" made at home... then bring it here to the "ASSEMBLY LINE" (rehearsal, or in our case, class) to be put with the rest of the parts to make the "car" (piece, song, composition, etc).

Sorry to bore you.

[jomahu]

IMO, there is also something of a psychological aspect to it as well. unfortunately, i've gone to many a rehearsal expecting an actual rehearsal - i.e., everyone knows their parts and the song forms, and we just need to put them together and gel. most times, it turns into practice. major source of frustration for me...i'd leave every rehearsal feeling really pissed off.

i'm (still)trying to get around it by showing up prepared to rehearse, but expecting a practice. made a world of difference for me. i also argue a lot less.

[202dy]

Practice: alone
Rehearse: group

Or

Practice: Home
Rehearse: Hall

Or

Practice: bits/pieces
Rehearse: complete product

Or

Practice: big mistakes
Rehearse: little mistakes

Or

Practice: sketchpad
Rehearse: canvas

Or

Practice: exploring
Rehearse: knowing

Or

Practice: incompetence
Rehearse: competence

Or

Practice: non-performance
Rehearse: performance level

Or (if you are working with pros)

Practice: essential
Rehearse: what for?

[neurotictim]

Originally Posted by nubs

Practice is what I do at home in preparation to rehearsal, it's getting my homework done....practice is how I improve my skills, and rehearsal is how we put our skills together...

+1

I hate the fact that my rhythm guitarist spends so much time at band practices/rehearsals learning his parts, or trying to remember them - since he doesn't practice on his own, he forgets parts of our songs until we're rehearsing - and it drives me bat-**** crazy.

[Geddyfleaharris]

Completely off topic but Nubs you have the BEST avatar and funniest signature line. HAHHAHAHAHA

[IanStephenson]

I'm going with:
Practice is what I do at home
Rehearse is what I do with the band once a week

Other's use it differently, (and I'm not always consistant)...

Ian

[eedre]

Rehearsal definitely has more formal connotations with it. After all - orchestras don't "practice" they "rehearse".

Rehearsal implies that some goal must be reached by the end, however long that is.

[nsmar4211]

We're a cover band, our favorite rehersal scenario is:
Run through last weeks choice, find spots that aren't working.
Fix bad spots.
Run song once....... if alright chose next week's song, check key and find any necessary tuning/capoing changes.
Go over anything bothering anybody about any other songs.
At very end, do this weeks new song.
Go home .

Couple of times we're sucessfully learned a song together (usually when we neglected to pick one from week before).. couple of times the guitars could learn it but I'd have to tell them I have to listen to it by myself and we'll try again next rehersal. I find I remember the songs I've figured out myself a heck of a lot better than the try to play along at practice ones.

So.....+2 to Practice by yourself
Reherse what everyone has practiced.

[Juniorkimbrough]

Originally Posted by nubs

practice is what I do at home in preporation to rehearsal, its getting my homework done....practice is how"i" improve my skills, and rehearsal is how "we" put our skills together...

+1

well said