I wasnt really sure what forum to put this under,my appologies in advance if its in the wrong forum.My current band that Im in practices once a week for 3 hours and I feel thats not enough.It seems like we're not getting tighter but we're just maintaining where we're at if that makes any sense.So I was just curious what some others band practice habits are.
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Band practice.
- Thread starter tat2d_13
- Start date
Hategear
Workin' hard at hardly workin'.
3 hours a week is plenty, as long as everyone is practicing on their own as well. That was the biggest problem with my old band's practices -- no one but me seemed to be practicing until group practice.
Group practice is just that..."Group" practice. It is not the time, nor the place to be working on individual parts, but rather putting the individual parts together...seeing how they fit, making alterations to the song structure, etc. AS A GROUP.
Having said that, 2 to 4 hours is plenty of time to work out new songs or tighten up songs that still need work.
Through the years, I've found that too many musicians do not do enough of their own work and when it comes to group practice, they waste everyone's time trying to figure out their part at that time.
Fortunately I never played with those types for very long. The best practices are the ones where everyone knows their parts and the songs are just worked out together. When everyone knows their parts, there is more time to work on more constructive things like arrangements, set lists, song to song flow, new key changes or parts, etc.
If you are practicing for three hours and you are not getting tighter...then it is not a matter of how much you practice, but rather how you practice.
Having said that, 2 to 4 hours is plenty of time to work out new songs or tighten up songs that still need work.
Through the years, I've found that too many musicians do not do enough of their own work and when it comes to group practice, they waste everyone's time trying to figure out their part at that time.
Fortunately I never played with those types for very long. The best practices are the ones where everyone knows their parts and the songs are just worked out together. When everyone knows their parts, there is more time to work on more constructive things like arrangements, set lists, song to song flow, new key changes or parts, etc.
If you are practicing for three hours and you are not getting tighter...then it is not a matter of how much you practice, but rather how you practice.
My band practices once a week, sometime during the weekend. Usually 6 hours of togetherness, 3-4 of actual playing. 1-2 hours of it is spent writing music or editing existing stuff, the rest is spent playing.
Depends on the musicians.
3 hrs/week is plenty for us. We spend equal time writing new stuff and going through sets.
3 hrs/week is plenty for us. We spend equal time writing new stuff and going through sets.
Man, after reading the above posts I'm beginning to think there's something wrong with us. If my band practices less than twice a week, we collectively lose our edge.
Our best shows and writing came during a time this past summer when we were able to practice 3 times a week, 2 and 1/2 hours per practice.
Our best shows and writing came during a time this past summer when we were able to practice 3 times a week, 2 and 1/2 hours per practice.
P. Aaron beat me to it. I don't know how much my band practices, as I've never asked them. I can tell you that rehearsals are about two hours long. I can tell you that I'll probably average about 8-10 hours of practice a week, but I can't tell you how long the other guys practice. If you want to know, I'll ask them.
I think there is huge difference between practicing on your own and band rehearsals.
It shows when any one member of the band is not rehearsing enough on their own. It's not how much you practice but how. As long as each member is working their parts out or working to improve their ability, it will show up in a group setting.
But if any one of them is not, it is obvious they aren't doing their part. Typically if the group has to go over parts of a tune, or a whole song, too many times just to get one individual up to speed, then that individual is wasting other's valuable time.
I've got a wife and three kids who are involved in everything...I don't have the time to help any one of my bandmates figure out their part. It's kind of a "Don't waste my time and I won't waste yours", unwritten rule. If someone (including me) does not have their part down, we'll skip that song and move on. Better to practice wisely and make the most of what's there, than to piddle around with someone else's incompetence.
It shows when any one member of the band is not rehearsing enough on their own. It's not how much you practice but how. As long as each member is working their parts out or working to improve their ability, it will show up in a group setting.
But if any one of them is not, it is obvious they aren't doing their part. Typically if the group has to go over parts of a tune, or a whole song, too many times just to get one individual up to speed, then that individual is wasting other's valuable time.
I've got a wife and three kids who are involved in everything...I don't have the time to help any one of my bandmates figure out their part. It's kind of a "Don't waste my time and I won't waste yours", unwritten rule. If someone (including me) does not have their part down, we'll skip that song and move on. Better to practice wisely and make the most of what's there, than to piddle around with someone else's incompetence.
Hategear said:
Amen, Brother! I have that problem with just about every band I get involved with! Perhaps that is why I change bands so often. I try and practice at least three hours a week on my own. My motto, one that I blatantly stole from the Boy Scouts, is "be prepared."
My God! It must be a bass thing to practice on your own. I had experienced people not come to practice prepared. I ended up writing a list of tips for getting the most out of rehearsal and handing it to them. Needless to say, things got better. We even expanded on some of the ideas, and are getting a lot accomplished.
Almost never. Im on the school track team and I have no time to get out. NONE AT ALLLLLLLLL! It sucks.
Disclaimer: I don't pretent to be an elitist, or even the best, but this is what I do notice about some musicians.jazzbo said:
Jazzbo, when we say we practice more hours than rehearsals, it's probably because we work not only on the arrangements, but the trouble spots, and even alternate ways of playing a piece. Even those subtle changes have to be practiced over and over to sound smooth.
I can easily tell when someone doesn't practice enough: It's when they show up at rehearsal running through the same licks & chops, fills, or whatever, they were working on 2 years ago, and they still don't have them down fluidly, nor have they added anything new to their basic cache of chops.
I know we've said this a kazillion times: Rehearsal is not "instrument practice time!"
Agreed 100% !! Practice is what you do at home on your own!!
Do it when we're together and you are wasting my time!!
When bands get together it is :
REHEARSAL
- all the way, or you are not using the time well!
Do it when we're together and you are wasting my time!!
When bands get together it is :
REHEARSAL
- all the way, or you are not using the time well!
Inefficient band rehearsals are the first sign for me to leave. I'm at a point in my "musical career" that I'm only going to take gigs that go somewhere, that have potential, and if people show up at rehearsal not prepared, I know exactly where that band is going. Nowhere.
I loathe people who don't do their homework, particularly in cover bands. If you come to a rehearsal for a cover band not knowing how long the intro is, or how many choruses until the bridge, or if there's a modulation at the end, you need to seriously get your act together. People like that are destined for failure.
I loathe people who don't do their homework, particularly in cover bands. If you come to a rehearsal for a cover band not knowing how long the intro is, or how many choruses until the bridge, or if there's a modulation at the end, you need to seriously get your act together. People like that are destined for failure.
