OPINIONS PLEASE: Pros & Cons of Full Band Practice vs Individual Practice

[azfenderman]

I currently play in a classic rock/country cover band with 3 other guys and we have an ongoing difference of opinion regarding the need/benefit of having full band practices versus individual practices.

I have no problem with either, but given that we're all very busy, it seems like a waste of precious time to get together just to go over songs that we've already learned (especially since all our material is on CDs and we play the songs like the recordings). My inclination or preference is to use full band practices for learning new material with a focus on fine tuning vocals, especially harmony parts (since we are a vocal-centric band). Maybe it's a function of individual proficiency and personal style, but it seems the songs we already know can be effectively practiced at home using the CDs (at least for everyone but the drummer who lives in an apartment complex).

I would very much appreciate your opinions on this subject, particularly if you're currently in a band and have wrestled with this issue as well.

Thanks!

Steve~

[jlrich]

I think individual practice should only be if you're trying to learn your particular part. You can't have band practice without the band. Group practice should be for learning new songs or maybe learning new and different arrangements of intros, etc.. and harmonies liked you mentioned. Group practice also helps keep your timing up to par.

[unclearty]

I have a little 5 piece crap band. I moved away from the rest of them 2 yrs ago. I now live an hour away. We practice every Wed evening for 2 hours. It's a bit of a drag driving there after work..staying 2 hrs, then driving an hour home..but..the up-side is...we tend to get more done together. There always seems to be some reason why I can't practice for a coupld of hours, but if I have to meet with them, I get to play hard for 2 hours a week. As much of a drag the traveling is, I love getting together. As a matter of fact, we've just gone through a dead period..holidays, kids, parties, etc. so we haven't played together now for 4 weeks and , of course, I haven't praticed as much as I should. I vote for playing together.

[51mike]

Individual practice is for learning the songs
Bands rehearse. They do that so each member can taylor his part to fit the overall structure of the song and sound of the band. We normally go over rough spots from the last gig, work on a couple new songs to get the vibe, and do vocal work when needed at rehearsal. Then the individuals go home and work on what's needed from them to make the band "gel". Usually, the week prior to a gig is used for running through the starts and stops of the songs we need to work before the gig.

Sometimes, we just get together and goof off and have a good time.

[Buckocaster51]

I'm with 51mike on this. Practice on your own dime. Rehearse with the band.

Now getting everybody in the band on that same page is another story...

[chet]

51Mike: Did you guys ever throw another jam up there?

[GoldieLocks]

My country band never wants to stop & fix anything during practise. They just bash their way through every song. I prefer to stop every min. to fix tempo/notes/groove/dynamics.
Since its all original music its hard to practise at home. Sure would like these guys to be more professional. But some people just can't hear the mistakes.

But its still fun so I keep at it...

[Cottage]

I'm in a band that's been together for years. Most of the time, because we are now so familiar with the way we play and the band sounds, we have what touring bands call "phonebook practices". The drummer plays on a phone book and the rest use acoustic guitars and practice starts. stops, and harmonies. Its also great for dynamics as well. Usually done in a hotel room somewhere, but many of our regular rehearsals work this way. A great way to get tight and not get kicked out of your apartment.

[jlrich]

Originally Posted by GoldieLocks

My country band never wants to stop & fix anything during practise. They just bash their way through every song. I prefer to stop every min. to fix tempo/notes/groove/dynamics.
Since its all original music its hard to practise at home. Sure would like these guys to be more professional. But some people just can't hear the mistakes.

But its still fun so I keep at it...

Unfortunately your band has more than just practice problems...which a lot of bands seem to have.

[Telenator]

Originally Posted by 51mike

Individual practice is for learning the songs
Bands rehearse. They do that so each member can taylor his part to fit the overall structure of the song and sound of the band. We normally go over rough spots from the last gig, work on a couple new songs to get the vibe, and do vocal work when needed at rehearsal. Then the individuals go home and work on what's needed from them to make the band "gel". Usually, the week prior to a gig is used for running through the starts and stops of the songs we need to work before the gig.

Sometimes, we just get together and goof off and have a good time.

I agree totally. It really irks me when someone shows up for rehearsal and dosen't know their parts. It ruins rehearsal and kills the majority of progress that would have been made that night.

My band seldom rehearses except for the reasons listed above. Sometimes we'll go 3 or 4 months without a rehearsal but it still sounds great. The reason it works is because everyone learns their parts at home and knows them cold when they show up for a gig. I am so fortunate to be playing with a group of guys who have such an awesome work ethic. I have been in bands with way too many losers over the years and I ain't goin' back!

[jlrich]

QUESTION: A band I used to be in used to practice/rehearse at least once a month.

Anyway, our problem was that we never had closed practices. We usually had half the neighborhood over and it would turn into a "show".

Do any of you have that problem or do you insist on closed rehersals/practices?

[Telenator]

LOL! I used to have that problem when I was 18! Now it's not a problem. If you guys are really serious about getting a good band together, anything that distracts you should be removed from the rehearsal area. That includes beer and weed!

[Tim Armstrong]

I've always thought that band practice was for learning new songs and polishing older ones that needed work. If the band isn't playing regular gigs, it's also good to maybe play the rest of the songlist in a five-song rotation, just so they don't get stale...

Cheers, Tim

[PeterUK]

Originally Posted by 51mike

Individual practice is for learning the songs
Bands rehearse. They do that so each member can taylor his part to fit the overall structure of the song and sound of the band. We normally go over rough spots from the last gig, work on a couple new songs to get the vibe, and do vocal work when needed at rehearsal. Then the individuals go home and work on what's needed from them to make the band "gel". Usually, the week prior to a gig is used for running through the starts and stops of the songs we need to work before the gig.

Sometimes, we just get together and goof off and have a good time.

Exactly how we work it. In addition, the two guitarist and vocalists get together seperate from the band and work out our bits which adds real value when the band rehearses.

Peter

[JohnnyCrash]

In your situation, I think whatever feels best for you guys.

You've recorded the songs together, you play them live all the time, you got each other's timing quirks and phrasing down...

Sounds like all you'd need full-band rehearsals for is new material. And the occasional collective "brush up".

--

Generally though, for OTHER bands:

Individual practise helps you find your style, write new material, and expand your musical vocabulary.

Band practise helps you get "tight" with your timing, get to subconsciously pickup on each other's phrasing and personal timings/quirks, work out individual parts (collective writing), and learn how to pickup the slack for each other on those weird off-nights at the real gig.

[Pete Galati]

One of the things you need to do at band practices, is practice sets. Make sure your sets flow, and that you're not messing around doing unprofesional things between songs. There has to be a rhythm to the sets, and the song transitions. Otherwise, when your band gets jobs, you all just seem like a bunch of guys hanging out & jamming.

People come to see a band for a show, even if it's not an Alice Cooper type show. You have to give them more than playing songs you learned off a CD.

Pete

[Telenator]

Originally Posted by Pete Galati

One of the things you need to do at band practices, is practice sets. Make sure your sets flow, and that you're not messing around doing unprofesional things between songs. You have to give them more than playing songs you learned off a CD.

Pete

This is so true!

[jlrich]

Originally Posted by Pete Galati

One of the things you need to do at band practices, is practice sets. Make sure your sets flow, and that you're not messing around doing unprofesional things between songs. There has to be a rhythm to the sets, and the song transitions. Otherwise, when your band gets jobs, you all just seem like a bunch of guys hanging out & jamming.

People come to see a band for a show, even if it's not an Alice Cooper type show. You have to give them more than playing songs you learned off a CD.

Pete

YEP,
"uh...whatcha wanna do next" "uh..hang on, let me get a drink" "uh...uh...uh"

If you don't have anything to say...play a song.

[PeterUK]

Originally Posted by Pete Galati

One of the things you need to do at band practices, is practice sets. Make sure your sets flow, and that you're not messing around doing unprofesional things between songs. There has to be a rhythm to the sets, and the song transitions. Otherwise, when your band gets jobs, you all just seem like a bunch of guys hanging out & jamming.

People come to see a band for a show, even if it's not an Alice Cooper type show. You have to give them more than playing songs you learned off a CD.

Pete

I agree with this whole heartedly.

I'm the front guy for our band and I even work out the patter between the songs to allow the guys to change guitars (electric to acoustic, etc.) and keep the audience entertained and don't get bored.

Peter

[chet]

Just a kind of related comment: I was on a business trip and went to a guitar store with a guy I work with. He's been telling us that he's been taking guitar lessons the last 10 months or so.
I tried to get him to play some simple songs with me. I tried "Day Tripper"- he'd told me that he could play it. He could only play a few bars of the riff...
I tried to get him to play the backup chords for "Suzie-Q" E- C- D but he didn't know where the "E" chord was. On top of that he couldn't keep a beat playing Just an "E" chord as backup. He had told me that he was a drummer when he was younger. Yeah, right...

The morale of the story is: People stretch the truth a lot when they talk about thier playing. I may work with this guy by bringing a guitar to work but I'd quit paying someone for leesons when they aren't getting any results if i were him.

[rdchapman]

I practice alone to learn songs to bring to the group, or if I am sitting in, to rehearse the material for the gig. It is also my time to grow as a player, try new things and increase my level of skill as well as stay loose.

With a group, I think the time is best spent on harmony, finding the parts that work best within the context of the group, and most important, building the collective mind. In my 4 piece, we often go "off the page" during a gig, and having a close rapport with the other players allows us to do these things without any real thought or signaling.

[Rocker AK]

Individual practice is obviously important but rehearsing as a group is how you develop chemistry and timing. IMHO, not taking the time to play as a single unit will be the beginning of a downward spiral. I don't think any band has ever reached it's full potential by "not practicing" together. To me, that's just too rediculous to even consider. You can take it seriously and have fun at the same time. If not, your playing with the wrong people. I would resign in that situation because doing it half-@ssed is not my bag...even as a hobby. If other band members or I didn't have the time to commit to rehearsal, then I just wouldn't do it at all. But, that's just me.

[Larry F]

The simple formula is the more clock time playing as a band, the better. It can frustrating if some of that time is used for a slacker to learn his part, but if he learns it in context, so much that better. Still, I hated it when that happened and I usually tried to ease the guy out if it persisted.

I read that when the Stones would prepare for a tour, they'd set up on stage and pop in a CD to relearn their songs.

[Oster]

I agree the more band time the better.

But...

Band time can't be the only time people in that band practice or rehearse as is the case in my own band. This has been a dilemna for us since the drummer really leans on that - relative scarcity of full rehearsals - as an excuse for not knowing the material 100%.

If you're a professional, you're a musician 24/7 in my book. "Independent study" should be something everyone wants to do.

[sax4blues]

One of the things you need to do at band practices, is practice sets. Make sure your sets flow

This is where we spend band practice time with my sons high school band and the result is they blow other bands away because they put on a good show. The front man works on how he is going to work the crowd. They all know how the songs flow into each other. It's non stop rockin when they play.

For learning new songs they are expected to come to practice knowing their individual part. We started that early on and it has paid off in a big way. They decide what song to do next and when they come next week they're playing a pretty good rendition by the 2nd or 3rd take.

Right now they are auditioning bass players. The routine is you pick up a cd of the set list. When you think you're ready to play 3-4 songs let us know. When the player comes to practice they play those songs and the new guy is either on it or not. And sad to say, if they're not on it, they don't come back. Band practice is not the place to learn how to play a song.

[azfenderman]

All,

Thanks for taking time to share your opinions on the subject of band rehearsal and practice. I appreciate the different perspectives which have given me some things to think about on this subject.

Steve
AZFenderman~