by Siah Klootchman

Created on: February 10, 2009

"Effective" band practice means there is a shared, desired goal in mind. Ask every band member what they want for both the band and themselves as musicians. Get specific. Do you want to play live? Record? Party like the proverbial rock stars and get lots of action? All of the above? Prioritize what is the goal, and you will be one step closer to using your rehearsal time wisely to get the results you want.

"Effective" also means personal responsibility, without excuses. Time commitments to a serious band are often substantial, and wasting time on drama and irresponsibility is never effective. Decide on a practice time that works for the whole band. Every Monday at 6, or the second Saturday at noon, whatever works for everyone. Scheduling everything week-to-week is a time-wasting bother and too often relegates the band to just another thing a list of ever-changing priorities. If the band is important enough to be worked past the point of mediocrity, it deserves a dedicated time slot.

Finding a suitable place to practice is often problematic because of space and volume. Un-insulated spaces are not efficient or effective, extremes of heat and cold are hard on both musicians and equipment. Get the best practice space you can, even if it means adding security locks, better wiring, carpet and insulation to a shed or garage. In many cities, serious bands rent practice space at local galleries and performing arts centers. Though there may be initial costs or ongoing fees, the energy and headache saved by having a defined space and time will allow you to put energy more efficiently toward learning songs, developing a set and eventually getting paid gigs.

Effectiveness demands efficient learning. Decide on a song list, with a tempo and key for each song. Decide who sings, who plays, when and where. This is called the song's "arrangement". If you are in a cover band doing recreations of preciously recorded hit songs, your arrangements are already figured out. It not, decide where you want verses and choruses, who gets a solo, what kind of ending, and other details of the presentation. Always record your practices. ALWAYS! Provide each member of the band with a recording of the set list, either on a compilation CD or as an mp3 playlist for download onto computers and personal music players (example: iPod).

Effective full band practice means each player has the responsibility of learning their own part before full band rehearsal. Few things are more frustratingly inefficient than having the band standing around while someone learns their part from scratch. In a recording studio this kind of unpreparedness can get very expensive very quickly, and sometimes destroy the band in the process. Smaller rehearsals can be a very efficient use of time. If your band works with vocal harmony, a vocals-only rehearsal can get that aspect of the song up to speed before the rest of the instrumentation is added.

Effective practice means focused attention to the task at hand; learning songs and how to play them together for excitement, enjoyment entertainment, and maybe even fame and fortune. Distractions to be eliminated from practice space include everyone not in the band, including boyfriends and girlfriends, family members, curious siblings and family pets. Cell phones and other devices should be turned off. Hang a BAND WORKING sign on the door. Interruptions waste time and break focus.

And finally, serious musicians quickly learn to maximize the effective value of rehearsal time spent by saving alcohol and other adult refreshments for AFTER practice time. Nothing wrong with a rock band partying together, but as with most things musical, timing is everything!

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