Recording Rehearsals?

[joelns]

I recently joined a band that does original material. There's no source recordings, which makes it difficult to learn the tunes. On the advice of @LBS-bass (I think), I've started recording rehearsals. It's helped tremendously in keeping tabs on the material.

Record your rehearsals. It absolutely helps.

 

[tangentmusic]

I recently joined a band that does original material. There's no source recordings, which makes it difficult to learn the tunes. On the advice of @LBS-bass (I think), I've started recording rehearsals. It's helped tremendously in keeping tabs on the material.

Record your rehearsals. It absolutely helps.

Agree. Especially in an original’s outfit

 

[buldog5151bass]

Regardless of the music you play, it's a good idea. Especially if someone keeps saying " I learned that part properly" or " no, I don't speed up".

 

[Bonecat]

Yup. Hard drive plugged into the mixer at every rehearsal. Mostly because I’m a hack and need to keep myself honest about what I’m doing…

 

[grimjim]

Yes. I started doing this years ago, with a cassette recorder, so yeah a while back. lol

I was in a band with a guitar player that played solely by feel. He would be noodling around and play the coolest riff and not even know what he just played. We hung an sm57 from the ceiling through the PA into a cassette recorder. We'd hit record when we started playing and if there was no magic happening, we'd just record over it.

It also helps to listen to what you played more objectively. It all feels great while you're playing and feeling the gel but listening the next day helps you decide if it's really worth building on.

 

[richntiff]

Only do this if your band is open to the concept of ‘brutal reality’ - super valuable exercise though!

 

[SaucyJackBass]

We have recorded every rehearsal for years. Plenty of songs that would have been just a forgotten jam have made it onto albums Lida Una Music

we even have done video recordings since Covid has cut down on the gigs.

 

[Joe Nerve]

With original bands I've asked bands to let me record them sans bass. Leaves me open to lots more.

An interesting thing, for me, about recording the band is that in my earlier years I always thought I sounded a lot better than I actually did. In recent years I usually think I sound worse than I actually do. I'm very critical of my playing. That's not always a good thing, but I believe it makes me a much better player than if I weren't.

 

[joelns]

Only do this if your band is open to the concept of ‘brutal reality’ - super valuable exercise though!

Brutal reality is needed as we get ready for our first gig in a few weeks, especially since I'm still dropping a clam or two as I learn the material and experiment with lines. Pretty much left to my own devices to work out what I want to play, and there's a LOT of room to explore still.

As an example, this one is called "Mountain Way"

 

[scott sinner]

With original bands I've asked bands to let me record them sans bass. Leaves me open to lots .

Definitely a good approach. We do that a lot, not necessarily bass, just whoever may be working on their part, the others record for writing/wood shedding.

 

[woodyng2]

I use my voice memo app on my iphone to record rehearsals. It’s very revealing and pretty good at capturing the room sound.

 

[Deleted member 365158]

Not only record, make your mates listen too!

 

[3Liter]

Who, in your band, is the person that says "this sucks" or " that's great". Ive recorded for years and send it out but never had folks sit down and really critique it.

 

[superheavyfunk]

I’ve been recording rehearsals since I started being in bands in the 90s. I have sooooooo many old cassettes kicking around it’s ridiculous.

I’d buy an old tascam 4 track and digitize them all for posterity but those things are now going for like $600 and there is no way I’m shelling out that amount for a 4 track CASSETTE recorder

 

[GreyBeard]

No downside to this.

 

[ClusterFlux]

I’d buy an old tascam 4 track and digitize them all for posterity but those things are now going for like $600 and there is no way I’m shelling out that amount for a 4 track CASSETTE recorder

Think one step ahead.... When you're done with it, sell it to someone else for $600 (or more).

 

[cheapbasslovin]

Only do this if your band is open to the concept of ‘brutal reality’ - super valuable exercise though!

Oof, but also yes. The younger you start the better. Turns out louder = 'harder to hear how loose your parts are,' and not so much 'better.' Any unclipped recording doesn't care how loud you are.

 

[cheapbasslovin]

Who, in your band, is the person that says "this sucks" or " that's great". Ive recorded for years and send it out but never had folks sit down and really critique it.

Even if they only listen to 1 out of every 3 or 4 it's still worth it, IMO.

 

[joelns]

Oof, but also yes. The younger you start the better. Turns out louder = 'harder to hear how loose your parts are,' and not so much 'better.' Any unclipped recording doesn't care how loud you are.

We rehearse at reasonably low volumes. The neighbors tend to call the police if we get to what we'd consider a reasonable volume. So there's really no where to hide.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

I recently joined a band that does original material. There's no source recordings, which makes it difficult to learn the tunes. On the advice of @LBS-bass (I think), I've started recording rehearsals. It's helped tremendously in keeping tabs on the material.

Record your rehearsals. It absolutely helps.

We’ve been recording all rehearsals and gigs for the last 7 years. It’s the perfect report card. I highly recommend it.