How to NOT find the new member you're looking for.

[two fingers]

Actually it’s more a product of how much effort the members put in. It’s a lot of work to learn 50 tunes perfectly. I’ve never been in a band where every member put in the effort for every song. There’s always a couple of “I know that one” thrown in.

Plus, you’re going to discuss who will sing what part on every song befordd Ed hand and no one will sing the wrong part on any song?

I’m not saying there will be train wrecks, or even that the audience will notice, but these are the type of issues that can get worked out in rehearsals. It might not be worth it to you, and there’s nothing wrong with that, but it is worth it to me.

Again....it's all in the level of musicianship and effort.

We do.complex three-part harmony songs. There are three singers.... two male and one female. We don't have to have have lot of discussions. If the female is singing, I'm doing the highest backup vocal part and out keys player is doing the lowest. If the keys player is singing, I'm doing the lowest harmony and she's doing the highest. If I'm singing (I sing pretty high for a dude) she's either right above or below me, and keys is lower. There's not a lot to discuss.

And we NAIL our songs. We just don't have to run the 20 times each to nail them.... ever..... no matter what tue vocals are. So, again, it is my contention that if you require a couple dozen rehearsals to get 50 songs down one of two scenarios is true.

1) You have chosen misoc beyond your capabilities as musicians and singers.

2) Somebody isn't putting in the time at home.

 

[two fingers]

Sorry, but I don’t believe that. People aren’t machines. 50 years of playing in bands tells me a different story. You got every member to learn every song perfectly???? Yea.

We do it.

Heck, my private/corporate band never rehearsed. We MIGHT have done one in January to add 15 songs quickly. But that's it.

If we wanted to add a couple of songs we would get an email early in the week. Thursday or Friday we would run PART of each song at soundtrack. The keys player (musical director) would say "Any questions?" If nobody had any concerns we played the song that night and from then on. We never even ran the whole song before performing it live.

Trust me. It's a thing.

 

[LBS-bass]

Again....it's all in the level of musicianship and effort.

That guy totally showed his hand. Why argue with him?

 

[lfmn16]

Again....it's all in the level of musicianship and effort.

We do.complex three-part harmony songs. There are three singers.... two male and one female. We don't have to have have lot of discussions. If the female is singing, I'm doing the highest backup vocal part and out keys player is doing the lowest. If the keys player is singing, I'm doing the lowest harmony and she's doing the highest. If I'm singing (I sing pretty high for a dude) she's either right above or below me, and keys is lower. There's not a lot to discuss.

And we NAIL our songs. We just don't have to run the 20 times each to nail them.... ever..... no matter what tue vocals are. So, again, it is my contention that if you require a couple dozen rehearsals to get 50 songs down one of two scenarios is true.

1) You have chosen misoc beyond your capabilities as musicians and singers.

2) Somebody isn't putting in the time at home.

If you’re talking about needing a couple dozen rehearsals then we are in complete agreement. If you’re saying you shouldn’t need to run over a tune 20 times to get it right, we’re in complete agreement on that too.

But your question was how many rehearsals for a band to get ready, and I am assuming that means people that haven’t played together before. Your singers may know exactly how to work together now, but they didn’t on the first night they met.

I agree, it’s dependent on level of musicianship and effort, but I would throw in that it also depends on how “perfect” you want to be on your first gig. Maybe not, but that’s how I feel.

 

[db59]

Depends on how many "tired old covers" everybody knows as a group

 

[juggahnaught]

It depends. (Carrots.)

If it's an originals band, it'll take longer. Rehearsals in an originals band tend to be writing sessions as well, and (in my own experience) there's usually time devoted in a rehearsal to reviewing existing material. It can be a time for experimentation as a group.

If it's a cover band, it depends on the covers (are they simple? are they complex? are they the usual suspects? are they deep cuts?) and the arrangements of those covers, as well as the ensemble. Simple songs take less time. Bad bands take less time (they'll do a basic arrangement of a song and call it a day). Good bands can take longer, depending on the complexity of the song and the arrangement. Good bands can also take less time if the songs are simple and well-known. (There's a reason cover bands are boring. The "standards" are really simple and pretty well worn-through). Finally, setlist depth can also alter the number of rehearsals.

(It's worth noting that honestly, as bassists, we generally tend to have a pretty easy job in terms of learning and executing stuff. I know that not everyone will agree with this, I know there are song and arrangement exceptions, and I know that some of you may feel uncomfortably threatened by this, but it's true.)

Professional bands? Rehearsals may be paid affairs, and there may be more sight-reading involved. There may be fewer rehearsals because the "band" is a living entity and the musician roster may never be the same. They will definitely have fewer rehearsals.

That's also not counting sectionals. Singers may get together separately to run through harmonies (think choir practice but with fewer people). Horn sections might practice a unison line, etc. This might not happen in professional bands as much, but I've seen it in some of the situations I've been in.




Sigh....so I just wrote all of that, and I realized that you specifically put "bar band" in the poll title. I'm an idiot. Not gonna erase it, though.

Average bar band, let's say about four songs in an hour's rehearsal. Bad bands will have fewer songs rehearsed per hour, good bands will have more. So maybe four or five hours, depending on the setlist length. Add in diminishing returns, setup/teardown, scheduling, and yeah - you might be looking at more than three rehearsals for sure.

 

[lfmn16]

We do it.

Heck, my private/corporate band never rehearsed. We MIGHT have done one in January to add 15 songs quickly. But that's it.

If we wanted to add a couple of songs we would get an email early in the week. Thursday or Friday we would run PART of each song at soundtrack. The keys player (musical director) would say "Any questions?" If nobody had any concerns we played the song that night and from then on. We never even ran the whole song before performing it live.

Trust me. It's a thing.

But your thread is about BAR bands, not corporate bands. For the most part there is a much different level of talent and professionalism in corporate bands. If you had posted how many rehearsals to put together a corporate band, I’d have a very different answer.

 

[frankie5string]

I was told that folks write that stuff about rehearsing once or twice a week do that to weed out jobbers that may be non-committed. Lots of bands don't want guys to just step in and independently play, only to quickly leave for other group - or even worse, almost immediately establish rehearsal time conflicts. They are usually small 3 and 4 piece groups.
They want a bond more than just a "session guy." They want a buddy.

I've done both, but for me the majority have one or two rehearsals before the show and up we go.
In fact, most of the groups I played in that initially tried once a week rehearsals stopped doing them after their very first gig. Once they trust the band chemistry is there, there's far less "workshopping" to do between shows. The best are the large groups, where it's often impossible to get everyone in the room together - so the rehearsals are compressed closer to the gig date and everyone MUST be ready to play on the rehearsal downbeat and not have to be learning their material at the rehearsal.

Of course it could also mean the band has no shows lined up and has little drive to book them. I've seen that too.

 

[Kevan Campbell]

If we're talking about a bar band playing two or three sets of standard covers that everyone has heard, one rehearsal or none at all if everyone will do their homework at home and the BL is clear on what key and arrangement is done for each song. Original music with actual transitions tend to become much more complicated, as do the egos and pride of musicians involved in these acts.

I voted "3 or less" but I've done zero and WAY more than three for some bands and situations, depending on my goals as a musician, growth potential for an act and whether or not I had to prove myself in a new market.

 

[Medicine Man]

Im not sure, but my friend and I just pulled the plug on his project because we didnt have a show after 12 rehearsals. Never in my life have I dealt with such unprofessional BS, but since it was covid times, I stuck with it. Now, i will admit the setlist was ambitous beyond the standard coverband faire, but every rehearsal was a struggle despite the good reputation of the players involved. Once we deep sixed the whole thing, the drummer admitted he never once practiced any material outside rehearsal. Ever.

 

[Lesfunk]

Sorry, but I don’t believe that. People aren’t machines. 50 years of playing in bands tells me a different story. You got every member to learn every song perfectly???? Yea.

although there is general truth to what you’re saying for the majority...
the good ones actually are “machines” (figuratively) and I’ve played with several . I’m not one of them, of course, but they do exist, often at the higher levels of gigging and performance

 

[lfmn16]

although there is general truth to what you’re saying for the majority...
the good ones actually are “machines” and I’ve played with several . I’m not one of them, of course, but they do exist, often at the higher levels of gigging and performance

I agree, but we’re talking about bar bands, at least I am because that was the subject of the thread.

 

[Lesfunk]

I agree, but we’re talking about bar bands, at least I am because that was the subject of the thread.

Yeah that’s pretty non existent in bar bands. For the most part anyway.
I don’t rehearse for a bar gig.

 

[Ralph Manak]

One thing to make note of: if there isn’t marked improvement from the first to second rehearsal, you may find yourself in an endless loop of rehearsals that all sound remarkably the same. Knowing how to work with groups (not bands per se, but groups of people) to facilitate improvement can be helpful.

 

[The Bass Clef]

I think 10 to 20 to sound decent (for most bands), but I think most bands play out after probably 3 to 6... and they usually still sound a little janky with clams and a few train wrecks. I’m personally comfortable with 2 or 3 rehearsals if it’s classic rock hit songs. And that’s to work out any arrangement changes from the album versions, and figuring out endings to songs (especially when they fade out on the recording). A blues band fill in? 1 rehearsal usually, sometimes none.

My original band and my cover band both get together once a week. The hang is fun in both, the music is fun too and both bands have great players, and the money is pretty decent in both (each band gigs about 2-5 times a month). So I’m a happy bass camper. The cover band gets together once a week just to keep expanding our master list of songs. Keep it fun when you retire songs, add new ones, bring old ones back, etc... Makes it so we can also play 2 long 3-4 hour nights back to back with completely different setlists each night.

 

[JimmyM]

OK, I have a band. I won't commit to another one. But I do enjoy fill in gigs. They challenge me, broaden my network, and are basically fun and interesting. As such, I glance at local CL ads from time to time, sometimes offering my services to bands looking for new members. ("I can't join another band. But if you have a couple of dates you need to play let me know. I may be a good fit to fill in." ... kind of thing.)

Doing so today I noticed a trend.

Lots of bands have ads up looking for a new singer, or bass player, or guitarist, etc. Many seem to have one thing in common. "You must be able to commit to rehearsals once or twice a week." Most of these bands aren't established. They don't have gigs on the books. They "plan to start playing out" "this fall", or "have connections at local venues" and "hope to be gigging soon".

Really? So, you want me to have great gear, have reliable transportation, have talent, AND be ready to rehearse once or twice a week, possibly in a neighboring town (meaning a twenty or thirty minute drive each way), for weeks and months for a band with no gigs?????

Guys, let's get real.

1) Most people just don't have that kind of time to commit. You're weeding out most of your potential new band members/applicants/auditions. There could be a perfect fit for your band reading your ad who could be ready in half a dozen rehearsals or less, but won't reply because all they see is an ad for a LOOOOOONG commitment and no guaranteed outcome.

2) If you NEED that kind of time to bring a show together, (sorry to say it but) you guys just can't play. Again, I'm sorry. But it's true. If you have to do a few dozen rehearsals to get ready to play at a bar, you're not ready to play in public period. Or you have chosen music that is beyond your scope.

Now, this is an entirely different category from those bands that just want "some people to jam with" once a week. Those people have stated the intended goal. Those people are looking for a weekly "card night" only with guitars and whatnot. If that is the stated, intended, goal, by all means, have your band the way you want it.

But if you have plainly stated that this band is NOT just for fun, rather to be a working, gigging band, one or two rehearsals per week for up to several months is utterly ridiculous. It is, quite simply, too much of a gamble to ask of someone.

Try this. Get organized. Make a setlist. Place an ad for the kind of musician you are looking for (talent, gear, the kinds of shows you either already play or want to, travel, frequency, look, vocals or not, etc.). Do NOT.... I repeat, DO NOT go off on some silly diatribe about commitment. It's asinine. Hammer that out later. If you get a response, send out the setlist. Inquire as to how long the person thinks it would take for him/her to get that setlist "gig ready". Go from there. Set up an audition to see if that person is a good fit.

If so, proceed as follows.

Split the list into thirds or fourths. Set up a rehearsal for each section. Then do another one to iron out any notes made during previous rehearsals. If absolutely unavoidable, do one more to run everything. Boom. Go get gigs.

Let the time commitment be done AT HOME. I can sit down for a little while each night, or after brunch on Saturday, or whenever, to get MY HOMEWORK done. We don't need to be in the same room TWENTY TIMES to be gig ready. Nobody needs to load up gear, drive anywhere from a few miles to another town over, load in, rehearse the same songs over and over again, load out, drive home, load in at home, take a few days off, rinse and repeat until Christmas. That's just dumb.

I've brought this up in previous threads. But it was so prevalent just now I thought it deserved its own thread.

As for the poll, I get it that "it depends". But what's your gut on this if we're not talking about a Yes or Rush tribute band.

I've done so many fill in gigs where I didn't get so much as a run-thru of the songs we're going to do, and crushed it every time because I do my homework.

 

[pglaser01]

I will say I’ll only rehearse for new songs and /or odd times changes.

If you have to rehearse the same songs for more than 2 practices……no thanks, I’d rather stay home and watch Loki

 

[EdO.]

Run of the mill bar bands playing the same old tired crap every other run of the mill bar band plays making crap money, then yeah a few rehearsals ought to be enough. I tend to aim a lot higher than that so more rehearsals are required if you want to be a group that stands out and plays interesting/somewhat musically challenging music. I don't do run of the mill crap bar bands anymore, where's the challenge or fun in playing the same old worn out bar band crap ?

 

[two fingers]

But your thread is about BAR bands, not corporate bands. For the most part there is a much different level of talent and professionalism in corporate bands. If you had posted how many rehearsals to put together a corporate band, I’d have a very different answer.

I'm now in a bar/dad band that did its first gig (with quite a few three part harmony songs) after 4 rehearsals....with two different drummers....first drummer didn't work out. The gig was great.

 

[two fingers]

I've done so many fill in gigs where I didn't get so much as a run-thru of the songs we're going to do, and crushed it every time because I do my homework.

Bingo. I've done dozens of gigs where I met the band at the venue.