Don't need no stinkin' rehearsals!

[Telenator]

Just played a great gig Sunday night with a band I haven't rehearsed with in months.

There was talk of rehearsals, and even a little stress over the lack of rehearsal, but it seems everyone did their homework and brushed up on all the necessary parts.

One of our best gigs to date. Packed house, happy club owner, more money, more bookings. Great way to spend a Sunday!

What do you guys do about rehearsal?

[TT100]

Twice a week for 3 hours. When school starts we'll drop back to once a week. We need it!

Good to hear your gig went so well.

[jeru]

...even a little stress over the lack of rehearsal, but it seems everyone did their homework and brushed up on all the necessary parts.

Really glad it went well for you. Be thankful that your folks brushed up. I play with a bunch of bums
(great guys and good friends, but for our purposes here, bums) who never want to get together
to practice but who also don't brush up when they should.

Granted, our "gigs" are several block party jams during the summer and a couple of charity events during the
cold months, when we're donating our time to the cause. In both cases, folks are consistently happy to have
us there and enjoy what we play. Still, I'd like it to be a bit more polished at times.

[Offshore Angler]

I don't mind rehearsals to get the starts/stops/breaks thing down. Unfortunately, a lot of bands can't grasp the concept that there's a difference between a rehearsal and a practice and you can sure tell which ones they are when you listen.

But players who know the stuff, can count and can play heads-up can usually pull off a decent show sans rehearsal.

[Rickenjangle]

I don't mind rehearsals to get the starts/stops/breaks thing down. Unfortunately, a lot of bands can't grasp the concept that there's a difference between a rehearsal and a practice and you can sure tell which ones they are when you listen.

But players who know the stuff, can count and can play heads-up can usually pull off a decent show sans rehearsal.

Kinda like Crossfyre did in the later days - we knew almost all of that material cold without rehearsal.

My band is always bringing in new material, so we try to have 2 a month except in the busier summer months when we end up gigging every weekend - but last night we worked two new songs pretty heavily because they're required for a gig in a few weeks...

BUT the band that I sit in with where I'm just the stunt guitar player NEVER practices - they use their regular Tuesday night dinner-crowd gig as a low-paid practice, and then we try to get better jobs on the weekends. That band has a repertoire spanning at least 120 tunes, so we pretty much play four weeks of different sets before repeating. THAT keeps me on my toes 'cause you can't half-ass many of those 70's AM radio chestnuts...like Dancin' In the Moonlight, Shambala, Romeo's Tune, Brandy, etc.

So for my practice time I'll try to grab a bunch of the signature licks so I've got 'em locked and loaded for the gig.

[Telenator]

A lot of it depends on the material too.

I am fortunate enough to be playing in a group where it's important to all the members to put on a good show. So, everyone does their homework and shows up ready to rock it.

This also makes a strong case for "learning the material as recorded!" The recordings are our practice reference. If we're all playing it "as recorded" we're going to be really tight when we play it live.

www.pinkbabymusic.com

These girls really kick it!

[jeru]

I don't mind rehearsals to get the starts/stops/breaks thing down. Unfortunately, a lot of bands can't grasp the concept that
there's a difference between a rehearsal and a practice and you can sure tell which ones they are when you listen.

But players who know the stuff, can count and can play heads-up can usually pull off a decent show sans rehearsal.

I absolutely agree -- I was loose with my words.
I wrote practice when I really meant rehearsal.

Consider it though -- if that's the dumbest/worst mistake
I make in a day, then it's a pretty good day...

[Telenator]

Going for it again this Saturday. A few new songs.

Man, I love playing with people who get it.

Rehearsal can become a "safety net" of sorts for those who don't do the homework. I have played in several bands, (for short periods of time), where they made the same mistakes in the same places every time we played the songs. It became a thing where they were actually practicing their mistakes because they wouldn't put in the time at home and figured the answer would just magically appear at rehearsal. Strange things we musicians do sometimes.

On the other hand, if you show up at a gig and don't know you're stuff, everyone in the band and audience suffers. You let them down. I don't want to be that dude.