Prioritizing and rehearsal time

[LBS-bass]

This probably goes against your grain, learn the material as well as they do, but no better. Enough to wing it will be fine. It isn't your responsibility to give 100% when they don't. I would suggest you stop sending them charts because if they really cared they would get prepared on their own.

Ime, there are two kinds of people when it comes to this stuff. Those who do their homework, and those who don't. They will not change.

The problem with this is that if I don't learn the material well enough early enough, i will feel stressed later because I'll be playing catch up as these shows are approaching. I'd rather get it under my belt early and give myself some breathing room. But that's just me.

But I hear what you're saying.

 

[LBS-bass]

So, two bands?

Drop the prob - works for me with gurrlfriends!

Six. Four of them have shows this month. One is pretty much off my schedule at this point and another is not yet booking shows.

As I said, I have time for it. I just don't have time to make it all prepped for their early rehearsal needs. I spent three days this week prepping for three different rehearsals and the band that has a show next week rehearses tomorrow.

 

[two fingers]

Not sure what to do about this.

I'm having a problem currently. I am retired, and I have plenty of time during the day to work on material. However, I have several shows coming up this month and they all require learning a significant amount of new material.

I have plenty of personal time to get the work done. The problem is that everyone wants to rehearse NOW and I don't have time to prepare new material for three different band's rehearsals this week. Three of these shows are not happening until the end of this month, but the one with the most complex material is next weekend. I need to be working on that right now. I need to prioritize upcoming shows over these other bands' desire to rehearse, but I am spending a lot of time this week prepping for rehearsals instead.

The problem isn't me. I have confidence that I can get the needed work done. The problem is that if I am not prepared for these rehearsals that are well in advance of the shows, then other people can't do their jobs. If I don't come into rehearsals knowing the song forms, nobody else knows them either.

It would be much easier if everyone would use their personal time to learn the material well and only schedule full rehearsals closer to the shows. But I don't think people have the confidence in their ability to learn the material without having the full band there to prop them up.

I feel like I spend far too much of my time in rehearsals for the benefit of others. It's at a point where I am going to have to cut back on the number of bands I work with, not because I can't do the job for them well, but because they are demanding more time from me that it takes me to do the job, and those demands are interfering with my ability to prioritize.

Did you ever feel like you want to just wipe the slate clean and start over with different people? That's about how I'm feeling right now. I'm trying to use my free time more wisely to help some of these bands get better organized but with that I run the risk of looking like I'm trying to run their show for them.

Yep. I've been there. I even started a thread about bands that want to rehearse to much recently. (I believe you contributed some wisdom to it, as you usually do.)

Here's what has worked for me. I have to put the ball back in their courts with honesty. Just explain to the other two bands what you have explained to us. If they can't work with you... as in give you these two weeks to get ready for the other gig and THEN get together to run their songs.... simply tell them that you will honor your commitment this time, but that this will be your last gig.


Either way, you have been around the block a few times. And you seem to carry yourself with class and professionalism. I'm sure you'll come up with the proper response.

 

[vvvmmm]

Respectfully, "I have time for it" is different than "I have time for them".

 

[LBS-bass]

Respectfully, "I have time for it" is different than "I have time for them".

That is true.

 

[vvvmmm]

I envy you, BTW!

 

[El Güero]

The problem with this is that if I don't learn the material well enough early enough, i will feel stressed later because I'll be playing catch up as these shows are approaching. I'd rather get it under my belt early and give myself some breathing room. But that's just me.

I thought of that when posting. It's more work for you since you'd have to learn it two ways.

My impression is that these bandmates are not close to being on your level, and you might have more at stake since you're better known as a musician. You don't want to do a hack job, and have people who recognize you from other places see it. Fully understandable.

Maybe a disguise so no one knows it's you? Or reconsider, and don't spread yourself out so thin.

 

[Ralph Manak]

The musicians in the unprepared bands are certainly relying on you, @LBS-bass — your preparation, energy, and mental bandwidth — so they can get by week after week. I imagine the level of progress is zero-to-minimal, and sometimes feels like it's drifting into negative territory.

Is there a specific agenda for each rehearsal? Perhaps if each rehearsal had an agenda with a limited number of specific tunes, and the requirement to be prepared, the unprepared might be encouraged to be less cavalier. If evidence of lack of preparation turns up, stop the tune and move on to the next one (maybe return to it later if there's time), with the friendly idea that another chance to get it right will happen at the next rehearsal. It's a kind of tough-love approach.

One benefit to you with your current schedule is that you can pace your preparation as needed, front-loading the challenging material but still being well prepared for all deadlines (think of them as lifelines).

What's striking, too, is that the consistently unprepared are essentially communicating that no one will every really know what will happen on stage (this is with respect to reliability, not the more welcome unknowns of stagecraft and improvisation). Preparation is what affords the higher levels of being present and enjoying the gig.

 

[pfschim]

@LBS-bass .. not sure if we're in the exact same position but I also have decades (5! geez!) of solid professional gigging/performing/recording experience, and have been retired from full time working demands for the past 4 years. Also, while I don't generally play small money, money is not my main priority so that frees me up to focus on the gigs/projects that have the greatest potential for musical satisfaction/fun.

I always do my homework and am prepared for rehearsals and performances. I always did this, but it's certainly got easier now that I a retired from any day-to-day/week-to-week working demands. I (pretty much) always prioritize gigs based on which needs the most of my attention. I also fill a MD role often in bands .. mostly because I have the general musical experience/skills (i.e. not just a bass player) and others can't or won't, or don't really have enough broad musical experience and the maturity/reliability to do so.

So. similar maybe.

While I try not to be critical with other musicians (after all, it is supposed to be fun) I also do not easily suffer players who don't prepare/do their homework. I also try not to get into "rehearse to death" situations where players depend on endless jamming type rehearsals to get their s**t together. I try to be polite and professional about my interactions with other players, but I always try to set expectations with everyone up front and then I make a point to stick to my commitments.

Given what you described though, you may need to rethink how many projects your in and perhaps you may need to reduce your commit level to just those projects that are the most satisfying (and if you need the dough ... perhaps those with the best paying gigs ??).

personally, I'd rather do fewer, better organized and more satisfying gigs, than deal with a more crowded calendar but with less committed musicians. Its just more fun/satisfying for me that way.

good luck as you navigate this situation.

 

[Ekulati]

Yup, it's always something. Sometimes it's hard to know this will become the norm when you first join a project. Everyone's on their best behavior. I'm in an 8-9 pc. soul band where I spend a lot of rehearsal time for the benefit of the horn players, some of whom sub in and out so there's always someone learning a part.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

Not sure what to do about this.

I'm having a problem currently. I am retired, and I have plenty of time during the day to work on material. However, I have several shows coming up this month and they all require learning a significant amount of new material.

I have plenty of personal time to get the work done. The problem is that everyone wants to rehearse NOW and I don't have time to prepare new material for three different band's rehearsals this week. Three of these shows are not happening until the end of this month, but the one with the most complex material is next weekend. I need to be working on that right now. I need to prioritize upcoming shows over these other bands' desire to rehearse, but I am spending a lot of time this week prepping for rehearsals instead.

The problem isn't me. I have confidence that I can get the needed work done. The problem is that if I am not prepared for these rehearsals that are well in advance of the shows, then other people can't do their jobs. If I don't come into rehearsals knowing the song forms, nobody else knows them either.

It would be much easier if everyone would use their personal time to learn the material well and only schedule full rehearsals closer to the shows. But I don't think people have the confidence in their ability to learn the material without having the full band there to prop them up.

I feel like I spend far too much of my time in rehearsals for the benefit of others. It's at a point where I am going to have to cut back on the number of bands I work with, not because I can't do the job for them well, but because they are demanding more time from me that it takes me to do the job, and those demands are interfering with my ability to prioritize.

Did you ever feel like you want to just wipe the slate clean and start over with different people? That's about how I'm feeling right now. I'm trying to use my free time more wisely to help some of these bands get better organized but with that I run the risk of looking like I'm trying to run their show for them.

Full band rehearsals are not for individuals working out their parts. That is for polishing up timing aspects and fine tuning. With today's technology, there is no reason to have to have the whole band just work out individual parts.

I think you need to have a heart to heart with the BL.

 

[pbass888]

@LBS-bass , I humbly suggest a short rehearsal for "book ends" only and no weekly practice. You got nothing to loose and it sounds like your band mates aren't putting in the work before rehearsal. How many times have you thought "Practice is definitely for at home you morons."
And rehearsal is usually , as you know ,to tighten up beginning and endings .the whole book end rehearsal should not take more than 45 minutes. Maybe once before a big show or with a new band member.

I think you are playing below you ideal fighting weight.
I wish you all the best!

 

[LBS-bass]

I went to rehearsal tonight; things were a bit better. I told them that I have got to prioritize the show that's coming up next weekend and that I spent all day preparing material for their rehearsal, and that I spent the prior two days preparing material for other rehearsals, and that I am not spending my time well to get ready for my next show by working this way.

I made it clear that I feel I have plenty of time to prepare everything I need for the end of this month, but that since this is the beginning of the month, I don't have a choice but to switch gears and put rehearsals on hold for next week so that I can spend my free time polishing up the things I need to have ready for that show.

They were ok with that, and everyone agreed to work on their own stuff in between. I'm feeling a little less stressed. Practice tomorrow will focus on the upcoming show with a rehearsal tomorrow night with that bunch. The rest of the new material I will need later this month I now have a good head start on, so I'm feeling like I can manage this for now.

However it does point up some long-term changes I'm going to need to make. I don't feel like my workload is too heavy but I do feel like the expectations are too great a burden. All of these rehearsals are making this feel like a full-time job. Moving forward I'm going to have to address this in some way.

Here's the frustrating thing. Clearly I'm in demand. But I'm not being demanded by the right people. There aren't that many of the right people here to begin with. I absolutely understand everyone saying that I'm punching below my weight, but there's not much here to punch up to, at least not that I've found.

 

[juancaminos]

I'm in a similar boat. Our rehearsals suck! The short story is that we learn songs that we never play live and we play songs that we haven't rehearsed. For the most part we are not told what we are rehearsing so we're not prepared. I'm from the school where a rehearsal agenda is agreed upon, every one learns their part and we tie up loose ends at rehearsal. Rehearsal is not a practice session IMHO. blah blah blah...

 

[logdrum]

What happened to the previous avatar? Are you doing psychic readings on the side? Have you tried asking the ball?

The opening riff to the "The Rule" is now stuck in my head.

 

[LBS-bass]

What happened to the previous avatar? Are you doing psychic readings on the side? Have you tried asking the ball?

View attachment 4429659
The opening riff to the "The Rule" is now stuck in my head.

I thought I might need to be psychic for Halloween. I'm glad you like my song

 

[K. Powell]

It does seem as though you've already got it figured out. As a pro, you'll do a fine job and fulfill your commitments. Then you can take stock of where you are and what you want to do next. Tapping the brakes is good once in a while. If you slow down you might see something you would've missed otherwise.

 

[80jazz]

Someone pushed back at me today when I sent some charts and notes out, saying that she was buried with work and doesn't have time to look at it. I never asked her to look at it. My intent was not to put pressure on, just to provide useful tools for the next rehearsal.

This may be worth keeping in mind with what you have to juggle.

I tend to think the idea of lacking time is to do something is really a disguise for lacking motivation to make the time for it.

 

[onda'bass]

This is why I don't play out anymore, mediocre lazy hack players that need to be taken by the hand to do everything. How you play in 3 bands is simple, no rehearsals unless it's new material, I remember my parts. I will never would go up and make an a$$ of myself, therefore I am always prepared. Not all think that way, "eh just nuke it mentality"

 

[danster]

Its healthy and necessary to have personal boundaries, so that people won't take advantage of your helpfulness.
Its hard to always be the one who's conscientious.