The Dues - Page Ten



Issue 8 Volume 1 Christmas 2005
Page 10

How to get a properly paid gig (Part 5)

...continued from front page

REHEARSAL

Poor rehearsal techniques are one of the major reasons that bands either fail to achieve or break up. We should probably start by listing the things a rehearsal is not:

A social occasion.
An opportunity to express your innermost emotions.
An opportunity to demonstrate your hottest licks.
An opportunity to impress a girl or guy you are keen on.
A drinking session (or a session to indulge in other mind-altering substances).
An occasion where dreams and aspirations can be ventilated.
A competition.
A chance to play, yet again, your favourite tune.
An opportunity to practice your part.

OK, now that we have seen what it is not, let's try to define what this elusive rehearsal thing is:

"Rehearsal is the preparation of a musical group for public performance."

Note that it is the group that is preparing during rehearsal, not the individual. The individual, therefore, must be prepared for the rehearsal. The individual does this by practice. Just in case you missed that I'll say it again in another fashion:

"If the musicians in the group have not done sufficient individual practice to ensure that they can play their parts then rehearsal is a waste of time!"

This may sound harsh, unfeeling, insensitive or elitist. It is not. It is a fact. Rehearsal for the type of group we are discussing here does not involve group composition or arrangement. The music is already there, the group just has to learn to play it well! (Incidentally, this approach can also work well for the original band).

Understanding the fact just revealed should inform your selection of musicians. Sufficient self-discipline to work in this way is almost certainly more desirable than individual brilliance, so long as each musician has an appropriate level of competence!

Before the rehearsal

This understanding of the nature of rehearsal does not mean that all individual musicians in the group should be left to sink or swim. Quite the contrary. As much as possible must be done to assist them in their preparation for the rehearsal. In fact they will be unable to prepare at all without at least some information. Recordings of the material are almost always essential. Chord charts, lead sheets or even fully notated parts should be provided. The appropriate kind of information depends on the individual musicians and the circumstances. All the musicians should be invited to consult with the leader(s) before a rehearsal to clarify what is needed. This avoids wasting the time of other musicians during rehearsal.

Make sure everyone knows exactly what is to be rehearsed well in advance of the actual rehearsal, as well as the start and finish times (yes, the finish time! More on that later.) and the address where the rehearsal is to take place.

Where to rehearse

There are many commercial rehearsal studios which provide varying levels of equipment but they all have one thing in common; they cost money. Remember the general rule given in the last instalment of this series:
If you have to choose between a solution that costs money and one that is free - always choose the second.
Be very wary of the self indulgent attraction of surrounding yourself with unnecessary equipment simply so you can look like a band in a video clip.

Consider rehearsing with no vocal PA. This is possible but it requires rehearsing at low volume (often a good way to evaluate the quality of the performance). At least explore the possibility. It may not work for your situation but make sure you have ruled it out for solid reasons. As a general guide, rehearsal level should be no louder than that provided by a good foldback system (DON'T rehearse at front-of-house levels!).

The traditional garage, a suitably-sized room in a house or a well-appointed home music space are all good possibilities. Don't disregard small local halls which are often available very inexpensively early- to mid-week. Does anyone in the band have a contact who can obtain a suitable space for nothing? Spending nothing is not amateur, it is the ultimate professional commercial proposition!

How Long to Rehearse

Call lengths under musicians' awards in Australia are almost always 3 hours. This has been the case for at least 80 years and reflects a reality. The intense concentration required in serious rehearsal is almost impossible to maintain for a longer period than this. The fashion for extremely long rehearsals is just that, a fashion. Any objective analysis of the real output (properly prepared material ready to perform) per hour achieved will demonstrate that they are unproductive when compared to shorter, more tightly organised rehearsals. Rehearsal finishing times should also accommodate the other demands on the musicians' time. Do some of them have to get up next morning for a day job? for Uni? for any other reason?