How do you make band rehearsal productive?

[Kmonk]

The bands I have been in have always had productive rehearsals. You set an agenda which includes day, time and length of the next rehearsal and which songs everyone is expected to know by the next rehearsal. There should be one person running rehearsal, preferably someone who can point out mistakes without sounding confrontational. If major mistakes are made or if the song doesn't sound right, stop and start over. If you are working on covers, listen to the original to figure out what it is you are missing or not playing correctly. The most important thing is that everyone shows up prepared and knowing their parts.

 

[gidbass]

rehearsal isn't about learning song parts...it is learning to play them together with others...

learn your parts ahead of time and show up prepared to play.

Good Luck!

 

[ToneMonkey]

Insist that everyone does their homework. Rehearsal time is not personal practice time. That means having song files other members can practice with on their own time. It means charting the song out in some cases (it's a considerate thing to do anyway). It means having an agenda for what you are going to work on when you get together next.

One rule of thumb I use is that anyone bringing a new song to the band has to chart it out (at least chords over lyrics) and provide a song file in the right key. That saves everyone else a lot of work and it ensures that everyone is playing the same chords, at least initially. I've had guys tell me my chart was wrong (they were right), but it saved a lot of time to have a defined starting point.

Guys who won't do their homework are boat anchors. I won't put up with it if I have anything to say about it.

Four hours seems too long for me. Two hours is good. Maybe three hours under exceptional circumstances (like final rehearsal before a show, where you run every song).

Also agree about recording practices. I don't let the recorder run during the whole practice. But when we get to the point where we feel we can do a complete decent take, I record it. So it's typically the last time we run each song. This is hugely helpful. Also guys can use these field recordings to rehearse with on their own. I just use my iPhone. It works fine for this.

 

[tattooSAM]

 

[monsterthompson]

Lots of good advice here.
No noodling. Treat it like a performance. Be professional.

 

[sean_on_bass]

I really think just having an agenda for each rehearsal makes a huge difference. Outline the songs you are going to be running through, and when rehearsal comes around you run through them, repeating some of the sloppy sections to smooth things out. That's a perfect scenario though, and sometimes, even when your not playing original music, you need to work out stylistic guidelines and maybe even parts for some of the members. Then things slow down a bit.

 

[outoftune]

Show up, plug in and teach the song to the guys that didn't even bother to look at it the prior 7 days.
Next practice, repeat but show the drummer the song again because it's been another 7 days since he hasn't even listened to it.
Repeat this over and over

 

[Jean Rodriguez]

Show up, plug in and teach the song to the guys that didn't even bother to look at it the prior 7 days.
Next practice, repeat but show the drummer the song again because it's been another 7 days since he hasn't even listened to it.
Repeat this over and over

For a second there, I thought that you were gonna say "repeat until you feel like firing the drummer"

 

[eKay]

Essentially I think it boils down to this:

1. Be prepared before coming to rehearsal.
2. Don't waste too much time getting setup or dialing in the perfect tone.
3. Once you start playing, keep chatting minimal and on topic (about the song you're working on).
4. Work your way through your list of songs until you have them all down, then start again at the beginning.
5. Take time where needed to correct problems and mistakes, but realize that some things just need time to be worked out alone (see #1).

To be prepared, you all have to practice. Usually this means listening to and playing along with recordings. Make sure everyone has a recording of the songs. CD or tape copies, youtube links, mp3s in a dropbox folder, etc. Using dropbox works really well, because if there is any change in band members, you just point the new people to the folder.

If you're still working out new tunes, or arrangements for covers, you can work these out without the drummer. Record them and send recordings to the drummer. You decide whether to use your regular rehearsal time, or meet separately at a different time.

Jamming endlessly is not very productive, obviously. But starting the rehearsal with maybe 10 minutes of jamming is nice for a warm up, encourages improvisation, etc. It's not a bad idea to record these, might come up with new song ideas!

Also, trying to play just certain parts of a song to save time can sometimes take longer than just playing the darn thing all the way through! And playing all the way through helps you with memory.

 

[hrodbert696]

Alright, four hours is long now that I look at it. Last rehearsal, I was starting to get tired at the two hour mark. If not four hours, how long do you guys recommend?

Two hours should be enough if you're efficient, maybe run over it a bit to two and a half, three tops.

 

[JohnMCA72]

4 hours may seem like a lot, but if you're getting things done, it's huge fun & the time flies by!

Personally, I like to work hard enough in rehearsals & practice that a 3-4 hour gig feels like a light, easy day, even if there's hauling & setting up involved.

A compromise might be to plan for something like 2 hours, but have everybody leave open time afterwards. You don't want to have people needing to pack up just because the factory whistle blew.