Unorganized Rehearsals

[bsee]

That all depends upon the goals. Not everyone joins a band to play in a business-like fashion by the numbers. For the vast majority of us, we're not going to get rich or even turn a band into a full time job. If it isn't fun, we're not doing it. If it feels like work, then there better be a work-sized paycheck.

[slawie]

I see your point Bob and agree with you on all points.
 
For me, if I want to jam and just balls around and be creative and such then there are no real boundaries as to the approach and then I would not call it a rehearsal.
 
When I am in a band that is performing for people (paying customers)I try and provide the best product possible. I have been tainted by the business world and as such do make the comparisons and reflective approach all too easily.
 
I probably will never ever make back the money I have spent over the years gearing up, getting to gigs and rehearsals, buying drinks for punters and other band members among numerous other expenses etc...
 
I play because I love it. All of it. The drunks, the skunks, the punks and all of the junk that comes with performing in front of an audience.
 
If life for Glocke can be made a little less frustrating dealing with fellow band members by providing structure where structure is required then I make no apology for that.
 
slawie (aka Adolf)

[mike1762]

Feel for ya Greg.  I'm like Slawie: if rehearsals aren't focused... I focus them.  I've spoken with old band members and most all of them tell me that the time they spent with me was the most productive they ever were (from a musical perspective).  The joy for me is in playing well and creating something the band can be proud of... that requires work (at least for me).  I simply will not tolerate having my time wasted.  If that makes it no fun for another band member... one of us has to go (and it's never been me).

[88persuader]

I think the most important thing is for the band to have clear goals and expectations. The people I tend to play with usually have a clear spelt out agenda. We're going to focus on X style, we'd like to gig X number of weeks a month within a certain driving distance for minimum X amount of money, we will rehearse X days a month/week for X amount of time each rehearsal, and will learn X new tunes per rehearsal. Recently I got back together with band mates I gigged with literally a decade ago. We had a non-playing business meeting and set goals and expectations, we decided on 50 tunes for our initial set list and decided on the 1st 5 songs to review at our 1st actual musical rehearsal. (Rehearsals once a week until we start gigging) We didn't need to audition each other because we played together steady for several years prior. Our 1st rehearsal was last Sunday and we nailed all 5 tunes we said we'd learn plus 7 more tunes that weren't on that weeks list in just 2.5 hours of rehearsal. (Including harmonies) Everyone was all smiles because we were all on the same page. We did our homework and apparently everyone went above and beyond by learning many more than the 5 tunes we decided on. I will make a distinction that we were a steady working band a decade ago and had played together professionally for many years and we're older musicians. We're not at rehearsal to party and get wasted, it's all business. I suggest you have a band meeting (Not a bitch session) and find out what people WANT and expect from the band. If you don't agree with each others wants and expectations it's time to look for something else. No who's right and who's wrong ... it's a matter of understanding everyone's expectations and seeing if they are the same as yours. Some people want a business environment (Like my band) and some people just want to hang out and party. No right or wrong as long as you're all on the same page.
 
ANYWAY ... there is no such thing as a band with no soap operas and no divas, but if you all have the same expectations there is far less of a chance that you'll go home pissed off.
 
Good luck!

[sonicus]

If you are doing cover material It is good to have heard a version of a recording of the intended or desired musical delivery . Charts , in staff notation or just chord charts will always help instead of having to learn it all first JUST by ear and then play by JUST memory. Sometimes if it is  also vocal  music it is also helpful to have the words  written with the chart to get the feel , grove and phrasing right.________   Like Jaco used to say  WRITE IT DOWN !   If you bring charts to the table it will enable folks to focus and pay attention and get the job done .In many professional musical circles , Jazz, classical , studio musicians , are given charts with little rehearsal time before a performance or recording .I am certain we have such sight reading masters right here in this forum.

[benson_murrensun]

Lots of experience talking here, and I can personally relate to most of it. Slawie said, ...if you lay down the law and demand a proper rehearsal more often than not you will weed out the wankers. Which I found to be true, but it leaves one with the problem of replacing them... then here we go again with the 2-steps-forward-and-one-point-five-steps backward dilemna. I don't have any answers; but it seems to me that discussions of band goals should be held at the outset, not sometime down the line when wanking has become an entrenched feature of rehearsals.
Trying to get people who have full-time day jobs to be serious about getting a band together for little pay and late nights is difficult. Lots of us in this situation lean toward making rehearsals into jams/hang-out sessions and putting productivity lower on the priority list.

[thumbsup]

Bands come and bands go.....some are good and some suck a little and some a lot ....But I have fun in all of them...
The good ones are when there is good comunication on selections and eveybody is on time for rehearsal and the gigs.....didn't have to have the talk about goals in the good bands because those were the ones with really good talented muscians and made lots more money and they were/are more fun also.  
The bands that we had to have a talk about goals always sucked,less talented muscians, less money,less fun....
So if you have to have a talk about goals.....Not a good sign....
Kinda funny hows that works!
 
Sometimes if I'm inbetween bands and no side jobs....and just getting a little fed up with the music business....
I will lay my bass down for a while and go fishing for.....ofcourse...Bass!
But sooner or later the music bug always pulls me back in. I love performing live and hope I never get to the point where I won't perform live.
However I can relate to those whose had enough, There was a time when I laid my bass down for two years!

[glocke]

The bands that we had to have a talk about goals always sucked,less talented muscians, less money,less fun....  
So if you have to have a talk about goals.....Not a good sign
 
You know, Ive noticed the same thing...The bands that Ive been in that worked, were good, and were fun just seemed to kind of happen effortlessly, meaning we didnt have big discussions about goals and what not...
 
Trying to get people who have full-time day jobs to be serious about getting a band together for little pay and late nights is difficult. Lots of us in this situation lean toward making rehearsals into jams/hang-out sessions and putting productivity lower on the priority list.
 
I guess this is really what these guys are after, more of a hang out session than anything.  I went out there last night and it was more of the same, the guitar player called out a bunch of tunes and their changes that I had never heard of or played before..this was even after I called the day before to ask him  what tunes he was thinking of playing the next day..I figured if I at least had a heads up I could download them on itunes and listen to them on my ipod at work..
 
Oh well...Guess I have to decide to either take it for what it is, hanging out and not really doing too much with some great people, or find another band that is more focused which more than likely means switching genres and playing stuff Im not that fond of.

[88persuader]

I totally disagree on bands talking about goals. Having and communicating goals are a sign of a good business attitude IMO. You don't want a band of musicians who all want something different because it won't work out. Do you want to play rock, T-40, country, dance, prog? Do you want to gig out every week, twice a month, never? Do you want to create a business with a goal of gigging or do it for fun? How far will we drive for a gig? How much $$ do we expect per man? Are we going to learn cover songs, all originals or just jam? Clear goals make for bands that get along ... at least for a while! Maybe if I use the words clear expectations it'll ring better with you. I've WORKED steady for 3 decades and all my bands have had specific expectations. Type of music, type of gigs, expectations for rehearsal, expectations for conduct, (Not getting totally faced at gigs) what do we do about TAXES? I'm talking professional music not cellar band stuff. Any business that doesn't have a clear objective is doomed. And if the objective is to jam and party in the basement that's cool as long as that's what everyone wants. That would also be a goal ... to have a good time jamming in the basement. And if you join a band that's established with a good schedule and steady money perhaps a lot of these things don't need to be discussed because you can see what you're getting into and professionalism and reliability is emplied. But when it's a start up band or people who don't really know each other talking goals is essential.

[benson_murrensun]

I don't have as much experience with bands as most around here, it seems; however, I have never once been in a situation in which it did not behoove us to talk about goals, at least for a while. None of the bands just magically coalesced into a well-oiled, unit of like-minded individuals. Of course, I am currently in a band that DID discuss goals and come to an agreement, and then one of us decided to change his level of commitment... so much for early communication on that count!

[5sicks]

When I started my current band I handed all prospects a song list. Classic rock cover had a niche here in our area and that's what I decided to play. If a player didn't want to do that then all he had to do was say no, and I ran through a few of those before settling in with some talented guys who were all like-minded. Now 3 years later, everybody brings in new(old) stuff to play and we'll try anything as long as it's not Lynyrd Skynyrd. I guess the wankers were eliminated before they got a foothold. We're tight, practice twice a week, gig 3-4 times a month and getting better as we go. And every once in a while we have cocktails at rehearsal just to air it out and see if we can play well drunk... we can't.

[thumbsup]

So if you have to have a talk about goals.....Not a good sign....
This comment may have been misunderstood... this comment was made about the original post and he has prior experiences with the members.  
Glocke post 835... I've re-connected with musicians from a band I was in 2-3 years ago. I knew going into it sort of what to expect
 
Thumbsup post 258  
The good ones are when there is good comunication on selections and eveybody is on time for rehearsal and the gigs.....
Raymond
Of course you have have to have some discussion about goals...
I have been in several Professional Bands and will be in future and some were Magic  it happens normally to talented  professional muscians.  
I also have several successful businesses.  Geese...I'm tootin my own horn...maybe you struck a chord with me and I took your comments to personal!  
Cheers
 
(Message edited by thumbsup on March 02, 2011)