Tips for Effective Band Rehearsals

Working with various musicians over the years, I have observed how rehearsals have been either successful or non-productive. Here is some advice on how to make your rehearsal effective. This is broken into 2 sections: Audio Tips and Organization and Preparation.

Audio Tips

It’s extremely important for everyone to hear one another, which is reliant on the gear you use and the band’s cooperation. Every musician needs to hear clear enough to play in-time and hear where the changes come. For guitar and bass, the placement of the amp in the room can be critical to help or hinder. The goal is to place the amps in a spot where everyone can hear. Guitar sound is reliant on mid-range frequencies and a combo amp sitting on the floor projecting into everyone’s legs may not be the best placement.  If it’s a combo amp, elevate it to get the speaker 4 feet off the floor. Use a table or shelf. If space permits, place the cabinet facing the band. Having the proper direction and elevation will help everyone, especially the drummer. If it’s a loud band, you may need to put a mic on the amp or use a direct out of the bass amp to feed into the sound system monitors. Take the time to get the mix right so everyone is satisfied. Always make sure the singer can be heard loud and clear. Unless the music is screaming thrash vocals, all singing must be heard so the singers can attain proper pitch.

Organization and Preparation

Organization and preparedness are extremely important for a productive rehearsal. It’s vital that every band member has taken the time to learn their parts for all the songs BEFORE the rehearsal. Rehearsal is NOT time to figure out how to play your parts. Rehearsal is the time for all members to play their parts together and work out the tempo, start and end cues, etc. If one or more band member is unprepared, it’s counterproductive and unfair to the members that are prepared. Each member should take notes. These notes can be used to help with individual practice and the next band rehearsal. Set aside time after rehearsal to go over the performance notes. If possible, create a spreadsheet on a tablet, phone or laptop that contains the notes and share it with all members. This can be a less confrontational way to alert a member about a part or a song that needs work.

Use a phone or other recording device to capture the rehearsal and securitize the performance. You are listening for start and ending tightness, note accuracy on all instruments and vocals, and drum tempo and dynamics. Make sure everyone is playing in-time and not speeding up or slowing down unless the song calls for a tempo change. Listen to the solos and when needed, work on note accuracy and eliminate sloppiness. By recording, you should hear a progression of improvement. Don’t worry about the recording quality, as long as you can hear the performance, it’s good enough for the purpose it serves. Share the recording so the band is able to scrutinize their own performance.

And finally, it’s a cliché but has to be mentioned. Show up on-time and sober. Arriving late is counterproductive and sets a bad mood when the rest of the group is waiting. Being buzzed or inebriated isn’t going to help accomplish the work that is needed to be done at the rehearsal. Celebrate the successful and sober rehearsal afterwards.

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