How long does your band rehearse for?

[Thunderthumbs73]

I have been in a few bands over the years. Some bands seem like they cant make it past 1 hour of practice. Other groups we jam for 4 or 5 hours at a time. What do you folks do?
How many times a week is sufficient?

Let's define "practice" shall we? I'd say being in a room with three other people for 4-5 hours, half of which is spent swilling beers, or laughing about what is that smell and who farted, is really not 4-5 hours of practice.

It is my experience as well as observation of others, that for the most part, "we" don't practice quite as much as we think we do.

I am lucky to be with folks who also share my priority of making the best, most efficient use of the time we have collectively carved out to be together to get things done. But I'm sure we also don't use every single moment to it's fullest. And that's ok, provided it doesn't get out of hand. I know in my case, all the people I play with have busy lives and family obligations outside of an allotted practice time. And I respect that, greatly.

 

[RandomBass90]

Were an originals band whos rehersals are half rehersal, half writting/jam session, so they almost always run more than 4 hours, 3 times a week. We barely gig and we havent made very much progress getting anything solidly recorded or anything, but its more for the fun of writting music than anything. Our gatherings consist mostly of us going through our already established pieces several times, breaking for eats, and then we colaborate on ideas and new songs and such for the remaining time. Were all college students with time to kill between work, so it pans out nicely shedule-wise

 

[jp58]

I used to practice with the old band for about 3 hours before serious practice that turned into "that's what she said's" and video games.

New band starting rehearsals next weekend. Hopefully it follows about the same formula. Got a lot of music to work on though, so I can see it being a little more serious for a bit and then lightening up as we get to know each other.

 

[Stumbo]

Different cover bands (with everyone learning their parts at home, about 2 hours twice a week or maybe 3 hours once a week.

 

[atheos]

2-3 hours twice a week, unless we skip a day for one reason or another.

 

[Moe Monsarrat]

We rehearse 4 hrs twice a week during the daytime. We work from 2-4 nights a week.

 

[steveksux]

As long as you've got, or as long as you need, whichever is less. You've already wasted time and gas to get there, take advantage of it...

Usually only learning a handful of songs, maybe 3 or 4, so no reason it should take more than a couple hours if everyone does their homework (Ok, just kidding about "doing their homework, nobody does THAT... )

Learning the music should only take a couple runs through apiece, usually additional work is required to get harmonies straightened out.

If its a pickup band, or a sub situation where you could conceivably run through all their songs, 3-4 hours or more is reasonable.

For maintenance ( a regular band you're a member of), once a week is all you need, people should be learning the songs on their own between practices, so the REHEARSAL should be a dry run, go smooth the first or second take. If you're getting together more than twice a week, you're not giving folks enough time to learn the songs between rehearsals, and your rehearsals will suffer for it.

If you're a new band with gigs pending in a few weeks, then 2 a week practice for a number of hours is called for. Lots of songs to go over. It still gets counterproductive to have more than 2 a week, you need time on your own to learn the songs. Much harder to learn songs at rehearsal with everyone noodling, playing wrong notes. I'd rather learn it listening to the original, clear, quiet, uninterrupted. Much more efficient than trying to hear the bass line on a crappy CD player/boombox while the guitars are noodling.

Exception would be original stuff, where the songs are more of a collaboration rather than having set parts to learn ahead fo time.

Randy

 

[heath_r_91]

Before we leave for tours or anything like that we practice for 6 days a week for 8-9 hours a day.

It gets very intense. We go over the songs part by part looping them making sure we are all tight. It's a serious PITA but it really does make a world of difference.

 

[pasta4lnch]

the main band I'm in now never practices. . . we just learn the tunes and watch each other.

That normally works fine - I think I might have finally convinced my singer that if he does something different (which is almost every time) to send me a chart. all usually works well. . .

 

[namraj]

Weeks on end.

We lock ourselves in a room, with a microwave, soup and instruments and my girl friend doesn't let us out until we have have written at least 120 incredible songs.

Then having gone slightly mad, we play a gig.

Then its back to the Joseph Fritzel writing experience.



































I joke.

 

[Beasty76]

Depends on which day of practice we are on. Thursday nights, we only do about 3 hours, while Saturdays, if we don't have a gig, we do around 4 hours.

 

[Floyd Eye]

We played for 5 1/2 hours last night. Added 2 new covers and recorded the beginnings of 2 new songs. Drank a lot of beer.

 

[Marko 1]

Normally we rehearse once per week, four hours or so.

Right now a new group, covers band (only three gigs under our belt, but we're already getting booked) we’re rehearsing twice weekly to get plenty of songs together and get tight together, but we’ll go to one shortly.

I record the rehearsals (guitar player geeks stuff up so we can’t go strictly by the originals) and hand everyone a CD on their way out to practice to.

I also work in free-form jam nights with the drummer a couple other buddies (studio is at my place). Lotsa fun, and we get good ideas for writing originals from that.

When the covers band is up to speed, I want to get back to writing/recording.

 

[Calaverasgrande]

I think I am gonna start recording practices so;
A) we can resolve issues about who screwed up.
B) when we are working on new stuff we can more objectively listen to what works, and what doesnt.

 

[jonatura]

6 hours almoust everyday..