Prioritizing and rehearsal time

[IamGroot]

I guess that didnt paste very nicely, but you get the idea I hope.

Gig Set No. Category ARTIST PRO Song Key Tempo Time.

PRO stands for how well I know the song. A=ready to record or play live, B-need quick refressher, etc.
Time - Song Length in digital format.

PS I dont pick these songs, the people that hire me do.

 

[LBS-bass]

The calendar and advance discussion are your friend.

- Be honest about how fast you learn songs. If you can only learn 2 new songs at a sitting, thats fine. So if somebody hands you a 40 song set list of totally new material, thats 3 weeks . Plus you need digestion time of a few days.

This doesn't help when it's all being pushed at you at once for shows that are weeks out but rehearsals are days away. I have plenty of time to learn the material. The problem, once again, is not me, nor my skill at time management. The problem is too many rehearsals that I don't need which get in the way of my ability to effectively manage my time. I see zero point to going into a rehearsal without being properly prepared, but this insistence on too many advance rehearsals is driving me to spend time doing non-priority work while priority work piles up.

 

[Admiral Akbar]

This doesn't help when it's all being pushed at you at once for shows that are weeks out but rehearsals are days away. I have plenty of time to learn the material. The problem, once again, is not me. The problem is too many rehearsals that I don't need which get in the way of my ability to effectively manage my time. I see zero point to going into a rehearsal without being properly prepared, but this insistence on too many advance rehearsals is driving me to spend time doing non-priority work while priority work piles up.

@LBS-bass Why don't you just tell these lower priority bands "NO, I can't rehearse for the next 2 weeks"???

 

[LBS-bass]

@LBS-bass Why don't you just tell these lower priority bands "NO, I can't rehearse for the next 2 weeks"???

Well, that's what I did.

But the problem with this approach is that two weeks from now I will go back in there with one week left and they will be playing everything wrong. And I don't have time or materials to learn all their wrong versions of things at that point.

 

[Admiral Akbar]

Well, that's what I did.

Then that's all you need to do. Now put your energy into the high priority stuff for your upcoming gig, and you'll hit the lesser stuff once this show is finished. Hopefully those other bands will work on their stuff without you… if not, call them out on it.

 

[LBS-bass]

Then that's all you need to do. Now put your energy into the high priority stuff for your upcoming gig, and you'll hit the lesser stuff once this show is finished. Hopefully those other bands will work on their stuff without you… if not, call them out on it.

Well yes but it's more than that. I edited that post so my other concerns are now there. Basically it's a losing battle.

 

[pepj]

Well, that's what I did.

But the problem with this approach is that two weeks from now I will go back in there with one week left and they will be playing everything wrong. And I don't have time or materials to learn all their wrong versions of things at that point.

The longer term solution is to ditch those bands that don't work at a decent enough pace.
The sort term solution is not do songs they cant pull off.

 

[LBS-bass]

The longer term solution is to ditch those bands that don't work at a decent enough pace.
The sort term solution is not do songs they cant pull off.

Well, that assumes you're in a position to choose their repertoire for them. The long term solution is best but I have a sentimental attachment to this one, so that makes it difficult.

 

[pepj]

Ok, but if they cant do the songs, or cant learn them or put the effort in, its not working so I'd move on. personally.

 

[LBS-bass]

Ok, but if they cant do the songs, or cant learn them or put the effort in, its not working so I'd move on. personally.

I'm going to have to.

 

[El Güero]

I'm going to have to.

Good move. There comes a time when the effort expended far outweighs the reward.

If you're expecting them to change, don't hold your breath.

 

[LBS-bass]

Good move. There comes a time when the effort expended far outweighs the reward.

If you're expecting them to change, don't hold your breath.

No I don't expect them to change. But they are friends, and they were there for me during some of my darkest days last year. I find it difficult to let them down.

 

[El Güero]

No I don't expect them to change. But they are friends, and they were there for me during some of my darkest days last year. I find it difficult to let them down.

That makes it rough. Good luck.

 

[RocknRay]

I admire how high your standards are for yourself. Being the best prepared, most experienced and most fluent player in a band on stage is something I've never been and may never be. Our little old cover band is fun and loose & we make mistakes & laugh & try to do better. Then again we can even amaze ourselves & some of our audience too. You aspire to something much more, and some players are just not capable of that. Frustrating. IMO any way you want to handle this is the right way as long as you are happy about it. It's your show.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

@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!

I'm with you on here 45 minute no BSing rehearsal. I prefer an agenda with time constraints on each bullet point, but it only works if everybody is prepared.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

I admire how high your standards are for yourself. Being the best prepared, most experienced and most fluent player in a band on stage is something I've never been and may never be. Our little old cover band is fun and loose & we make mistakes & laugh & try to do better. Then again we can even amaze ourselves & some of our audience too. You aspire to something much more, and some players are just not capable of that. Frustrating. IMO any way you want to handle this is the right way as long as you are happy about it. It's your show.

To a point I agree with you, we are humans after all, and being able to laughter at one's missteps is a great way to disperse the stress of normal human error. That said, repeating the same errors over an over again is another story all together different.

For instance, back in the 70's our band covered a lot of Chicago music. Our trumpet player, Splat, always had trouble with more difficult parts. Believe me, when we got to the trumpet solo in Beginnings, knowing his solo was not going to go well, was a major stressor band wide and not at all humorous.

 

[El Güero]

For instance, back in the 70's our band covered a lot of Chicago music. Our trumpet player, Splat, always had trouble with more difficult parts. Believe me, when we got to the trumpet solo in Beginnings, knowing his solo was not going to go well, was a major stressor band wide and not at all humorous.

Why did the band continue to play the song if none of you was into it?

 

[LBS-bass]

For instance, back in the 70's our band covered a lot of Chicago music. Our trumpet player, Splat, always had trouble with more difficult parts. Believe me, when we got to the trumpet solo in Beginnings, knowing his solo was not going to go well, was a major stressor band wide and not at all humorous.

Well, this is the thing. When one person is embarrassing the rest of the band on stage, it doesn't matter how much you like them on a personal level. They are not holding up their end of the bargain. But it can be tricky to navigate those things when the lines are blurred in bands that aren't playing strictly for the cash. I've had to eliminate members who weren't pulling their weight, and it's never fun.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

Why did the band continue to play the song if none of you was into it?

We were all in a small high school together since 7th grade. We were all in high school band together, took the same classes, ate lunch together, hung out together, drank our first beer together. In other words it was a close bunch.

As for the music, it was challenging, and were thrilled just to be gigging at the high school dances, parks and an odd club date now and again. However, after graduation, we parted ways with Splat, and eventually stoped doing most songs that required a horn section altogether. Our trombone player switched to flute (great for doing Tull) and eventually became our keyboard player. Our sax player keep on playing sax, and BTW became an excellent bassist and we kept on gigging for the next 4 or five days, and more than a few of still record to this very day.

 

[RocknRay]

To a point I agree with you, we are humans after all, and being able to laughter at one's missteps is a great way to disperse the stress of normal human error. That said, repeating the same errors over an over again is another story all together different.

For instance, back in the 70's our band covered a lot of Chicago music. Our trumpet player, Splat, always had trouble with more difficult parts. Believe me, when we got to the trumpet solo in Beginnings, knowing his solo was not going to go well, was a major stressor band wide and not at all humorous.

Yep, we can also get quite annoyed with each other, but for part-timers that gig maybe every 6 weeks if we're on a roll, we till our row pretty well!