Bobby Borg – Improve Your Next Rehearsal

IMPROVE YOUR NEXT REHEARSAL

By Bobby Borg – http://www.BobbyBorg.com
© 2010 All Rights Reserved. Used By Permission.

It’s true that practice makes perfect, but are you really getting the most out of your rehearsal sessions? Below are a few tips that can help you to prepare for your next recording session or live gig and also to help you save some time and a few bucks.

1) Put together a schedule. The best way to keep a consistent practice regime-one that is do-able for all members-is to plan ahead. Examine the personal schedules (work, school, etc) of all involved to consider the most convenient times and days, and then schedule three to four sessions a week leaving a day or two off in between to avoid burn out. If you schedule a rehearsal on a weekend night, consider ending it early so that members have time to catch other bands’ performances, to network, to promote upcoming shows, and to simply have some free time for fun (after all, you are human).

2) Rehearse before the rehearsal. Nothing is more unproductive than sitting around for an hour while a member figures out the chord changes and stops to a song that could have been figured out at home. It’s disrespectful to the fellow band members who came prepared and it’s a waste of money if renting the studio. Whatever your objective for your next rehearsal session, DO YOUR HOMEWORK! It can save time, money, and prevent unnecessary tension.

3) Don’t show up late. Time is valuable-especially when you’re shelling out your precious money for rehearsal fees-so be sure to show up early for scheduled rehearsals. If you have pedal boards, double bass pedals, or keyboard stands to set-up (as you may when renting a studio by the hour), don’t spend the first 30 minutes of rehearsal doing so. Set-up your gear in pieces outside of the room in the hallway or parking lot, and then move it all into place upon your allocated time. This way you can immediately get started with rehearsal.

4)No noodling around in-between songs. There’s a time to practice rudiments and scales and there’s a time to sit still and keep quiet. Says Rick King of Stan Rigway’s band (of Wall of Voodoo fame), “There’s nothing more distracting, unproductive, and annoying than a member noodling around in-between songs when others are trying to work out parts. Everyone must remain focused on the same agenda at all times.”

5) Rehearse with a click. Whether you’re rehearsing for a live performance or for a recording session, it’s a good idea to incorporate the use of a click track. Rehearsing with a click can train you to “hold back” during live performances when you’re all pumped up from the crowd. It can also prepare you for recording sessions where consistency of tempo from the beginning to the end of a song is crucial. Your drummer can play along to a click by using a set of headphones and a Roland Doctor Beat metronome plugged into a stereo amplifier. This will also give you drummer a chance to get used to using headphones, just like in the recording studio. Or if you prefer, your whole band play along with a click by running it through a channel on your PA mixer or by laying a microphone in front of the metronome’s speaker. In any case, USE A CLICK!

6) Tape-record your rehearsals. All rehearsals should be taped to help uncover where tempos are pushing or pulling, where song arrangements are working or not working, and where set orders are flowing or not flowing. A portable boom box with a cassette recorder is really all you need to get the job done. Just place it in a section of the room where you can get the best possible recording. After the rehearsal, put the date and title on the cassette tape (e.g., New Song #1, Set List A, etc), and then appoint a band member to take notes on various aspects of the tape and to report back at the next rehearsal.

7) Be Meticulous, but Not Inflexible. Steven Perkins of Janes Addiction advices that when rehearsing for a tour, things are little bit more etched in stone in terms of the set order, tempos, and the parts that everyone is going to play. However when rehearsing for the studio, the best thing is to keep your options open. You want to have your parts down so that you can cut your tracks as quickly as possible, but you also want to remain somewhat flexible to experiment with what really pays-off on tape. The studio is a world of its own.

8 ) Hold sectionals. Breaking up your rehearsals into different sectionals (i.e., drums/bass, vocals/background vocals, guitar/drums/bass) provides an opportunity to isolate certain areas of concern and to remedy problems. For instance, the drummer and bassist can work on sections where the meter may be pushing and pulling and the lead vocalist and background singer can tighten-up harmonies. Stephen Perkins, drummer for the multi-platinum punk/metal/folk band Jane’s Addiction notes that his band often rehearses without vocalist Perry Ferrell because there’s no better way to truly learn a song and to get tighter as a band. Says Perkins, “Without vocal cues to rely on, you really learn to communicate well as a rhythm section. Furthermore, it gives Perry an opportunity to rest his voice.”

[Side Bar: In regard to your rehearsals for live performances, don't forget to rehearse your choreography and what the singer is going to say between songs, and to get it on video tape for further study, says Andrew Trout of Abandon Ship.]

9) Bring spare supplies. To avoid ending your next rehearsal long before due, each member should bring spare supplies. Drummers and percussionists should carry extra snare heads and sticks, guitarists and bass players should carry extra strings and amp chords, and vocalists should bring a spare mic. The last thing you want to do is spend your valuable rehearsal time racing around to find the nearest music store. Enough said!

10) Work hard and play hard. The entertainment business is about entertaining. If us musicians can’t entertain ourselves, than who are we all kidding. This article isn’t meant to imply you can’t have fun, it is just to remind you that there is a time for work and a time for play.

Bobby Borg: former major label, independent, and DIY recording/touring artist, graduate of Berklee College of Music with a BA in Professional Music, educator at Musician’s Institute and UCLA Extension, music business consultant, guest speaker, contributor to international publications, and author of Billboard Books best-seller The Musician’s Handbook. For more info follow this link: http://www.bobbyborg.com