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What to do when a band member can't make practice

billiam5billion

billiam5billion

May 18, 2009
1,963
1,277
Houston, TX
#1
So, my drummer recently had to miss a practice due to work-related issues, but my guitarist and I were still jonesing hard to have a jam. We tried to go through our set list a few times, but missing the drum cues was leaving us pretty high and dry.

My question is, what do you do when a band member can't make it but you still want to play? Do you work on lyrics? chord changes? Or do you just doodle around and accomplish nothing?

Disclaimer-I don't want to infer that doodling accomplishes absolutely nothing, no offense to the noble doodlebug.
 
#5
billiam5billion said:
So, my drummer recently had to miss a practice due to work-related issues, but my guitarist and I were still jonesing hard to have a jam. We tried to go through our set list a few times, but missing the drum cues was leaving us pretty high and dry.

My question is, what do you do when a band member can't make it but you still want to play? Do you work on lyrics? chord changes? Or do you just doodle around and accomplish nothing?

Disclaimer-I don't want to infer that doodling accomplishes absolutely nothing, no offense to the noble doodlebug.
Click to expand...
next time you get a chance tape your set ,drums on one channel,bass the other so you can isolate either with the balance control....at least then you can get something done if one of you has to bail....
 
#6
Sometimes the drummer and I would practice our parts without guitar so we could further understand our roles out of context of the song. The better we knew the song, the easier it is to recover from a mistake. And it allowed us to hear each other better, and compliment each other rather than play our own thing. I'd imagine the same could work for guitar and bass.
 
#7
I'm in a band with 6 members in it. It's inevitable with that many people, that occationally there will be practice without the full band.

I'm always vocal about getting together with whomever is available. I think it's great practice to play songs without certain instruments.

Other times, it can be used for just having fun and trying new things.


Like one time in my powerpop band, our guitarist couldn't make it, so i showed up with my pedal board (usually i play clean), and threw some overdrive and octave on, and filled up the sonic space quite nicely. It didn't sound optimal, but it was still a lot of fun!
 
#11
I would try and learn the songs so that you don't NEED the drum cues! :D I know it is easier said than done, but surely a good exercise for you all. The other suggestion would be to write/learn some new stuff (depending on if you do originals or covers) or work on difficult sections of tunes.
 
#15
i'm with josh, you need to learn the tunes without cues. it can be difficult somethimes. but really worth it. i did an entire practice with just my drummer & did everything like we had the entire band there. sometimes with no vocals you can't tell what verse you are in so it makes you pay attention like nothing else will.
 
#16
One time I was in a developing blackened death metal band. Drummer let us know he couldn't come after we had already shown up to the jam spot. We decided to go ahead and run through our set list without him. It was difficult and, at first, sounded terrible, but after awhile that practice without the drummer was our "clicking" moment to where we were all able to get on the same level very easily. We always joked that the drummer not showing up was the best thing that could have happened to us.
 
#17
billiam5billion said:
So, my drummer recently had to miss a practice due to work-related issues, but my guitarist and I were still jonesing hard to have a jam. We tried to go through our set list a few times, but missing the drum cues was leaving us pretty high and dry.

My question is, what do you do when a band member can't make it but you still want to play? Do you work on lyrics? chord changes? Or do you just doodle around and accomplish nothing?

Disclaimer-I don't want to infer that doodling accomplishes absolutely nothing, no offense to the noble doodlebug.
Click to expand...

Our singer's like this. We're ALL very busy but she lives 1hr away.

Write write write!!! Edit ur songs, bust out the metronome... produce ur songs.


Have a listening party. Bring a bunch of local heavies your buds with, some munchies n coke0, and have them critique your recordings.
 
#18
We have a five-member band.. well, four now, one of our singers quit. But our rule has always been that three people makes a quorum. But I'd agree -- just jam so you get more attuned to each other, or write something, or use a metronome or drum machine. It's natural to get your cues from the drums, but it's good to know your changes without needing the cue.
 

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