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Cover bands: How much time do you spend rehearsing?

#121
StayLow said:
I'm quite easy-going, though the longer I'm at it the less tolerant I am of BS and time-sucks. I meant to say that in my experience, learned the hard way, don't even joke about rehearsing in some circles or you'll get a very stern warning from some of the others. I've never pushed it to the point of finding out if they're bluffing.
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Yeah, I caught your drift. It's still amusing in a puffed-up chest-beating sort of way. The posturing and threatening aspect, lol.

I've been playing in weekend cover bands for 35 years in two musically vibrant capitol cities, with lots of success at that level, and the hard-core elitist attitude you are describing has certainly never been the "norm" for me. I would venture to say it's not the norm for most of us in the cover band game.

My sympathies to you and your "circle."

After all, this is a business made up of and by people, so there's a human element there. It ain't the military, and for most of us it doesn't pay the rent. You shouldn't fear reprisals from BL or other members. There is no gang initiation or threat of violent hazing. And that's coming from the guy in the band who is usually on the more strict detail-oriented anal-retentive side.

"Survive to see the gig"????? Too funny--thanks for the chuckle, and stay safe my friend.
 
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#122
^ In my circle it's often guys with diplomas ... jazz diplomas. There are few, if any, subsets of society with less a sense of humor about their profession. Especially given the material I am talking about is anything but jazz so, if I fully catch their drift, it seems they're already very hard done by in a cruel and unfair world to have to perform such "music" in order to eat.

I am not one of their kind, and lest they be reminded of that fact I've always just smiled and nodded because I learned that even saying things such as "It can't hurt, and it'll be fun to hang out and get to know one another and rock some jams!" are quite frowned upon.

Over time and experience though, I find that increasingly my beefs and rants are sounding exactly like theirs. Kind-of like growing up and finally empathizing with your parents.

By the same token, truly busy pros that have been at it for awhile and wish to just get the job done (and done well), by which I mean not guys just looking to escape from their wives or needing a reality-check to make sure they do their homework, have honed their skills and paid their dues so haven't got time for unnecessary travel & rehearsals.
 
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#123
StayLow said:
The OP is about covers. You know what people will play because they are pros paid to play a cover. There's a reference recording, and any changes can be communicated via sheets or written notes, maybe a conversation between sets or an acoustic run-through backstage.

The singers can get together and work out harmonies on their own time if need be. I've never had pro singers ask a band to rehearse so they can practice singing. In fact, harmonies are best determined and worked on without band volume or grumpy guys standing around with a guitar.
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I'm not sure what happened, but that's NOT my post. Someone else posted that, not me.
 
#124
I'm not even anywhere near a pro, and I agree that many rehearsals are a waste of time. A specific agenda is very important to me if it's gonna happen. Adding a bunch of new stuff and/or working on something very difficult might necessitate a focused rehearsal or 2. But not just weekly for the sake of it. I turned down a gig recently with a money making local cover band that gigged every Fri/Sat, some Sundays, and insisted on 2 rehearsals per week that were 2-3 hours per.
 
#125
most cover bands I was in would practice if/when it was needed ... I'd say whoever was singing the new song would pick the key and make the arrangement ... with good effective communication and making sure everyone does their homework ... it should go pretty smooth with good players ... when we needed to practice , it was with very little gear ... kinda acoustic ish with no PA ... or we'd have a quick vocal rehearsal at the keys for various parts ... if needed .... I almost always had a mix of guys that read very well and guys that played by ear very well ... getting them to communicate somehow is key ..! which is really only possible when everyone leaves their egos at home ..!!
 
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#126
I find that endless cover band rehearsals only serve to further degrade my hearing, so I don't play with bands that expect me to show up to rehearse more than once per week, and usually I prefer just to show up at the gig. Believe it or not this is a foreign concept to most of the musicians I've played with...some of whom are quite good and probably don't need it. I think the whole idea of a demanding cover rehearsal schedule has been so programmed into musicians since their teen years that they think they're slacking if they don't put in a few per week. Seriously, we have all played Cheap Sunglasses and Give Me Three Steps 1000 times, just play it already!
 
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#129
Zero. It's a cover band. There are reference recordings and of people do their part and learn them no rehearsal is needed.

Seriously, I play about 30 gigs a year with a cover band and we NEVER rehearse. Many times the first time we'll play a song together is on stage at a gig. We do it all the time. No big deal.
 
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#130
it depends on the music. If you are playing mustang sally and basic blues and tom petty you're alright. If you are covering disco, funk, new music, you all better get in the studio and rehearse! OR if you want to get tight, rehearse. OR if you like playing music together, rehearse! In fact, I like playing with just a drummer from time to time for pocket work.
 
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#133
Practice at home and rehearse with the band is what I always live by.

My coverband shoots for a weekly 2-3 hour rehersal but we generally actually do only 2-3 per month. We rehearse to ensure we nail all little cues/changes and have appropriate endings nailed down. Also, we like to ensure the song fits the band's overall style and the singer's voice. Some songs we just don't want to end up gigging. We also do not play any songs on gigs that we haven't rehersed at least once.

Been doing this for many years and it works for me. Plus, the guys in my band are good buddies, so rehersal is really running thru new stuff for 90 min and then having a beer and shooting the $h!t. We ALL come prepared though. Nobody ever says "how does that go again?" at our rehearsals.....
 
#134
hsp-sandiego said:
it depends on the music. If you are playing mustang sally and basic blues and tom petty you're alright. If you are covering disco, funk, new music, you all better get in the studio and rehearse! OR if you want to get tight, rehearse.
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Untrue. Most of what I do is disco, funk, reggae, soul and my experience, related in previous posts in this thread, is that rehearsing is not at all required. Not for any style if there are reference recordings and responsible pro-level musicians involved. In my case, the BL I typically work with not only knows his parts but he knows and can play mine and most everyone else's too, so you'd better damn well show up and nail it because his notes and communication are clear and he pays well so if you can't kill it the first time it's all on you and it's highly unlikely there'll be a 2nd time. Worse, the other pros you were onstage with won't vouch for you for other good gigs.

Like you, I also enjoy... actually I LOVE just jamming with a drummer. Or whomever is into it. That's a different scenario completely. If you're subbing in last-minute or the BL gets a call to fill in for a band that cancelled, again last-minute and he's got to assemble a band from scratch, there's no chance to rehearse. It's all you can do to learn 20-40 tunes in a few days. No time to waste driving across town or trying to coordinate schedules for a rehearsal. You can learn a dozen songs in the time that takes... if you're at that level.
 
#135
StayLow said:
Untrue. Most of what I do is disco, funk, reggae, soul and my experience, related in previous posts in this thread, is that rehearsing is not at all required. Not for any style if there are reference recordings and responsible pro-level musicians involved. In my case, the BL I typically work with not only knows his parts but he knows and can play mine and most everyone else's too, so you'd better damn well show up and nail it because his notes and communication are clear and he pays well so if you can't kill it the first time it's all on you and it's highly unlikely there'll be a 2nd time. Worse, the other pros you were onstage with won't vouch for you for other good gigs.

Like you, I also enjoy... actually I LOVE just jamming with a drummer. Or whomever is into it. That's a different scenario completely. If you're subbing in last-minute or the BL gets a call to fill in for a band that cancelled, again last-minute and he's got to assemble a band from scratch, there's no chance to rehearse. It's all you can do to learn 20-40 tunes in a few days. No time to waste driving across town or trying to coordinate schedules for a rehearsal. You can learn a dozen songs in the time that takes... if you're at that level.
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If you are lucky to find others at that level. be realistic here. also realize that some of us "re-enter" playing music after having young families, investments, etc... how old are you? btw... getting tired of players posting with no backing. please reply with some video showing your stuff. thank you!
 
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#136
Baird6869 said:
Practice at home and rehearse with the band is what I always live by.

My coverband shoots for a weekly 2-3 hour rehersal but we generally actually do only 2-3 per month. We rehearse to ensure we nail all little cues/changes and have appropriate endings nailed down. Also, we like to ensure the song fits the band's overall style and the singer's voice. Some songs we just don't want to end up gigging. We also do not play any songs on gigs that we haven't rehersed at least once.

Been doing this for many years and it works for me. Plus, the guys in my band are good buddies, so rehersal is really running thru new stuff for 90 min and then having a beer and shooting the $h!t. We ALL come prepared though. Nobody ever says "how does that go again?" at our rehearsals.....
Click to expand...
lately i have been playing with a group who does not rehearse on their own; becoming a problem, although when family, work,etc.. are there i understand (I guess).
 
#137
hsp-sandiego said:
If you are lucky to find others at that level. be realistic here. also realize that some of us "re-enter" playing music after having young families, investments, etc... how old are you? btw... getting tired of players posting with no backing. please reply with some video showing your stuff. thank you!
Click to expand...

I have nothing to prove to you unless you're offering me a paying gig. I didn't say what I'm used to has to work for you. Quite the opposite - you stated an absolute and I know from extensive personal experience it is absolutely not true, so I said so and several others have said the same.

Why don't you put up. Give me any reasonable explanation why a reference recording, especially ones in the disco/funk genres in which the recordings are crystal clear and each instrument can easily be heard, is not sufficient for a pro to nail it. There'll probably be a few dozen play-along videos for bass, drums, guitar and keys for any hit in those genres you could name. Synch those up - people that have never even met - and there's proof of what I'm stating. Presuming they have live experience and won't freeze onstage, you could pair those people together onstage or in a studio, with good pay and their reputation on the line, and be perfectly reasonable in demanding they nail it on the first pass.
 
#138
Skasteadyb said:
We practice once a week for about 4 hours. Unless there are quite a few gigs, then we skip it. We have about 40 covers, but play them in our own style. (Oldies and Motown done ska and reggae)
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this sounds right and realistic. once a week unless you are playing a good gig then night before if possible. make the music better and the band will be tight and have more fun.
 
#139
StayLow said:
I have nothing to prove to you unless you're offering me a paying gig. I didn't say what I'm used to has to work for you. Quite the opposite - you stated an absolute and I know from extensive personal experience it is absolutely not true, so I said so and several others have said the same.

Why don't you put up. Give me any reasonable explanation why a reference recording, especially ones in the disco/funk genres in which the recordings are crystal clear and each instrument can easily be heard, is not sufficient for a pro to nail it. There'll probably be a few dozen play-along videos for bass, drums, guitar and keys for any hit in those genres you could name. Synch those up - people that have never even met - and there's proof of what I'm stating. Presuming they have live experience and won't freeze onstage, you could pair those people together onstage or in a studio, with good pay and their reputation on the line, and be perfectly reasonable in demanding they nail it on the first pass.
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met each other on craigslist, warming up/first time every together; private party at the caf building:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8INzN0yq_UU

yes it works, but with standard covers with a noted style. agreed.
 

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