"Practice once a Week, Gig 1-2 times a Month"

[Schizoid75]

In my experience, people that want to practice more than once a week are usually turning practice into a social club/boys night. But that's just what I've seen and there could be many other explanations.

Once a week would be my limit and even that is impossible for me now since I typically travel every other week for work. As others have commented in the thread, we normally only practice when we are adding new material or reviving old material that we haven't played out in a long time. We usually gig 2-4 time per month.

And for mellowinman, here's a vid from our Halloween show. We're doing "Rock You Like A Hurricane" from the Scorpions.

Invalid Link Removed

 

[mellowinman]

All I can say is, a lot of the songs we play have a lot of changes in them, and for us, take rehearsal to get us playing TOGETHER tight. Maybe we're just not as good of musicians as some of you; maybe we have a ridiculous standard of what we consider tight. Our practice is anything but a social club. We work very hard in rehearsal, often isolating sections of songs, and working them pretty hard.


Always on the Run
Train Kept 'a Rollin'
Rockin' in the Free World
Yer Blues
Give me One Reason
Hate Myself for Lovin' You
Rocky Mountain Way
Stealin'
Whipping Post
The Chain
Oh! Darling
Beast of Burden
One Way or Another
Ten Inch Record
Sweet Emotion
Train, Train
Knocking on Heaven's Door
We Will Rock You
Tie Your Mother Down
Authority Song
While my Guitar Gently Weeps
I Hate my Life
Kiss
Piece of my Heart
Voodoo Child (slight return)
Money
Comfortably Numb
Dead or Alive
Use Me
Don't Let me Down
I'm the Only One
Long Tall Sally
Whole Lotta Love
I Know a Little
Freebird

When we perform these, we don't just stand there and play them. We jump around, dance around, run around in the audience, interact with the audience and each other, and try to keep it as much of a real show as possible. Maybe we're too old and injured to be doing this. I've had surgery for my sciatica, and have steel screws in my spine; my wife has several messed up disks in her neck, and by the end of a show, we're spent. We've used hired guns who "didn't need to practice," and they messed up all kinds of parts to these songs, and of course, had no ability to do real endings or intros. We had to simplify the show, and had embarrassing lapses, and from guys who have been said to be "the best in this town," and in some cases, made it clear they felt they were above us.

(always on drums; we have never used a hired gun at any other position.)

Every set has multiple instrument changes, pre-programmed sounds on the synth, a need for a solid mix of three vocals, acoustic guitar, harmonica, keyboards, two different bass players, all performed by four people.

I think the songs/vids I've heard so far did sound quite good, but the songs were pretty straightforward. Maybe that makes a difference.

I don't know.

I'm just saying, not everything is what it is, even if your experience tells you it is. Our drummer plays in other bands, and he wouldn't even consider rehearsing as much, and gigging as little with them, but he seems to think that this project is worth it. Three of us have been playing live music since the late seventies/early eighties.

 

[Crazyeelboy]

For us, "practice" is 99% development of new material.

 

[Groove Doctor]

Thanks for clarifying mellowinman. I can relate to things you described:


I played in a band with my brother for years and we practiced A LOT. I could do a 40 song gig and count minor mistakes on one hand. That's a very high level of professionalism that's overlooked these days.

Then there's "the zone" - that special cohesion when the whole band is thinking and playing as one. That's a whole 'nutha level that few acts get to. Then, to achieve these while putting on a 'performance'..... that's top tier stuff.



I guess some people are just happy to play and do their best with the little free time they've got. I'd rather just play and enjoy myself these days since my work is very high pressure.... but I do miss the buzz of putting on a great show.

 

[obimark]

I appreciate your intensity Mellowinman- and have no doubts that you give it 110% every time.

My motto is "Perfection is the enemy of the Good"

I want my band to be very good when we play live but not perfect. I have seen Rush 6 times live, and even THEY made mistakes. Several actually at each show. Skipped lyrics, rushed drum fills, and bass/guitar flubs.
I know it can't be, but I saw it with my own eyes!

Now do I want to go out and half- $$$ it with my band? no way. it needs to be Very good. But some things will be missed, and accidents happen, it is how you recover that counts.

 

[hrodbert696]

Again, on the part-timer/weekend warrior/family guy perspective - it may be that once a week is all the guys can commit to band time. In my experience (which is not all that extensive, but isn't nothing), that means either a rehearsal or a gig each week. When the band is starting up (like most CL bands), that's going to mean a couple of months rehearsing weekly to get the set list up and running. Then you start gigging, and if you have a gig in a given week, you can probably do without a rehearsal that week. If you're getting a couple gigs a month (and you don't want more than that because of family weekends), rehearse the other two weeks. Gig weekly and the only rehearsing you need is to add new songs.

 

[ChrisB2]

I agree there are some generalizations being thrown around. Not everyone wants to practice every week. Not everyone wants to gig every week. Not everyone wants to rehearse together all that much. Every person's opinion of how to be a musician is equally valid.

Personally, I prefer to gig steadily and rehearse as little as possible. During summer months we don't have time for rehearsals, and we stay PLENTY tight playing 1-2x/week. We add songs by learning and practicing them at home, and rehearsing them as a group during sound check and fourth set of a slow night with only drunk stragglers listening. If we don't nail it after one or two of these "rehearsals" it gets shelved until we're back in the rehearsal room. Now that the schedule has slowed we're back to occasional rehearsals on non-gig weeks.

Each of us should just do what we want.

 

[nojj]

I work often enough with different bands to preclude regular weekly rehearsals.
(I do practice on a couple instruments every day)

One band doesn't work often, so we don't rehearse often.
Usually before an important gig, or if we're working on some new stuff.
Hoping to step that one up this coming year.
(Less stress and more fun)

The others, I'm just a hired gun (regardless of what they freakin' tell me)
they work a lot, and still rehearse little.
IMO they should rehearse more, as it seems they don't practice, either.
Not my call, though..........

Fully understand the empathy/rapport that some bands achieve.
Many musicians fall short of that ideal: you have to play with them, they don't play with you.
Part experience, part chops, part being able to 'read' each other.
I believe it's the most valuable commodity a musician can have.

 

[marmadaddy]

Why do soooo may cover bands have this same M.O. to practice every week and only play once or twice a month? Why not the other way around??

Simple. The weekly rehearsal is my "bowling night". It gets me out of the house one night a week to do something I enjoy and that I'm good at with guys I like hanging out with. As to 1-2 gigs per month: I enjoy gigging but not so much that I want to dedicate every weekend to it. I have other things I like to do on weekends too.

Your mindset is "rehearsal". The bands you're looking at are probably thinking "practice", i.e. that's the only time anyone in the band does.

Not even close.

Because guys don't have time to manage the business side of the band (hunt up gigs, etc.) but still want to jam.

Sorry, not the case.

It comes down to "different people have different priorities and your reality doesn't apply to everyone else".

 

[dand666]

My band will always rehearse once a week, and play out twice a month. We play out twice a month because honestly, that's all we have the energy for. Putting on a show takes a lot out of us. We give a TON of energy to a four hour performance, and that includes the load in/load out of a lot of gear.

We rehearse once a week because we are trying to get the band super TIGHT. We are not happy to just "make it" through the songs we play; we want to NAIL them. And we are always adding songs.

You people who make generalizations about why bands do this or that have closed your minds. My band evolves all the time. We are many different things. Sometimes, we DO play out more than twice a month. And sometimes, we DON'T rehearse once a week.

But one thing we ALWAYS do: get better.

For each of you that says you play out all the time and never rehearse, can I watch a video of one of your shows?

I would like to gauge how successful you are at what you're doing, and by "what you're doing," I don't mean getting paid to play music. I mean playing good music well.

Well said that man.

 

[IncX]

im in an originals band, and that is pretty much our schedule. sometimes, it could even be 4 rehearsals a month and zero gigs.

however, it is still fun, since we get to mess around with our originals more. i'd also like to gig, but quality gigs for an orig band in my country is rare. what you usually get are those types where they line you up with 15 other bands, and you only get to play 4 songs, 6 if you are lucky.

i find rehearsals much more fun, cause i can hear the songs more in their element.

i guess it also helps that i am also good friends with the band, and we are all single and uncommitted.

this is what we sound like (with our old drummer):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztc8rz5xFLc

ironically, we are playing a cover ... but with how popular anime is, its popularity is as good as an original

 

[modulusman]

My band will always rehearse once a week, and play out twice a month. We play out twice a month because honestly, that's all we have the energy for. Putting on a show takes a lot out of us. We give a TON of energy to a four hour performance, and that includes the load in/load out of a lot of gear.

We rehearse once a week because we are trying to get the band super TIGHT. We are not happy to just "make it" through the songs we play; we want to NAIL them. And we are always adding songs.

You people who make generalizations about why bands do this or that have closed your minds. My band evolves all the time. We are many different things. Sometimes, we DO play out more than twice a month. And sometimes, we DON'T rehearse once a week.

But one thing we ALWAYS do: get better.

For each of you that says you play out all the time and never rehearse, can I watch a video of one of your shows?

I would like to gauge how successful you are at what you're doing, and by "what you're doing," I don't mean getting paid to play music. I mean playing good music well.

Yeah you guys are regular Mick Jaggers onstage. You don't move around that much, Arthur might as well be a statue. The only one breaking a sweat is the drummer as far as I can tell. I don't feel sorry for any band that brings 2 bass amps to a gig. Maybe your wife is a diva since she has to have her own plus 2 PA speakers pointed at her for monitors. Nowadays you can get better gear that doesn't weigh a ton.

 

[GlennW]

...here's a vid from our Halloween show. We're doing "Rock You Like A Hurricane" from the Scorpions.

Invalid Link Removed

You guys are REAL good.

 

[mellowinman]

Yeah you guys are regular Mick Jaggers onstage. You don't move around that much, Arthur might as well be a statue. The only one breaking a sweat is the drummer as far as I can tell. I don't feel sorry for any band that brings 2 bass amps to a gig. Maybe your wife is a diva since she has to have her own plus 2 PA speakers pointed at her for monitors. Nowadays you can get better gear that doesn't weigh a ton.

You haven't seen every show. I feel strongly that Krystal and I do move around quite a lot in the course of four hours, and I am there, and you are not.

As for getting better gear, let me know when you are buying it. I don't recall asking anyone to feel sorry for us. And insteads of referring to her as a Diva, I usually refer to her as Deaf in One Ear.

 

[Marley's Ghost]

My band falls into this category. I like to do other things on the weekends besides gig. Like travel, visit family out of state. Playing 3 or 4 weekends a month is too big a commitment for some of us.

 

[bassbully]

Because they are BS'ers- after 20 years of playing in gigging bands off and on, there are two types :Those who practice in order to play out. And those who play out.

Never shall the two meet.

If a cover- band has its **** together the only time you need practice or rehearsal is when you are adding new songs. (once you have your setlist down)

(Unless you are in some elite top-tier corporate type band)

I agree in time that is. If you are a working band practice is only to work on new material. The players should know the songs and do their homework, show up , play, get paid.

If its a newer band or you are reworking the lineup then weekly practice is a must for awhile IMO.

 

[bassbully]

My band falls into this category. I like to do other things on the weekends besides gig. Like travel, visit family out of state. Playing 3 or 4 weekends a month is too big a commitment for some of us.

I agree two a month is enough for my lifestyle.

 

[electracoyote]

Once the songs are learned, that should result in rehearsals tapering off and only needed for new material. I joined a new band a couple of months ago, we rehearsed twice (70+ songs) and have gigged 5 weekends since then with no more rehearsals. What's the point?

 

[marmadaddy]

Once the songs are learned, that should result in rehearsals tapering off and only needed for new material. I joined a new band a couple of months ago, we rehearsed twice (70+ songs) and have gigged 5 weekends since then with no more rehearsals. What's the point?

The point is to play music I like with people I like playing with.

 

[electracoyote]

The point is to play music I like with people I like playing with.

That makes sense.

I guess I see my band mates often enough come Friday and Saturday nights, don't feel compelled to play music with them during the week as well.