We record all of our rehearsals. The lead singer recently requested that I assemble a "best of" mistakes, follies, fumbles, etc. This should be fun. I have lots of material to work with 
Last edited:
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Ever screw up at rehearsal?
- Thread starter dbase
- Start date
Last night at rehearsal I screwed up the ending of a song and landed a half step off of where I should've been just as we stopped. The entire song I got right except for the last note.
Our drummer, who knows no music theory but knows that I am into it, says to me, "Interesting note choice there at the end, [Spectrum]." LOL, either he thought I did it on purpose to add spice to it, or he was being sarcastic. 24 hours later I'm still not sure.
Our drummer, who knows no music theory but knows that I am into it, says to me, "Interesting note choice there at the end, [Spectrum]." LOL, either he thought I did it on purpose to add spice to it, or he was being sarcastic. 24 hours later I'm still not sure.
Years ago I started Dock of the Bay in the wrong key. All I had to do was shut up and move into the correct key when the rest of the band started...right? But no I walked around to the two guitar players to show them I was in the wrong key. We all freaked and played in the wrong key together...without telling the singer. Yeah it wasn't good.
D
All the time! But I only do own material which is partly written AT rehearsals with the whole band contributing. Screw ups are a part of the process and often lead to exciting new stuff. Happy accidents often make great music!
If I was in a cover band I would expect everyone, including myself, to be 99.9% though.
If I was in a cover band I would expect everyone, including myself, to be 99.9% though.
I was playing someone down the aisle on a solo traditional instrumental piece (not on the bass, but it was still good times). I fired up 100% the wrong song. The two songs are similar, and I doubt more than a couple of people noticed, but I've got a professionally produced video and a few hundred witnesses who can attest I sent a bride to the altar with a Gaelic funeral lament rather than the tune about thistles and heather we'd picked out months before.
The husband, a self professed expert in the genre, gave me a massive tip and several referrals after the fact so I'm sure they were pleased, but to this day the correct tune is one of the first things I play whenever I sit down to practice.
I never told the couple about the mistake. My theory is that if no one noticed that day, what are the odds they'll notice it in the dozen or so times they watch their wedding video over the rest of their lives?
The husband, a self professed expert in the genre, gave me a massive tip and several referrals after the fact so I'm sure they were pleased, but to this day the correct tune is one of the first things I play whenever I sit down to practice.
I never told the couple about the mistake. My theory is that if no one noticed that day, what are the odds they'll notice it in the dozen or so times they watch their wedding video over the rest of their lives?
Made mistakes in rehearsals? Sure. If we never made mistakes we wouldn't need to rehearse.
One originals band I played in, a lot of our songs were written in the same key (or close) to suit our singer's vocal range. At one rehearsal the guitarist called out one song he wanted to work on but when we started I was playing a completely different song - different riff and tempo but same key and it sort of fit. I only figured out which song it actually was when the vocals started. When we finished, the sax player said "That was pretty interesting, what you did at the start there - sounded good." I tried to look like I knew what I was doing and said "Yeah, thought I'd try something different but I'm not sure - think I'll stick with the usual intro."
Pretty sure the keys player knew what I'd done, but he never rumbled me. Thanks Stu. Solid bloke.
One originals band I played in, a lot of our songs were written in the same key (or close) to suit our singer's vocal range. At one rehearsal the guitarist called out one song he wanted to work on but when we started I was playing a completely different song - different riff and tempo but same key and it sort of fit. I only figured out which song it actually was when the vocals started. When we finished, the sax player said "That was pretty interesting, what you did at the start there - sounded good." I tried to look like I knew what I was doing and said "Yeah, thought I'd try something different but I'm not sure - think I'll stick with the usual intro."
Pretty sure the keys player knew what I'd done, but he never rumbled me. Thanks Stu. Solid bloke.
We record all of our rehearsals. The lead singer recently requested that I assemble a "best of" mistakes, follies, fumbles, etc. This should fun. I have lots of material to work with
Y’know, if a band I like released something like that as a 99 cent digital ep or something similar, I’d buy it. Your singer may be onto something.
I screw up most every song during rehearsal, but very rarely during a gig. I practice in between rehearsals constantly until we do the gig.
If anyone says they don’t screw up, they’re lying. Rehearsal is when I’ll improv some fills/lines. Sometimes it sounds good, sometimes it doesn’t. Band says much more about when it sounds bad than good.
the exact same happened to me many years ago.At rehearsal I thought I was playing an A, but it was an Ab. It's as though someone farted and it became a train wreck as everybody was looking at one another to determine who did it. I cant stop laughing at the screw up I did. I normally don't play like that. But it was a train wreck. They caught me. Lets hear your train wrecks. I know I'm not the only one.
View attachment 3456464
On a gig.
No big deal as I corrected it real quickly.
On my bigband audition I had a song in Eb, which I started in E, because I forgot to look at the signature. When I realised that, I had to stop playing because I had an attack of laugh at my incredible stupidity. Voila! They took me anyway
Absolutely, that's why the rehearsals are being used, to play that screw-up once and to play not - second. I always play from my notes and fretless, so if i screw up it's mostly that my hand didn't respond correctly when i was looking at my notes.
This one time a guitarist was playing a solo in Bb and I completely forgot to show up to rehearsal
Intense feelings of embarrassment are usual for adolescents, it goes away after some life perspective is gained through experience.
